Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes is a town at the base of Machu Picchu. Other than its location close to Machu Picchu, there is not much to recommend it. It is a big tourist town, packed with hotels, places to eat and places to get massages.

It does have a huge market selling the sorts of tourist stuff you would expect and there is a pond filled with trout right in the middle of town which is unexpected. Oh, the main street is really, really steep too.

There are two things which struck me about the town. One is the railway literally runs through the middle of it, so make sure you look both ways before stepping into the open. The other is the river, which hurtles past at the base of the town. It was up when we were there and doesn't look like a friendly river at that point.

We did go for a walk the afternoon of our arrival. Manuel had a flier for a butterfly and orchid place a few kilometres down the road, so some of us set off for it. As we walked it began to rain. The rain slowly got heavier until it was a full on tropical downpour.

Some of us, ie, me, had not bought a raincoat. When we made it to the place it turns out it only runs during the peak season, not the off season, so there was nothing there. So then we had to walk back. I was soaked. And very slow. By the time I got back, the others had all changed and were looking at going out again. I made it to the room and pulled off my clothes (which were forming puddles on the floor) and had a very long, hot shower.

Then I spent the next half an hour with a hair drier trying to dry my clothes so I could have a comfortable pair of jeans to wear in Machu Picchu the following day.

Ahhh, memories.