"V" is for Vibrant and Very Humid and Very Peaceful.

Y 

It's Mother's Day. I woke up and once again flung open the curtains to see the sun shining on Cusco,  I do love this sunny city. And today we leave for the Amazon....what a great Mother's Day it will be! 

I went downstairs for my Nescafé and panini toast, and today the jam seemed fresh, so I had that instead of my usual honey. Jam with a tough skin on it sort of scares me, goodness only knows what's simmering under that skin. Maybe  they put out fresh pots today so as not to poison any Mothers, even foreign tourist ones.

I had done my Amazon packing last night, we were limited as to what we could take with us since  the small passenger boat that was taking us from Puerto Maldonado to our Eco lodge didn't have a hold or an actual storage area, so we were given duffle bags and we could only bring what we could fit in them. There wasn't a weight restriction, but we had to use common sense and be reasonable. 

It was only for 4 days, so it wasn't a big deal for me. I wore my hikers and packed my sandals. I wore a pair of long cotton pants and packed a second pair, and I also packed  one pair of shorts. For shirts, I wore a short sleeved T-shirt and packed a second one, plus one long sleeve cotton shirt. A couple of pairs of underwear and socks, a small bag of toiletries which included mosquito repellent and a headlamp and I had room left over for all kinds of stuff. My camera is always around my neck, and I have a small wallet/passport holder that hooks on to my pants, so my passport and a credit card and some cash are always with me.  And of course I tuck in a small paperback book, and my journal. The rest of our belongings were stored at the Prisma hotel, to be picked up upon our return. 

(I have had a few people ask me what I pack on my holidays, since I'm always talking about packing light and only bringing a carry-on, so that's why I'm going into more detail, and at the end of this blog, I'll do a proper "what I took" list)

I decided to go for a quick stroll before we left, I didn't know how long we'd be in the airport and how much exercise I'd get today. You know how it is when you're flying somewhere....even a half an hour flight can take up the better part of the day, what with traveling to the airport, having to be there early, unexpected delays and so on and so forth. Little did I know......

Anyhow, what great sights there are on a sunny Mothers Day morning in a place where they love their sweets and their mothers. The streets were just packed with stalls selling gifts for mom. Flowers, trinkets, shiny balloons and....cakes....oh my, the cakes. I was amazed and delighted, and I was salivating. 

If we were staying here another day, I'd have bought one in a heartbeat. Umm...to share with all the other moms that is....and doesn't that icing look all sweet and lard-ish? Oh my god, that's the kind of icing I desire....the kind that makes your teeth ache.

It was fun to see all the people crowded around, purchasing their goodies, cake in one hand, flowers in the other and a dead chicken for dinner. All without stepping foot into a store. The streets are just a beautiful and vibrant slice of life. 

 

Fresh chicken? I'll pass on that.

Our flight was to leave at 11AM, so we headed off to the Cusco airport. On arrival, we got our tickets and, awwww, look what all the women got from the ticket agents:

Can you imagine that happening in North America? Being given gifts of food prior to boarding your flight? Not in this paranoid age we live in.

Our flight was delayed for about a half an hour  or 45 minutes,  they didn't really say why...at one point they said that the flight  from Bolivia was late and they had to clean the plane before we were allowed on, but there was no plane on the Tarmac, but eventually a plane did land, and they let us get on it, the flight attendants were giving it a quick tidy up as we came down the aisle,

  

Bye-bye Cusco....see you in a few days!

As we climbed and headed towards Puerto  Maldonado, the skies got kind of grey and grumpy looking and there was a "bit" of turbulence. Honestly, I'm a very nervous flyer, but I didn't think it was that bad, but some of the others said it was by far the worst flight they had ever, ever been on, I guess I just couldn't believe that my fate was to crash in a Peruvian jungle. Sometimes I'm terrified at the landings in Cranbrook, but this just didnt faze me. I mean, there's no doubt it was rough and a few drops in altitude had me gripping my seat tightly, but all in all, it wasn't terribly bad.

