The Q'eswachaka Bridge, one of the last remaining bridges once common in the Inca road system, spans the Apurimac River in the province of Canas about 160km south of Cusco. It is rebuilt every year by villagers from either side of the canyon in a three day. two-community marathon employing an ancient Incan engineering technique handed down for hundreds of years. Everyone takes part in weaving the ropes of twisted grass and braiding them into cables, then all join to pull them as taut as possible. Two master weavers work from either side of the bridge until they meet in the middle. Rejoice with the communities as they celebrate the completion of this year's bridge.

1,140 Views

 Your Name: Email:
  • Be the first to comment.

  • Page 1

  • Learn more about how traditional communities in Peru live and work in this Smithsonian article which attempts to capture and present the creative tensions between tradition and modernity.
  • Learn about a pilot project from Oxfam and partner organization AIDESEP, in which indigenous Kichwa women in five rural communities in the Peruvian Amazon find ways to adapt to climate change.
  • The engineer who leads the building of the bridge has been doing it since he was 12 years old. He says of the bridge, "I love it like a son." The next time you work at making something, what would it mean to find the way to love the object?

Related Videos