Dear Followers!
Suzanne’s Mom apologizes for sending you ghost photographs with no text or context. I have never owned a smartphone before, and it may take me a couple more tries before I nail the WordPress app. I hope you don’t get fed up.
I have a natural history post today, courtesy of John and a site called Unbelievable-Facts.com.
Apoorv Nagpal posts this: “Cherrapunji, a town in North-East India, which is known to be the second wettest place on earth, is also known for its living bridges. Here the bridges aren’t built but grown. The living bridges are made from the roots of Ficus elastica tree whose secondary roots grow above the ground surface.
“Long ago, War-Khasis, a tribe of Meghalaya, used this tree to cross rivers. Using the same technique, villagers of Cherrapunji grow their own bridges whenever required. The villagers have created a root-guiding system that forces the tender roots of the rubber tree to grow straight. Such roots make a strong, living bridge in about 10-15 years.
“Unlike the conventional man-made bridges which grow weak over time, these living bridges gain strength over time. Some of these bridges are more than five hundred (500) years old and can support 50 people at a time. A unique bridge called Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge is believed to be only one of its kinds in the whole world. It is actually a combination of two bridges, one stacked on top of the other.” More here.
I love that there are people with enough patience to wait 10-15 years for their bridge — and that they are rewarded with a bridge that grows stronger over time. Sounds like a fairy tale.
Photo: TravelTheUnknown. Check it out here.
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