So we circled and circled and circled, and finally the pilot announced that the weather was too bad, the visibility was zero and we were heading back to Cusco. Fasten your seatbelts, it's going  to be a bumpy flight.

So now we are behind schedule 45 minutes from the original delay, plus a half an hour for the circling above Puerto Maldonado, and now we add on the half hour flight back to Cusco. (Hello again Cusco!), where we land and sit on the tarmac for another half an hour (beautiful weather here, by the way). 

The pilot announced that there looked to be a break in the weather, so off we went again. Bye-bye Cusco....see you in a few days! A half an hour later...hello Puerto Maldonado! Whoop, whoop! We're only about 5 hours late.

Getting off the plane was both exhilarating (Hey...I'm in the Amazon!) and exhausting (Hey....I'm in the Amazon and the humidity is 110% and it must be 95 degrees as well...)

Hot. Africa hot. Death Valley hot. Sauna hot. Hit in the face with a hot, wet facecloth hot. Muggy from all that rain hot. But...the sun was out and the rain was gone. How excellent that so far the only rain we've seen was from a plane window. And, lets not forget, this is the rainforest, we need to expect the rain. 

We made our way to our bus, and drove to a G Adventures office where the Inca Trail Trekkers had to do their duffle bag changeover. Because we were so delayed from all the, uh, delays, they only had 10 minutes to cram their duffle with their 4 day supply of clothes etc, for the lodge.  I'm not sure what that was all about, I think their suitcases had been previously shipped here while they were on the inca trail. 

Rush, rush rush!

As they packed up, I wandered down the street. Puerto Maldonado is a grungy looking port city. It looked poor and tired and worn out.

There didnt seem to a whole lot of vehicular traffic, but holy Hannah, motorcycles by the hundreds were zooming by at speeds that seemed far too fast, the price of gas is very high, thus the prolific amount of bikes and motorcycles.

The main industries used to be logging, gold mining, and rubber, but those days are long gone, now it's eco-tourism and the boatbuilding, guides and lodge employees that go along with the tourism, as well as Brazil nut collecting. I always liked Brazil nuts, hard as they were to get out of their shell, it was worth the work. I had no idea how good a fresh Brazil nut was....I bought a container of shelled ones, some were coated in a sugar mixture and some were covered with a type of powdered chocolate....I could not believe how good they were, I will shamefacedly admit to scarfing down the whole container, less a few that I grudgingly gave my seatmate. 

But back to the trip to the lodge. The original plan was to take another bus down the road a few miles to the place where we'd catch our boat, but apparently the rain had made that road impassable, so we were catching a different boat at a closer spot, which would make the boat ride longer. Fine with me....I was excited about taking a boat into the Amazon rainforest...the longer the trip, the more time to savor it. 

Gloomy skies,  and boats that definitely weren't luxurious. We slithered down the muddy embankment and precariously walked the plank (seriously, it was a skinny little plank)  and carefully chose our seats, we had distribute our weight to balance the boat so it wouldn't tip...and the first thing we were told to do was to put on life jackets.  

I loved the fact that there were no stairs or steps, just a crummy little washed out path.  I love when other countries don't coddle you, when they expect you to use common sense and if you fall off a cliff because you walk too close to the edge of a cliff, you don't get to sue for being an idiot. 

So, we settled in our little wooden seats and off we went. I was sitting at the end of the boat, at the back. behind me were all the duffle bags, balanced one on top of the other in a huge pile, it seemed very precarious, the captain was somehow wedged in there as well, manning the engine and the rudder I guess, or some sort of steering mechanism. Someone passed us  what would have been a hot meal if we had been on time, but since we were a few hours late by now, it wasn't hot anymore, although it was still slightly warm. We were each given a metal bowl with a lid, and inside was chicken (I think...) and rice and some vegetables as well as two tiny bananas. It was hard to eat as we were bouncing down the river, and I wasn't that hungry anyhow.

It was quite an extraordinary trip. The river itself looked as I had imagined it....wide and lethargic and dark as chocolate milk. There was an awful lot of debris that the captain had to maneuver around, and  a lot of shallow spots that had to be carefully monitered, but it all seemed to be under control, with one "co-pilot" at the front, calling directions to the fellow at the back.

