1
00:00:07,380 --> 00:00:08,660
Muchos gracias.

2
00:00:20,140 --> 00:00:21,380
Well, this is it.

3
00:00:23,180 --> 00:00:27,740
I'm on a deserted beach
off the coast of Mexico

4
00:00:27,740 --> 00:00:29,340
and this is where my journey begins.

5
00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:32,540
Adios.

6
00:00:38,420 --> 00:00:40,460
My name is Levison Wood.

7
00:00:40,460 --> 00:00:46,860
In 2014, I walked the Nile and
in 2015 I walked the Himalayas.

8
00:00:48,020 --> 00:00:51,060
Now, I'm about to trek
between two continents

9
00:00:51,060 --> 00:00:53,940
on what could be my
toughest journey yet.

10
00:00:53,940 --> 00:00:55,940
You don't get that if
you rub sticks together.

11
00:00:55,940 --> 00:00:57,220
THEY LAUGH

12
00:00:57,220 --> 00:01:00,020
MONKEY HOWLS

13
00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:04,540
My plan is to walk from the point
where Europeans first made landfall

14
00:01:04,540 --> 00:01:10,100
in Mexico, all the way to Colombia
along the length of Central America.

15
00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:14,900
My route will take me through eight
countries across volcanic plains,

16
00:01:14,900 --> 00:01:17,780
drug-smuggling routes
and cloud forests.

17
00:01:17,780 --> 00:01:20,460
But before I can cross
into South America,

18
00:01:20,460 --> 00:01:22,060
I'll have to make it through

19
00:01:22,060 --> 00:01:24,620
one of the last great
wildernesses on Earth,

20
00:01:24,620 --> 00:01:27,180
the lawless jungle
of the Darien Gap.

21
00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:33,060
I'll take four million steps...

22
00:01:34,420 --> 00:01:35,260
..over remote...

23
00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:37,820
..unpredictable...

24
00:01:37,820 --> 00:01:40,740
I've never seen anything
quite like this before.

25
00:01:40,740 --> 00:01:42,340
..and beautiful landscapes.

26
00:01:42,340 --> 00:01:43,980
You can see everything.

27
00:01:43,980 --> 00:01:45,740
This is absolutely incredible.

28
00:01:45,740 --> 00:01:47,980
HORSE WHINNIES

29
00:01:47,980 --> 00:01:49,420
I'll see Central America...

30
00:01:51,420 --> 00:01:53,340
..through the eyes of
the people that live here.

31
00:01:53,340 --> 00:01:54,420
That's a bullet hole.

32
00:01:54,420 --> 00:01:57,620
Dangerous business being a pastor
around these parts, isn't it?

33
00:01:58,900 --> 00:02:00,500
On the first leg of my journey...

34
00:02:01,660 --> 00:02:04,580
..I'll witness an ancient
civilisation...

35
00:02:04,580 --> 00:02:06,900
Wow, I've never seen
anything like that.

36
00:02:06,900 --> 00:02:09,340
..do battle with the
jungles of Belize...

37
00:02:09,340 --> 00:02:11,780
It's been described
as "the green hell".

38
00:02:13,740 --> 00:02:16,820
..and step into narco territory.
DOG BARKS

39
00:02:16,820 --> 00:02:19,620
On alert at the moment. You never
know who you're going to bump into.

40
00:02:31,060 --> 00:02:33,500
My journey begins on
the northern shores

41
00:02:33,500 --> 00:02:35,820
of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

42
00:02:35,820 --> 00:02:36,900
Let's go.

43
00:02:39,180 --> 00:02:44,020
This is the same coastline
that the Spanish conquistadors

44
00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:47,300
arrived at when they
invaded Central America

45
00:02:47,300 --> 00:02:49,500
in search of gold and riches.

46
00:02:52,460 --> 00:02:56,260
The Spanish clashed violently
with the great kingdoms

47
00:02:56,260 --> 00:02:57,860
of the Aztec and Maya.

48
00:02:57,860 --> 00:03:00,900
It's a collision that still
reverberates through this region...

49
00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:05,660
..one of the most fascinating
and diverse on Earth.

50
00:03:08,260 --> 00:03:12,620
So, the first thing I need
to do is find a suitable guide...

