Cusco Red, Cusco White, and Cusco Black

Monday, August 25th, 2014

Lima, Peru and Cusco, Peru

It’s 6am and my alarm is going off. We got close to a good night’s sleep and will be flying to Cusco soon. The hotel calls us a cab to get back to the airport. The cost is literally half of what it took to get to the hotel. At one point the driver reaches over you to lock the doors when he gets stuck in traffic in a particularly populated part of town. Central Lima is not a nice place. 

In the morning light, the airport looks much less foreboding. We quickly check into our flight, find a crowded café and sit at the bar to order breakfast. Laura orders an American Breakfast and I get creative by ordering an empanada and a tamale. The empanada is delicious, but the tamale is weird and marks a definitive decline in my food experience. Nonetheless, I am happy that I pushed my limits.

Next, we go through security. I am forced to throw out my bottled water and immediately have anxiety about it. The security area has a bin for confiscated items which includes a pair of handcuffs and a rolling pin. I think this may be funny on purpose but are not totally sure. I dutifully follow instructions and eventually board our flight.

We land in Cusco around 11:30am. Laura and I excitedly look for our driver to the hotel, but, again, no one shows. Eventually, we succumb to an eager cab driver and agree on a price. Minutes later, the driver stops at a pay booth and we are asked to pay an additional fee to leave the airport. 10 minutes later we arrive at the hotel. 

As we take a look around and start to settle in, I am immediately aware of the air. It is very dry and I start to develop a low grade of panic that there is not enough oxygen. I am all of sudden hyper-aware of my breathing while noticing that my mouth and nose feel very dry. In fact, my nose and lips are starting to burn. Additionally, it feels like I have to pee every hour. 

We are at 11,000 feet above sea level. This is the highest elevation that I’ve ever been.

Eventually, we set out to find the office of the Inca Trail tour company so that we can check-in and get final instructions for the hike. After only a few wrong turns, we find Peru Treks. There is a sign on the door, announcing that they are closed until 3pm. 

While neither of us feel hungry at all, we decide that it must be a good time to eat. Laura points out that eating is key to acclimation. I try to order a veggie burger, but are brought an actual burger. This is fine too, it’s what I actually wanted. The cafe is mostly open-air and the cool breeze provides a welcome contrast to the persistent sun.  

Around 3pm we return to Peru Treks and pay our final balance in unadulterated $20 dollar bills. One of Laura's twenties looks suspect and she has to dig around for alternate bills. They are not kidding when they ask for undamaged bills. Eventually, both payments are accepted. Next, we are directed into what looks like a living room with 2 other groups for the final orientation. This is where we meet a nice couple from Australia; they will be part of the trek and, ultimately, our new friends on social media. The orientation is a total blur. I have no idea what was said, except that we need to be ready to be picked up by the bus by 5:30am on Wednesday. It is early, but that’s okay.

After orientation, we are not sure what to do next. We go into auto-pilot, by finding a balcony and drinking beer. I know that drinking beer is bad for acclimation, but it’s vacation and balcony-beer is practically required. There are 3 kinds of beer in Cusco: Cusco Red, Cusco White, and Cusco Black. We try all three.

Just as dusk is settling and our beers are settling, we decide that it’s a good time to purchase pair of brightly colored shoes from a street vendor. I am already in love my new shoes. 

Next on the agenda is dinner. There are restaurants everywhere and we end up in one of many cafés with a pre-fix menu. I have a stuffed avocado, beef saltado, and banana juice. The avocado is great, the beef is a little tough, and the juice is just weird. Laura is forced into eating more veggie pasta. I really do feel bad for the vegetarians in this part of the world.

After dinner, we wander around briefly but ultimately end up at a place called the “wine and couch bar”. It’s funny how the farther you travel from home the more you cling to what you know. Laura beats me at scrabble over a glass of warm, spiced wine. It feels like our college days. 

Eventually, we go back to our awesome hotel and ultimately to bed. It’s very difficult to sleep though. My lips remain chapped and nose continues to burn. I can feel each breath with great sensation and can’t stop focusing on it. I also get up to pee multiple times and feel bad that I am disturbing Laura. I am feeling worried about the altitude but assume that I’ll acclimate tomorrow. After all, I really have no choice.