A day that I had really been looking forward to, a train trip from Puno to Cuzco
I have always loved the romance of train travel, experiencing many steam train trips as a child courtesy of an uncle who was a member of the local Steamranger train network.
This was going to be a trip down memory lane!
Met at the hotel by the guide and driven to Puno train station, only a 5 min drive away.
Photocopied tickets no problem, did not even have to show our passports
We
were ushered on to the platform and directed to Carriage B. We were led
to our seats which were both forward facing. In front of
us was a table set with a crisp white damask tablecloth, a red rose in a white china
vase and a menu. Plenty of leg room. Brass luggage holders above our seats. Lined with wood, carriage lights
along each side of the carriage and lamps on each table. Even marble topped vanities in the bathroom.
The
train looked just like the Orient Express, funny that, because it is
owned by the same company.
The train
trip is a bit slow and rocky in places, but overall is still very comfortable.
The
express bus from Puno to Cuzco takes about 7 hours. The train takes about 10!, but oh, what
style!
Big picture windows, and a glass-walled observation carriage with an open-air rear section, I felt like a queen.
There were many times when I just sat by the window with my nose pressed against the window pane revelling in the experience and enjoying the views of the Andean plateau as we headed towards the snow-capped Andes mountains.
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| All aboard! |
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| Enjoying the view |
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| Downtown Juliaca |
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| Suburban Juliaca - a sobering sight |
To break up the journey, we had some entertainment along the way.Starting with a complimentary Pisco sour at 10am!!! Peruvian singers and dancers entertained us in the Bar carriage for
about an hour. Boy is it hard to dance in an aisle with a train
rocking!
Lunch was a leisurely affair - 3 courses served by the staff in military fashion. The dessert was a standout!
We stopped about halfway along the trip at Abra La Raya, a high mountian pass (4300m). At an old railway siding local
ladies were trying to sell their wares - no money parted with this time!
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| Observation carriage |
Crossing the Andean pateau
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| Abra La Raya |
Back
on the train, we played cards for a couple of hours, before there was a
bartending course showing how to make the perfect Pisco Sour. During the afternoon, the train was descending through the valleys
following the Rio Urubamba towards Cuzco. We partook of some afternoon
tea and arrived in Cuzco about 30 mins behind schedule, in complete
darkness.
Enjoyed the journey - magnificent
vistas the whole way, from Andean plateau, to high mountain passes with
snow capped mountains and then river valleys.Superb!
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| Rio Urubamba |
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| Blue gum eucalypts in abundance |
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| Catching up with Andrew |
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| Heading into Cuzco |
After checking into our hotel which was located just around the corner from the
Plaza de Armas, we only had dessert for dinner at a restaurant 2 doors
down from the hotel.
Looking forward to exploring the old Inca capital.....
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