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Aquas Calientes, Peru |
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Aguas Calaientes is the end of the train line. This dusty little town with a train track and the Urubamba River running through its middle is the Gateway to Machu Picchu. The confusion created by the throngs arriving in and leaving from this little village may seem like chaos but timing makes it runs like a well oiled machine. People checking out of their hotels in the early morning leave their bags at the hotel and head up to Macchu Picchu. By the time the train arrives to drop off more visitors, the morning visitors to the mountain are returning to town. This keeps the buses running up and down the mountainside full in both directions, moving the crowds quite efficiently. There is no bottleneck at the hotels because all visitors are met at the train by baggage porters eliminating the need for a mass check-in. The Porters are kept busy taking bags to and from the train station. Passengers leaving Aguas Calientes gather at the spacious train station until they are called to board according to their car on the train. These smaller groups find their bags waiting next to their car, claim them and give them to train porters who store them on the same car as the passenger. It's quick. It's easy. It moves alot of people.
When our train arrived we were met by Porters from our hotel who took our bags directly to the Pueblo Hotel and we boarded the waiting buses that took us directly up the mountainside to Machu Picchu for an afternoon exploring the ruins.
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After our afternoon exploring Machu Picchu we returned to town and made our way to the Pueblo Hotel which is located at the end of the little town situated next to the train tracks and the river. The hotel is a series of bungaloes nestled into the mountainside. The complex is much larger than it appears because it blends into its environment so well with winding paths linking the bungaloes, public rooms with the pools and spa facilities. Large public rooms include small nooks for intimate groups and several fireplaces providing warmth on the cool mountain evenings.
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The Pueblo Hotel is also a Nature Preserve that includes a sanctuary for the Andean Speckled Bear. There is also an orchid garden and tea plantation including a teahouse where the tea leaves are dried and prepared for brewing. Hummingbird feeders scattered throughout the grounds attract a variety of the shimmering little birds. The Pueblo Hotel hosts morning nature walks making this a destination that compliments Machu Picchu very well.
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On our final day after our morning visit to Machu Picchu we had lunch at one of the little Pizzarias in town. After ordering, we noticed that our waiter left the restaurant and returned a few minutes later with black olives and paeppers for our pizza. Later, while relaxing on a little Plaza, we noticed "runners" from all the restaurants dashing off to the local market for a few minutes each time returning with small parcels of ingredients for their orders. This certainly insures that there is no spoilage, nothing goes to waste in any restaurant and that everything is as fresh as possible.
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