51
00:03:13,780 --> 00:03:17,300
..and I've got somebody
in mind called Alberto,

52
00:03:17,300 --> 00:03:18,900
so I'm going to go
and track him down.

53
00:03:21,660 --> 00:03:25,100
First stop is the town of Merida,
where I'll meet my companion.

54
00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:31,020
From there, the Americas will draw
us through Mexico's Mayan heartland.

55
00:03:31,020 --> 00:03:34,140
I want to track the amazing
coastline of Belize

56
00:03:34,140 --> 00:03:36,100
before being forced inland

57
00:03:36,100 --> 00:03:40,100
past the jungles where I trained as
a soldier to the only land crossing

58
00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:43,780
into Guatemala and the lawless
wilderness known as El Peten.

59
00:03:46,060 --> 00:03:47,540
Alberto.

60
00:03:47,540 --> 00:03:48,660
GATE BUZZES

61
00:03:49,980 --> 00:03:51,420
How do I get in?

62
00:03:51,420 --> 00:03:55,300
Alberto Caceres is an old
expedition buddy of mine.

63
00:03:55,300 --> 00:03:56,580
How are you doing, old friend?

64
00:03:56,580 --> 00:03:58,780
I can't believe you are here.
It's been a long time.

65
00:03:58,780 --> 00:04:02,580
In 2010, we drove the length of
Africa together.

66
00:04:02,580 --> 00:04:05,220
He wants to walk
the whole way with me,

67
00:04:05,220 --> 00:04:07,140
something none of my
previous guides have done.

68
00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:10,300
He said that he couldn't
turn this down.

69
00:04:10,300 --> 00:04:13,140
The moment that I called him and
said that I was coming to Mexico,

70
00:04:13,140 --> 00:04:14,660
he said, "Right,
I'm coming with you."

71
00:04:15,940 --> 00:04:19,180
No debate. So, I didn't really
have a choice in the matter.

72
00:04:20,780 --> 00:04:23,380
I'll miss you, Merida, a lot.

73
00:04:23,380 --> 00:04:25,260
See you in four months.

74
00:04:31,780 --> 00:04:33,540
Again in the roads.

75
00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:35,780
Exactly. After six years.

76
00:04:35,780 --> 00:04:37,540
Unbelievable.

77
00:04:37,540 --> 00:04:39,820
I'm glad you could come along.

78
00:04:39,820 --> 00:04:42,580
I met Alberto six years ago.

79
00:04:42,580 --> 00:04:43,780
Hola.

80
00:04:43,780 --> 00:04:47,860
I'd lost my camera and, being a
photographer, he lent me one of his.

81
00:04:47,860 --> 00:04:49,660
Buenos dias.

82
00:04:49,660 --> 00:04:52,940
Born and bred in Mexico,
he's the ideal man to have around.

83
00:04:54,060 --> 00:04:55,860
So, how do you say
the name of this place?

84
00:04:55,860 --> 00:04:58,580
Acanceh. Acanceh? Acanceh town.

85
00:04:58,580 --> 00:05:02,980
And that's a Mayan, a Mayan word.
That's a Mayan name.

86
00:05:02,980 --> 00:05:06,340
Mayan word, OK. And there is
a lot of Mayan people around.

87
00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:08,860
Hello. Hola.

88
00:05:09,940 --> 00:05:13,100
Up ahead,
like a lot of these places,

89
00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:16,740
there's always a
colonial-era church,

90
00:05:16,740 --> 00:05:19,620
but what is quite
unusual about Acanceh

91
00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:22,100
is that right next to the church

92
00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:26,020
you've got an ancient Mayan pyramid
right in the middle of town

93
00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:30,020
and it really is this clash of old
and new right next to each other.

94
00:05:31,980 --> 00:05:33,340
Do you want to hold the camera?

95
00:05:36,740 --> 00:05:40,420
This peaceful plaza was once
the site of ritual murder.

96
00:05:42,180 --> 00:05:46,020
The Spanish described horrifying
scenes of human sacrifice.

97
00:05:47,180 --> 00:05:51,580
Decapitation, disembowelment
and heart extraction,

98
00:05:51,580 --> 00:05:53,740
all performed on pyramids like this.

99
00:05:55,620 --> 00:05:58,820
And the further we get
into the Mayan heartland,

100
00:05:58,820 --> 00:06:01,180
I think the more of these
we're going to see.

