23-Day South America and Antarctica Tour (Day 4)

Day 4: Cusco - Aguas Calientes We had breakfast at the hotel at 5:50 am. At around 6:30 am, our tour guide took us on a slow walk to the train station. On the way, we saw the Temple of the Sun, which we didn't visit yesterday. It was the most respected and important temple in Cusco and the entire Inca Empire. It was later converted into a church by Spanish colonists. There are few traces of Inca civilization left today. After a 10-minute walk, we arrived at San Pedro Station in Cusco. Today, we will take the PeruRail train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Large luggage is not allowed on the train, so we left our suitcases at the hotel in Cusco and only took a backpack on the train. The train runs slowly. It takes 4.5 hours to travel the 120 km from Cusco to Aguas Calientes. We bought tickets for the 7:30 am train. We chose the Expedition ticket, which is the cheapest and most affordable ticket, but it still costs more than CNY 1,000. The train's restroom is very clean. There is a mobile signal for most of the journey, but it is very weak. The scenery along the way is beautiful. First, we saw the view of Cusco built on the mountain. Then, the train traveled through the Urubamba Valley and into the high mountains. Along the way, we saw lush trees, gurgling streams, barren plateaus, green wheat fields, and scattered terraces. At around 12:10 pm, our train finally arrived at Aguas Calientes Station. After getting off the train, we passed through a maze-like handicraft market before we finally left the station. We checked into Casa de Luz Hotel near the train station. After a simple lunch, we went to our room to rest. In the afternoon, we had free time. We strolled around Aguas Calientes. The town is roughly divided into two areas: one is a street with accommodation along the railway, and the other is a street with restaurants and shops along the Urubamba River. There is also a small square in the middle. After visiting the town, we found a coffee shop and chatted over coffee. It was very relaxing. For dinner, we went to Ponchos Peruvian Kitchen near the hotel. It is also a restaurant with a 5.0 rating on TripAdvisor. The dishes we ordered were all great and delicious. The presentation of the dishes was also very beautiful. Highly recommended!