Back from Machu Picchu!

This past weekend, three volunteers and I took the PeruRail train from Ollanta to Aguas Calientes, but before that took a car ride from Cusco to Ollanta. Booked through a travel agency, the agent literally placed us into a car, set for Ollanta, when the driver just peeled off his unofficial 'TAXI' sticker to suddenly be a personal car. We were curious, if when we arrived at the train station in Ollanta, that he would suddenly stick a 'TRAIN' sticker and then drive us straight to Aguas Calientes. But no, the driver was very nice, pointing out the various landmarks along the route. Unfortunately, because of a car accident blocking the road into Ollanta, he could only drop us off at the foot of the town and we trekked the way to the train station, which was 15 min of a mad dash to the train station with fear that we were going to miss the train. But of course, since the entire country of Peru runs on Peruvian time, we caught the train just in time, but with my jeans splattered with mud, since the ground with flooded with mud from the rain the night before.
The train ride was gorgeous! I would recommend the train ride over a bus anyday, since it is only an hour forty compared to the six hour bus ride zigzagging through the mountains. We had seats on the Backpackers car, where we all commented that we've never seen that many gringos (white foreigners) in a month. The town of Aguas Calientes is composed mostly of restaurants tailored to foreigners, pharmacies for altitude sickness, and the typical souvenir shops. But I do warn you, everything is hiked up in prices, typically double the price in Cusco. We did go to the Hot Springs in Aguas Calientes located up the hill from the town, which in my personal recommendation, I would say you're not missing anything if you don't go. Actually, save your ten soles that is the admission price. The hot springs is probably false advertisement considering that the water was more warm, edging lukewarm, and the company of middle-aged European men with skimpy swim trucks is questionable. Afterwards, we just ran back from the springs to shower in our hostel.
We ended up taking the bus up to Machu Picchu in the morning. Travel Tip: Wake up early for the bus. The first bus is at 5:30AM but people start lining up at least 4:45AM. Machu Picchu was amazing! Totally deserving the honor of a World Heritage site and one of the Man-made wonders of the World. I would highly recommend having a tour because there is so much significance in the structures itself that are not easily grasped by simply staring at it.
I am currently sick with another stomach virus so I've had to cancel my trip to Puno and Lake Titicaca, which is heartbreaking to do. But, I do hope to recover by the weekend to do something absolutely stomach-turning, like paragliding.

More Pictures: http://myproworld.goabroad.net/collection.php?type=traveler&ID=11727&context=traveleralbum&genID=1908