101
00:06:06,780 --> 00:06:09,660
It often hits 40 degrees Celsius
in the Yucatan.

102
00:06:11,660 --> 00:06:15,660
Most Mexicans avoid the midday sun,
unlike Alberto and me.

103
00:06:17,820 --> 00:06:20,740
This heat is unbelievable.

104
00:06:20,740 --> 00:06:22,820
HE PANTS

105
00:06:22,820 --> 00:06:27,700
And the sun beats down on the tarmac
and just reflects it up

106
00:06:27,700 --> 00:06:31,540
and you just get these wafts
of just hot air.

107
00:06:31,540 --> 00:06:33,540
It's like walking into a hairdryer.

108
00:06:36,940 --> 00:06:40,260
For the next five days,
we'll be crossing the flat,

109
00:06:40,260 --> 00:06:42,300
arid plains of the
Yucatan Peninsula.

110
00:06:45,020 --> 00:06:48,380
There are no mountains,
hills or rivers to see,

111
00:06:48,380 --> 00:06:51,220
but there's a unique world
hidden beneath our feet.

112
00:06:52,420 --> 00:06:54,580
So, the whole of
the Yucatan Peninsula

113
00:06:54,580 --> 00:06:58,620
is completely flat
and all of the water

114
00:06:58,620 --> 00:07:04,100
is in fact underground
and that's because, well,

115
00:07:04,100 --> 00:07:06,260
some people suggest, anyway,

116
00:07:06,260 --> 00:07:08,380
that when the meteorite hit

117
00:07:08,380 --> 00:07:12,220
that killed the dinosaurs
65 million years ago,

118
00:07:12,220 --> 00:07:16,620
this whole landscape became
pockmarked with these sinkholes,

119
00:07:16,620 --> 00:07:17,740
the cenotes.

120
00:07:19,940 --> 00:07:23,500
The ancient Maya used to say
that these are the portals

121
00:07:23,500 --> 00:07:24,700
into the underworld.

122
00:07:26,180 --> 00:07:28,820
When the Spanish arrived
in the 1500s,

123
00:07:28,820 --> 00:07:31,380
the Mayas were one of
the most advanced cultures

124
00:07:31,380 --> 00:07:32,860
in the Western Hemisphere.

125
00:07:34,100 --> 00:07:37,140
Cenotes provided fresh water
for vast cities.

126
00:07:38,620 --> 00:07:45,020
Now, most are overgrown and hard to
find, unless you know where to look.

127
00:07:45,020 --> 00:07:47,980
Senor Aaron. How are you?
How are you doing?

128
00:07:49,540 --> 00:07:52,020
Local dive master Aaron Diaz

129
00:07:52,020 --> 00:07:55,380
has agreed to show us a cenote
few people know about.

130
00:07:57,340 --> 00:07:59,180
This is the place.

131
00:07:59,180 --> 00:08:01,420
And how deep is it there?
I can't even see the bottom.

132
00:08:01,420 --> 00:08:03,380
Ah, yeah.
Here to the water, maybe...

133
00:08:04,460 --> 00:08:06,260
..15 metres. 15 metres?

134
00:08:06,260 --> 00:08:07,980
Wow. Yeah.
What's the noises down there?

135
00:08:09,460 --> 00:08:11,220
Birds. Birds? Yeah.

136
00:08:14,140 --> 00:08:17,980
There's an estimated 6,000 sinkholes
across the Yucatan.

137
00:08:19,860 --> 00:08:21,900
Locals still use some as wells.

138
00:08:23,980 --> 00:08:28,300
Landowner Don Elmo discovered
this cenote had a grisly secret.

139
00:08:47,820 --> 00:08:50,860
Somebody lied to me.

140
00:08:50,860 --> 00:08:54,140
They told me we are just going to
walk and now I'm jumping in a hole.

141
00:08:57,220 --> 00:08:58,420
OK. Ready?

142
00:09:01,060 --> 00:09:01,940
Whoa.

143
00:09:06,540 --> 00:09:08,060
Going into the Mayan underworld.

144
00:09:12,020 --> 00:09:13,300
Wow.

145
00:09:13,300 --> 00:09:15,460
Many cenotes are connected,

146
00:09:15,460 --> 00:09:19,540
forming vast networks of flooded
caves hundreds of miles long.

