Monday 18th
April
Early
breakfast, checked out and taxi to Wanchaq station just after seven for 8 sols.
There was a long queue of people at the station at a door marked "Ticket Office" but found out that was only for buying tickets. Walked onto the platform, and
was greeted by a man who, when I showed him my ticket, took my big bag and gave
me a ticket for it. In the waiting room availed myself of the coffee on offer
and then checked in after which I was escorted to my seat in Coach A where I had
my own individual table complete with lamp and small vase of flowers. All very
civilised, and so it should be for the price (US$300). Read later that the carriage
interiors were designed by James Park & Associates and built here in Cusco.
Couldn't see any indication of who built the original carriages. Unlike the Machu
Picchu train, which runs on 3ft gauge, the one to Puna is standard gauge. The
carriage progressively filled although there remained a couple of spare seats
by the time we left at 8.00 precisely. After just a few minutes we joined the
dual gauge track I had seen taking the collectivo to Ollanta. I learnt from
Wikipedia that the line from Cusco to Puna are two branches of a railway that
runs from Matarani, a port on the Peruvian coast, to Juliaca near Puno and then
divides, one line going to Puno and the other to Cusco. As far as I know the
Andean Explorer is the only operational passenger train on the line.
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| All Aboard ! |
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| Settling in |
We
passed through the not so leafy suburbs of Cusco, huge contrast to the elegant
city centre. I really did feel that we were in a cocoon of privilege trundling
past the proletariat. Before we left the outskirts there were cliffs of red
sandstone with lots of grey-green Agave growing on it close to the tracks I believe the sandstone is described as “Red Beds’.
It
was about 0830 when we left the city behind. The weather is perfect, beautiful
clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds. And the scenery is fantastic following
a river in a deep valley between mostly green and sometimes rocky mountains. At
the back of the train there is an observation car and bar. At 9.00 I had it to
myself but it soon filled up. Back at my seat enjoyed a coffee and watched Peru
go by. The train wasn't particularly sociable. In the observation car people
just commented on the scenery. Mostly English speaking although I did talk
briefly to a nun and her friend or relation who told me they are in a group of
20 from Mexico.
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| Watching Peru go by |
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| Snow Capped Mountains |
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| Observation Car |
About
1030 the band started playing in the bar but both it and the observation car
were already quite crowded so decided to stay in my comfy seat and enjoy the
scenery passing, Andean farmers tending their sheep, cows and the occasional
lama. Although the land does not look very fertile we were rarely out of sight
of human habitation, typically built of adobe bricks, occasionally passing an
abandoned settlement. Went through two larger towns, Sicuani and Marangani
At
about 1pm we stopped for 10 minutes at a small chapel and market. This is the
highest point of our journey at 4319 m and with a view of snow-capped
mountains. As soon as we started moving again lunch was served, smoked trout to
start, then boeuf bourguinon with rice and a Chilean merlot to drink.
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| Short Stop to Admire the View |
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| Lunch is Served |
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| Second Session of the Band. Even had a dancer! |
By
2pm we were on a high, flat plateau and just before 3pm we go through another
large town where there seems to be a building boom with lots of construction
going on. All the new construction is reinforced concrete frames with brick
infill but all the older buildings are adobe. Another big town along the way was
Estrella.
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Lonely Farmstead
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Saw
some flamingos on a lake but I was too slow to get photo. Shortly after we
entered Juliaca a large city with masses of new construction, mostly two storey buildings,
major roads and dedicated bus lanes. The train was going at walking speed since
there are market stalls right next to the track and some have their wares,
mainly books, laid out between the tracks. (and in case you are wondering, the train has airplane style toilets) There is actually a station in
Juliaca where we stopped for a minute or two. At the edge of Juliaca we passed the
modern buildings of the University Andina.
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| Market on the Tracks |
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| The Market Resumes as soon as the Train has Passed |
We arrived in Puno
about 1830 but we had to stay on the train until the bags had been unloaded so
it was 1900 by the time I left the station. It was a short walk to the Tierra
Viva hotel, same chain as the one in Cusco which I was quite impressed by.
Checked in and later had a pizza and a beer in Lima Street, the main tourist
street. Not bad.
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| Time to leave our Cosy Train |
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