Up before 6am for breakfast (and no, the bed had not improved!) then final packing and checkout for our pickup by Paul at 7.00am. We got the 7.50am Titicaca train. There was a band playing for us at the station as we checked in, all rather posh. We had a 4 person table to ourselves so we could spread out. The seats were actually armchairs fixed to the floor of the carriage!!
It was raining heavily when we left Cusco which made us apprehensive about the conditions in the Andes but the day cleared within an hour and we had clear weather all the way to Puno. We were treated royally on the train, hot and cold drinks on demand, a Pisco cocktail and snacks while a band played in the bar car and a dancer performed some traditional Peruvian dances. There was even a fashion show although not as good as the one on the Machu Picchu train.
We stopped at the highest point of the journey at 4319m for a photo opportunity. Howard did try to walk smartly up a hill to see the effect of the altitude and it was noticeable, thank goodness we had not come directly from sea level.
The viewing carriage at the back is open making a fantastic viewing experience
Once we restarted we had a grand lunch and a glass of wine to wash it down.
During the later part of the journey we moved onto the plateau that contains Lake Titicaca and rolled for hours across an incredibly flat plain surrounded in the distance by mountains. The land is clearly fertile and agriculture is evident although the techniques were often manual. Very little mechanisation to be seen.
Just in case we were hungry afternoon tea arrived about 2 hours before we were due to arrive in Puno. It was dark by the time we reached Puno so we didn't see the lake.
An easy transfer with Richard, our guide for tomorrow, to the Sonata Posadas del Inca-Puno hotel. A great lakeside location and we have a lakeview room. And the big thing for me is that the bed is soft!!!
