I learned the word for 'swing' during our time in Chile 18 years ago when we were there for Natalia's adoption. The process did not take many days, but there was a lot of uncommitted time that we spent at a local playground in Santiago with Natalia, Tracy and Rebecca.
These children in
Hoyo del Toro may never have seen a playground. Their home-made columpio uses long bands of stretchy stuff (they looked like strips from an inner tube to me). This is a rural batey. Those are sugar cane fields in the background.
The high-tension electric lines in the background are running to a sugar cane mill ('ingenio') several miles away. Ingenio Colón* is one of the larger sugar cane processing plants on the island (and is
increasing production according to an article in Listin Diario today, 1 October). Despite the proximity of the sugar cane plant, unemployment is very high in Hoyo del Toro. There is a high degree of poverty and hunger.
* "Colón" is the Spanish form of "Columbus" - thus Christopher Columbus becomes Cristobal Colón.