The root bridges of Cherrapunji

Every now and again I come across something that appeals to me so directly that my eyes widen and a huge smile spreads across my face. The people of Cherrapunji in India have nurtured these bridges for hundreds of years. They are not woven branches but actual tree roots that are still alive and growing, adding further strength with each year. In a region trouble by floods these bridges are stronger that if they were made of other materials and not growing directly from the ground. The skill of nurturing them is handed down through generations as it takes over a decade to grow a new bridge. It is thought some of them are up to 500 years old! There's amazing footage of them on the recent BBC Human Planet series in the rivers episode if you can track it down. Beautiful, beautiful...