Aguas Calientes
From Ollantaytambo, I took a morning PeruRail Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes. The trip was a scenic 1.5 hour journey. The Vistadome coach has large panoramic windows that perfectly frame fleeting scenic landscapes of snow-topped mountains and villages. Gazing out the window, I felt like a travel film maker at work. The piped-in Andean music fitted in nicely as the soundtrack to the film.
Aguas Calientes is a busy little town located on the banks of the Aguas Calientes and Urubamba Rivers and surrounded by steep mountains. This place is quite the transportation hub. It is the nearest town and main access point to the Machu Picchu archeological site and its train station (Puente Ruinas Station) is the end of the line for the PeruRail train to the ruins. That's why hundreds of tourists arrive here everyday. From Aguas Calientes, buses shuttle tourists to the ruins though most backpackers seem to opt for the two to three hour ascent on foot.
Originally settled by a few farm families in 1901, this area was transformed into a busy railroad worker's camp, called Maquinachayoq, during the construction of the railroad through the town in the late 1920's. The camp became the headquarters for the railroad's operations and lodging for workers until the railway was finished in 1931. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy these days. It was renamed to Aguas Calientes after its sulphur springs thermal pools. More recently, it was renamed again to Machu Picchu Pueblo to give it a more commercial appeal. Today, the town is known for its thermal baths, pubs, pizzerias, restaurants, hostels, hotels, colorful markets and nearby waterfalls. I choose to trek with a small group to the Mandor Gardens and Waterfalls. The trail follows the railway tracks for 5 km (3 mi), parallel to the course of the Urubamba River. After the four hour hike and a late lunch at Toto's House, it was back to El Mapi Hotel for a Pisco sour cocktail, a creamy, frothy, limey drink that packed a welcomed punch.
Accommodations: El Mapi Hotel; Tasty Dining: Toto's House; El Mapi Hotel
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