PRETTY PERU
Luxury sleeper train offers amazing views of the country.
Ifound myself short of breath and having palpitations. I thought it must be the altitude.
I was in Cusco, Peru, about 11,000 feet above sea level, nervously sipping my mate de coca, a bitter tea made from coca leaves that takes a little getting used to but helped us adjust to the effects of the altitude. In reality, I was just excited to be going on a unique travel experience: the maiden voyage of The Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train, by Peru Rail. Peru Rail also operates the Hiram Bingham, a luxury train that makes day trips from Cusco to Machu Picchu.
The Belmond Andean Explorer is pulled by two massive Peru Rail locomotives that haul its 18 wagons comfortably across the Andes. The train accommodates up to 48 passengers, providing a personal concierge approach with staff available to handle guests’ needs 24/7.
Passengers have three types of rooms to choose from, each with its own private bathroom and shower. There’s the ultra-spacious Double Bed Cabin (141 square feet), the Twin Bed Cabin (80 square feet) and the Bunk Bed Cabin (60 square feet). Also on the train are two large sit-down dining areas, a boutique, library, piano bar, cocktail lounge and an observation car with open-air seating that makes it easy to mingle, unwind and enjoy the breathtaking vistas and stunning Peruvian Andes.
At the station in Cusco, we were greeted by Lorenzo Sousa, chairman of Peru Rail, founder and major stockholder of Peru Belmond Hotels and my longtime friend, who invited me to take this trip. He made a warm welcoming speech and gave everyone a friendly handshake. Then the festivities began with a group of native dancers and musicians getting everyone in the mood to get aboard.
Inside the train, champagne was served, and we stopped to admire the design by Inge Moore from MUZA Lab of London. The interior was designed to connect with the Peruvian Andes. For example, Moore said, the colors and textures of Peruvian nature are seen in the soft ivory alpaca tones and the Andean slate greys and woven textures and handicrafts.
The train, built in the first half of the 20th century, was brought from Australia to Peru. Sousa had
early it renovatedyears. Thebut kept the style of itsdecor from lamp fixtures to the designs on the ceiling ing of the cabins, took me back to that era. I was quickly broguht back to the present, though, because the Belmond Andean Explorer put every
modern amenity at my fingertips — everything except Wi-Fi, but in the end, that didn’t matter.
Then the whistle of the train sounded while its engines roared, and suddenly everything began to move past our eyes.
Finally we were gliding along the Peru Rail, waving goodbye to the dancers and greeting new friends on board, sipping specialty drinks such as pisco sours and Manhattan iced teas.
It seemed life could not get any better, but in the coming days, it would.
All the food on the train is gourmet. It is prepared by chef Diego Munoz, one of Peru’s best, in collaboration with Belmond Hotel Monasterio, in Cusco. “We have taken every precaution to have not only the most delicious food on board, but to also be able to represent each region our guests will travel to,” Sousa said.
“Peru has to be experienced not only visually, but also through the palate. Our menu has been carefully made so that the food is not only delicious, but not so heavy, because when you are traveling to altitudes as high as 15,000 feet above sea level, the last thing you want to do is have your digestion interrupted.”
Its common for many people to feel the effects of the soroche — Peruvian for altitude sickness — because the train travels to such high elevations. For this the Belmond Andean Explorer has outfitted every room with an oxygen tank plus a nurse is on board around the clock as an extra precaution. I personally felt well all the time, probably because I have been crossing the Andes since I was a child.
The train offers several package trips — one-night and two-night adventures. I was on a two-night.
On the first day of our journey from Cusco, our first stop was Raqch’i, with its majestic ruins including the Temple of Wiracocha, which is believed to be the largest single roof structure in the Incan Empire. We were able to walk inside these marvels of architecture and experience how advanced the Incas were in urban planning. I had time to buy souvenirs from local artists and made it back to the train just in time for tea.
Tea was muna, an aromatic selection of Inca herbs that perfectly complemented the variety of sweet cakes that came with it.
Day 2 brought an early-morning call to catch the mesmerizing sunrise over Lake Titicaca before enjoying breakfast on board: two eggs over easy and a selection of local cheeses with Serrano bread. This bread is like the Inca focaccia except in smaller portions, and a bit sweeter and crunchier.
We left the train and took a boat ride to the famous floating islands of Titicaca and its inhabitants. We were greeted on shore by smiles, and the tour guide showed us the fascinating work the Uros (or Urus) do with totora, the grass twigs that are harvested from the lake and served to make the foundation of the islands.