We are lofting higher than the clouds. A chill wind rattles the windows. Above us, the mountains are a constantly changing sea of greenish, reddish and yellow tints. This is the first time I have felt the enormity of the landscape. Tourists drink mate, a traditional Argentine tea sipped from a gourd through a metal straw.
Small talk dies away as passengers lose breath.
Some try the coca leaves dished out in plastic bags. Some passengers suffer from altitude sickness. It's a stimulant and will help ease any symptoms. Some passengers fall ill or puff on the oxygen canisters, but not Mataitis Lituano, who nonchalantly spits out a coca leaf. He says he is unaffected by altitude sickness.