Every year over 1.5 million people visit Peru’sMachu Picchu.
But, as travel photographerSusan Portnoydiscovered, these porters rarelyif evervisit Machu Picchu themselves.
Most porters are indigenous Quechua people.
A commemorative group photo with some of the Quechua families while they wait for their individual groups to tour Machu Picchu.
Primarily farmers, they work seasonally as porters for supplement their income.
Here, roles would be reversed.
It was a moving experience that was, luckily, documented by Portnoy who was along for the ride.
Martin and Maria and their son Beto, an Alpaca Expeditions porter, in front of their home in Choquecancha.
Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
How did you first stumble upon this story?
The trail is closed for maintenance in February, giving everyone a little downtime.
Victoria Wilka hand weaves a blanket to sell in the cellar of her home in Choquecancha.
Raul mentioned that he had something special planned for the last weekend of the month.
None of them had been before.
I asked if I could tag along.
Maria steps down from the train in Aguas Calientes, where she’ll take the bus to Machu Picchu.
Victoria Wilka hand weaves a blanket to sell in the cellar of her home in Choquecancha.
Maria steps down from the train in Aguas Calientes, where shell take the bus to Machu Picchu.
What inspired the trip?
Elsa, her daughter Rosita (13), and her son Christian (9) check out one of the buildings while listening to their guide.
Raul is a former porter and knows what it takes to do what they do.
They have the hardest jobs on a trek, he told me.
Sending them on holiday is a thank you for those efforts.
A Quechua mother tells her son to smile for a photo at Machu Picchu.
Moreover, Raul wants the group to learn more about their ancestry.
Even if it were, education in the rural Andes is challenging.
As a result, attendance is spotty.
Rosita Benacur (13), takes a photo of Machu Picchu.
Lastly, the Quechua rarelyif everspend money on vacations.
They are predominantly farmers who live in small rural villages high in the Andes.
Sadly, they cannot survive on farming alone anymore.
Pauline and other Quechua families take a cocoa leaf break on a plateau above Machu Picchu near the “care-takers” hut.
Thus, many families have members who work as porters to supplement their incomes.
Raul’s trip allows them to be tourists for once.
For those who may not know, can you explain a bit about the role of porters versus guides?
Machu Picchu awaits the Quechua.
Porters are the backbone of a trek.
Every day, they set up and break down the camp.
They carry all the gear because pack animals are not allowed on the Inca Trail.
Elsa Betancur, right, and a friend with her son walk up the ancient steps of the temple in Ollantaytambo.
Their packs average 50 pounds a person.
Imagine carrying that much weight while hiking up thousands of steps for 26 miles to Machu Picchu.
A Quechua mother tells her son to smile for a photo at Machu Picchu.
Quechua families listening to their guide Ruben Covarrubias explain the complexity of the stonework at Ollantaytambo.
Rosita Benacur (13), takes a photo of Machu Picchu.
What was the most surprising thing you learned on this journey?
There were a few.
A small group of Quechua, led by guide Ruben Covarrubias begin their descent into Machu Picchu.
One surprise was learning that porters may work the Inca Trail for years and never see Machu Picchu.
I naively thought it was a given.
The parks allow a fixed number of visitors daily, and the priority is paying tourists.
A boy and his parents taking photos at the main entrance to Machu Picchu.
The porters don’t visit on their own either.
My other guide, Rossell Calderon, and my translator let me in on a little secret.
The porters watch gringos (a catchall phrase for foreign guests) really struggle to hike the Inca Trail.
Between the path’s difficulty and the altitude, it is not for the faint of heart.
Machu Picchu awaits the Quechua.
Are there any special moments that stand out that you’d like to share?
As I mentioned, porters support the guides on a trek.
On this journey, roles flipped.
The guides took care of the porters.
They handled the logistics, served them food, and helped them along the way.
It was so sweet.
And during the tours, the guides seemed to be extra expressive storytellers.
It was clear they wanted the families to have a great time.
Another moment took place a few days before we started for Machu Picchu.
I went to two villages where many of the families lived.
I was camping in a schoolyard in Choquecancha.
What was your impression of how the porters viewed Machu Picchu when they finally got to enjoy it?
They reacted similarly to most of the visitors at first.
I sensed a growing appreciation for the city and its history the more we toured the ruins.
The more we saw, the more questions they asked.
Quechua families listening to their guide Ruben Covarrubias explain the complexity of the stonework at Ollantaytambo.
A small group of Quechua, led by guide Ruben Covarrubias begin their descent into Machu Picchu.
What was the most rewarding part of the experience?
Everyone was polite and kind when I first met the families, but also fairly reserved.
Rossel explained they were shy; visits to their villages were uncommon.
I wanted to put them at ease, knowing that my inclusion in their holiday was a gift.
Fast forward four days later, they’d taken me under their wings.
When it was time to say goodbye, every single person hugged me.
I was so touched.
A boy and his parents taking photos at the main entrance to Machu Picchu.
What do you hope that people take away from this story?
When traveling, I hope they take the time to explore beyond the touristy spots and do so thoughtfully.
To know the real Peru, it’s possible for you to’t go to the cities.
You have to go to the small villages, Pamela said.
I think that’s true for nearly every destination.
But it’s important to remember that they’re guests in someone else’s home.
A local community is not required to know your language or drop everything so you might take a picture.
They have real lives.