147
00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:25,620
This year, three divers died when
they got lost and ran out of air.

148
00:09:28,220 --> 00:09:30,260
This is definitely
an eerie place to be.

149
00:09:36,380 --> 00:09:38,660
Mum, Dad, I love you.

150
00:09:38,660 --> 00:09:42,180
Sorry for all the bad things
I did when I was a kid.

151
00:09:42,180 --> 00:09:43,940
Whoo!

152
00:09:43,940 --> 00:09:45,180
Where are you?

153
00:09:51,060 --> 00:09:52,740
Here we go.

154
00:10:12,460 --> 00:10:17,140
Dive master Aaron leads us 15
metres down to the cenote floor.

155
00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:50,740
Being sacrificed was
in fact an honour,

156
00:10:50,740 --> 00:10:52,660
guaranteeing entry
into heaven.

157
00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:58,740
Whilst Don Elmo says
100 victims lie here...

158
00:10:59,980 --> 00:11:03,100
..some estimate that the Maya killed
a quarter of a million people

159
00:11:03,100 --> 00:11:05,060
each year to appease the gods.

160
00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:33,900
Wow. I've never seen
anything like that.

161
00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:38,620
There's just heads everywhere.

162
00:11:41,860 --> 00:11:44,180
This is not somewhere I'd like
to be stuck for much longer.

163
00:11:48,420 --> 00:11:50,460
Don Elmo?

164
00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:51,700
Can we go now?

165
00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:01,720
I'm walking Central America
from Mexico to Colombia

166
00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,000
with my friend and guide, Alberto.

167
00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,880
HE LAUGHS

168
00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,320
I'm better at walking than
I am football.

169
00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,200
Buenas tardes.

170
00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:27,920
So, this is Homun

171
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,840
and every town and every village
has got its own patron saint.

172
00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,600
And whenever it's a
patron saint's day,

173
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,360
they have a big party, a fiesta.

174
00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,440
LIVELY MUSIC PLAYS

175
00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:00,480
There's no health and
safety going on here.

176
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,680
Out in force today are
the rancheros and their steeds.

177
00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,720
Before the Spanish arrived, there
were no horses in Central America.

178
00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,160
The Maya had never seen men on
horseback and it's said they thought

179
00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,040
they were looking at gods.

180
00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,080
450 years later and the horse is
still worshipped.

181
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,320
The charrerIa,

182
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,480
or rodeo, is
Mexico's national sport.

183
00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,920
So, they're going to release a bull
into the stadium for the rodeo

184
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,440
and then all the guys on
horses chase in there.

185
00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,960
And then I think it seems like it's
a competition to catch him.

186
00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,160
Then they start pushing each
other like very aggressive

187
00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,160
because everybody wants
to catch the bull and bring it back

188
00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,440
into the trucks. But they
don't kill the bull, right?

189
00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,560
I fear that if we stand here much
longer we're going to get stampeded.

190
00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,160
The last time I was on a horse in
Mexico I broke my leg.

191
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:23,920
Alberto and I are pushing south
through Mexico's Yucatan region,

192
00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,840
averaging around 20 miles a day.

193
00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,040
I'm very hungry.

194
00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,240
You're very hungry? What about you?

195
00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,160
I'm pretty hungry, too.
It's taco time.

196
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:36,560
Buenas tardes.

197
00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,560
'We've reached the town of Mama,

198
00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,640
'where Alberto's promised me
the best tacos going.'

199
00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,400
Hola.

200
00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,240
'Made by his adopted family,
the Tzib Tshus.'

201
00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,720
Cruz. Lev.

202
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,200
Hola. Mucho gusto. Buenas tardes.

203
00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,680
He is...

204
00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,040
mi ahijado. Hola. Mucho gusto.

205
00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,280
The Tzib Tshus are some of the
10 million descendants of the

206
00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,840
ancient Maya living
in Central America.

207
00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,840
Let's go to make the tortillas.

208
00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,080
CHAIR CRACKS
THEY LAUGH

209
00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:14,800
He broke the chair!

210
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,360
Sorry, sorry, I'll buy
you a new one.

211
00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,320
SPEAKING SPANISH

212
00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:24,560
Oh!

213
00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:26,400
HE SNIGGERS

214
00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,120
Sorry!

