I had read up on the floating Uros Islands before arriving in Puno. I had become particularly fond of a message board, that discussed the relative merits of visiting these islands.⠀Public opinion was divided. On the one hand, a visit to the Uros Islands was a life-altering experience that must not under any circumstance be […]
My mid-life crisis had primarily been a peaceful experience; there was no motorbike in my garage. Notwithstanding, some profound change had come over me. I had started to consider security when choosing travel destinations. Until recently, I had felt that a high crime-rate added to the ‘exoticism’ of a place. This time, I had not […]
Ten and a half hours on a train IS ten and a half hours on a train, no matter how nice that train may be. As we entered into the final hour of our journey, daylight was gradually giving way to dusk. The bar was closed, the tabs had been paid, the shock of the […]
As the afternoon drew on, the Titicaca Train slowed down as it passed through the city of Juliaca. I have spent much of my working life around urban planners. Many of these are architects and like to wear black polo neck sweaters and shroud themselves in a mist of obscure terminology. They love words like […]
My journey across the Peruvian altiplano on the Titicaca train continued. No trip to Peru, I was told, would be complete without experiencing the national dish of Cuy – Guinea Pig. Peruvians preemptively go to great lengths to assure people that the Cuy is NOT a rat. Deliberately misquoting Shakespeare, I venture to say ‘the […]
About midway between Cusco and Puno, the Titicaca train makes a stop at La Raya, the highest point on the route at 4 313 m.a.s.l. The scenery was beautiful. It was now as Peruvian as scenery could be. It was Peru, as it is sold by travel magazines. The conifers from the lower altitudes had […]
Travelling by train up the valleys and across the high plain between Cusco and Puno is a slow business. It takes every minute out of ten and a half hours. It is, however, designed to be a slow business. And to be enjoyed as such. At the beginning of the journey, people were highly strung […]
I had just installed myself in my seat on board the Perurail Titicaca Train in Cusco. My carriage was elegant with wooden panels, white table cloths and plush seating. It exuded an air of elegance long gone from modern travel. My fellow passengers offered a compelling reminder that this was, after all, modern travel. While […]
Visitors to Cusco will have been offered a day-trip to Mount Vinicunca, popularly known as the ‘Rainbow Mountain’. While technically possible, doing this in one day requires the sacrifice of significant human comfort. For one, you will have to be ready outside your hotel at 3:30 AM. The only circumstance when it is acceptable to […]
There it was. Machu Picchu, a photographic cliché, if ever there was one. And still, cliché or no cliché, it was one of those views imprinted in my mind since childhood from countless travel magazines and innumerable travel documentaries.