All in Travel

I honestly believe there is no better way to experience a culture than through its food, and always try to stop by a local market when traveling. The Mercado San Pedro is a local market in Cusco and basically has everything you would need. The market is big, the length of about 3 blocks, and a block wide, and packed with vendors. It has aisles upon aisles of fruit, vegetables, food stalls, food products, pastries, juices, herbs, textiles, and all sorts of other stuff.

Cusco, Peru - Things to do while falling in love with the city

We spent a few days in Cusco acclimatizing before our Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu. I absolutely LOVED the city – the ancient Inca capital is steeped in history and culture, and is filled to the brim with Inca and Spanish history, churches, beautiful architecture, artisanal markets, local Peruvian culture, and fantastic restaurants and bars. Yes, it is also filled with tourists who use it as a base before exploring the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, but it is a truly breathtaking experience. The city is nestled in the mountains and has spectacular views all around. There are many ways to explore the city and many things to see and do.

 

“Pachamama” – Mother Earth is worshipped by Peruvians. 5 minutes in the Sacred Valley, and you can see why...

The Sacred Valley is the stretch of the Andes that lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu – a stretch of villages and ruins, and picture perfect panoramas as you drive through mountains, quinoa, potato, and corn fields, agricultural terraces and beautiful Inca ruins. During our recent trip to Peru, we spent a day exploring this gorgeous valley, and highly recommend you spend some time there.

I first learned more about Chef Edward Lee from watching the PBS show “The Mind of a Chef”. Chef Lee is a Korean-American who grew up in Brooklyn but has a popular Southern-Asian-New York inspired restaurant in Lousiville, KY! An eclectic mix – which comes from his Asian heritage, New York experience, love for the American South, and ingredients from local farms.

Chef Lee just opened his first restaurant in the DC area with Succotash in the National Harbor. Chef Lee, while not in the kitchen, works on different collaborations from small batch bourbon to his latest venture – “gochujang” sauce with Korean company Chung Jung One.