Machu Picchu - Nature is all around.

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We had an extra day in Aguas Calientes (aka Machu Picchu town) after visiting Machu Picchu, so on the advice from some of the locals we headed out to check out the Museo de Sitio Manuel Chavez Ballon and botanical gardens, where we were promised we would see big orchids. The museum was interesting, informative and very well laid out and displayed some of the artifacts that they have found at machu picchu (the ones that Yale didn't get a hold of). While we didn't see any big orchids, or many flowers at all, in the botanical gardens they were still beautiful, with lots of intersting foliage.
later that afternoon we hiked out to a waterfall , this took us an an hours hike, first through a banana plantation and then into the jungle, where the trail finally ended at a beautiful little waterfall.
We also visited the hot springs, we found them only luke warm and rather dirty, but if you do decided to visit them try to get a spot under the showers, this is where the water first comes out before filtering into the pools so it is really hot and nice and clean!

Cheers

Meagan & Tim

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