207 days since selling up. David Jones recording.
Where was Poirot we asked ourselves as we waited in the Peru Rail waiting room in wing-back chairs with the pan pipes playing. He never arrived before we boarded the Orient Express train from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca. We were apprehensive about our journey as we had two seats at either end of the carriage and it was a 10 hour marathon. We had gone to the Peru Rail office the day before to see if we could change our seats. The lady said with a broad smile that the train was fully booked, but it would be possible to sort it out when we boarded the train. We left unreassured.
Although this scene sounds calm and idyllic, it wasn't. The carriage was full of frantic tourists trying to rearrange the seating. Nobody had been sat together. Thanks to the help of a friendly tour guide order was brought to the chaos and everyone ended up next to their significant other. It was all with no thanks to the Peru Rail staff, although dressed to impress, they hadn't helped sort it out. But they had other things to worry about: somebody had forgotten to put the engine on the train. After a delay we headed on our way. We all sat back to relax on our long journey through the Andes. All our earlier worries had dissipated because we were sitting together, thankfully sharing a table with a really nice American couple from St Louis, Missouri. We swopped stories, took pictures out the window and played cards (don't trust them at Hearts, the rules keep changing; no wonder they won - that's British humour by the way!). Although Poirot had not arrived, during the journey we had a surprise visit from Agatha Christie, who was able to complete a chapter that had been playing on his mind. Once we boarded the train we found ourselves in the 1930s: a wood pannelled carriage with plump wing-back armchairs for seats, white tablecloths, table lamps and small vases with flowers.
All in all, despite me not eating my lunch because it was chicken covered in green gunk, we had a very lovely journey. The scenery was stunning, we had good company and so much so that when the train stopped at Puno, we didn't get off. But to be fair we hadn't been told we had arrived.
We took the train because it took us to the mystical Lake Titicaca. This morning we set out to discover the lake and its famous floating islands.
But as we're in Peru nothing is straight forward. We boarded our tour boat and set off. Within a minute the engine stopped and we floated like driftwood in the middle of the lake. El Capitan had neglected to put diesel in the engine! We were able to drift back to shore thanks to the boy who had a big pole to drag us there. And within five minutes a smily lady in a Panama hat came bounding along the quay with a big yellow jerry can.
The explorers were off again. We motored through reeds for a half an hour, before reaching the floating islands. There were lots of them, floating around; we headed for the Island of Santa Maria.
Once on the island we met some of the eight families that live on the island. They are all descended from the original Uros people who were here before the Incas.
We were given an informative talk by our guide on the history and traditions of the Uros people, and were shown how to make your own floating island; I'll let you know the secret when I get back, I've already got my eye on a pitch on the Thames.
Once the talk was over Gertrude and Marie came running over to us, each one taking one of our hands and led us off to their homes. Separated, Marie and Gertrude had a little chat with each of us in Spanish about their families and showed us their traditional wares.
The next bit of our tour meant getting on a traditionally made reed boat to be rowed across to one of the other islands. Against my better judgement I agreed to follow Paul onto the top deck up an unsecured ladder! But once up there, it was all quite pleasant floating around on a warm sunny day on Lake Titicaca. Such fun!
hey your post is really very nice...and the pictures clicked are also great it seems you have great photography skills.......
hope you have enjoyed the place a lot.....
Posted by: lake titicaca | 01/17/2011 at 11:43 AM