This is Roque´s
latest project,
a jungle cable car
called
the Dragonfly.
Gondola
baskets float
for almost a mile
through the
reserve treetops
at heights of up
to 200 meters
from the ground.
Some experts suggest
that it’s up here
that around
70% of life
in the forest
is found.
And this
gives guests
a unique opportunity
to catch a
glimpse of it.
That is kind
of exciting
that it’s like
Jurassic Park
doesn’t it.
It feels like
we’re going to get
in this gondola.
This huge
bird is
just going to come
and take us out.
A Pterodactyl.
There you go.
Today
will be helping
operations
management carry out
vital safety checks.
It has to be
very smooth.
It has to be
very safe.
It has to be
very comfortable.
And to do that
right in
the middle of
nowhere is a real,
real challenge.
Oh, my word.
Yeah.
This is so
cool.
I could stay
out here all day.
I wish my daughter
was here with me.
She’d love it.
If Roque thought
it was tough
to build a hotel
without impacting
the environment.
It was nothing
compared
to constructing
a mile long jungle
ski lift.
He had to find a way
to put
this system
somewhere
in the middle
of the
Mashpi reserve
without having
to cut down trees.
This extraordinary
feat of engineering
took four years
and $3 million
to complete,
employing a
crew of 20
and using over
a thousand
tons of concrete.
You imagine
you just going whoa
zip down there.
I mean, this
beautiful,
amazing thing.
It’s just
really terrifying.
I mean,
really terrifying.
If you have any
sort of imagination,
I don’t see
how you can think
about anything
except the twang
of the cables
snapping
and the whole thing
plummeting down
to the thing
smashing through
the trees
and the twigs
and the branches
and bam!
And hitting the deck
and then waking up
the limbs all broken
with a panther
eating you.
That’s probably
not going to happen.
But there does
have to be
a rescue procedure
in case of
power failure.
And there is.
It’s called a rope.
The thing is that
you never know
what can happen.
Better be safe
than sorry.
Yeah, that’s high.
Staff members
take turns to test
the escape drill.
But today,
that dubious honor
has fallen
to one of us.
It looks
like quite
a long way down.
It certainly.
If you fell
out of this thing,
you would die.
I’m just too scared,
so I’m not
going to do it.
I reckon I’m being
quite brave
by staying up there.
With Charles bravely
opting to
keep my seat warm.
It’s my turn to take
one for the team.
But I’m
Don’t look down.
Down?
Yeah.
Slowly.
Sit back.
Just your equipment.
Okay.
Don´t do that.
Whoo hoo!
This is so cool.
This feels awesome
just sitting in a swing really?
It’s the letting go.
The letting go.
So did we bring any
champagne with us?
This isn’t just
thrill seeking.
It’s a drill
that has
to be tested
regularly.
That’s so awesome.
Can we do it again?
Wet foot.
