'El Riquitrún', how they crossed the river before the bridge

JIMENA Known as 'El Riquitrún', this was the way the people of the village crossed the river before the bridge at Pasada de Alcalá was built in the early '60s. It was a home-built contraption made with half a metal barrel of the old kind; holes were drilled along the top, through which went cables that were tied to a sturdy tree or post on either side of the Hozgarganta river. You pulled hard to get across. It was a dangerous enterprise in the winter when the river was at its highest and strongest. There were several accidents, including drownings.(This item first appeared on Mar 5, 2007, on JimenaPulse, with a different but incorrect illustration.)