Andean Explorer

Whenever we plan a trip, how we will get from here to there is always a big part of our planning. As such when deciding where our next trip should be, the first thing we look for is whether the country has train service. Not only does it make getting from place to place convenient, but there is no better way to see the countryside. As I am sure any train fan would agree, there is something magical about riding a train, no matter where it takes you.

Woman in Front of Church	Tracks along the river and beneath the mountains

When we found out that Peru had train service, we were at first excited, but quickly frustrated with how confusing the system was. There is only two lines that service 3 places, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Puno, and it is extremely expensive. It wasn't long before we realized that PeruRail is really nothing more than a variety of tourist trains. For what it's worth, I think it's irresponsible for Peru to operate an inter-city train service that only caters to foreign tourists. If the population cannot benefit from the train, there is a problem with the country's priorities. How do you think the Peruvians feel seeing trains come and go knowing they may never have the money to ride one themselves? This sucks for Peruvians for obvious reasons, but it sucks for travelers too because it's just another systematic way of separating tourists from the local population. This does everyone a disservice.

Books on the Tracks	Fruit on the Tracks

Our itinerary after Machu Picchu was to head south to Puno to see Lake Titikaka and eventually cross into Bolivia overland. The best way to make this journey happens to be the Andean Explorer train service, which takes about 11 hours non-stop. The other options is a bus, which we almost did because it's a lot cheaper. Nonetheless, even though it was way over our normal budget we decided to take the train.

I must admit that I felt really uncomfortable with the idea of riding an exclusive tourist train as I am generally more comfortable with modest transportation and lodging when I travel. However, since I had the ticket I decided to enjoy it as much as possible, after all, how often do you get wined and dined on a train traveling through the Andes.

Even though the passengers were generally middle age or older, and not the crowd we usually find ourselves with on a trip, they were mostly friendly people and we had some nice conversations along the way.

Viewing Car	Going Through Town

This was the fanciest train I have ever been on. There were 3 passenger cars and 1 viewing car. The passenger cars were all wood and brass and the seats were more like lounge chairs you might find in an English home. All of the chairs faced tables adorned with a menu, flowers and a lamp. Very comfortable indeeed. The veiewing car is the last car and iss really something. The first half of the car was a bar and a lounge and the back was an open viewing area. The only thing seperating you from the tracks below is a brass rail, really really cool. We took a lot of photos from the back of the train.
The employees o the train put on a little fashion show near the end of the trip, which is really cheesy but also a little fun. It is also interesting to watch how the waiters and waitresses coordinate the food service, they have a well choreagraphed patterns of walking up and down and simultaneously stopping at their respective tables at the same time.
Along the way the train stops twice. The first stop is at the halfway point, which is nothing more than a small church on the side of the tracks where people from nearby areas come down to sell things. The second stop was in a town about an hour north of Puno. As we went through the town the train went right over the top of a market and when I say "over the top" I mean it. People had all of their items for sale right on the tracks, including piles of books lying between the rails. It was amaazing to everyone that we made it through without hitting anything or anyone. As cool as it was to see the town from this perspective, it was a bit surreal thinking about the townspeople's perspective. Here they all are going about their daily business when once a day a luxurious train comes through full of mostly white foreigners sipping wine and beer.

The best part about the trip by far is the views. Mountains, rivers, fields and town go by and there is plenty of time to enjoy it. The air is clean and the weather is amazing. Seeing the mountains rise up from the riverbank with nothing but ancient terraces and grass is truly amazing.

Mountains Over the Train

The Andean Explorer offers a good set of meals as well drinks. The bar services drinks for a fee, but at two different occasions provided Pisco Sours on the house. You should note that Puno is higher in altitude than Cusco, so if you are not well alclimated, the alcohol might worsen your altitude sickness. My first night in Puno was not pleasant even though I had already been in Peru for 5 days without any symptoms of altitude sickness.

Train Stop Halfway

Must Know Information

• The Andean Explorer travels between Cusco and Puno over other day.
• During peak season the train is booked up months in advance. We originally couldn’t get a ticket for mid-May on the date we wanted , but were able after containg PeruRail on the phone and being put on a waiting list.
• Make sure you ask if your seats are next to eachother. When we got on the train, half the people had to re-shuffle because couples were split up all over the place.
• The Andean Explorer is a first class tourist train that costs around $240 each way per person.
• The trip takes about 11 hours.
• The train station in Puno is right in the center of town.
• The Andean Explorer is one of the world's best train trips
• If you go south, the river is on the left, going north it is on the right. You may want to sit on the river side for the best views so ask about this when you book.
• The train from Cusco leaves at 8am. You can purchase breakfast on the train if you don’t have time to eat at your hotel.