THE ANDEAN EXPLORER

WEDNESDAY 29th JUNE

   Well the cab arrived on time and I showed the driver by train ticket, he nodded his head and we shot off in completely the opposite direction we had arrived from last night.  I thought I'd better check and make sure that he was going to the train station and not the bus station.  He nodded yes.  In no time at all we were at a train station right in the middle of town.  A porter came up and asked what luggage I would like to check in, and promptly relieved me of it.  In the waiting area, resplendent with armchairs, a Peruvian Folk group entertained the passengers until it was time to board the train.

  Once aboard it was time to study the breakfast menu and place an order.  The observation carriage was at the rear of the train and gave great views in all directions.

   Mid morning we were all invited to the observation carriage for a fashion display, a performance by a Peruvian Folk Band and Pisko Sours, an offer not lightly to be refused!

I certainly didn't buy any of the knitwear but there was plenty to admire about the models!

The folk group went down well, providing good entertainment.

 The train ran along side the road at times at others alongside the river, whilst at other times it went straight down the main street of towns and hamlets.  The kids would rush out and wave (we only spotted one teenager giving us the finger).  Other kids put the ear to the rail to listen to the sound of the wheels.

                                     

 

A local derby elicits more interest than the passing train!

I ordered a Pisco Sour appetiser before lunch which slid down smoothly and then embarked on the 3 course lunch which was certainly up to 4/5* standard.  It seemed appropriate to have a bit of a snooze after lunch, especially as the meal came with a complimentary glass of wine.  It was sufficiently warm to shed my to top layers of clothing. The landscape changed periodically and we moved on to the midpoint of the journey where engines were changed.  We came across various livestock including llamas, alpacas and yamas.

At La Raya, which is a 178KM out from Cusco and an altitude of 4313 metres, there is a little church and a local market stall.  Quite a few people got off and inspected the goods on offer and made purchases.  It was apparently freezing cold out there.  This is the highest point of the entire journey.  I stayed put in the nice warm carriage!  Watching out through the window was quite adequate for me.  In the late afternoon we are served champagne and pineapple juice followed by sandwiches and tea.

Coming into Juliana the train rolls down the main street with just about any kind of scrap metal item available.  It is the centre of commerce in the area and some 338Km from Puno.

A further 42Km sees us into Puno by which time has fallen. We are at our journey's end.  We wait for our luggage to be unloaded and are then asked to go and collect it.  As I struggle with all the load, I spotted the train manager and asked him where I could get a taxi.  He pointed to an attractive looking middle aged lady and asked go to her, I fully trust her.  She immediately got hold of a cab and joined me in it.  I took the opportunity to ask her where I could buy coach tickets for La Paz.  She said she could do that for me.  We got off at the hotel, I checked in, and my woman, Eva by name was waiting for me.  She asked me if I would be interested in a trip to the floating islands on Lake Titikaka tomorrow morning and to some ancient toombs in the afternoon.  She told me I would be picked up for all three events from the hotel.  I paid over the 160 n.sole and wondered if I was being taken for a ride, but if I was it was only for about £35.00 and Eva was very nice.  I shall have the answer to my question in the morning.

MACHU PICHU - DAY 4

TUESDAY 28th JUNE

  I think the morning call was about 3.30am today to enable us to get away at 4.30am.  In the departure building we had to wait about half an hour for our turn, which enabled me to discover a WC and empty my bowels for the first time since setting out.  Ooooh the relief!  I soon lost touch with the rest of the group and proceeded at my sedentary pace.  I will not attempt to describe the sheer beauty of the place and instead will allow the pictures to speak for themselves.

The infamous Santiago leading the way!

A visitor checking out what we were doing.

  After a conducted tour of the site by Santiago, we were left time to look around omn our own.  A rendezvous was set in the town down below accessible by bus.  I was soon there accompanied by Santiago having a nice long beer.  Gradually members drifted in and at 3.30am we set off for the station.  Our train left about 4.30 and it was a three and a bit hour journey to a town outside Cusco.  There a minibus was waiting to pick us up and take us to our hotels in town.  I checked in and found I had been relocated to the third floor which was going to be a pain in the morning bringing all my luggage down the stairs.

  I went off in search of an ATM and bumped into Mark, who told me I had just passed the best one around and showed me where it was obviously lacking any faith in my ability to find it.  I dropped into a restaurant for a bit to eat, but couldn't finish the meal.  A young lad who spoke English quite well and was so polite, having asked me if it was alright to wait until I finished my meal to show me some pictures he and his father had painted.  I could hardly say no, and actually spotted one I liked and purchased it for the nominal sum he was asking for it.  He said, "Thank you gentleman from Polonia" and then talked to the Indian owner of this Chinese restaurant.

  I went back and asked for a cab to be booked for 7.15am to get me to the train station for 7.30 to catch the train to Puno.  The receptionist looked totally bemused by the mere mention of trains to Puno, and called up another member of staff.  He pronounced that the train would be going from this other place where we had got to from Machu Pichu.  I tried to remember how long the minibus had taken us earlier, but decided that probably 15 minutes at that time of the morning would be adequate.

