/* eslint-disable */
// Auto-generated destination data — andes
window.ANDES_DATA = {
  "chrome": {
    "hero": {
      "kicker": "HowTo:Travel · Americas · Andes",
      "h1Lines": [
        "Five countries.",
        "One spine.",
        "The roof of South America."
      ],
      "issueLabel": "Issue Nº 47 · Andes Region guide · Updated April 2026",
      "lede": "The Andes is not a single destination. It is a 7,000-kilometre argument about altitude, language, and where civilization begins. Peru's Spanish ruins coexist with Quechua villages that predate Pizarro. Bolivia's salt flats sit at 3,600 metres. Chile's atacama rises to 6,000. Argentina's wine grows where clouds cannot reach. You will need time.",
      "stats": "5 countries · 12 regions · 8 cities · 5 great drives · 2 languages + 40 indigenous tongues",
      "metaRows": [
        {
          "k": "Currency",
          "v": "Peruvian Sol (S/), Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.), Ecuadorian US$ (USD), Chilean Peso (CLP), Argentine Peso (ARS)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Plug type",
          "v": "Type A, B (US standard throughout)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Visa for US/UK",
          "v": "Not required (90 days each country)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Best for first-timers",
          "v": "Peru: Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu"
        },
        {
          "k": "Language",
          "v": "Spanish (official) + Quechua, Aymara, Kichwa"
        }
      ],
      "frames": [
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587595431973-160d0d94add1?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Machu Picchu, Cusco region · 13°S"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia · 19°S"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1535905557558-afc4877a26fc?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Atacama Desert, Chile · 23°S"
        }
      ]
    },
    "anchor": {
      "label": "In this guide",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "intro",
          "label": "Letter"
        },
        {
          "id": "regions",
          "label": "Five zones"
        },
        {
          "id": "drives",
          "label": "Five routes"
        },
        {
          "id": "cities",
          "label": "Eight cities"
        },
        {
          "id": "when",
          "label": "When to go"
        },
        {
          "id": "food",
          "label": "What to eat"
        },
        {
          "id": "language",
          "label": "What to say"
        },
        {
          "id": "faq",
          "label": "FAQ"
        }
      ]
    },
    "intro": {
      "lead": "The Andes made altitude normal and distance irrelevant. For eight centuries, the Inca threaded a rope of roads across this spine and called it Tawantinsuyu — four parts as one. The Spanish renamed it a wilderness. But altitude does not care about empires. At 3,200 metres, your lungs know you are somewhere singular. The people know it too. Walk any market in the highlands and you will hear Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and the sound of a culture that refused to disappear.",
      "side": "The Andes are not tame. Come prepared for altitude, for cold nights, for unpaved roads, and for the fact that the best views require arriving before dawn. Bring layers. Bring water. Bring patience with border crossings. The reward is genuine remoteness and the understanding that infrastructure, tourism, and civilization are not the same thing.",
      "credit": "— The editors · Cusco · March 2026"
    },
    "signoff": {
      "h2": "Come in May or September.",
      "body": "Dry season across all five countries. The sky is clear, the passes are open, and you will meet other travellers who planned as carefully as you did. August brings crowds to Cusco and Machu Picchu. December through February brings rain and closed roads in the southern cordillera. April and October are the second-best answer.",
      "credit": "— The editors"
    }
  },
  "macros": [
    {
      "id": "north",
      "name": "Northern Andes",
      "tint": "#2D5016",
      "blurb": "Cloud forests, volcanic peaks, and the spine's narrowest waist. Ecuador and southern Colombia."
    },
    {
      "id": "central",
      "name": "Central Highlands",
      "tint": "#8B4513",
      "blurb": "The heart of Inca territory. Pre-Columbian ruins, Quechua villages, and the sacred valley's terraced agriculture."
    },
    {
      "id": "southern",
      "name": "Southern Cone",
      "tint": "#556B2F",
      "blurb": "Salt flats, atacama, and wine country. Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina's high desert margins."
