Leaving Cusco, I felt that familiar reluctance to pack up and move on. Then we boarded the train to Puno, settled into a table for four that we somehow had to ourselves, and the grin came back.
We were traveling through the Andes toward Lake Titicaca. Hard not to be excited about that.
The landscape was different from what I had imagined. I’d expected more snow-covered peaks. Instead, much of the journey crossed broad, open grasslands, with mountains in the distance, grazing animals, and small villages along the way. At La Raya, we stopped long enough to step off the train, stretch our legs, and take a few photographs before continuing across the high plateau.
During the ride, we selected photographs for an upcoming interview about life after selling our business. Looking back through our travels was a remarkable reminder of everything we’ve been able to do. I counted twenty-two countries since the sale, some brief cruise stops and others places where we’d spent considerably more time.
Sitting on a comfortable train through the Andes, reviewing those memories, I found myself thinking it again: I can’t believe this is our life.
It was a lovely journey, though we were getting a little antsy by the last couple of hours. Our guide, Hugo, met us in Puno and took us to GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca, where we checked in and headed to bed.
The next morning began with a seven o’clock pickup and a motorboat ride across the lake. We visited the floating reed islands of the Uros and continued to Taquile, spending much of the day out on the water. Reed-built islands, colorful traditional clothing, a fish lunch, and the enormous expanse of the lake made for a very different experience from the places we’d visited earlier in Peru.
By the time we returned to the harbor, we were ready to be back at the hotel. We just beat the afternoon weather. There wasn’t much rain, but the thunder and lightning made us glad to be inside.
The following day, we visited Sillustani, an ancient burial site on a peninsula above Lake Umayo. Tall stone funerary towers stood against the sky, with beautiful views across the water. It was uncrowded and easy to explore. I much preferred the quiet and open space here to the previous day’s excursion.
Lunch afterward was another highlight. At Qolla Wasi, our guide told us that the owner had once watched tour buses passing and asked a tour operator what else visitors needed. A restaurant, apparently. So he spent two years learning to cook and built one.
The food was wonderful. At one point, I realized I was smiling simply because it tasted so good. We took a photograph outside with the llamas and alpacas, another memory to bring home alongside the meal and the owner’s story.
Back at the hotel, there was time for a nap, the sauna, and the Jacuzzi. Thunder and lightning returned that evening.
Three days of changing scenery: the Andes through a train window, a long day on Lake Titicaca, and stone towers above a quieter lake. And, in between, plenty of reasons to smile.
