Video produced/edited by Kaelyn.

Hey, curious fellows!!

We finally slept in after getting up at 6 am for the past 1-2 weeks. We woke up at around 8:15 am and walked downstairs for breakfast in our PJs. Our breakfast was decent, like a small buffet. We were full, then we went back to our hotel and chilled. Lidia met us and gave us train tickets to Machu Picchu Pueblo. Anyway, some of us went back to sleep, and others played card games because we had nothing to do till 11:15 am. Later, all of us wanted some snacks and drinks for the train. So, we walked to a small convenience store, and none of us got anything except Melanie. Melanie got delicious Peru chips, and we can't stop eating them. Then, we stopped at a small cafe. We got some good coffee and smoothies. We were in a hurry to return to the hotel because the cafe was so slow. We got our backpacks, and we felt sad when we left the pretty nature hotel. We walked around 5 minutes to the train station. We were on time, thank god. It was a nice small train. The train to Machu Picchu Pueblo was 1 hour and 40 minutes long. We chatted and played games together. It was a really beautiful view during the trip. 

We arrived at Machu Picchu Pueblo, a very cute small town. Machu Picchu Pueblo is a town in the middle of a mountain, so the mountain view is everywhere. Our hotel was near the train station, so we walked there to check the room and put everything there. Then, we walked to a place for lunch that Lidia recommended. We ordered a Cuy (guinea pig) for all of us to taste. It was very interesting, and all of us enjoyed it. It tastes almost like chicken, but not chicken. Their seasoning was good. Most of us said it was good but not something we would eat again. We noticed that all places, even stores, are so expensive because Machu Picchu Pueblo is the only way to get to Machu Picchu. Everything was brought to Machu Picchu Pueblo by train, which made sense. 

After the yummy food, Lidia wanted to show us the water festival; of course, we were curious. We were walking through an alley, and people threw water balloons and sprayed shaving cream on us. Luckily, we had the rain jacket and waterproof pants. We saw many kids run around and foam spray everywhere. Of course, we had to join too. We brought the foam spray for 10 soles, and we played for about 45 minutes. We played with random people, and they didn't care. It was really fun. The purpose of that water festival is to elevate the community's vibrant and celebrated culture, traditions, dances, and music. It was the highlight of our day! We were so soaked, even our socks too. We enjoyed it a lot anyway. 

We walked to our hotel; then we hurriedly changed our swimsuits. Everything in Machu Picchu Pueblo must be walked because no road is available for cars. So walking outside was nice rather than riding in a car. We walked to hot springs, and that was the most we looked forward to. Lidia informed the workers that we were deaf, so we got a discount for hot springs tickets. It was very green, with jungles and pretty waterfalls, while we walked to the hot springs. Our faces changed immediately when we arrived because that was not what we expected. There were too many people, and the water looked so dirty. Again, it is from natural water. There are different pools with different temperatures, like 93 and more. We tried 93 degrees first to get the feel of how hot it was. It was really warm; it did not feel like 93 degrees. It disappointed us and smelled really bad. It smells like someone farted an egg. We moved to a hotter 97 degrees, and it felt the same. We stayed there to chill and chatted. 

It was getting darker, so we got out and dried everything. We were not in the mood for dinner but had enough room for dessert. We stopped to get ice cream, and it was amazing. Jami and I got frozen cheese ice cream. I know it sounds crazy, but it was the best ice cream we've tried. Then, we walked back to the hotel and changed to clean clothes. It felt nice to get the whole foam spray out. We were always hungry and stopped at a convenience store for snacks. We need to get a good night's sleep before a long day tomorrow. Good night!!

See y'all soon :)

-Malinda