CUSCO TO PUNO BY TRAIN

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26^thSeptember

Caught the train to Puno today. Today is quite cool and is raining. Didn't mind as it is a very long train trip – 10hrs. Great train, it is styled on the Orient Express trains with very comfy seats and great food. We were provided with musicians, a fashion show, 3 course lunch with wine and afternoon tea. Great food. The train attendants were excellent – so precise in handing out the food and getting you anything you want. The view was good, though it did start to get a bit the same after 5hrs. The train follows the valley floor where you can see the Andes and passes through Sicuani, La Raya (highest point at 4,330m above sea level). We stopped there for a 10min leg stretch, then the train stops at Juliaca before reaching Puno. Our guide was telling us that Juliaca is the place you go to if you want to buy anything as everything can be bought there. It is not a safe place, very big in black market and drug trafficking. As the train passed through it was amazing looking at the things that are for sale alongside the railway tracks. If inclined you could put your hand out the window and touch the stalls as they are that close to the train. Only managed to get a couple of pictures as we were just too fascinated with everything. The one thing we have noticed everywhere we have been in Sth America is how much effort goes into looking after their soccer fields. They are always green and fenced off or huge stadiums. Arrived at Puno around 6pm and went straight to the hotel where we all had dinner and stayed in.

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