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Appointed in the style of a 1920s Pullman, the Andean Explorer offers a
luxurious way to spend ten hours as it click-clacks its way from
Puno to
Cuzco (or vise-versa).
The onboard entertainment included two Peruvian bands, a dancer and a
wool-wrap fashion show, however, as nice as they were, the real
entertainment was what we saw beyond the train.
The meals were of the same caliber as the white linen tablecloths and
the glassware.
To travel on such a train is a privilege and we are very fortunate, while at the same time it was
a humbling
experience as we passed families struggling to put their own simple
meals on the table.
As the train went through towns it announced our arrival and the
tracks in front was cleared of makeshift marketplace tents and
piles of goods and then was swamped again
immediately after our passing. Some items like apples and
oranges were simply left in the space between the tracks (we even saw a set
of clay pottery survive the overhead rumble of steel).
At La Raya, the highest point of the trip between Puno & Cuzco, the
train stopped to allow passengers to visit the craft stands, the church
and take photos of locals (for a fee).
We arrived in Cuzco after sunset, not anxious for the
rail journey to end ... but there were other sights to see and other
experiences waiting for us across the tracks.
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