Kelly and I were really hoping to sleep in today and then lay in bed for a few hours watching TV, but unfortunately our hotel had a 10am check out so our dreams were dashed. Instead we slept until 9am, quickly ate the continental breakfast and then stored our bags at reception so we could explore Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes lies in a deep gorge below Machu Picchu. A virtual island, it’s cut off from all roads and enclosed by stone cliffs, towering cloud forest, and two rushing rivers. Despite its gorgeous location, Aguas Calientes has always been a bit of a no-man’s land, with a large itinerant population, slack services that count on one-time customers and an architectural tradition of rebar and unfinished cement. Despite that however the city reminded me of a quaint Swiss
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