    }
  ],
  "regions": [
    {
      "id": "ecu",
      "name": "Ecuador",
      "capital": "Quito",
      "macro": "north",
      "hue": "#2D5016",
      "knownFor": "Equator, cloud forest, volcanic spine",
      "area": 283561,
      "pop": 18.2,
      "signature": "Narrow, wet, steep. The spine here is so vertical that the cloud forest reaches 3,500 metres. Everything grows vertically.",
      "best": "May–Aug"
    },
    {
      "id": "per",
      "name": "Peru",
      "capital": "Lima",
      "macro": "central",
      "hue": "#8B4513",
      "knownFor": "Inca ruins, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley",
      "area": 1285216,
      "pop": 34.5,
      "signature": "Archaeology meets Quechua culture. Every ridge has a temple. Every village has a fiesta. Altitude begins here and does not stop.",
      "best": "May–Sep"
    },
    {
      "id": "bol",
      "name": "Bolivia",
      "capital": "La Paz",
      "macro": "southern",
      "hue": "#556B2F",
      "knownFor": "Salt flats, high plateau, indigenous culture",
      "area": 1098581,
      "pop": 12.2,
      "signature": "The altiplano. Wind-scoured, mineral-bright, and at 3,600 metres, the lungs understand they are in a place beyond easy living. Salt, flamingos, and silence.",
      "best": "Apr–Oct"
    },
    {
      "id": "chi",
      "name": "Chile",
      "capital": "Santiago",
      "macro": "southern",
      "hue": "#556B2F",
      "knownFor": "Atacama Desert, wine region, copper mining",
      "area": 756096,
      "pop": 19.6,
      "signature": "Hyper-arid. The driest non-polar desert on Earth. At Atacama's core, some villages record no rain for decades. The night sky is audible.",
      "best": "Apr–Oct"
    },
    {
      "id": "arg",
      "name": "Argentina",
      "capital": "Buenos Aires",
      "macro": "southern",
      "hue": "#556B2F",
      "knownFor": "Wine country, Patagonian peaks, tango",
      "area": 2780400,
      "pop": 46.2,
      "signature": "The Andes in Argentina are the Andes becoming something else. Dry, corrugated, and increasingly wild. The wine here is not coincidental.",
      "best": "Mar–Apr · Sep–Nov"
    }
  ],
  "drives": [
    {
      "id": "sacred-valley",
      "num": "01",
      "name": "The Sacred Valley",
      "nameEm": "Cusco to Ollantaytambo",
      "region": "Peru",
      "regionId": "per",
      "from": "Cusco",
      "to": "Ollantaytambo",
      "km": 92,
      "hours": 3,
      "elevMax": 3750,
      "elevMin": 2792,
      "season": "May–Sep",
      "surface": "PE-28 — paved, well-maintained, but steep in sections",
      "car": "Any rental. Drive early; afternoon clouds obscure the valley.",
      "blurb": "Leave Cusco at dawn. The valley floor sits at 2,800 metres, ringed by peaks. Stop in Ollantaytambo for lunch and the ruins — a temple-fortress that the Spanish never fully conquered. The terraces on the north face are Inca agriculture perfected.",
      "stops": [
        "Cusco",
        "Chinchero",
        "Urubamba",
        "Ollantaytambo"
      ],
      "tip": "Sleep in Ollantaytambo, not Cusco. It is one-third the altitude, you will sleep better, and the ruins are yours at sunrise.",
      "profile": [
        3750,
        3600,
        3400,
        3100,
        2950,
        2850,
        2800,
        2850,
        2950,
        3050,
        3100
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "sico-pass",
      "num": "02",
      "name": "The Sico Pass",
      "nameEm": "Chile to Argentina",
      "region": "Multi-country",
      "regionId": "chi",
      "from": "San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)",
      "to": "Salta (Argentina)",
      "km": 340,
      "hours": 12,
      "elevMax": 4080,
      "elevMin": 2408,
      "season": "Apr–Oct (Nov–Mar often closed)",
      "surface": "Mixed — paved to Paso de Jama, then gravel on both sides",
      "car": "4x4 essential. High-clearance truck preferred. Fuel up in San Pedro.",
      "blurb": "The mountain crossing that connects the Atacama to the Argentine wine country. The pass itself is raw: no buildings, no services, only a low stone cairn marking the border. On the Argentine side, the landscape shifts from mineral-bright to green within fifty kilometres.",
      "stops": [
        "San Pedro de Atacama",
        "Paso de Jama",
        "Purmamarca",
        "Salta"
      ],
      "tip": "Bring water and food for the entire journey. The pass has no shelter. Leave at dawn; afternoon wind makes it dangerous.",
