Qeswachaka (1 Day)
Discover the Incas´ genius for building bridges. In the District of Qewe, Province of Canas, and Department of Cusco, several native communities conserve an ancestral tradition alive, up to this day, through the annual reconstruction of an Incan hanging bridge, built in Andean straw, called ‘ichu’, that bears the Quechua name of ‘Qeswachaka’, or ‘Braided Rope Bridge’.
On August 5, of 2009, the Renovation Ritual of the Queswachaka Bridge was declared as element of the ‘Nation´s Cultural Heritage’, by Peru´s National Institute of Culture, together with the knowledge associated to its history, building technique and ancestral custom.
ITINERARY
Itinerary:
Our adventure begins at 4:30 a.m., picking our travelers up, at their respective hotels, aboard our tourism transportation vehicle. Then, around 5:00 a.m., we´ll start our southbound excursion, on an asphalted road, with our first stopover in the District of Combapata, where we´ll enjoy a continental breakfast, at a local restaurant.
Then, we´ll go on, to the Combapata Vantage Point, passing by the District of Yanaoca and, after another hour on the road, we´ll get to the District of Qewe, where the impressive 28-meter (91 ft.) long Incan Hanging Bridge of Qeswachaka is located.
In Quechua, the word ‘qeswa’ means ‘braided straw (ichu) rope’, and ‘chaka’ is ‘bridge’, and the ancestral custom, to rebuild that bridge, every year, takes three days, from the first Sunday of June on. Meanwhile the members of those communities perform that ritual act, the ‘Chakaruac’, or ‘Bridge Engineer’; that is, the most experienced man, in this type of work, is in charge of supervising it.
So, by means of the ‘minka’ (mutual help, among communities), the community members who use the bridge, voluntarily rebuild it, given that it is the only means of road communication among these people, and that it unites them, in a close interdependance relationship.
The braiding of the straw (ichu) ropes is especially performed by these communities´ women, and that process lasts 4 days, before starting the rebuilding of the bridge.
After that visit, we´ll return to Combapata, to have lunch and in the afternoon, we´ll walk to a vantage point, to contemplate the Pampamarca and Asnaccocha lagoons. Then, hiking towards another vantage point, we´ll appreciate the beauty of the Acopio and Pomacanchi lagoons, meanwhile we observe the area´s flora and fauna. Finally, we´ll board our vehicle, and will return to Cusco, concluding this tour near the Main Square (Plaza de Armas), around 5:00 p.m.
INCLUDED - NOT INCLUDED
Included:
- Pick-up at your hotel.
- Group tourism transportation vehicle.
- Bilingual guide (English and Spanish).
- Continental breakfast.
- Lunch.
- First-aid kit.
Not included:
- Tips for the guide and driver.
- Entrance ticket to the Qeswachaka Bridge area.
- Snacks and cold or hot drinks.
RECOMMENDATIONS
What to bring:
- Daypack.
- Sports or mountain hiking sneakers (tennis shoes).
- Sunblock lotion and mosquito repellent.
- Wide-brim hat and sunglasses.
- Water and snacks.
- Cash money, in Nuevos Soles (PEN).
- Photo/video camera.