100 Wonders: The Last Incan Bridge
Made of woven grass and spanning 118 feet, the Q’eswachaka (pronounced with a lateral “click”) or Keshwa Chaca, is the world’s last example of an Incan bridge. This ancient rope suspension bridge, which hangs above the Apurímac River in Quehue, Peru, is still in use today.
Each year, the bridge is rewoven by residents of four surrounding towns over the course of three days. Working communally, the women braid the small, thin ropes, and the men re-braid those smaller ropes into large support cables. Each household is responsible for 90 feet of rope. This annual custom has been taking place for more than five centuries.
Read the article “100 Wonders: The Last Incan Bridge” on atlasobscura.com.