Fleece-lined, llama-print leggings and a large purple scarf… yep, that’s what I’ll need when I return to LA.

Tuesday August 26th, 2014.
Cusco, Peru

Today is a full day in Cusco. When hiking the Inca Trail, Peru Treks requires that you arrive in Cusco at least 2 days prior to your trek departure for the purposes of acclimating to the altitude. Cusco is 3400 meters above sea level (no big deal, right?). As it turns out 3400 meters is 11,150 feet; twice the altitude of Denver (yikes!). I'm running on minimal sleep and am starting to feel a cold coming on. We are T – 20 hours away from the start of the Inca Trail… all I can do at this point is drink plenty of water and avoid diuretics (like coffee and beer).

We start the day off with coffee and 2 American breakfasts. The café is adorable and we sit on a couch and eat our breakfast off of an old coffee table (why does everywhere in Cusco seem to loosely resemble my living room?). In the background a very dramatic Peruvian soap opera plays on an old CRT television; it has something to do with a beautiful woman and a magical statue of Jesus.

After breakfast, we are both drawn to the colorful, fragrant (for the most part), bustling, outdoor Cusco markets. Laura needs to buy some gifts for her family and I need to buy one of everything for myself. We start ambling through the maze of the central market. I am moving at least twice as fast as Laura so we decide to split up for a little bit. Once I’m off on my own I realize that I Freaking Love This Market.

Let the record show that I once spent 3 weeks in Western Europe and left with only a cigarette lighter (which was unceremoniously confiscated at the airport). I do not shop. Correction, I did not shop until now. Over the course of my mid-morning shopping spree, I was able to secure an alpaca sweater, a big purple scarf, fleece-lined alpaca-print leggings, and a bright red Machu Picchu baseball cap. To my surprise (and delight) everything in Cusco is 20 soles (roughly $7-8 USD). Deep down inside I know this is a negotiating starting point, but I don’t care, I happily shell out 20 after 20 for my Cusco spoils.

Later when Laura and I meet up we compare our results. Laura, who also doesn't shop, has purchased a large blanket, a wooden bowl and spoon, and some crazy wool socks. On our way back to the main square we are confronted with an indigenous woman (in full costume) and her baby alpaca. This is clearly a defining life moment for Laura (I am just happy to see where my new sweater came from). Regardless, I do not waste the opportunity to coo over the baby animal as well as take plenty of pictures (in 5 hours' time one of them will become Laura’s new FB photo).

From here we wander back to the main square, find a nice place to sit, and order some of Cusco’s finest beer (Cusco beer, the only kind they have). We also order a few appetizers for fun. Amongst these is my second favorite food on the trip – the Cusco salad. This is a bean salad with huge chunks of avocado, chopped greens, raw onions, unidentified herbs, and a light vinaigrette. It's delicious (even though my appetite is totally shot).

After a lazy afternoon of people watching and ambling in and out of strange and colorful shops, we head back to our hotel to change into warmer clothes and update our Instagram/Facebook feeds with our many photos from the day.

For dinner, we decide to “carb-up" for our big hike (my whole life I've been secretly looking for a reason to carb up!). To this end, we go to a nice restaurant and I order my first veggie pasta of the trip. It is good and I’m starting to think that Laura may be on to something... I also have a nice glass of South American wine (after tonight nice wine will be hard to come by).

After dinner, we go back to the “wine and couch bar” and are sad because we know it’s the last time we will ever be there. We are also happy though; tomorrow is Day 1 of the Inca Trail!