      "profile": [
        2408,
        2600,
        2900,
        3200,
        3600,
        4080,
        3800,
        3400,
        3100,
        2700,
        2450
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "altiplano-loop",
      "num": "03",
      "name": "The Altiplano",
      "nameEm": "Bolivia loop",
      "region": "Bolivia",
      "regionId": "bol",
      "from": "La Paz",
      "to": "La Paz",
      "km": 800,
      "hours": 24,
      "elevMax": 3700,
      "elevMin": 3656,
      "season": "May–Oct (Nov–Mar impassable)",
      "surface": "Mix of paved and hard-packed dirt. All-terrain advised.",
      "car": "4x4. You need ground clearance and lockers. Hire with a guide.",
      "blurb": "Three days on the world's largest high plateau. Flamingos in salt lagoons, the Salar de Uyuni's crystalline floor, and villages where Spanish is spoken as a second language. Sleep in Uyuni town, wake before sunrise for the salt flats.",
      "stops": [
        "La Paz",
        "Oruro",
        "Uyuni",
        "Laguna Colorada",
        "Laguna Verde",
        "La Paz"
      ],
      "tip": "Book a guide in Uyuni town, not in La Paz. Local operators know which lagoons have water this month and which salt routes are passable.",
      "profile": [
        3700,
        3680,
        3670,
        3656,
        3680,
        3700,
        3690,
        3670,
        3680,
        3690,
        3700
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "quito-ibarra",
      "num": "04",
      "name": "The Vulcanic Ring",
      "nameEm": "Ecuador's spine",
      "region": "Ecuador",
      "regionId": "ecu",
      "from": "Quito",
      "to": "Ibarra",
      "km": 160,
      "hours": 4,
      "elevMax": 4050,
      "elevMin": 1770,
      "season": "May–Aug",
      "surface": "Pan-American Highway — paved, busy, but dramatic",
      "car": "Any car. The road is good; the drivers are not.",
      "blurb": "North from Quito through six volcanoes in one afternoon. Cotopaxi (5,897m) is visible for most of the drive. Stop at Latacunga's market, visit the lakes near Otavalo, and understand why Ecuador compressed so much altitude into so small a country.",
      "stops": [
        "Quito",
        "Machachi",
        "Latacunga",
        "Ambato",
        "Ibarra"
      ],
      "tip": "The drive is beautiful but crowded. Leave before 7am to beat the trucks. Afternoon clouds erase the volcanoes.",
      "profile": [
        2850,
        3600,
        4050,
        3800,
        3200,
        2400,
        1900,
        1800,
        1850,
        1900,
        1770
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "maipo-to-aconcagua",
      "num": "05",
      "name": "Wine and Ice",
      "nameEm": "Chile's wine to Argentina's peaks",
      "region": "Chile/Argentina",
      "regionId": "chi",
      "from": "Santiago (Chile)",
      "to": "Mendoza (Argentina)",
      "km": 400,
      "hours": 6,
      "elevMax": 2208,
      "elevMin": 650,
      "season": "Mar–Apr · Sep–Nov",
      "surface": "Route 5 then Ruta 7 — excellent pavement throughout",
      "car": "Any car. Cruise the wine valley in a Corolla if you wish.",
      "blurb": "A straight shot from Chilean wine country (Maipo, Casablanca) to Argentine wine country (Mendoza) via the Paso Los Libertadores. The climb to 2,208m is gradual. The descent into Argentina opens Aconcagua's white-capped mass to the north.",
      "stops": [
        "Santiago",
        "Maipo Valley",
        "Valparaíso",
        "Los Andes",
        "Mendoza"
      ],
      "tip": "Sleep one night in Mendoza and wake for Aconcagua at sunrise from the Villavicencio road. The mountain is most visible in clear morning light.",
      "profile": [
        650,
        800,
        1200,
        1700,
        2100,
        2208,
        2100,
        1800,
        1400,
        1000,
        850
      ]
    }
  ],
  "cities": [
    {
      "name": "Cusco",
      "pop": 0.44,
      "region": "Peru",
      "regionId": "per",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587595431973-160d0d94add1?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "3",
      "mood": "Stone, thin air, constant history",
      "best": "May–Sep",
      "quote": "Altitude hits on day one. Spend it walking, not climbing. The Plaza de Armas is the city's true anchor; eat ceviche there at lunch, drink Cusqueña beer at dusk."
