AGUAS CALIENTES - Machu Picchu Town

Accommodation

Our accommodation "Hospedaje del Carmen" was quite cool. The first night cost 126 Soles (about 30 Euros) and for the second night we got a discount and only had to pay 105 Soles (about 26 Euros). There was hot water, and each of us had our own bed. Breakfast was also provided: On the Machu Picchu day, we received a care package consisting of juice, bananas, and sandwiches. On the second day, we had plenty of rolls, butter, jam, and cheese to choose from.

Sights

So, what do you look at in Machu Picchu Pueblo? Hmmmm... Of course, Machu Picchu! In addition, we also visited the two train stations "Imperio de los Inkas" and "Estación de Machu Picchu" in Aguas Calientes. The obligatory "Mercado Artesanal" and "Mercado Aguas Calientes" are also not to be missed. Our last stop was at the "Plaza Manco Capac de Aguas Calientes", a cute square with a church and very ugly Inca statues. By the way, these statues are scattered all over the city ;) Pascal believes that the city had some leftover money and didn't know what to do with it. So, they decided to quickly commission "highly decorative" Inca statues. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for the hot baths.

Machu Picchu

Here are Pascal's thoughts (transcribed by Anja) on the ancient ruins from the 15th century: Awesome. Definitely the most impressive remnants of an ancient civilization in South America. And definitely worthy of the title "Wonder of the World" (unlike the Jesus in Rio). There are different paths through the ruins - due to the increasing number of visitors each year, the tours are becoming shorter, and you can only complete one of the four different "Circuitos." We chose the "Circuito 4 + Waynapicchu" route. Wayna Picchu, or Huayna Picchu, is also called the "Mountain of Death" because of its steep ascent. The path goes about 2 kilometers up the mountain, partly on ancient stone steps. We snagged one of the 250 tickets for 05/06/2024 and were able to enter the site at 7:00 AM (our preferred time), and at 8:00 AM we started climbing the mountain. First, we walked through the ruins, still shrouded in fog. We decided to skip a guide (for cost reasons) - in hindsight, we might have done that differently. We could remember some information from the tour guide and the "Casa Concha," the Machu Picchu museum in Cusco, but figuring out which parts of the ruins matched the descriptions was a bit difficult. Gradually, the fog lifted, and the impressive stonework appeared in mystical light. The whole place was wonderfully restored. After exploring the ruins, we climbed the mountain. You definitely can't have a fear of heights or wear bad shoes. At the top of the mountain (we arrived at 9:20 AM), there was a bit of congestion, and we had to take pictures on the "Photo Stone" quickly. We relaxed on the summit (the three of us arrived at different times - Pascal ran up first, Anja followed looking for water, and, strangely, Jona was last). The cloudless 360° view was something special. And we had a great view of the ruins as well. Two people from France even got engaged ;) On the way up and down, we passed the typical terraced structures for agriculture. Back at the bottom, the group split up for a while: Pascal went ahead, and Anja and Jona followed behind. But why? There is not a single toilet in the entire complex, and Pascal's need was apparently more urgent than Jona's and mine. Shortly after 12:00 PM, we were back outside, and after a 40-minute wait for the bus, we went downhill for lunch. We had looked forward to it for so long, and yet it was over so quickly. But it was great!

Transportation

Within the city, we walked around on foot, but we took the bus up to the ruins. It cost 44.71 Soles per person to go up (134 Soles or 33 Euros for three people) and the same amount to go back down. So, we spent almost 270 Soles just on the bus.

Food and Drinks

On the first evening, we ate at the "Bambino Restaurant." We had chicken with rice, fries, and salads from the salad bar. The highlight was definitely the various salads (pasta salad, sweet potatoes, broccoli-onion-cauliflower salad, ...). For two quartered and one eighth chicken pieces, we paid 65 Soles. After our visit to Machu Picchu, we ate at "Kusi Paya." A highly recommended restaurant, mainly frequented by locals. The price per dish was about 15 Soles, and we chose:

• "Chanfainita," a dish of chopped meat pieces with rice
• "Trucha Frita," which is fried trout
• "Pollo a la Plancha," specifically grilled chicken breast There was also a soup called "Charquepa" and we ordered a super delicious lemonade as well. On the way to "Hidroeléctrica," we made a stop at the "Intihuatana" restaurant. Since we started our hike so early in the morning, we could have a very relaxed lunch. We ordered the menu four times for 15 Bolivianos each. We chose:
• "Milanesa de Pollo," which is chicken schnitzel
• "Trucha Frita," fried trout
• "Omelet de Verdura," or vegetable omelet As a starter, we had "Nachos con Huacamole." Why it's spelled with an "H," I'm not entirely sure... 😉 A "Refresco" was also included in the price.

Cafés and Restaurants

• Bambino Restaurant
• Kusi Paya
• Restaurant Intihuatana

Plants and Animals

The flora and fauna around the Inca citadel are really beautiful. Coffee is grown along the train tracks, and many banana plants provide shade. Here is a small album of my discoveries: Link In the album, you can also find a ground beetle, a member of the family Lucanidae. Additionally, we found a millipede (Diplopoda) from the family Spirostreptidae.

Number of Germans in the City

There was an increased number to be found.

Contact with Locals

We had a very nice chat with our receptionist, who also gave us lots of tips for Machu Picchu.

Expenses

Jona and I treated ourselves to stickers: He got one, and I got two. We bargained a bit and paid 15 Soles in the end. Additionally, I bought a pin for 5 Soles with an Inca calendar motif on it.

Typical Market Offerings

Ponchos, chocolate, jewelry, headbands, stickers, magnets, pins, ...

Laundry

We only brought the necessary clothes and didn't need to do any laundry.

Unsolvable Mysteries

Why don't the bus ticket inspectors stop people who cut in line?

Bus to Ollantaytambo

We got our bus to Ollantaytambo for 35 instead of 55 Soles. Quite a discount! We went back with the same provider we used for the outbound trip and were picked up reasonably on time at "Hidroeléctrica." We had to walk there again: We left the town at 8:30 AM and arrived at our mid-point, the restaurant, at 11:45 AM. At 12:25 PM, we were on our way again and arrived more than punctually at 1:10 PM. Our transport started around 2:00 PM, and we were finally in Ollantaytambo by 8:00 PM. Luckily, we didn't continue on to Cusco like the other passengers...

Post Scriptum

There are many great pictures at https://hoenisch.eu/photo/mo/sharing/dWgNvmUFr. I find it particularly impressive how cleanly some of the stones are worked.