I limped off the bus and found myself in Aguas Calientes, a town devoted solely to serving the hoards of travelers coming to Machu Picchu.
In addition to offering room and board, AC is the point of departure for the buses that run up to Machu Picchu multiple times a day, as well as for the trains that run to Ollantaytambo.
Appropriately enough, the town features a large statue of the 15th century Inca emperor, Pachacutec, together with his animal symbols: the condor, the puma, and the snake. The condor represents the heavens and the connection between earth and sky. The puma represents life on earth in its power and strength. The snake represents the underworld, but also to the Incas suggested wisdom and knowledge.
Other symbols are more contemporary and speak to the transient nature of modern day Aguas Calientes.
The town itself isn’t beautiful, but there is a certain charm to some of its architecture and the way it reveals its own structural support.
As tourist towns go, AC does its business well. It was pleasant and had everything a hiker would need: food, drink, transportation, music, and — in my case — a masseuse who eased some of my aching joints. I was so tired I barely remember where I ate or how I hobbled back to my hotel and the sweet promise of sleep.
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