44. Small world

Monday, 4 February 2019

Cusco, Peru

Discovering that high altitude is not good for a decent night’s sleep! Another sleepless night. 10hr rail journey from Puno to Cusco aboard the Lake Titicaca train. Check in at 0700hrs and there’s welcome music from a Peruvian pan pipe band. Not what you need at 0700hrs. Or any other hour for that matter.

Only 15 to 20 passengers, so only one dining car laid on plus a bar car with observation deck. Travelling in style today. Big comfy dining chairs, silver service and 3 course lunch followed by Afternoon Tea. Very civilised. Very ‘Murder on the Orient Express’.

Depart 0730hrs, crossing the altiplano. Vast expanses of land, mountains and a grey sky. Plenty of rain. Not like the last time I did this trip in 2001. Bright blue sky and snow capped mountains back then. Not today though.

Only two other Brits onboard. Rest are French, American and a local family. As fellow Brits, we introduce ourselves and after a bit of conversation realise we’re connected. My sister’s Young Farmer friend used to work for Mr Brit, in the farm machinery industry. Small world eh?!

Pass through the town of Juliaca about 2hrs into the journey. The local market sets up shop along the railway line and actually on the railway line. Train continues to pootle through town sounding its warning horn to tell people to get out of the way. No sooner has the train passed then locals start putting their stalls back again on the tracks. Some haven’t even bothered to remove their wares and instead leave it on the sleepers between the tracks. They remain untouched as the train moves over them.

Fascinating being so close. The sides of the carriages are literally inches from the stall awnings and we get a bird’s eye view of what’s on display. One of the more intriguing things for sale is llama foetuses, used as good luck charms (see photos below). One of the more extensive sections of market is dedicated to vehicle spares, though supply seemingly far outweighs demand. The train’s security guard stands silently in the open air observation car to ensure that no locals try and jump aboard, which would easily be done.

Experience the first of the onboard entertainment. If I had to experience it, so do you, so please watch the videos below! It’s a fashion and dance show to local Peruvian pan pipe music. Oh yes. They play all the Peruvian classics: Fiddler on the Roof, Imagine and a Simon & Garfunkel mash up.

As we’ve just left Puno, treated to Puno regional dancing. The glamourous dancer wears a dress that looks like she could be some planetary queen off the old TV series ‘Flash Gordon’. Finally, the morning’s entertainment is over, note I say ‘morning’s entertainment’, there’s more this afternoon. Have 10hrs to kill don’t forget.

Excellent lunch as the scenery trundles by. The large expanse of land around Lake Titicaca gives way to more mountainous and rugged scenery as we climb from Puno’s 12,000ft to the highest point on the line at La Raya, at 14,300ft. Quick stop for 10mins to view the basic church at this mountain pass. And where tourists stop, there’s always a souvenir seller, right? Well there’s about 10 sellers. And a llama. Which roughly equates to 1 seller per 2 passengers. Assuming all passengers get off the train. But only the two French and three Brits do so. Two American women sit on the train moaning about their allergies. One has a face mask on and one keeps coughing and moaning about the air quality. Staggering considering we’re at 14,300ft. It’s probably the freshest, cleanest air she’ll ever breathe.

All downhill now for the next 5-6hrs, to Cusco at 11,000ft. Very mountainous like Glencoe in Scotland and eventually the railway line drops down into a canyon. A muddy brown raging torrent of a river below as the tracks cling and snake around the cliff face. Marvellous engineering.

And so to this afternoon’s entertainment. As we’re approaching Cusco, treated to Cusco regional dancing. Which. Is. Very. Similar. To. Puno. Regional. Dancing. The only saving grace to this affair is that it’s preceded by a Pisco Sour cocktail making class. The music is over amplified and the PA system makes the compere sound like he’s in a 1970s railway station with plenty of reverberation.

Approach the outskirts of Cusco. Last time I did this trip in 2001, a local threw a rock at the train window which smashed. Fortunately, no such incident occurs and arrive at Wanchaq station on time. 10hrs of rocking and rolling and your body feels like it’s still rocking and rolling some hours later as you lie in bed.

Overnight at the Belmond Hotel Monasterio (https://www.belmond.com/hotels/south-america/peru/cusco/belmond-hotel-monasterio/). A very pleasant place to stay. Converted monastery right in the centre of the old town but my memory is playing tricks on me as it’s not how I remember it from all those years ago.