简介：Sevenyearsago,StephenFrytravelledthroughallfiftystatesoftheUSAinablackcab.Buthe’salwaysbeenfascinatedbyeventssouthoftheborder,sonow,inthisbrandnewfour-partseries,heembarksonanadventureintoAmerica’sbackyard. TravellingthroughMexicoandtheentireCentralAmericanisthmus,tothePanamanianborderwithSouthAmerica,it’saremarkabletripthroughsomeoftheoldestcivilisationsontheplanet–Mayan,AztecandOlmec. Hevisitssomeofthemostdangerous,butbreathtakinglybeautiful,countriesashelearnsallaboutthepeople,theplaces,thewildlifeandthehistory. Inepisodeone,StephenbeginshisjourneyontheSanteBridgeseparatingElPasoinTexasfromCiudadJuarezinMexico,animportanttransitpointforthedrugcartelsandconsideredoneofthemostdangerouscitiesinMexico. Heboardstheconvertedschoolbushe’llbetravellingon,toavoidattractingtheattentionofthelocalsandheadstowardsChihuahua.Enroute,hisdrivertakeshimtoseesomeofthelocalcowboysbeforeheexperiencestheenduringpatriotismofalocalhero,therevolutionaryPanchoVilla,wholeadtheArmyoftheNorth,intherevolutionarywarof1914. BoardingtheElChepetrainheheadsintotheSierraMadremountainsandthemagnificentCopperCanyon,whereheovercomeshisfearsandtakesoneofthelongestzipwireridesintheworld,80milesanhourtwokilometresdown,towheretheTamahumarapeoplelive. Onseeingthecanyonforthefirsttime,Stephensays:“Lookatthat,it’sabsolutelystunning.I’mtemptedtosayArizonaeatyourheartout.It’sextraordinary,it’ssortofmorebeautifulthantheGrandCanyon.” Leavingthecanyon,hearrivesintheoldsilverminingtownofRealdeCatorce.Onceboomingwiththefortunesofitswares,thetownfellfromgracein1900butisboomingonceagain,thankstothetouristindustry. StephenarrivesjustintimetoexperiencetheirannualfiestacelebratingtheRevolutionofPanchoVilla,withdonkeyraceshighlightingtheimportanceoftheanimaltobothminersandrevolutionaries.HeispersuadedtojoininthefestivitieswithatechnotribaldancegroupandlaterheadsouttothecountrysidetomeetalocalHuicholshaman.Theshamanshowshimthebenefitsofthehallucinogenicpeyotecactus,althoughStephenrefrainsfromindulging. NearingMexicoCity,hetakestotheskiesinahotairballoontowitnesstheincredibleaerialviewofthevastruinsofTeotihuacan,thegreatestcityofpre-AztecMexico.CelebratedarchaeologistSergioGomezgiveshimatouroftheextensiveexcavationsunderthetempleofthegodQuetzalcoatl,theFeatheredSerpent. IntheXochimilcocanals,builtbytheAztecstofeedandwatertheircity,StephenlearnsoftheAxolotl,anextraordinaryspeciesofsalamanderworshippedbytheAztecs.Madeupofstemcells,theAxolotlhavethepowertoregrowanypartoftheirbody. Next,asmallroleasabutlerinaMexicansoap,givesStephenaninsightintoMexicanpopularcultureandthensmashingupapapiermachepiñata,allowshimtoletoffsteaminatrulyMexicanfashion Anemotionallychargeddemonstrationinthecapital,protestingagainsttheon-goingdrugwarswhichhaveclaimedover100,000livesinthelasteightyears,andmostrecentlythedisappearanceof43students,driveshometoavisiblyupsetandtearfulStephen,justhowmanyproblemsthecountrymustface. Stephensays:“Ican’thelpedbeingextremelymovedbythismarchbecauseMexicoisacountryfoundedinrevolutionbutitbelievesinitself.” InthemountainsofMichoacan,StephenwitnessestheextraordinarymigrationofmillionsofMonarchbutterflieswhospendthewinterhere,aftera3000mileflightfromNorthAmerica.DoctorPabloJaramilloexplainshowthebutterfliesarethegreat-grandchildrenofthosewhichtravelledherelastyear.Thebutterfliesaretheonlymultigenerationalmigrationontheplanet.Stephenismovedbeyondwords,byoneoftheworld’sgreatestnaturalhistoryphenomena. Asthefirstpartofhisjourneyconcludes,hetravelstothePacificcoastandtheonceglamorousresortofAcapulco,wherehemeetscliffdiversandmarvelsattheirextraordinarybraveryastheyplunge115feetinto12feetofwater.…