Augas Calientes is the gateway to Machu Picchu, an expensive train/bus ride away from Cusco. We took a car that had windows in the roof so you can get a better view of the surrounding terrain, including some ruins and terraces.
While in Aguas, we attempted a hike up Putucusi, but were turned away because the crucial ladders near the beginning had been washed out. However, we were able to pick up an unfortunate amount of trash along the way and gain this nice view of the town and the raging Urubamba River. We were also reminded of the misery of hiking in extreme humidity, which I made sure to complain about during the 20 minutes or so we actually got to hike.
Because we wanted to get to Machu Picchu early in the morning, we needed to spend a night in Aguas. We stayed at Gringo Bill’s and enjoyed a nice meal in the surprisingly deserted Tree House restaurant. At the Tree House, we decided to go for it: trying the traditional Peruvian delicacy of “cuy” (prounounced ‘quee’). It’s guinea pig if you didn’t know. We found it a bit greasy but were glad we tried it, despite the obviously non-traditional presentation.
