Aguas Calientes - Gateway to Machu Picchu

---

It’s Tuesday night and I’m in Aguas Calientes, the tiny pueblo which serves as the base for Machu Picchu activities. Pretty much everything here revolves around the ruins. And it really is tiny. I’ve walked from one end to the other several times.

Because Inti Raymi and tomorrow’s strike has pretty much isolated the village, it is very dead today. I think there are only a handful of tourists in this hostal, Hostal El Tumi (which isn’t very nice by the way). In fact, there are relatively few tourists here in Aguas Calientes at all.

I found out that the strike will cover LOTS of things including restaurants tomorrow. I bought a few things to eat, but I’m counting on the strike ending tomorrow night. I’m really curious to know if I will be able to take a bus to Machu Picchu in the morning. It’s a brutal walk up the mountain - and it IS a mountain - for at least 2 hours to reach the ruins. Now that I think about it, I wonder if the ruins themselves will be open, though I think word would have gotten around if that were the case.

Everyone here is stuck until at least Thursday morning. Since I have a flight back to Lima on Friday morning, the trains better be running day after tomorrow. I’ve even considered walking the 25 miles back to Ollantaytambo and finding a ride if the strike hasn’t ended. Going through roads that are blocked by angry protesters can be a dangerous thing here, though. The good thing is, everyone here is unconcerned about it lasting more than 24 hours.

The day started early with a taxi ride to the train station at Poroy which is about 30 minutes west of Cusco. (I was able to reschedule my return trip for Thursday morning before leaving.) I was amazed at how relatively empty the train was. The four hour trip was nothing less than spectacular. It was so much better than the rainy day trip I took four years ago.

From the sacred valley to the high mountains to the tropical jungle mountains that surround Machu Picchu, the scenery could not have been more interesting all the way. I don’t think most people realize that the climate here is very much like a temperate rainforest. Many places remind me of the Amazon basin, but the mountains that literally rise straight up for hundreds and thousands of feet from the Rio Urubamba remind me that it’s not the jungle.

Once here I was met by Orlando who escorted me to the hostal. The room is pretty big, but doesn’t have many of the conveniences that I’ve come to take for granted. There is no TV or radio. There wasn’t even a towel or soap until I asked. The room seems clean, but very much like a Latin American hostal as the name implies - a bed and a bath and not much else.

I’m glad I brought my laptop to write on tonight (for hopefully uploading later this evening). I wish there was wi-fi somewhere, but since my earlier visit to an internet café resulted in longer waits than dial-up access, I don’t think I’ll waste time looking.

Once here, I grabbed my camera and headed down the road towards Machu Picchu where the unending line of buses carry tourists up and down the mountain. Once past the turn-off to MP, I continued to follow the railroad tracks along the river and through the jungle.

It turned out to be a wonderful walk that a few others were taking as well. It turns out, though, that I turned around a few hundred meters too early because there are some beautiful waterfalls about an hour’s walk from town that I never reached. If I’m not too tired tomorrow afternoon, I may get off the bus wshen returning and head down the tracks again to see them. I did spot a couple of rather large agoutis which are a South American jungle animal (in the rodent family, I believe).

Once back, I wandered around the village a few more times and finally settled on a restaurant across from my window. The service couldn’t have been worse as the friendly waiter didn’t seem to want to serve me at all. I waited a very long time for my food and finally had to ask for my drink which was delivered just as I was finishing my meal. At least the food was delicious.

Tomorrow I’ll probably get up early and try to make my way to Machu Picchu for sunrise. I may try to climb Wayna Picchu peak to get the sunrise view. Everyone says it is a magical experience. I have my doubts, but I also doubted what they said about Machu Picchu when I first came, too, and was I very mistaken then.

It’s only 7:00 now. The sun is long gone (very different from home) and it’s relatively quiet outside. I’m going to try to get this entry posted along with a few pictures, give Mary another call - I really miss her - and then try to get some sleep before tomorrow’s big adventure at Machu Picchu.

---

Photos

Porters Leaving on the Inca Trail
We made a quick stop on the way at the starting pint of the Inca Trail - possibly the most famouns hike in the world. Porters carry hikers´heavy gear for very little money. The view from down the Sacred Valley was wonderful.

Railroad in the Rainforest
I held off heading to Machu Picchu today, instead choosing to walk along the railroad line which head north of town along the Rio Urubamba.

Rio Urubamba and Aguas Calientes
The Rio Urubamba flows powerfully over monstrous boulders on its way past Aguas Calientes.

Aguas Calientes
It seems that nothing is flat in Aguas Calientes including this climb (it´s steeper than it looks!) up to hostal past all the tourist stuff.

Comments

[Charles Rouse]

peru
Heading to Lima and Iquitos next week. 2 pilots and Spanish speaking Mechanic. Paxs plans changed because of threat of strikes in Cusco. Had planed on spending a week in Iquitos, 3 nights at Ceiba Tops. Now we need to decide to stay in Lima or head on to Iquitos. Any thoughts. Thoroughly enjoying your trek. Hope you get home without too much headache. Charlie

[TexasPhil]

Hi Charlie, I think Iquitos is pretty calm now. When I left there was not word on the street about any more protests. I wouldn´t expect anything now that the problems in the north are settled for the moment. I haven´t stayed at Ceiba Tops.It´s too much of a resort for me, but if the weather had been not been unseasonably cool, Iwould have gone ther the last night to take advantage of the air conditioner. You´ll love it down there. Let me know if you go and I can help you with ideas about what to see and where to go without getting riped off.