Day 9: Cusco to Puno

Mood: I'm over it
Music: Various

Last night saw me take Hilda out for one last meal to say thank you for her company and excellent guiding over the four days prior. I talked through all of the frustrations that I had with the tour during the day and she explained that some people want definitive answers to questions and not vague answers based on the best guesses of experts due to the lack of authoritative sources. She agreed with me that it probably would have been fine with it had it been my introduction to Inca culture and not following 4 days of conversation about the topic. She also asked what I thought of some features inside the Temple of the Sun and at that point I realised I'd not actually been inside. Our guide missed it as he was running late after having to go off to sort whatever it was out. I did ask him about the entrance to it but remember being told we can see it from the outside! That irked me a little more but it's over and done now.

Today started with a 7:30am transfer to the train station where I boarded the train to Puno. My seat was a rather nice comfortable arm chair that was so wide that the rows in the carriage were only 3 chairs wide with a path between the 2nd and 3rd. I had breakfast and got chatting to the Australian couple who were sat to my right. They were great company for the whole journey and I chatted to the for most of the rest of the day and went for dinner with them this evening.

For large periods Tracey and I were stood on the open back of the train, as shown by Rolf (with his new friend Jumpy), taking photos of the people waving at the train passing or just working their fields or animals along the track. This was some form of drive by photography of the Peruvians in national dress that prevented them from demanding money for having their photo taken (which is one of the reasons that only two photos of people had appeared on Picasa to date).

I did succumb to my first loss of the trip during this as I knocked my lens cap while removing it to see it bounce off the track a few meters behind the train. I've a feeling this might be quite hard to replace for a few days but I've asked Audley if they can get in touch with the hotel I'm staying in in La Paz to get them to track one down for me. I'll let you know how that goes!

The train journey was a little slow wobbly and I've managed to gain a pair of sea legs. These might come in handy tomorrow on the crossing of Lake Titicaca to Sun Island. Other than that it was a very nice ride through gorgeous scenery all the way to Puno. The time seemed to fly past, but I guess that the breakfast I had, the 3 course lunch and then the afternoon tea that they served might have eaten up more time that an aircraft meal would have done.

Time for bed for me. Night all.