We settled in and watched the scenery flash by, other longboats loaded with goods for the market and other boats with tourists heading to their lodge....everyone passing us with a cheery wave...we were soon left behind, bouncing over their wake. Weaving from side to side and slowing down to get around large logs and shallow areas. I couldn't figure out why every other boat seemed to zip by us...did we have an abnormally deep boat? Were we an overweight bunch? Was our captain brand new at this?

In any case, I scrunched down in my seat, my life jacket keeping me cozy, it was starting to get dark and the breeze and gentle spray was a little bit cool.

A local, probably a farmer of fruits.

As the sun dropped behind the horizon and darkness quickly overtook us, the stars came out and I was mesmerized. What on earth was I doing here....in a rickety wooden boat, in the dark, heading into the Amazon rainforest? What a marvelous moment! Until the boat slowed down even more, and the fellow on the front used a large flashlight to sweep back and forth across the river to look for logs and other debris, hollering directions to the fellow in charge of the steering, who informed us that he had never piloted a boat down the river at night. Oh well....it's an adventure and I do have a life jacket and the caimans are asleep somewhere...oh, what's that? Caimens are nocturnal? And the current is deceptively swift? Not lazy and lethargic at all? I'll just close my eyes a bit and squint up at the brilliant stars above me.

I was 100% sure that my fate was not to die in a plane crash over the jungle, but I wasn't 100% sure that my fate might (might not?)  be drowning in a river in the jungle. Or losing a limb to a caimen. Or even just falling overboard and ingesting dirty river water that was now looking nothing like chocolate milk at all.

But after a few shouts of alarm, and a few abrupt swerves, the boat pulled over, and cut the engine and out we clambered....late, tired, hungry, damp, sweaty, but more than anything, excited to finally have arrived!

"U" is for Up and Unparalleled and Unbelievable.

When my alarm went off at 3:30, I would like to say that I leaped out of my bed, bursting with excitement and ready to run! I would like to say that, but it would be a lie. I had showered the night before, as a time saving thing, and I had all my clothes laid out, and my backpack ready to go, but as I sat on the edge of my bed, bleary-eyed and foggy-minded, I decided that a quick shower would be the best way to wake up, so I hopped into a shower that did indeed make my eyes pop open. Either they don't turn the hot water on at this hour, or everyone else had decided to do the same thing at the same time. I did not anticipate an ice cold start to my morning. In any case, I was now wide awake and ready to go. Bring on the coffee..or, as the case may be, the Nescafé.

There are so many websites and books that tell you what to bring on your day to Machu Picchu, and I ignored most of them since I am a really light traveller, and thank goodness I did. They tell you to bring far too much stuff. I mean, jeez-Louise, it's only for a day...and realistically, not even a full day. You don't want to be encumbered with 20 pounds on your back, especially if its really hot and humid.

It is cool at this early hour though, so I wore a light tshirt with a sweater overtop (my new alpaca sweater as a matter of fact) I figured that would be appropriate, and light cotton pants that flipped up and buttoned up into capris. For footwear I wore my hiking shoes. In my pack I had  2 bottles of water and a mini pack of kleenex, an orange, and my passport. Around my neck, my camera. In my pocket, Chapstick and 2 bandaids, and a few coins .Total weight, I don't know....a pound?  I had purchased a light pack at a market a few days prior, and it was perfect. The heaviest thing was my camera.

I couldn't believe what some other people had....rainwear, extra shoes, a spare sweater, 4  big bottles of water, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, bags of fruit and granola bars, first aid kits; some backpacks must have weighed 15 pounds...I kid you not. I put sunscreen on my arms and neck before we left, and mosquito repellant on my ankles and that was that.

But, to be fair, if it had started to rain and we were stranded with no food, then I'd  be the one who looked a fool, wouldn't I? So, you know, whatever floats your boat, whatever keeps you in your comfort zone.

