High in the Peruvian Andes, Jack joins four Quechua communities as they come together for their annual renewal of the Q'eswachaka bridge—the last remaining handwoven grass suspension bridge from the Incan Empire. Under the guidance of master bridge builders, Jack learns to harvest and twist the special q'oya grass into increasingly thick ropes, experiencing the social dynamics and spiritual ceremonies that have kept this 500-year-old tradition alive. As he helps construct the 120-foot bridge spanning a treacherous canyon and ultimately crosses the swaying structure, Jack reflects on how this practice embodies a fundamentally different relationship with infrastructure—one that values impermanence, community cooperation, and continuous renewal over the modern pursuit of permanence and minimal maintenance.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI