Saturday 2nd February – Cusco to Puno.
Happy 21st
Birthday, Ellie!!!
Got the 7-30am train (the
Andean Explorer) from Cusco to Puno across the high altiplano. It was like
being in an Agatha Christie “Murder on the Orient Express” remake.
Only 15 passengers, leather
chairs, table lamps and more staff than passengers. There were fashion shows
and local folk music and dancing.
At a station half way between
the two places, we all got out (to be met by souvenir sellers!) and had our
photos taken at nearly 14,200 feet above sea-level.
A different troupe of
musicians and dancers got on, so there was more entertainment on the way down
to Puno.
It was also “Pisco Sour day”
(the local cocktail) and Ellie was “volunteered” to go up and be shown how to
make one.
During afternoon tea on the
train, we were given bucks fizz and Ellie got a birthday cake and the whole
train sang to her! (We assume that Audley Travel arranged this, as the cake and
champagne we had organised for her were at the hotel when we arrived there!)
It seemed to be market day
everywhere and it was quite surreal to actually go slowly through markets where
the locals had to clear the lines to let us through and then reset their wares
after we had gone!
When we arrived at the hotel,
Martin was suffering from a headache so didn’t join in the rest of the birthday
celebrations. As we now had another cake to eat, we skipped dinner!
Guess what – as it was Pisco
Sour day, we had a free one and then for the “happy two hours” they were half
price! Oh well!
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