Aguas Calientes, Peru

Turquoise-browed Motmot

  After yesterdays excitement with the UFO, today was back down to earth. However, we still had a good time and started the day heading in the opposite direction to yesterday but still following the train line and river to the east. It's a spectacle walk with stunning scenery as both the line and river calve through the towering mountains bordered by forest. We were told that there was a waterfall well worth seeing over a mile out of town. We couldn't find the waterfall but continued for another 6-7 miles taking in the beauty of the area. Like the other folks also taking a stroll along the track, we stopped off to have a bite at the many of the B&Bs along our ways. When we got to the next town, Quillabamba, we thought we would catch the train back to Aguas Calientes. Surely a ten minute ride wouldn't be that much? Peru Rail, the only company running from this town were charging 31 Dollars!! You can stick that up where the sun don't shine! As we left to return to walk back following the track, the guy who was ripping us and others off in the kiosk handed us out a leaflet. 'Do not walk along the railway line!' You know what you can do with that as well! We made our ways back on the railway line to join the many locals and visitors who were also following the track back to Machu Picchu.
  Some of the birds of note that we uncounted included 3 Bar-winged Wren, Canada Warblers, Tropical Purala and 2 White-barred Piculet and many others that I'm yet to identify.  As I left my 'Birds of Peru' at home, I'll have to wait until I can ID the ones that I don't know in the images below.

Following the river and rail line

Red-headed Tanager 

Slate-throated Redstart

Dull-coloured Grassquit

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Miltred Parakeet

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Sylphina Angel Butterfly

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White-capped Dipper

Torrent Tyrannulet

Black Phoebe

This cracking Turquoise-browed Motmot showed superbly   

As we approached town and after spending sometime searching in the forests along the track, Anna got to see the bird she wanted to see 'Cock of the Rock' While we were observing it, more Peruvians joined us and were delighted in seeing their national bird. Above this dull male, Anna spotted a female and both birds flew across the river to the otherside.

The very expensive Peru Rail bringing in freight for the town, Aguas Calientes just below Machu Picchu  

On one of the bridges in town, the fence is covered with 100's of locks.

The River Urubamba running through the town.

The B&W images of Machu Picchu I took when I visited here two years ago. 

Miranda Lee Richards grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of comic book artists Ted and Teresa Richards. She attended San Francisco's School of the Arts, and then took up modeling after graduation. She moved to Paris to continue her modeling career, and hated it, moving back to San Francisco. She met Kirk Hammett of Metallica through a friend, and he gave her guitar lessons and taught her to play Mazzy Star songs. She recorded some demos in her basement which reached the ears of Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, whom she joined briefly.^[2] After leaving them, she moved to Los Angeles, living in a tent out of a friend's backyard,^{[citation needed]} while she met the many musicians who would contribute to her debut.

She has also worked with Joe Firstman, and reportedly will appear on several tracks on an upcoming Tricky release. Miranda has also recently performed with Good Listeners and the Jesus and Mary Chain.