  Well the great trek was over.  I made it one way or another, and got a certificate.  Would I do it again?
Never in a million years!

MACHU PICHU - DAY 3

MONDAY 27th JUNE

   These early starts come with amazing frequency, and I find that a) I cannot face much breakfast at 5.30am and b) I don't want to eat much because of the toilet situation.  The porters kindly put a bowl of cold water with a bar of some soap outside our tents.  I may be a masochist, but I'm not totally mad and I decline the use of these facilities.

  It is still dark when we set off.  I make no pretence of trying to keep up with group but set off at my own sedentary pace accompanied by Marco.  So day to is the worst, we're onto day three, so how come this consists of 14KM whereas the previous days were 10 and 11Km respectively? Gradually light dawns and the sights are as spectacular as ever.  Well you can see the change in headgear as the day gets warmer!

 

   I got to the top of today's peak just about the time the rest of the party were getting to leave.  I took my boots off to get some air to my feet and noticed the precarious state of my big toenail.  With the aid of the first aid kit I managed to strap it up.  After the rest of the party set off an American lady came up to me and asked me if I was alright.  I set that apart from not being able to breath, a dodgy knee and disintegrating toenail, I was fine.  She told me she lived here and was my training a pediatric nurse.  I told her that I might look pregnant, but in reality that was something else.  She asked me if I would mind if she checked my pulse and I told her I had no objections.  Apparently it was good and strong and then she asked me what medications I took.  I showed them to her.  She said I might have some fluid on the lung, which was preventing me from taking in as much oxygen as I normally would, and said she lived just over there and if I had any doubts to come and see her.

  I was served a late lunch by the chef as the porters started rolling up the camp.  It was then that Santiago came up with his surprise package.  He said he had arranged for a taxi to take me down to the night camp.  He realised having talked to me how important it was for me to get to Machu Pichu and was impressed by my determination to keep going.  He had sent one of the porters back to the previous camp to collect a shoulder stretcher and now that they had a much lighter load of provisions to carry, six of them would take it in turns of four to carry me down.  I cannot deny it wasn't welcome news.  I was definitely flagging at this stage.  I had my cap over my face so couldn't see much, but these fellows simply ran down the mountain with a pole (no pun intended) on some padding on each soldier.  Periodically they would have a change of guard with Santiago taking his turn as well.  Occasionally branches antwigs brushed my body, and on the odd occasion I moved my cap aside, the sky appeared to flash by.  We got to the camp just before dark, not long after the others.  I spread some largesse around to these fine porters in recognition of their sterling work, and forwent dinner, going straight to bed at 7.30pm.  It was the warmest night of all and I got a bit of kip at long last.

MACHU PICH - DAY 2

SUNDAY 26th JUNE

  A reveille at 6.00am for breakfast and day two was under way. No messing around this time, I was left in the rear in no time and spent the bulk of the day with Santiago for Company.  He gave me coco leaves to chew which apparently was the Inca's secret formula to sustain their strength, not sure how much it did for mine, other than to give me sores iside my mouth!

Time for a breather and contemplate the ever rising path upwards.

Well at least I managed to stay standing for this picture!

 Bloody hell! I've got to climb up this lot!  The rising steps never seemed to end!  20 metres at a time, a drink of water, deep breathing, and three inhalations of oxygen from the can I had bought in Cusco and I'd be ready to tackle the next 20.  I spent time chatting with Santiago and told him that Jim was meant to be coming on this trip with me, and the reasons why he couldn't make it.  I almost suffered as much through him not being here to share the pain and exhaustion as I did from my own.  I didn't not look up often as the sight of the rising trail was just too depressing, instead I looked just in front of me working out where to put my feet, because it was certainly a rocky path.

No denying that the sights were spectacular.

 Made it!  All the way up half Everest to 14, 000ft in something like 7 and a half hours.  Not a record as that stands at 9 hours, but not far off it.  However the sun was starting to dip in the sky and night time was not far away.  A couple of the porters came back with some food for us as we had missed the lunch break being so far behind.  Going down the mountain was almost as tricky as going up, as every time I put my right foot down a judder of pain shot through my right knee, whilst the left hand toe nail took a severe bashing everytime that foot went down.  A couple of the porters took me under each arm and helped me down until it was completely dark, and then offered to carry me down in the packing sheets, an offer I found it impossible to refuse.  They set me down outside the camp site so I could walk in under my own volition.  I felt a bit guilty when I received a resounding cheer from the rest of the party!

   Again we had dinner at about 7.30pm and then adjourned to bed about 9.30pm.  Again it was damned cold and again I found it hard to get any sleep.  The latrines in the camp were again holes in the ground, filthy all around - I declined using them (I had visions of trying to squat and falling over right into all the s**t all around! Instead I  tried to eat as little as possible apart from energy bars and the like in trying to avoid the toilets.  So they reckon the hardest part is over, we have covered 21Km - I don't believe a word of it!