Q’eswachaka: The Last Inca Suspension Bridge
Q’eswachaka the last Inca Suspension Bridge, is a long rope bridge that spans the Apurimac River. These techniques have been passed down from generation to generation since the time of the Incas, making it a (more or less) 600-year-old tradition.
Every year, without fail, the residents come together to rebuild it. As you can imagine, this is no small feat and takes a lot of work. Around 800 local community members come together to rebuild it each year.
It is 28 meters long and 1.2 meters wide. It is extremely important to the inhabitants of the region as it continues the traditions of its ancestors and is in fact known as the last bridge of the Incas. Let’s take a closer look at the construction process.
Ancestral Celebration of the Inca Bridge Q’eswachaka
The ceremony begins with the dismantling of a bridge built the previous year by laying old foundations across the river. Then the work of collecting qoyaichu, the straw material used to make the bridge’s base and balustrade, takes place. This activity is usually carried out by the women and children of the community. The checkout ritual at Apu Quinsallallawi is a sure-fire end to a great day of activity.
Over the next few days, the men of the united families tied ropes to the old stone pedestals on either side of the unclean. The task is to place an extended mat, made of canvas, to completely cover the floor of the pedestal. Once the work is complete and the structure is ready, the leaders of each community prepare to inaugurate the building in a ceremony that is always accompanied by delicious food, alpaca and guinea pigs stews, and dances. Traditional Dances.
How to get there
There are two ways to visit the Inca Bridge and discover its amazing wonders and ingenuity.
Alone – This path is a bit more difficult, but some people prefer it. You will need to start by finding a taxi driver who knows the route. Not many people know the exact route, so maybe asking someone at your hotel or hostel might be a good place to start.
They will take you to the town with the bridge about 3 hours from Cusco. Then you can spend all the time you want to appreciate the bridge and take some pictures.
We recommend bringing food for the day in case you can’t find anything to eat. It’s a long journey and the food in the village can be pretty basic. This is especially necessary if you have allergies or have dietary preferences.
Taxi. You will have to negotiate with a taxi to wait for you and take you back to Cusco. You can expect to pay around 300 soles for this service for the whole day.
With an Travel agency – This option tends to be cheaper and you’ll be guaranteed to get there safely. With these trips, you should also prepare food for snacks only. You can also stop at different points to see more along the way.
Take the time to visit this amazing site
So if you’re in Cusco and have the time, be sure to set aside a day of your trip to visit this wonder. It’s something few visitors get to see, and it’s great to see the community still coming together to rebuild this impressive structure year after year.
