Gravity-defying: Revamping An Inca Rope Suspension Bridge

Dangling over a vertiginous gorge, the Apurimac River flowing around 10 stories below, Indigenous Peruvians show no fear as they repair a centuries-old Inca rope suspension bridge — the world’s last. Every June, members of the Quechua Indigenous group come together to braid thick ropes made from a type of Andean straw, then brave the chasm without harnesses to replace worn parts of the Q’eswachaka bridge. Inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage 10 years ago, the bridge has become a key tourist attraction and source of income in the Peruvian region of Cusco — also home to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Jealous mermaids The bridge, made of fibers obtained from q’oya, a straw-like plant, was first built about 600 years ago.