Now, I am not a train buff but! - on board our luxurious carriage are waiters, white tablecloths, immaculate service (the toilets ... even the hand cream on board is excellent - ATM my (hopefully residual) high altitude symptoms are incredibly dry hands and my nose is dry and tries to bleed so access to cream is a bonus).
Oh my goodness - 10 hours! As TOP just said: 'It beats that ghastly 10-hour bus trip from Nasca to Arequipa!!'
This luxurious Orient Express- type train journey, recently voted ‘one of the top ten railway journeys of the world’, cuts across the Peruvian altiplano.
First stop is Juliaca: 47 kms from Puno and at 3825 m, 350 kms to go.
The scene behind the train as we passed through the city was quite extraordinary. Stalls lined the track: fruit, clothes, spare parts for Anything and Everything - a mini-Bunnings along a railway track. As the trained moved along, a myriad of vehicles and people crossed the line behind us and stalls were re-erected back over the railway line - some products were actually LEFT BETWEEN THE TRACKS and the TRAIN WENT OVER THE TOP: fruit, magazines, books ... Hilarious!
There was a local Puno group of musicians and a dancer; they provided a lengthy show in the bar area before lunch and we had a complimentary glass (or two) of local sparking wine and orange juice to boot! Hmm ... Very colourful and great music; in particular I was thrilled to see the charango in action: we have heard about this instrument - like a ukulele.
This luxurious Orient Express- type train journey, recently voted ‘one of the top ten railway journeys of the world’, cuts across the Peruvian altiplano.
First stop is Juliaca: 47 kms from Puno and at 3825 m, 350 kms to go.
The scene behind the train as we passed through the city was quite extraordinary. Stalls lined the track: fruit, clothes, spare parts for Anything and Everything - a mini-Bunnings along a railway track. As the trained moved along, a myriad of vehicles and people crossed the line behind us and stalls were re-erected back over the railway line - some products were actually LEFT BETWEEN THE TRACKS and the TRAIN WENT OVER THE TOP: fruit, magazines, books ... Hilarious!
We pass through the small town of Ayaviri - 3920 m and 96 kms from Juliaca.
Anyway, a most delicious 3-course lunch (and everything - journey and meal and entertainment etc - only $US152). Oh bliss!
The plains stretch forever: such isolation between towns and just the occasional solitary figure watching the sheep or whatever. There are now snow-capped mountains too approaching and it is getting much cooler.
This part of the journey is dominated by the magnificent Andean mountains and rolling Andean plains: think alpaca and vicuña.
The journey is broken up by a scenic stop at La Raya which is also the highest opoint on the the route at 4319 m.
After this, the villages seem to be much closer together through the valley - and prosperous too? Schools in each, lots of crops (I can recognise the quinoa now...). Mountains are now close on both sides.
Resourceful locals attempt some selling to passengers standing at the back of the train in the observation car ...
We continue on, the train clackety-clack and the horn sounding as we pass through villages and towns. Kids wave as we trundle past. The river adjacent to the track cuts down deeply. There are heaps of eucalypts!
They have a Pisco Sour demonstration and TOP does the honours as a volunteer to make one (and drink it). We have another live music session in the afternoon with Peruvian band and dancing. Great fun.
The sun is dipping down. Afternoon tea is served about 5 p.m. and half an hour later, with the horn blasting, we arrive in the dark into Cusco!!! We pass a big hypermarket. There's a thousand lights dotted forever off into the distance. This is a BIG place.
We get our transfer to our hotel, a briefing for the next part of our journey and we go for a 'quick spin' around the main square - our hotel is conveniently just around the corner. There are a lot of shops ... [I jokingly ?? said to TOP this morning that she might need an extra carriage on the train for her bag!!]
We continue on, the train clackety-clack and the horn sounding as we pass through villages and towns. Kids wave as we trundle past. The river adjacent to the track cuts down deeply. There are heaps of eucalypts!
They have a Pisco Sour demonstration and TOP does the honours as a volunteer to make one (and drink it). We have another live music session in the afternoon with Peruvian band and dancing. Great fun.
The sun is dipping down. Afternoon tea is served about 5 p.m. and half an hour later, with the horn blasting, we arrive in the dark into Cusco!!! We pass a big hypermarket. There's a thousand lights dotted forever off into the distance. This is a BIG place.
We get our transfer to our hotel, a briefing for the next part of our journey and we go for a 'quick spin' around the main square - our hotel is conveniently just around the corner. There are a lot of shops ... [I jokingly ?? said to TOP this morning that she might need an extra carriage on the train for her bag!!]
What a fantastic train ride, the pictures with the train traveling on the remote passes is what South America is all about. This is even before you consider the red wine, water and the Pisco Sour ingestion.
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