We tried to bail on our plan to stay a night in Aguas Calientes after walking the Inca Trail. On the trail, we'd heard of lots of cool things to do back in Cusco, the town everyone uses as a stopover on their Inca adventures. On making an attempt to change our tickets, we were told that the early train was already full. So, it was Aguas Calientes, whether we liked it or not.

Aguas Calientes, which literally means "Hot Waters", is also known as Machu Picchu town. A railway runs from Cusco to the town, making it possible for the lazy, unfit or disabled to make it to Machu Picchu. The only form of income for the town is tourism.

Sleeping in late was a fantastic change to the early mornings on the Inca Trail. After breakfast, we headed out to investigate the town, with no real plan for the day. We wandered idly along the railway tracks running through town, and cringed at all the manual labour going on. Besides the train that regularly clanged its way through town, and the odd scooter, everything seemed to be human powered. Want to build somewhere on the side of a mountain? Drag the bricks up in a wheelbarrow yourself. Need more soft drinks for your restaurant? Load up a backpack and lug them there. As you would imagine, the locals are all built like The Hulk, even the women. The rest of our morning was spent drinking coffee, snapping shots of a particularly photogenic butterfly, and laughing at a procession of kids in animal costumes.

The only things to do in Aguas Calientes, besides seeing Machu Picchu, are relax in the hot springs, eat at one of the many restaurants, and have a massage. That pretty much decided our afternoon for us. After lunch, Aisha and I alternatively soaked in the warm water and endured an hour long "Inca" massage. Maybe it was worth staying in Aguas Calientes, after all.

Location