Monday, May 20 and Tuesday, May 21: We rode the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes on Monday, which positioned us for a very early start to the day on Tuesday, May 21 to visit Machu Picchu. We got in line for the crazy 30 minute bus ride up the mountain at 5:00 AM for our 6:00 AM entrance into the Machu Picchu complex to take advantage of sunrise and then tour the complex without as many crowds as you might expect.
Aguas Calientes turned out to a much more enjoyable quirky town than we expected with the Willkanuta River and the train tracks bisecting the town orthogonally. It’s main purpose is to serve those who are traveling to Machu Picchu and the Incan Trail. We trudged up the hill to Aguas Calientes namesake–hot water or hot springs for a dip. We were pretty concerned that we might get some flesh eating disease after our visit!
The Traveling Lounsburys 