Deep in the Peruvian Andes lies the ancient city of the Incan Empire, Cusco. Although we may be backpacking and seeing the world, sometimes a calm and simple day is sufficient enough to balance out our, sometimes hectic, schedule. Read along as we walk you through what a normal day, here in Cusco, is for us. This of course is give or take depending on the day.

Our morning usually begins at around 8:30 in the morning. It really depends on if we can drag ourselves out of bed in time. As we share a room with two others, when one wakes up the rest usually follow one by one like a colony of ants. Once we do manage to rise from the grave, we get ready for our day. You know, brush our teeth, maybe showering and then change into something decent…nothing special. After we get all fancy for the day, we head to the kitchen to have breakfast. 

In Cusco you can find ladies selling fruit, vegetables and bread on every corner, for very cheap. So breakfast usually consists of bread (lathered with butter, avocado or hummus, depending on our mood), and of course the most important part, a hot cup of coffee! Coffee is a necessity if you want to take on the day with a full tank of energy. 

Once we have gobbled our food down, we realize soon after, that maybe we ate too much so we decide to head to get grocery shopping at our favorite market: San Blas. At Mercado San Blas, you will find a large array of things from fruits and veggies, meats and cheese, drinks and everything else you might need. Everything you may need at such a reasonable price, even the hot food! 

Here there are mini restaurants where you can eat. You just roll up, they ask you what you want and then serve you. For instance, one time we ate here and got 2 courses and a drink. An entree which was Semola soup, followed by the main course, we chose milenasa and bistec montado, and got a cup of digestive tea all for 8 soles each! ($2.11 or €1.95). While this is where we ate one time, there are plenty of other options, like breakfast stands, vegan stands and so many more. 

Once we gather our groceries for an amazing price, we have to make the trek back to the hostel to prepare our lunch. The walk between the market and the hostel is about 13 minutes, but thankfully the way back is down hill versus coming which is uphill. At the hostel we usually eat something simple like pasta, tuna and zucchini or rice and beans. The ingredients are cheap, and the meal is filling. 

After lunch, our volunteer work begins. For a few months now we have been volunteering in hotels or hostels in exchange for a place to sleep and sometimes even some food. The schedule changes day to day but we only work roughly four hours a day. Lately we have been tasked with repainting the walls. We spend our shifts painting the hallways, the stairs and the guest rooms. With some good jams blaring through my headphones, the job goes by quickly and painlessly (more or less). The work is simple but can also vary. At times its painting, other times its cleaning rooms, bathrooms, the common area and greeting guests. All in all, it is done in a breeze.

We clock out after our shift and decide that since the day is still young, we shall hit the streets. With our shoes on our feet, and our keys in our pocket, we head towards the famous Plaza De Armas. Plaza de Armas rests in the place where an old swamp once stood. The Incans dried up the swamp and used this area for ceremonies and to celebrate military victories. When the stinky and rude Spanish conquistadors came and ruined everything, it was transformed into a plaza that was lined with temples and mansions. This square held the executions of many heroes of the peruvian independence including Tupac Amaru II, Mateo Pumacahua and many more. Can always count on the Conquistadors to kill the mood.. And of course all the natives.

Now the plaza is lined with stores and two famous churches, The Cathedral of Cusco and Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus. There are many vendors looking to sell you a variety of things, art, selfie sticks and many more as they try to make a living. But for us, we simply buy a coffee from a nice lady and sit on a bench and people watch.

After some time passes and we get bored of humans we decide to try something new. This day we decided to head to the Choco Museo that lies around the corner. The Choco Museo is an interesting place. Here there are many things to do and also many things to taste! You are able to take classes to make your own chocolate and can even take plantation tours. But we decided to keep it simple and simply walk around. When we got there, we were greeted with smiles. The workers brought as a bunch of chocolates to taste, like dark, milk, coca, and pepper chocolate. After we got to try chocolate liquors and boy did we end up feeling fantastic. At the museum you have the option to buy many different chocolates and body creams. They also have restaurants to eat cakes, other snacks and to drink coffees and more. 

We had a great day running around but now it is time to return to the hostel and prepare for pizza night. Every Thursday and Sunday, all the volunteers and guests come together to eat pizza and watch movies. The pizza is homemade by the volunteers. We usually start prepping the dough and sauce hours before we start at 20:00. Around 19:30 we start putting the pizzas together. When the pizzas are cooked we sit together and put on a film or even just sit and talk together. Its always a great time with great people.

When we have stuffed our bellies like a barn full of pigs, we sit and talk about our days or about anything that comes to mind. A lot of times we have broken out into song, although most times we sound like a pack of crazy hyenas. Regardless of our level of singing profession, we have an amazing night and end our day on a high note. 

With the end of the day upon us, some go out to continue the adventure. But not us. We are like old people and stay in at night. So while the fun guys go party, we retreat to bed to unwind from our day. While every day has variations, this is a pretty normal layout of our time here in Cusco. Content with our day, we slowly drift off to bed, excited for what tomorrow holds.