The thing is, you don't have to stay inside the site the whole time. You get your ticket, go through the ticket place, and then you can come and go all day long. There is a small restaurant with lots of outdoor seating, a covered area and also seats and tables in the sun, there are bathrooms (pay toilets...one sole, don't forget to have some change in your pocket, and your own toilet paper. There are toilet paper dispensers just outsider of the stalls, but some were empty) a small  souvenir store that also sells water and snacks and sundries, so as long as you have a bit of water and maybe a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit, you'll be just fine.

Oh, and by the way, walking sticks would be hugely helpful, but they only allow certain types, and they have to have rubber ends so as not to damage the grounds. Everywhere sells these, and I wanted one so bad, I adore walking sticks, but they confiscate them at the ticket place. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself...we haven't even left the hotel yet!

We met downstairs and had a quick bun and some Nescafé, and headed out, walking to the bus station. We had been warned that in order to get on the first bus, we'd need to hustle, and a valiant effort was made, however some folks were a bit slow and we by the time we got there, the line up was  long enough that it looked like we'd make the second bus....maybe even the third, but definitely not the first. Oh well, the buses only hold about 50 people, so I couldn't see that it would make a difference. It's being a few hours later that makes the big difference, that's when the trains from Cusco start to arrive, as well as the day trippers from Ollyantatambo. 

Trudging up the hilly streets at 4 or 5 AM....too early to stop and take a focused picture. Notice some folks are in sleeveless shirts and others in down-filled jackets, so once again, each to his (or her) own.

We were told that when we arrived at the bus stop that there would probably be an hour or so wait, which is necessary to get on one of the earlier buses. We plunked ourselves down on the curb, and settled in for a wait. There were vendors walking around with trays of coffee and tea as well as breakfast burrito-looking things.  I struck up a conversation with a young fellow who was nervously travelling alone since his partner had been struck with the dreaded altitude sickness and was back in Ollantaytambo. As a matter of fact, on the way up on the train, I spoke with a young girl from Halifax whose boyfriend was in the hospital with the same thing...and he was healthy and fit and they had both trained for the inca trail hike for months and months. So while it obviously helps to be fit, it doesn't mean you're not susceptible to becoming ill from the altitude, like they say, you won't know until it hits you. 

But now the buses are loading and it's only a short amount of time until we're actually there! I can't remember if we got on the second bus, or the third...but as it turned out, it didnt matter anyhow.

The bus ride up is....well, something else. Its not a long ride, only about a half an hour, but it's practically straight up....honest! The switchbacks are incredibly tight, and the road is narrow and prone to washouts, the drop-off is steep, and it's not really wide enough for two buses, which is another good thing about being on the first batch that goes up....you don't have to jockey for space when you meet a bus that's coming down. The buses run every 15 minutes or so all day long, so there comes a point during the day that the roads are filled with buses coming and going, with drivers that seem to think its a racecourse.

It's considered of the most harrowing and hair raising roads anywhere, but I think that the people who say that are being a bit melodramatic, I didn't think it was quite that bad.

You can also walk up, there are steps and paths that go up the mountain, it's about an hour and a half  hike, but I can't see it being enjoyable, you have to cross all the switchbacks, and the buses rumble by, spewing fumes and leaving clouds of dust.

This picture isn't mine by the way, it's a stock photo from a website, but it gives you a good idea of the  road up. The road isn't paved either, dirt and gravel all the way.

The picture below is from Google Earth.

When we reached the gates, we were still in "rush mode", we had to get in line to show our passports and only then do you get to go in. Can you imagine if you had forgotten your passport? Jeez, run and get back on the bus down, run back to your hotel, back to the bus, probably have to purchase another ticket, another half hour up, by the crowds would have started to arrive...what a nightmare. 

We got into line, there were already people in front of us, a few hardy folks who had walked up,and  the people who stayed at the lodge there the night prior (yes, there is a hotel there, but it's a pricey one...not for the likes of me, the cheapest rooms are $732 US a night) and the ones who were on the bus before ours, I'd say maybe 100 or so?  I was surprised, I thought that there were be oodles and oodles of people already there.

