On the way to and in Aguas Calientes

[jwg]

To get to Machu Picchu from Cusco the standard way is to take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. the town at the base of Machu Picchu. It;s a nice train and they serve a snack and there was entertainment (and sales) by some of the train staff - suitably costumed. We stayed in a nice hotel in Aquas Calientes for one night. We arrived early in the morning and went up that day to see "it". And then returned again the next morning for another view. There is a hotel on top (where we had lunch) but it is very expensive. You go from Aguas Calientes to the site by bus up a zigzagging road - and down again of course

You can also take a 4 or 5 day hike to get there - for much hardier souls of course. I think it comes with porters.

Aguas Calientes is a nice little compact town on the Urubamba River. (Flooding due to major rains wiped out the train line in2010 and caused our trip then to be delayed until the fall.)

Click here for some pictures of things seen along the way and in town.


This short video give a view of the town and you see it is surrounded by mountains.

Comments

[i-f-f.livejournal.com]

Wow. When I went back in the 80's Aguas Calientes would barely have been called a town.