Gotta look up again, shit.

Just a shorty tonight, but in a rope-y theme. Seems the Peruvians had a thing for rope and what to do with it. Take the Rope Bridge of San Luis Rey. Built in 1350 across the Apurimac River, it was made of hand woven rope and spanned 148 feet.

The cables were twisted and then added as components of a larger cable until the core span was as thick as man's body. The bridge even had a device to self tighten the ropes as they stretched installed on one side.

So well made was this magnificent bridge it lasted 500 years. A lot longer, actually, than many cast iron bridges.

If you are intrigued check out Thorton Wilder's 1927 novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, or if you prefer, find one of the several film adaptations. The most recent features Robert DeNiro and Kathy Bates.

Sorry readers, I tried to find at least a drawing of the orinal bridge but all I could dig up was endless DVD box art.