We were told that there might be another hour or so wait here, but I think it was maybe 20 minutes or so, it wasn't bad at all

The ticket entry is at the top of the stairs. The restaurant area is to the right,  and the bathrooms are below the restaurant, so you can see that it's pretty easy to come and go. The actual site is just a couple of short minutes past the ticket entry.

Aaaand....if that's not enough, you can legally get a passport stamp! That part didn't open until 9AM, so I was hoping I'd remember to get that done on my way out, and that line-up wouldn't be forever long, I read that it can take over an hour sometimes. 

Now I had a decision to make. Once we walked through the gates, the plan was to walk quickly, really quickly, please don't stop for pictures, lots of time for that later, we must walk quickly up a path to the place where the classic view of Machu Picchu is always seen. To talk about it makes it seem like it's a shame to have to rush...you'd think that the important thing is to savor the moment, but that comes later, when you're actually in the grounds. It's sort of crucial to rush now so that you can be alone later. Sweet Eddy became less sweet, warning us to move...run...quickly....beat the crowds. 

That's actually not true, but he did try to hustle us along, and believe me, it was quite a hike. It was already feeling kind of humid outside, and those damn Incas made their steps so big...I don't get it, for such short people why were their steps so high? The path twisted and turned, and as we rounded each corner I anxiously hoped that this would be the end, but it never was. Never. Hours went by, and then days. Well, maybe 30 minutes, but it seemed so much worse. I was a bit apprehensive as to whether it would live up to my expectations. Finally....finally....we rounded a corner to a fairly large rocky outcrop, and ...there it was....instantly familiar and stunningly spectacular. All the descriptive words that I've heard used to describe it are both correct, and not nearly descriptive enough. All I could say was "Oh my god."  It was as breathtaking as I had hoped, and I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that I was actually there. 

We admired the view for a few minutes, took our photos and the I had to decide what to do. The members of our group who had done the Inca trail hike were going to be at the Sun Gate, which was further  up the trail from where we were right now, they were going to watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu.  So, I could either hike up there and meet them (with a few others) and then we were all going to meet at the restaurant at 8:30 and have a guided tour, or, I could go into the "city" right now, and forfeit watching the sun rise...but the plus would be, being virtually alone in the grounds for probably an hour, maybe more, when the rest of the tour buses would arrive.

Well, up until this point I didn't know what I was going to choose, but once I actually stood there and looked at the emptiness below me, I knew that that was where I wanted to be. I'm not a sunrise fanatic, and it was nothing that I had heard or read about prior to this, so it's not like it was something I was yearning to do. But, being solitary? Alone? That's me. Off I went.

One of other ladies came along, we wandered for a bit and then she decided to go to the restaurant and wait for the group. I was alone. Even though there must have been a few hundred other people there, it seems like everyone had the same plan....find a quiet spot and just be alone. I had some things to do, and some thoughts to think, and I just meandered around...it felt like it was just me and the llamas. I am so happy that I chose to do this, rather than the Sungate. It was right for me.

Just look at how empty the grounds were.

See the staircase on the left hand side, in the above picture? When I was leaving it was so crowded with people that you had to squeeze to the sides to get past people.

Doesn't that look like a man in  brown jacket, white pants and a black hat? If you enlarge, you cans see that they are both llamas. (In the above picture)

I didn't see nearly all of it, there are over 200 rooms, temples, shrines and storage areas, I imagine a person could spend days there and still not see it all. There are all kinds if little nooks and crannies and private places. I was lost a few times, but at at least I knew that the way out was always down....I couldn't get any higher!

It was easy to find little spots that overlooked the whole area, spots where you could sit and enjoy the silence.

But alas, all too soon it was time to meet up at the restaurant and meet the guides which were to then give us an actual tour. I will say, it was very interesting, but the crowds were arriving and there were virtually no secret, quiets spots left at all. The one "classic" viewpoint, the very first one that I saw, had over a half an hour wait for a person to have a solo picture taken. It was like a photo booth. Getting up at 3:30 was sure worth it! 

