Cusco - Machu Picchu return (50 soles) To go: 1. Take a bus from Cusco towards Quillabamba, departure 8am or 8pm (13 soles). Get off in Sta. Maria where there will be a mini bus waiting to go to Sta. Teresa, duration 2 hours, (6 soles). (Can be VERY crowded!) 2. Arrival in Sta. Teresa is around 5pm or 5am. Sta. Teresa has a few basic hostels and restaurants. To buy food is cheaper here than in Aguas Calientes. 3. It’s a 2-hour walk to the hidroelectrica power plant. The trek is flat, with a beautiful view into the valley. Alternatively, take a ride with the truck that goes from Sta. Teresa to the hydroelectric plant. (4 soles) 4. From the railway station (at the hydroelectric plant) a local train leaves for Aguas Calientes at 3:20pm and takes 40 minutes (28 soles for tourists, 2 soles for locals) Alternatively, you walk on the railway track for another 2 hours to Aguas Calientes. There is a basic hostel 40 minutes before Aguas Calientes, set in a nice garden and run by friendly Sra. Neli. She does evening meals too, all by candlelight (no electricity). 5. From Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, the eco bus costs US$ 7. (Eco meaning that you can’t open the windows, thus reducing litter along the road!) To walk from either Aguas Calientes or Neli’s hostel to Machu Picchu takes about 80 minutes and involves a lot of steps.   Way back: 1. At 6am walk from Aguas Calientes back to Sta. Teresa. From there a bus goes at 10am to Sta. Maria, arriving at 12pm. Then take a bus to Cusco at 2pm, arriving in Cusco very late due to road works (that will go on for another while). We hopped of in Ollantaytambo at 8pm to go to the Salinas in Maras the next day.     Note: times are approximate and bound to change, and fares could be higher depending on your designer wear!!  www.gonebikeabout.com, Sept ’06