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April 16, 2025
We made it to Machu Picchu, one of the New 7 Man Made Wonders of the World! Austen decided that she had had enough trekking for this trip (if not her entire life) after her Nepal Everest experience so she opted out of the Inca Trail trek. As I had done it before (25+ years ago) I remained on the Inca Rail train with her and continued on to Aguas Calientes for some father-daughter time whilst Francesca, Ryan and Finley disembarked at km104 and began the 7 hour trek in the grueling heat to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) with stunning views of the ancient Inca citadel.
Team Jahns (with guide Jugenal) boarding the train to Aguas Calientes.
Inca Rail
The beautiful landscape along the train journey from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Trekkers disembarking at km 104.
The start of the 7 hour trek from km 104.
Intrepid trekkers on the Inca Trail.
Finn, Ryan and Francesca at the Sun Gate.
Aguas Calientes main square
Austen got a kick out of this mini Machu Picchu shuttle bus. We would take a full sized one the next morning to Machu Picchu.
Austen's Oreo Obession crepe for her Daddy-Daughter breakfast in Aguas Calientes.
Austen putting a "love lock" on Puente Pantigoso.
Aguas Calientes
Aussie & the Incas
It was a long, hot walk to the Butterfly Park, but well worth it. There was an efficient 20 minute guided tour that took us through the education room, the lab where they breed the butteflies and moths and finally to the enclosure where we were encouraged to feed the butterflies fruit.
Tour guide at the butterfly explaining about the various species in Peru and the Machu Picchu area.
This amazing butterfly is called, understandably, a Owl Butterfly. When it's wings open it looks like an owl.
Dan feeding an owl butterfly
Sloped streets of Aguas Calientes
The Aguas Calientes River, a tributary of the Urubamba River
Dan with this Pisco Sour and a slice of Za!
We met up with them in Aguas Calientes for dinner and in the early morning, amidst a steady rain and mist that gave Machu Picchu a magical, mistical quality, we made our way to the ancient site to wander it's sacred grounds and learn about all the rich history from our guide Jugenal.
Machu Picchu in the mist.
Jugenal explaining to us that the long held belief that the Incas built Machu Picchu is being debunked as a recent 2013 discovery of pre-Incan remains in the area now have experts beliving Machu Picchu was at least started by a pre Inca civilizaition.
NOTE: a LOT had changed since I did the trek 25 years ago. Back then you needed a permit, but it was open ended and you could sleep at Wiñay Wayna, a small village at the top near the Sun Gate and then trek directly down into Machu Picchu in the morning. There was no time limit and you could also climb up Huayna Picchu at your own risk sans guide. Now there is a time limit and you have a certain time block written on your permit and you need a guide to climb Huayna Picchu although it's closed in the rainy season do to the dangers invovled. Our guide told us that most of these regulations were put in place after MP was voted as one of the New 7 Man Made Wonders of the World in 2008.
After Machu Picchu we had one more night before heading back to Cuzco. The fam wanted to rest, but I armed with massive FOMO wanted to explore more of Aguas Calientes. So I rented a swim suit and towel and ambled the short, but beautiful hike to the Baños Termales de Aguas Calientes, the hot springs that gives the town it's name. The opperation was pretty efficient. You purchase a ticket at the start of the walk, then they take the ticket when you get to the pools. They have showers, toilets and changing rooms and a little snack shack overlooking the pools. They also have a baggage/clothes check stand where you can lock up your belongings free of charge.
The pools are of varying temperatures, but the hottest one was around 97 degrees F and felt only a little hotter than luke warm once you got used to it. It wasn't as hot as a typical hot tub which was disappionting. The water also looked a little dirty and gross - not sure if that was normal or because of all of the tourists plopping in and out of it all day long and not a lot of cleaning happening. But overall I enjoyed the experience.
Our last day and night in Aguas Calientes and our train ride back to Urubamba.
Aguas Calientes at night
The Aguas Calientes River
Did you know Paddington is from Peru? We did cuz we saw the new Paddington in Peru film in Bali, Indonesia when it first came out. :)
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