It's picture below shows a bit of the crowds...and it was only about 9:30AM....I can't imagine the how crowded it would be by midafternoon.

And this one :

Before long the terraces were packed, and it wasn't mysterious and magical anymore. We headed out to the bus area to make our way back down the hair-raising road and back to Agua Callientes.

I was happy to sit by myself on the bus and to gaze quietly out the window and contemplate the sights I had seen.  Of course that was in between gasps of horror as we squeezed past other buses on their way up, but at least if we went careening over the bank, I'd go happy and with a tiny vial clutched in my hand.

Back in town, we went to a local restaurant called Pachamama, which means Mother Earth. I usually drink water, but the idea of an icy cold Coke just seemed so decadent that I ordered one up. I might drink one Coke a year, but I just craved one. It's unusual enough for me that it warranted a picture. 

I also smelled the pizza as I waked past the pizza oven, so that was a must-have also. It seemed funny to celebrate my visit to such an ancient citadel by having Coke and pizza, but it just fit the moment and man, was it tasty!

We did some shopping at the market, and headed back to the hotel to get organized for our trip back to the Prisma Hotel (again!) and then we were off on a whole new adventure.....the Amazon!

"T" is for Top of the World!

Well, Agua Callientes isn't "top o' the world" high, it's actually not that high at all, Cusco is just over 11,000 feet and Machu Picchu is just over 8,000 feet, and Agua Callientes is "only" 6,700 feet, but because its so tucked away between the mountains, and it's so close to Machu Picchu, it seemed high and mysterious. Also, I felt like I was "on top of the world" in my mind....I was starting to get excited.

But let me tell you about Agua Callientes....it's my new favorite place..😜(wink, wink) 

It's very touristy, so they say, and you certainly wouldn't want to spend more than a night there, so they say....I don't know who these people are, but "they" obviously have no imagination or sense of adventure...to me, Agua Callientes doesn't  have that touristy "vibe" at all.

When you get off of the train, the first place you walk through is this incredibly large, covered market that seemed to be a small city in its own right...the aisles twisted and turned so that you could never really see the end, and there were teeny little shops with water and snacks, and tiny little food stalls, as well as all the handicrafts, and those ranged from souvineers that I'm sure are somehow brought in from China, to sweaters and scarves being knitted as you watched, to fine jewellery and not so fine jewelry. In other words....anything you could want. Including friends....as we walked through the maze (damn...I should have thought to use that term in the food market....walking through a 'maze of maize'), but anyhow, as we were walking through the maze of stalls, one of our group hollered "SCRUBBIE!!!" in the loudest voice I've ever heard. I actually thought, for a moment, that it was a crazy person, or, to be PC,  someone with severe social issues. I mean really, who hollers "SCRUBBIE!!!" ? What does that even mean? Turns out it was one of her best buddies, and that's her nickname. What an insanely small world.

It was indeed a Mecca for souvineer hunters.

But we didn't stop...time enough for that later, instead we walked through...and walking through the market is the only way to get to the rest of the town, and, the train is the only way to get to town, no roads and no airport. Maybe that's why the town has such a "hidden" feeling to it....you look way up and see how you are surrounded by mountains, and no easy access. Really very cool. And also very cool. I slept with my socks on (remember....no central heating!) and that's highly unusual for me. 

So we walked into town, and one of the first things I saw was this beauty....and yes, don't laugh, in my eyes she was truly a beauty:

 A Peruvian  Hairless. Lets discuss....

They are an ancient breed, and apparently their hairlessness made them valuable because, #1. It made them want to snuggle to keep warm and thus they kept their owners warm, and #2, the fact that they have no hair means no lice or fleas....a very clean dog. And, I like this, if given a blanket, they will make it their own and "travel" with it from place to place, with no training.  When the Spanish conquered Peru, they killed enough of the dogs to almost cause their extinction, but a few survived in rural areas where they were believed to have mystical powers. As a matter of fact, many Peruvians still believe that a cuddle, or "hug" from one of these dogs will help cure stomach problems. I loved this lesson!

