2015英国
演员：斯蒂芬·弗雷
Seven years ago, Stephen Fry travelled through all fifty states of the USA in a black cab. But he’s always been fascinated by events south of the border, so now, in this brand new four-part series, he embarks on an adventure into America’s backyard.
Travelling through Mexico and the entire Central American isthmus, to the Panamanian border with South America, it’s a remarkable trip through some of the oldest civilisations on the planet – Mayan, Aztec and Olmec.
He visits some of the most dangerous, but breathtakingly beautiful, countries as he learns all about the people, the places, the wildlife and the history.
In episode one, Stephen begins his journey on the Sante Bridge separating El Paso in Texas from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, an important transit point for the drug cartels and considered one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico.
He boards the converted school bus he’ll be travelling on, to avoid attracting the attention of the locals and heads towards Chihuahua. En route, his driver takes him to see some of the local cowboys before he experiences the enduring patriotism of a local hero, the revolutionary Pancho Villa, who lead the Army of the North, in the revolutionary war of 1914.
Boarding the El Chepe train he heads into the Sierra Madre mountains and the magnificent Copper Canyon, where he overcomes his fears and takes one of the longest zip wire rides in the world, 80 miles an hour two kilometres down, to where the Tamahumara people live.
On seeing the canyon for the first time, Stephen says: “Look at that, it’s absolutely stunning. I’m tempted to say Arizona eat your heart out. It’s extraordinary, it’s sort of more beautiful than the Grand Canyon.”
Leaving the canyon, he arrives in the old silver mining town of Real de Catorce. Once booming with the fortunes of its wares, the town fell from grace in 1900 but is booming once again, thanks to the tourist industry.
Stephen arrives just in time to experience their annual fiesta celebrating the Revolution of Pancho Villa, with donkey races highlighting the importance of the animal to both miners and revolutionaries. He is persuaded to join in the festivities with a techno tribal dance group and later heads out to the countryside to meet a local Huichol shaman. The shaman shows him the benefits of the hallucinogenic peyote cactus, although Stephen refrains from indulging.
Nearing Mexico City, he takes to the skies in a hot air balloon to witness the incredible aerial view of the vast ruins of Teotihuacan, the greatest city of pre-Aztec Mexico. Celebrated archaeologist Sergio Gomez gives him a tour of the extensive excavations under the temple of the god Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent.
In the Xochimilco canals, built by the Aztecs to feed and water their city, Stephen learns of the Axolotl, an extraordinary species of salamander worshipped by the Aztecs. Made up of stem cells, the Axolotl have the power to regrow any part of their body.
Next, a small role as a butler in a Mexican soap, gives Stephen an insight into Mexican popular culture and then smashing up a papier mache piñata, allows him to let off steam in a truly Mexican fashion
An emotionally charged demonstration in the capital, protesting against the on-going drug wars which have claimed over 100,000 lives in the last eight years, and most recently the disappearance of 43 students, drives home to a visibly upset and tearful Stephen, just how many problems the country must face.
Stephen says: “I can’t helped being extremely moved by this march because Mexico is a country founded in revolution but it believes in itself.”
In the mountains of Michoacan, Stephen witnesses the extraordinary migration of millions of Monarch butterflies who spend the winter here, after a 3000 mile flight from North America. Doctor Pablo Jaramillo explains how the butterflies are the great-grandchildren of those which travelled here last year. The butterflies are the only multi generational migration on the planet. Stephen is moved beyond words, by one of the world’s greatest natural history phenomena.
As the first part of his journey concludes, he travels to the Pacific coast and the once glamorous resort of Acapulco, where he meets cliff divers and marvels at their extraordinary bravery as they plunge 115 feet into 12 feet of water.
