Rural Peru – Where No Tourists Go…
The title does not imply that no tourist has ever gone to the areas where these photographs were taken. In fact, I know for certain that tourists visited those areas, simply because I was one. :) However, I lived in Peru with families for a total of 7 months so far and was taken to houses of people’s extended families. As you can imagine, the entire population of Peru does not live by historic and archeological sights trying to sell a souvenir. Many traditions that you might have heard about on your visits to Nazca, Lake Titicaca, or Machu Picchu are not about distant, pre-Colombian cultures lost in the past; those stories are about the people just around the corner. The first three photos were taken in indigenous communities where Kechua (Quechua) is spoken exclusively. The last four photos were taken where Aymara is the primary language of communication.
NOTE: This is an ongoing project. The images will be updated as I continue to visit the amazing land of Peru. All photographs in this gallery were taken on film.
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 living in the mountainous parts of Peru speak either Kechua or Aymara pre-Colombian languages; sometimes exclusively those languages. They make and wear traditional clothes. The tourism business is not as developed here as in other parts of Peru.');)
. The ethnic or indigenous people of the Andean region in Cusco/Cuzco department continue making and wearing the traditional clothes (chompas and ponchos) their forefathers (Inca/Inka) wore. The ponchos and chompas are produced from the wool of vicunas (vicuñas), llamas, and alpacas. They are made with the help of ingenious back strap loom process. In the background there is a beautiful mountainous (Andean) landscape. Color negative film was used for this photograph – Fuji. Small tourist groups visit these lands on irregular bases.');)
 lives in an Andean community about four thousand meters above sea level. The kids and their parents speak Kechua language only. They live in the mountains, speak their native language, and make and wear traditional clothes of the region. Native techniques of making some of the most beautiful textiles in the world come from the people’s forefathers and cultures of Paracas, Inca, Huari, and other. The method for creating the textiles is called back strap loom. All the children spoke primarily Quechua (Kechua) language. Mountainous (Andes) landscape is visible in the background. Tourists do not visit these areas of the South American Andes regularly. Color negative film was used to create this photo.');)
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, Peru, the primary language of communication is Aymara. While the climate is harsher in this high altitude region, people continue making and wearing traditional clothes that were passed from their ancestors – Incas, Nazca civilization, Huari, and Paracas. The clothes are different from those worn in the Andean area of Cusco (Cuzco) Department, but are made using the same methods as the people’s forefathers – back strap loom. In this area the indigenous population uses various means of survival – use manure to heat their houses, the available clay to build homes, and wool from alpacas, llamas, sheep, and vicunas. For most of the inhabitants of the area a sight of a tourist is rare. The majority of people living here are Native Americans (Indians) with small number of mestizos. ');)
 of the villages around Pomata in Puno Department, Peru use llamas, alpacas, sheep (featured in the photograph), and vicuñas wool to make gorgeous textile products that resemble those of the pre-Colombian cultures of the South America. In this b&w photo, taken on Fuji Neopan ISO 1600, the cycle of wool being on a sheep to wool becoming finished textile on a back strap loom is illustrated. The Native American populations inhabiting these lands (Altiplano of the Andes) speak Aymara language just like their neighbors on the other side of the Bolivian border.');)
 with Peruvian visitors, as there is not much tourism outside the hot spots of Lake Titicaca.');)
 languages are long forgotten and Spanish is embraced. People, who are mostly mestizos, wear western clothes and do not know much about the back strap loom. Still most of manual labor is done outside. Very few tourists ever visit such communities.');)
, but many Indians use tricycles and other pedaled vehicles. In the pre-Colombian cultures of the South America and its Andean region the ethnic people adapted to high altitude by developing larger lungs and shorter heights. In the days of the Incas, Paracas, Nazca, and Wari everything was built and achieved with manpower or llama-power. Over the generations the Native Americans created techniques to process the wool of alpacas, llamas, sheep, and vicunas using the back strap loom. The result is beautiful textiles that rival those of the Asia’s South countries. ){kind=link}