Machu Machu Man. I want to be a Machu Man.

(by Basil) So, now we will skip ahead a week. Yes, we are skipping Sunday (which we will do a post about later) and we are also skipping all of work days in between (including one which Rhoda spent vomiting).

Why, you ask? Well, I don't know, but that is the way it is so live with it. Now on to our fabulous Saturday. We didn't get enough of Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) the first time around and it is a great little spot with tons of little shops and bargains to find. Before we got to the shopping, we went to the Hot Water baths that gave Aguas Calientes its first name. We got to the baths early while they were mostly deserted and while the world was cold. It was nice to be in hot baths in the morning. Feeling quite triumphant and full of myself on the way up to the baths, I posed for the camera in the way only a crazed American can do.

Kit, who wasn't quite as jubilant and insane took a picture in front of the baths. The baths are actually no longer truly natural. Although the water is natural, tiled pools have now been created although some still have sand floors.

Here are Rhoda and Kit in the lounge area above the pools. Festive eh?

After a long hard morning of lounging in the baths, we headed to a well-deserved lunch with plentiful Inca Cola (no, that is not urine. Don't even pretended that you weren't thinking that).

After lunch, we set about souvenir shopping. Multiple stalls line every side of the town. The area leading up to the train station is the worst with stalls selling almost the same things every few feet.

One of the stalls had a very unique woven wall hanging that we were tempted to buy . . . until we realized that it probably cost more than everything else we had purchased combined. Isn't that an amazing hand-made representation of Machu Picchu?

After we finished shopping, we headed to the Plaza de Armas (city square) to meet up with the group that was just then returning from Machu Picchu. Below you can see Rhoda and I resting from our labors with our favorite beverages. In the Plaza de Armas, next to the center fountain, Rhoda found a stone puma tha was just her size.

She absolutely adored the puma. Just look at that happy face. We took probably 15 pics and every one of them was darling. This is such a typical Rhoda expression. She is ready to go tell dad about her adventures. You can see me in the background.

Here is our family picture from the trip. Kit liked the angry Inca.

So we did eventually meet up with the rest of our group. Below you can see Jackie, Rhoda, Kit, and Francesca. They are standing in front of the stalls' roofs. A rather interesting hodge-podge of tin roofs thrown hastily together.

Rhoda got to spend some quality time with Jackie (one of her favorite people on the trip).