Day 3 (Last Pre Inca Trail Day)

We slept in today. With nothing scheduled, Megan and I decided to go check out this market that our guide Will had suggested. It was only 5 blocks away. Megan and I headed out to this little breakfast place overlooking the plaza. It was pretty good and we got eggs, bacon, toast, fresh pineapple juice and a hot drink for 12 soles (4 dollars) I don't drink coffee, so I got hot chocolate. It was at this point that I realized most Peruvian hot chocolate is terrible. I think they try to make it how they think tourists want it, but they don't quite get it right.


After breakfast, we headed down to the market. Along the way we came across this street which was under construction. This whole process is done by hand. It was in a crazy state of disrepair, but as the week went on, they made a ton of progress.





We finally got to the market and it was crazy. There were some of the textiles and clothes for sale, but most of it was food. They had tons of meats, all kinds of vegetables and fruits. There were also a lot of vendors selling hot food. People would get it and sit down at some of the tables in the back. There were also packs of random dogs running around. At one point we saw a dog stop and pee on someone's leg who was sitting down at a table eating. The person was not phased in the least and just kept on eating. It was crazy. Megan went on to fall in love with a scarf that was produced with natural dyes and materials and everything. She didn't bargain very well, but she wanted it so much she still got it. They can tell when you want it and will adjust their prices accordingly.

After the market, we headed back up and made a brief stop to buy ponchos for the trail just in case it rained. Megan also got a little water bottle carrier so she could have a little more water readily available on the trip. We then got back to the hotel, dropped off our gear and headed out to lunch with a few more folks. We ended up at an empanada place which is supposed to be the best bakery in town. We tried some Inka Cola and got some delicious deserts as well. Then Megan and I headed to make reservations for a super fancy restaurant after the tour and then we went to the Inka Museum. We saw mummys in jars and in other positions. They didn't allow pictures there, so no good updates here.


After heading back to the hotel, we headed out for dinner at MAP cafe. This was an awesome dinner. It is in the courtyard of a museum and they elevate it slightly and totally enclose the whole eating area in glass. It was definitely a unique experience and the food was awesome. It might have been the best meal I had in Peru. It was prix fixe meal at around 35 USD which was really pricy (for peru) but totally worth it. We had 3 delicious courses and it included a glass of wine. There also was a harp player the whole time.


Now just when the meal is going well, these creepy little guys in masks come in. They are advertising this show in Cusco. They would come in and laugh in a super creepy voice and brush people with feathers and put random hats on people. We luckily got a picture of them. It basically convinced me that I did not want to see this show. We all headed home early because we had to be up ridiculously early the next day.


Everyone got back, I finished packing up my trail bag and my bag to leave at the hotel while we were gone. Most places in Cusco are really good about letting you leave your gear there while you go on the trail and then pick it up afterwards. Unfortunately, my headlamp got stolen off my bed. Some painters had come in and were painting the walls. In a mix of bad timing, the room service came to my room and I had left the headlamp on the bed. It was gone when I came back. Luckily, Jake let me borrow his extra flashlight otherwise I would have been totally screwed.