215
00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,680
Mayan family gatherings mean
everyone's invited,

216
00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:38,560
like cousin Theodoro,
who's known Alberto for eight years.

217
00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:39,800
My brother.

218
00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:46,400
Pays well?

219
00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:02,520
That's the reason that they prefer
to risk their life and go.

220
00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,840
So, do many people from Mama
and Yucatan go to Estados Unidos?

221
00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,560
Just from this town? Wow.

222
00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,320
And then they were asking money to
the family so they had to send some

223
00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,800
money and they dropped him
onto the mountain, wherever.

224
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,880
So they can steal your money just so
easy because you are there,

225
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,160
there is nobody to protect you,
you are doing something illegally.

226
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,560
Yeah. So it's a
super risky thing to do.

227
00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,280
For the next 100 miles,

228
00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:05,920
we must navigate highways and dirt
tracks to the more remote parts of

229
00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:10,920
the Yucatan to reach the border
with country number two, Belize.

230
00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,200
Now that we're on our own,

231
00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:22,520
I've asked Alberto to try and
negotiate a tricycle so that we can

232
00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,800
carry extra water and our bags
because of the heat and

233
00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,040
this is what he's found.

234
00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,280
'Alberto's worked his local contacts
from Mama to buy a classic form

235
00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,760
'of Yucatan transport.
And this one's a vintage model.'

236
00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:39,320
Happy with it?

237
00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,320
Yeah. It's better than nothing.

238
00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,160
Adios. ALL: Adios.

239
00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,400
Ready, Alberto? Whoa, this is hot!

240
00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,160
Shit! You need some gloves!

241
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:03,600
Super hot, too!

242
00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:11,640
This is the hard thing to do.

243
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:20,680
Alberto's going to ride the tricycle
with the water and bags on

244
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,680
and I'm going to walk.

245
00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,040
You feeling hot, Alberto?

246
00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,520
Yes, a bit.

247
00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:44,640
Very dry, no? Dry and hot.

248
00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:46,720
I thought this was the rainy season.

249
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,680
It is but still hot anyway!

250
00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:51,880
Where's the rain, though?

251
00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,680
I don't know, I
don't see any rain around.

252
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,200
Finally, he catch us, the rain.

253
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:07,360
We couldn't escape.

254
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:26,040
'We're deep in Mayan backcountry and
so far the roads have been quiet.'

255
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,200
Alberto. 'But things can
change very quickly.'

256
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,760
Three. So there's still many
more out there?

257
00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:06,240
Yeah, they only catch three and
they have weapons with them.

258
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,600
Oh, really?

259
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:14,320
The fugitives are linked to Mexico's
most feared drug cartel, Los Zetas.

260
00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,520
And we're walking on
their home turf.

261
00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:24,000
The cops tell us to pick up the pace
for the next 20 miles and get

262
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:29,440
ourselves over the state line and
away from any potential trouble.

263
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,720
To be honest, they can't have got
very far because three of them

264
00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,960
were apprehended by the
police really close to here.

265
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,600
The problem is that I guess they
know that all of the main roads

266
00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,000
have got police checkpoints on them,

267
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,040
so they're going to be
avoiding the main roads.

268
00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:47,440
That's what I would do
if I was running away

269
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,840
and that's where we are, so.

270
00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,840
After a tense day spent
looking over our shoulders,

271
00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:13,160
Alberto and I make it out of the
Yucatn and into the next state,

272
00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,200
Quintana Roo.

273
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,080
But we're not out of
bandit country just yet.

274
00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:26,920
No!

275
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,480
Now we have nothing.
Now we've got nothing left.

276
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,680
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
cinco, seis...

277
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:47,760
After ten days,

278
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,240
the Americans have taken us from
open plains into thick forest.

279
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,240
Nature rules here now.

280
00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,080
But 1,000 years ago,

281
00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,920
all this was cleared to make
way for sprawling cities

282
00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:04,960
home to tens of
thousands of people.

283
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:10,880
Locals like community leader Darmian
are the only ones who know

284
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:12,960
what secrets are hidden here.

285
00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,960
Some of these little trails, one or
two people have been here, maximum.

286
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,760
'We start to see traces
of ancient life.'

287
00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:26,680
Wow!

288
00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:32,080
So, here we go, we've got
just pieces of ancient Mayan pottery

289
00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,240
that's just lying around.