    },
    {
      "name": "La Paz",
      "pop": 0.86,
      "region": "Bolivia",
      "regionId": "bol",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520103895792-5c9a36cfef98?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2",
      "mood": "Vertiginous, chaotic, alive",
      "best": "May–Oct",
      "quote": "The world's highest capital (3,650m). Do not rush. The Witches' Market sells frog amulets and herbs you cannot name. The cableway to El Alto is the commute from the earth to space."
    },
    {
      "name": "Lima",
      "pop": 9.7,
      "region": "Peru",
      "regionId": "per",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518639498935-62391b748ad4?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2",
      "mood": "Coastal, elegant, nocturnal",
      "best": "May–Sep",
      "quote": "The Andes' throat, not its heart. But the food is. Central is not a restaurant; it is an argument about Peru in 18 courses. Book three months ahead."
    },
    {
      "name": "Arequipa",
      "pop": 0.64,
      "region": "Peru",
      "regionId": "per",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2",
      "mood": "Colonial, refined, dry",
      "best": "May–Sep",
      "quote": "White stone and silence. The convent of Santa Catalina is a city within the city. Eat rocoto relleno (stuffed chilli) near the Plaza de Armas. The dish is from here; do not eat it anywhere else first."
    },
    {
      "name": "San Pedro de Atacama",
      "pop": 0.005,
      "region": "Chile",
      "regionId": "chi",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1535905557558-afc4877a26fc?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "3",
      "mood": "Desert, starlit, remote",
      "best": "Apr–Oct",
      "quote": "Oasis at 2,408m in the earth's driest place. Sleep here, wake for the Geyser del Tatio at 4am. The stars at night are not metaphorical; they are an argument for darkness."
    },
    {
      "name": "Quito",
      "pop": 1.8,
      "region": "Ecuador",
      "regionId": "ecu",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558618666-fcd25c85cd64?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2",
      "mood": "Equatorial, vertical, baroque",
      "best": "May–Aug",
      "quote": "Nine degrees from the equator, 2,850m above sea level. The old town is all stone and bells. Take the Teleferico cable car at dusk for the descent into light."
    },
    {
      "name": "Mendoza",
      "pop": 0.12,
      "region": "Argentina",
      "regionId": "arg",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1584439589566-8f0dc79dde5a?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2–3",
      "mood": "Wine-soaked, laid-back, Andean",
      "best": "Mar–Apr · Sep–Nov",
      "quote": "Wine country at the foot of Aconcagua. The Maipo Valley produces the country's best Malbec. Hire a car and taste in Luján de Cuyo; eat empanadas between tastings."
    }
  ],
  "when": [
    {
      "m": "Jan",
      "n": "Wet season. Roads open but mountain passes close. Avoid.",
      "s": "Summer in the south. Warm, good for wine touring. Flooding in Bolivia."
    },
    {
      "m": "Feb",
      "n": "Continued rain. Cloud cover obscures peaks. Machu Picchu muddy.",
      "s": "Still hot. Dry season begins in Argentina. Good for Mendoza."
    },
    {
      "m": "Mar",
      "n": "Shoulder season begins. Rain decreasing. Fewer crowds.",
      "s": "Autumn begins. Clearer skies. Excellent for driving."