We walked up the road and up some steps and found our hotel:

As usual, the famed Nescafé was waiting for us, as well as coca tea.

I was on the second floor, the hotel was a confusing mixture of hallways....similar to the market. That window above my bed went directly into the hall and the curtains didnt close all the way, luckily I always pack a few safety pins for reasons exactly like this!  A few doors down the hallway was the little bar. Luckily it was either closed, or everyone went to bed early because I didn't hear a sound. Good thing, since my alarm was set for 3:30 AM. 

But before the 3 AM call, there were streets to explore!

This is Agua Callientes from part way up the mountain to Machu Picchu...you can see how it's like a hidden Shangri-la. (and if you haven't read that book then put it on your list right now. Right now!)

I mean, look at it, how can you not instantly be enthralled? The town is sort of divided, the river comes through part of it and the train tracks come through the centre of it. And they really do come through the centre....I can't believe that more people don't get  hit by trains, or get their feet caught in the rails.. You can fall right off your restaurant chair and land on the tracks. Really, look:

Here we are, inside a restaurant (below picture) on the other side of the tracks, and you certainly know when a train comes by...you could reach right out and touch it. Literally. And you know me and and the literal meaning of literally.

 

Once you leave the market, you come to the street in the pictures above, where the train tracks run down the middle of the road. If you cross the tracks and walk to the left, you come to the other part of town where the river runs right through the centre. And like the train tracks, I really mean it runs right through the centre.  I just love quirky little places like this.

So, you can walk up the train tracks and find lots of little shops and restaurants as well as a few hostels, they're generally upstairs, and I'm thinking these are the cheaper hostels where a bit of partying takes place...lots of them are above bars.

0r, you can hang a left and head up this street where there are more shops, restaurants, some banks and a lovely plaza.

To the left of this curving road is the river that runs right through the centre of town.

Then you head up the road on the left side of the picture, and up that street is our hotel, more restaurants and shops, as well as the higher priced hotels. Some are high priced, in the $700 dollar a night price....that's dollars, not soles. We certainly didnt stay there. 

Agua Callientes means  "hot water" or  "hot springs" and there are indeed hot springs just a short walk away, there is also botanical garden about 2.5 miles away, it's apparently a nice walk and and an interesting place with lots of birds and 200 varieties of orchids, as well as lots of well-marked trails for hiking and picnics. Add in the giant craft market, that I'm  sure I only saw a tiny part of, and I think a person could easily spend a few days here. There seemed to be lots of pubs and bars as well, if you're into that kind of thing too. 

And it just had that relaxing kind of atmosphere...no traffic, other than the trains that come blasting though down the road, but other than that, it's like being off the grid.

Dinner was interesting, I had this: 

It looks like a potato, and actually it was, but more like a shepherds pie, it was mashed potato (mixed with egg and spices) that was wrapped around ground alpaca meat mixed with peppers, garlic, spices and a bit of carrot. There wasn't enough filling for my liking, but it was still really tasty.

It's a very traditional dish, called "papa rellena" 

The mixture of onions and peppers and spices on the side was bloody hot. I'm not sure what they used for a spice, but thank goodness I only had a tiny taste. Yikes! 

After a bit of wandering and sightseeing, it was off to bed. Alarm was set for 3:30 AM, with strict instructions that we be on time...the plan was to get to to the buses early, first in line for the first bus. No dilly-dallying...get in line and get there early. If you get on the first bus, or even the second, your enjoyment of the lost city (eeeeee.....I'm going to see the lost city.....) is magnified greatly...you almost get the place to yourself.

I had some doubts about that...they used to allow 5000 people in each day, but now they say its only 2500. I don't know which is correct, I just looked at some up to date websites and they say its still 5000. In either case, that's a lot of people. The grounds are huge, but you can't wander any old where, you have to stay an certain paths and trails,  so you know there will be a lots of bottle-necked places where folks are backed right up. And everyone is going to be told to get on the first bus, so I was wondering what the crowds would be like at the bus stop.

But, regardless, tomorrow was finally "the day", so off to bed, hopefully I can get a few hours of sleep.

The plaza at night.