Aguas Callientes

Our guide Wider, a friend of Winn's, met us at Casa de Wow this morning with the intention of taking us horse-back riding but there was some problem with the horses (stuck in a canyon or something like that). Plan B was a cab ride up one of the valleys to an Incan temple ruin and a couple hour walk back to town. It was a great hike and other than some locals that we passed along the way, we were alone. The trailhead to the temple passed by a small casa and the woman there stopped us and offered cooked maize and beans to us, Wider said it was very customary for such an offering for passers by. After the snack we climbed up to the ruins and had a private tour of the temple. From there we started our descent back to Ollantaytambo, about 3 hours - passing donkeys, pigs, goats, sheep, bulls, cows and puppies. We hung mostly to the side of the mountains, following many terraces for farming and aquaducts that were installed by the Incans, had to forge a small stream in our bare feet. Amazing!
We walked at a good clip because our train to Aguas Calliente was to leave around 1:50. Meghan had the only spill (small scrape on the knee) and we all made it on time to the station.
Peru Rail was a top notch operation with fancy snacks and chocolate served on our 2 hour ride along the Urabamba River, along side the highest snow covered peaks we have seen. It was a treat. I joke that it is like the monorail on our way to Cinderella's castle (Machu Picchu). Aguas Calliente is a tourist town, exiting the train station we had to find our way through a maze of vendors selling their wares but we made it. Tomorrow is the big day - waking before dawn to see Mickey and Minnie!