Aguas Calientes, the popular tourist resting place closest to Machu Picchu, is also home to a series of hot springs, from which the town gets its name. On the day following our trip to Machu Picchu, we visited the hot springs. It turns out they were nothing like the rustic, pools of Jaccuzzi-like waters that I imagined. Instead they were stagnant pools, much like a swimming pool, of lukewarm, murky water. And they smelled like sulfur. We had to scrap off the yellowy mildew the pools left behind on our skin in the showers afterward. It wasn't a terribly rewarding experience, and it paled in comparison to the tourist attraction of actual worth - Machu Picchu.
Throughout the remainder of the trip, a small group of us devised a "Machu Picchu" playlist, which should be listened to if one ever travels to Machu Picchu again. Here is a sample of the playlist for your listening pleasure:
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) - Shakira
Wavin' Flag - Knaan ft. Will.i.am and David Guetta
Para Pa - Quintino
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye
On the first morning of classes following Machu Picchu, Senora Marcela made chocolate pancakes, melted cheese sandwiches, coffee and juice for breakfast. It was heaven. For lunch that day, a group of us met at La Taberna to watch the Brazil v. North Korea World Cup match. Then we shopped around at the local markets for presents for our families and friends back home. That night, our host-brother Fernando taught Jennie and me how to play Risk, the board game. Even though Risk is a well-known board game in the United States, I'd never had the opportunity to play it before.
Later that week, my Peruvian history class took a field trip to the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, which housed an impressive collection of ancient ceramics, and stone- and gold-work. On our way back to Wiracocha, we stopped by the Plaza de Armas to witness the dancing and celebration for yet another festival. All of the children were dressed in bright attire and dancing in synchronized dance routines. Our history professor told us that each of the elementary schools in Cusco have their students dance in the dance competition.
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