    },
    {
      "m": "Apr",
      "n": "Dry season proper. Excellent visibility. Sweet spot begins.",
      "s": "Last warm month before winter. Wine harvest underway. Perfect timing."
    },
    {
      "m": "May",
      "n": "Peak dry season. Cool nights. First-choice month across the spine.",
      "s": "Early winter. Clear skies. The altiplano is manageable. Optimal."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jun",
      "n": "Coldest month. Snow possible on high passes. Nights below freezing.",
      "s": "Deepest winter. Passes may close in the south. Chilean Atacama is clear."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jul",
      "n": "Peak season. High prices. Crowds at Machu Picchu. Good weather.",
      "s": "Still winter. Atacama clear and cold. Argentine wine dinners excellent."
    },
    {
      "m": "Aug",
      "n": "High season continues. Book ahead. Weather reliable. Expensive.",
      "s": "Late winter. Clear but cold. Good for driving before spring rains."
    },
    {
      "m": "Sep",
      "n": "Shoulder season. Excellent balance of weather and crowds. Recommended.",
      "s": "Spring begins. Warming trend. Flowers start. Good for all activities."
    },
    {
      "m": "Oct",
      "n": "End of dry season. Still clear but rains beginning. Good visibility.",
      "s": "Spring in full. Warm days, cool nights. Last good month for passes."
    },
    {
      "m": "Nov",
      "n": "Wet season beginning. Afternoon storms common. Avoid high passes.",
      "s": "Spring ending, summer approaching. Rains increase. Flooding likely."
    },
    {
      "m": "Dec",
      "n": "Summer, but wet. Not ideal. Holiday crowds high prices. Avoid.",
      "s": "Summer. Warm. Rains continue. Roads may close. Plan flexibility."
    }
  ],
  "food": [
    {
      "dish": "Ceviche",
      "where": "Peru (especially Lima)",
      "regionId": "per",
      "note": "Raw fish cured in lime and chilli. Served with toasted corn and sweet potato. Eat it at lunch, not dinner. Pescado blanco is the cleanest base.",
      "emoji": "🐟",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Rocoto relleno",
      "where": "Arequipa, Peru",
      "regionId": "per",
      "note": "Stuffed red chilli, baked in cheese and cream. Indigenous chilli, Spanish technique, Andean result. Order it in Arequipa only; elsewhere it is diluted.",
      "emoji": "🌶️",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Quinoa soup (Chupe de quinua)",
      "where": "Bolivia, highland Peru",
      "regionId": "bol",
      "note": "Thick, warming, with potatoes and highland cheese. The ancient grain, domesticated above 3,000m, returned to its source. Eat it at breakfast in La Paz.",
      "emoji": "🍲",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Charque (Charqui de alpaca)",
      "where": "Bolivia, Argentina",
      "regionId": "bol",
      "note": "Dried, salted alpaca meat. The word became 'jerky'. Thinly sliced, chewed over hours. Carried by herders for centuries. Buy it in Uyuni's market.",
      "emoji": "🥩",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Empanada (De queso y champiñón)",
      "where": "Argentina, Chile",
      "regionId": "arg",
      "note": "Fried pastry, cheese and mushroom filling. Every family has a recipe. The Argentine version is heavier; the Chilean is lighter. Eat both.",
      "emoji": "🥟",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Mote con huesillo",
      "where": "Chile",
      "regionId": "chi",
      "note": "Corn kernels and dried peach in sweet broth, served ice-cold. Summer drink across central Chile. Sounds simple, tastes like memory.",
      "emoji": "🌽",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Lomo saltado",
      "where": "Peru (Cusco region)",
      "regionId": "per",
      "note": "Sliced beef, fried quickly with onions and tomatoes. Served with rice and fries. The dish was invented by Chinese coolies in the 1900s. It is now Peruvian.",
      "emoji": "🥩",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Humita",
      "where": "Argentina, Chile",
      "regionId": "arg",
      "note": "Corn tamale wrapped in corn husks. Served with fresh cheese. Eat it warm, at breakfast or as a snack. The street vendors in Salta make the best ones.",
      "emoji": "🌽",
      "span": 1
    }
  ],
  "language": [
    {
      "lc": "Hola, ¿cómo estás?",
      "tr": "Hello, how are you?",
      "note": "The standard greeting everywhere Spanish is spoken. Use 'tú' with locals; use 'usted' with elders and shop clerks."
