Railways, Old-School
In Germany, we are used to super-fast bullet trains taking us from A to B efficiently and (though most Germans will not agree with this) mostly punctually, often being not much slower than the equivalent flight. In South America, if there are trains at all, they do not quite work like that. Most of the train system usually lies in shambles and the rest is mostly reserved for cargo trains. Which is a pity — many of the railway lines here run through absolutely stunning landscapes and, at least when they were built, were incredible feats of engineering. On the other hand, newer and better-maintained roads usually mean that travelling by bus is much faster and much more convenient. Now, this is where Peru gets it right…
Instead of using their railway system as a for-real transportation alternative, they just run tourist services. And it’s amazing: we took the Cusco-Puno service, a ten-hour trip from the former Inca capital to beautiful Lago Titicaca. Not only does this trip take you through some spectacular scenery (the trip takes you to a pass above 4,000m of altitude), with snow-capped Andean peaks in the background and soaring rivers in the foreground. More, the service on offer is what I would imagine it was like two centuries ago: bar carriage with observation platform; one entire carriage for service staff, kitchen, etc.; personal service — one waiter per carriage — even in second class; a three-course gourmet meal (some of the best food I had in Peru) for lunch, including a welcome cocktail and afternoon tea with a sandwich; and a cocktail happy hour shortly before arrival. I couldn’t believe it — a tiring, long trip converted into one of the highlights of our time in Peru!
