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Other entries in Aguas Calientes

The Vista Train

We left early in the morning (5:45) to catch the vista train to Aguas Calientes at the base of Macchu Picchu.  The vista train is an upgraded train for tourists that has huge side and ceiling windows.  It really allows you to soak up the views - and there are plenty of them.  The train travels downhill from Cusco at 11,300 feet to Aguas Calientes at around 8,000 feet.  We do climb a bit out of Cusco and because it is so steep, the train has a special way of ascending.  The train does a switch back routine where it goes forward for a while, then stops, then switches the tracks and reverses up the next bit of incline - this continues until we reach the top.  It is mostly downhill from here through the desolate, rock and dirt Andes Mountains into lush, fertile valleys dotted with mosaic fields and quaint Andean villages (still farming with ox plows and hand sows) and finally into the high jungle.  Don't know how many climate zones we went through, but it was a lot.  Guess there are 27 climate zones in the world and Peru has 24 of them!  We also saw many Inca ruins along the Rio Urubumba connected by the famous Inca Trail.  We saw many of the brave trekkers doing the 4 and/or 2 day hike to Macchu Picchu.  We wanted to do the hike, but you need to get reservations far in advance with all the new restrictions in place.  This journey, though, gave us enough hiking and a taste for the trail.

The train ended in Aguas Calientes which is named for its infamous natural thermal hot springs along the river.  Aguas Calientes (hot water) is the town just below Macchu Picchu.  It has its own natural thermal hot springs from which it gets its name.  We went to the hot springs that afternoon after an adventurous day!  The town is very commercial and very expensive in comparison to the rest of Peru.  About all you can eat is pizza and pizza is the same price as trout (about 28 soles or $9).  And, being so commercial, the food was not very good.  Oh well, luckily we had brought along some snacks.

The only way into Macchu Picchu, other than the Inca Trail, is through Aguas Calientes.  So, we continued on to our hotel the La Cabana.

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