DGrant Gibson

Need inspiration? Need to view things differently? Observe the ingenuity, creativity and strength of character to master a hostile environment. Deep in Bolivia’s jungles and steep cliffs the Yungas people do not walk. They fly. On ropes. Like birds. Faster than astronauts. These ‘birds’ are known as cocaleros, or coca harvesters. They use ropes to swing across the narrow valleys, suspended from ancient rusting pulleys. Consider the terrain…the Yungas valleys are like a sudden staircase between the towering cordilleras of the Andes – more than 4,000 metres high – and the green Amazon basin. The vertical landscape is dramatic. The inhabitants have fashioned this unusual way to move around quickly, with simple, thin wires normally used for fencing stretching as far across as 400 metres. There are about 20 of these cables strung across the valley. All day long, people and goods fly across the river 200 metres below. It takes all of 30 seconds from one side to the other. View these amazing people HERE
They do admit it is a daily risk to fly to the coca harvest locations but the final negotiated sale in the marketplace and the money is the catalyst of sacrifice to provide for their families needs, not only for essentials but to better offer their children an education for future generations.
So, what do you think of this?
Until the next WebLog, GG