I did it! There wasn't much to it...buy the ticket and get on the train...but that alone took me some time to decide. For once you get on the train, you are committed to a 15 hour train ride. It is a 434km. round trip. Travelling at a pace of 35km per hour.We left the Valley of Lerma at a altitude of 1187meters and the turnaround point was "El Portal de Los Andes" at 4200 meters above sea level. Think it is higher than Machu Picchu, in Peru.
The rail construction began in 1921 an was completed in 1948. It took 1300 workers to get the job done. It was the brainchild of an American engineer named Richard Maury.
We travelled in one of the highest railways in the world without rack-and-pinion. The rack-n-pinion system allows the train to climb mountains as they do in Peru and Bolivia.
The scenery allowed us to explore nature in all of its glory and see the pre Hispanic culture through the archaeological testimonies of the area.
We passed thru smalll villages with no running water nor electricity. Their homes nothing more than brick adobes and yet, as they would stop their doings to look at this modern train machine, they would smile to us and waive. Waive and smile with a warmth and sincerety not often seen in our modern cities. It sure makes you think and wonder...who is better off. We can not imagine living as many of our ancestors did and yet what did we gain with all our modern technologies and advances? Are we any happier, healthier?? ..sure makes you wonder and reassess what is important....if nothing else, it was a good reminder...
I thought I would of been afraid of being so high up but what got to me was the lack of oxygen. Made it just fine to the top, thanks to a few "coca leaves" ...seems they help with shortness of breath...I only took it for medicinal purposes haha...as instructed by our "train steward" ;) ...but once we started to descend...I had to go to the nurse and get my 15 minutes on the oxygen mask.
That made a big diference and I made it back only with a sheadache and a slight cold.
