Having ended the first part of his three-nation tour, Pope Francis arrived in Bolivia on Wednesday. During his flight, the Pope drank coca tea, a local remedy that helps alleviate altitude sickness.

NBC News reports that during his flight to Bolivia, Pope Francis enjoyed a in-flight tea made from coca. Coca is illegal in the United States because of it is the main ingredient in the production of cocaine. However, the leaf is widely popular in the Andean country, where it is chewed and drank in teas.

La Paz sits at an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level, making it the world's highest capital. The air is 30 percent thinner, which could make travel very difficult. The reduced level of air can cause headaches, shortness of breath and fatigue.

The remedy of coca tea helps combat altitude sickness.

The pope only spent four hours in the capital city before heading to the eastern city of Santa Cruz de La Sierra. The pontiff met with Bolivian President Evo Morales who gave the pope a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and sickle, the Communist symbol uniting labor and peasants.

According to Reuters, coca has been the main ingredient in cocaine but people in the Andean region have chewed coca leaves or drunk coca tea for centuries for its medicinal properties.

The pope didn't display any sort of difficulties walking out of the plane and while reading his welcoming address. A Vatican spokesman said that the pope would love to chew the coca leaves once he gets there.

Pope Francis is on a Latin America tour where he will visit three of South America's poorest countries: Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Pope Francis lost a part of his lungs to a disease when he was a young man.

He is scheduled to visit the United States in September with visits to Washington, D.C, New York City and Philadelphia.

Various videos of the pope's South American tour are available on the Vatican's YouTube page. Including Pope Francis' meeting with President Morales. Watch it below: