The train journey between Machu Picchu & Cusco
Leaving Machu Picchu for the last time was quite sad, but at least we’d had the benefit of two good days of exploring and climbing. Now it was time to catch the first train back to Cusco, and after a quick (and excellent) lunch at SAS’s hostel in town we headed for the train station.
Safely aboard the Vistadome train (carriages with roof windows to allow views of the towering mountains along the first stretch of track), we settled back with a beer and enjoyed the stupendous engineering that brings the rail lines into this tube-like valley. The driver used the horn frequently to ward off animals and local people using the track as the only means of passing from one place to another, while the river gushed past us and seemed at times to almost splash the train with its murky waters, we were so close to it.
Gradually the valley floor opened out and we passed fields rich with crops of maize, corn and rice. A brief stop at Ollantaytambo station brought with it the chance to buy drinks and snacks from the many local people who wait beside the rail lines with their wares, and then we were on our way again, climbing all the time towards Cusco and our first proper bit of civilisation in nearly a week.
Then something quite funny happened! The background Peruvian music piped through the carriages was turned up, and a character dressed in a frightening “Devil” costume paraded through the carriage. With bells on his ankles and a mask and hair of evil note on his head, he looked and sounded like a cross between an English Morris Dancer and something out of a voodoo ritual. Bizarre, but this is entertainment Peru-rail style!!
We weren’t done yet though! The indiginous music was replaced by the likes of Madonna and Kylie as the two stewards (one male, one female) began a cat walk routine up and down the carriage way, displaying Peru Rail’s range of Alpaca garments. Hilarious, to be honest, since such a show appeared so incongruous to our location and purpose on this train. But who knows, perhaps it’ll catch on in England when the trains are delayed because of the wrong type of snow! To their credit the stewards put on a very professional show for a good twenty minutes and made some sales from their efforts, but we did wonder if they knew this was a requirement of their job when they first applied!!
Three quarters of the way through our four hour journey and by now the towering peaks that had hemmed us in were long gone, replaced by rolling plains and ‘small’ hills with a patchwork of fields between them. Many people seemed to leave the train at a place called Poroy for the “benefit” of a 15 minute journey back into Cusco by road rather than the one hour still left on the train, but in our opinion entering Cusco from high on the hill above it by train, with the city’s lights shining brightly below in the twilight, via a series of clever switchbacks was much more worthwhile.
Tomorrow we fly to Arequipa in southern Peru, but before then it’s back to our hotel to recover our luggage and benefit from some clean clothes!
Tags: Peruvian tales
mihai