Sunday Funday

The Sunday sunshine was out in full force as we hustled towards Cusco’s famed San Pedro market in search of Alpaca sweaters and souvenirs. Nearly every store front we passed was open and blasting coverage of France and Croatia’s warm-ups, with the World Cup Championship start just an hour away.

After a few detours, we found the marketplace and shuffled through hundreds of aisles of fresh meats, spices, local cheeses and fresh fruit stands. Peruvian artwork and handmade goods were piled high on the vendor stands, alpaca sweaters and blankets were strung across the ceiling wires, and hiking gear – socks, hats, gloves – were everywhere. Given the “winter” temperatures forecasted for the trail, we were on the hunt for a few warm sweaters to keep us toasty in the evenings. After a poor attempt at bartering in Spanish with two adorable Peruvian grandmothers, we walked away with two handmade sweaters and a hat for ~$40USD.

For those who may be curious, there are a LOT of French trekkers that travel through Cusco in July. We learned that quickly after our third stop in search for a bar (with seats and beer) to watch the World Cup Championship. With France ahead and halftime over with, we gave in and planted ourselves in the hallway of Papacho’s, one of the main bars off the Plaza de Armas. Though there was no beer to be had in the hallway, we did manage to snag a view of the game (and several shirtless hooligans with French flags around their necks channeling very drunk versions of Captain Underpants). The entire experience was a reminder that for the rest of the world, soccer (or football) is life. Their foreign songs and chants made us smile and after about the 15th time… we caught on and started to join in. When France sealed Croatia’s fate and the clock ran out of time, the bar went crazy with – “CHAMPIONS DU MONDE!” – Champions of the World!

As French fans unloaded into the streets of Cusco, waving their flag, we crossed the square towards the meeting point of our afternoon ATV tour. After an hour bus ride to the heart of the Sacred Valley, we saddled onto our ATVs and sped through the Peruvian fields of gold.

The views were jaw dropping. Peaks and valleys, blue skies with cotton candy clouds, golden wheat and corn fields, and shepherds tending to their flocks. As the dust spiraled behind us, we had nothing but clear views of the heartland ahead. Our tour was organized to stop at both Moray and Maras. Moray is made up of circular terraces which showcase how incredibly apt the Inca people were with agriculture. The circles appear to go on for eternity (we’ll share more photos from similar sites along the Inca Trail) and are layered – or tiered – to allow for variation in size and diversity of crops.

Our favorite stop along the Sacred Valley tour, though, was Salinas de Maras (salt mines of Maras). The history behind the salt mines is fascinating as they date back to ~700BC, and have been maintained by the same families for hundreds of years. Today, the naturally salty water is channeled into 3,000 man-made wells and left to evaporate in the sun. They expect that roughly 356 families are still engaged in this work.

We returned to Cusco late on Sunday night after our off-roading adventure. Before dinner, the group checked in at Alpaca Expeditions to pick up our trekking gear and participate in a short “before you go” briefing, and agreed on a 6:00 a.m. pickup time for the following day. With the Inca Trail on the horizon, we splurged for one last full meal at Ceviche. 

With fresh seafood and Pisco Sours in our bellies, we were ready for bed!

Next up: 4 days and 3 nights on the Inca Trail!

-Two for Takeoff