    },
    {
      "lc": "¿A cuántos metros estamos?",
      "tr": "How many metres are we at?",
      "note": "The most useful Andes question. Altitude sickness is real. Locals understand this and will answer honestly about the climb ahead."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Runakuna",
      "tr": "The people (Quechua)",
      "note": "Pronounced ROO-nah-KOO-nah. In Quechua-speaking regions, 'the people' refers to indigenous highland communities, not outsiders."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Sumaq kawsay",
      "tr": "The good life (Quechua)",
      "note": "Pronounced SOO-mock KOW-sigh. An Andean philosophy of balance with nature. Listen for it in indigenous villages; it shapes the rhythm of rural life."
    },
    {
      "lc": "De madrugada",
      "tr": "Before dawn",
      "note": "Used for early-morning departures. 'Salimos de madrugada' (we left before dawn) is how Andes travel is discussed."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Soroche",
      "tr": "Altitude sickness",
      "note": "Spanish word from Quechua. Universal across the Andes. Say it without shame. Pharmacies sell remedies; coca tea is the local cure."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Cholet",
      "tr": "A hybrid building (Spanish/Quechua)",
      "note": "Pronounced cho-LAY. A Bolivian style: colonial Spanish architecture meets indigenous geometric textiles. They are everywhere in La Paz and Potosí."
    },
    {
      "lc": "¿Está pasable el camino?",
      "tr": "Is the road passable?",
      "note": "Essential before any unpaved drive in the southern Andes. Locals will tell you the truth. Believe them."
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Will I get altitude sickness?",
      "a": "Probably. Cusco is 3,400m; La Paz is 3,650m. Your body needs time. Arrive, rest, drink water, avoid alcohol for 48 hours. Eat coca-leaf tea (legal throughout) or take acetazolamide (Diamox) prophylactically if you are prone to it. Headaches are normal on day one. If they persist beyond day two, descend 500m immediately."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is it safe to drive at night?",
      "a": "No. Roads are narrow, unlit, and populated by buses driven by men on no sleep. Drive only in daylight. If you must drive after 5pm, stay in the city. Mountain driving after dusk is how deaths happen."
    },
    {
      "q": "How long do I need?",
      "a": "Ten days is a whisper of the Andes. Two weeks is respectable but rushed. Three weeks lets you taste the major regions without panic. Four weeks is the minimum for any real depth—one week per country. Most first-timers do Peru alone (7–10 days). That is honest."
    },
    {
      "q": "Which country should I start in?",
      "a": "Peru. Machu Picchu is the magnet. Cusco is the hub. The infrastructure is the most tourist-friendly. Come back for Bolivia's salt flats and Chile's Atacama. But Peru is the gravity well; start there."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need to speak Spanish?",
      "a": "No, but it helps. English is spoken in tourist areas of Peru. Bolivia and Ecuador are thinner on English speakers. Chile's tourism industry is bilingual. In rural areas and markets, Spanish is essential. Download a translation app and learn 'How much?' and 'Is the road passable?' before you leave."
    },
    {
      "q": "Are the passes really closed in winter?",
      "a": "Yes. June through August, high passes (above 4,000m) can close with little warning. Even in May and September, weather can change in hours. Check with locals before driving unpaved mountain routes. If clouds roll in, turn back. The view will not disappear; you might."
    },
    {
      "q": "How much should I budget for altitude acclimatization?",
      "a": "One full day per 500m of elevation gain if you are arriving from sea level. Spend day one in Cusco doing nothing. Sleep low, walk slow, drink relentlessly. Your reward is day two, when the city becomes legible and the peaks become visible."
    }
  ]
};