So the tour operators recommended that we take a full day of rest in Cusco to adjust to the altitude (elevation 11,000 feet), advice we fully planned to take. But we arrived in Cusco on the final day of the weeklong festival Inti Raymi. The streets were overflowing with people here to see and participate in the closing ceremonies, which were being held at the top of Sacsaywaman, a hilltop fortress overlooking the city. What to do?

In the end, we compromised by walking up very slowly, surrounded by the hordes of locals making the same trek. We could hear the traditional music and catch glimpses of the recreated Inca ceremony from an overlook point but couldn’t see that well due to the tightly packed crowds.

We dined at an upscale Peruvian restaurant recommended by the guide who met us at the Cusco airport – every single thing we ordered was excellent. (Another recommendation for adjusting to altitude is to eat bland simple food on the first day – oops!)

The day was not quite complete without a trip to the local market, which had a mix of daily household goods and clothing, plus handcrafts. It was already dark at 6 PM and the lights shining on the surrounding hills looked like stars.

We thought our day was finished, but on our way home we had a surprise “yapa” (local word for an added bonus) in the form of a traditional panpipe group performing in the Plaza de Armas.