290
00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,600
Damian was saying any
time it rains,

291
00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,960
it just washes this stuff
straight out of the ground.

292
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:42,840
You can see the stairs.

293
00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,120
This is proper Indiana
Jones stuff, this.

294
00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,000
'The Maya were highly
skilled architects.

295
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,640
'But wars, droughts and massive
deforestation forced them

296
00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,520
'to abandon these
magnificent cities.'

297
00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,320
Just everywhere, bits of pottery.

298
00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,320
'And within 100 years, the
jungle had engulfed them.'

299
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,200
This has got to be one of the
highest pyramids in the whole of,

300
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:13,640
wow, Mexico, right?

301
00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:15,240
This is not on any of the maps.

302
00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,080
It's not on, it's not
even on Google Earth.

303
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,000
It's not on any of the
tourist literature.

304
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,480
HE SPEAKS SPANISH

305
00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:25,280
No. No.

306
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,160
Even Damian doesn't even
know the name.

307
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,640
Crazy to think, isn't it,
that here we are in the 21st-century

308
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,440
and there's still
enormous pyramids like this

309
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:37,840
hidden away in the jungle.

310
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,200
Blows my mind.

311
00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,280
So, to get to the Belize border,
we've taken what,

312
00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:58,960
according to the map,

313
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:02,040
looks like the remains
of an old road.

314
00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:06,400
The only problem we've got is that
we've been told that

315
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,920
along this route there's a certain
kind of tree called a Chechem tree,

316
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,840
which has got poisonous leaves and
if you touch it,

317
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,200
it burns your skin and it's toxic.

318
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,400
People have even been
hospitalised just from touching it.

319
00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:25,680
I think these ones are the Chechem,
they're like very skinny.

320
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,880
Some people told me that they
preferred to take a knife and remove

321
00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,760
the skin where it's hurt by the
Chechem because that's less painful.

322
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,520
Maybe we just run through it
as quickly as possible?

323
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,840
Eventually, the old road
disappears completely.

324
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,320
Yeah, it looks like we've
got a river to cross.

325
00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:56,440
Big stones in here.

326
00:24:58,280 --> 00:24:59,920
Yeah, I think left a bit.

327
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:01,640
It's quite deep.

328
00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:12,800
OK.

329
00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,280
This is what we have the
holes here for, watch.

330
00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:20,880
I love it.

331
00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:26,240
'After two weeks of walking,
we've covered over 250 miles

332
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,680
'to make it to the edge of Mexico.

333
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:34,160
'In front of us is country
number two, Belize.

334
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,960
'But before we reach the border
there's bad news.

335
00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:39,840
'A massive hurricane is on its way.'

336
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:56,400
packing ferocious winds
of up to 80mph.

337
00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:01,200
Devastation to houses and
infrastructure have been tremendous.

338
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,240
I should be in Belize,

339
00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:04,960
but before I reached there,

340
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,760
a massive hurricane slams its
Caribbean coast.

341
00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,480
The Belizean government declares a
state of emergency.

342
00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:17,920
'But after a few days waiting,

343
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,520
'Alberto and I are good to leave
Mexico and make our way there.'

344
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:29,040
So, this is it, leaving Mexico now,
onto country number two, Belize,

345
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,160
which is just over there.

346
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,320
Just have to see what state
the place is in.

347
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:34,880
Hopefully, it's not too bad.

348
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,960
Say, "Goodbye, Mexico."
Goodbye, Mexico.

349
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:45,200
I'm entering Belize on its far
eastern border with Mexico,

350
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,240
on the island worst hit by
the storm,

351
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:49,680
San Pedro.

352
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:54,360
We will rejoin the mainland at
Belize City,

353
00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,840
where we'll follow the route west
through the Belizean jungles,

354
00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,360
where I trained as a soldier with
the British Army,

355
00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:03,920
before pushing on to the only
border crossing with Guatemala.

356
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:11,320
As soon as we step off the boat,

357
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,720
we can see where Hurricane Earl left
its mark on San Pedro.

358
00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:25,200
You can see the piles of debris all
over the place.

359
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,200
The piers, all the stuff that's made
of wood, just completely blown away.

360
00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:38,440
So, this island of San Pedro
brings in millions and millions of
tourist dollars.

361
00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:42,560
But there is definitely a price to
pay of living in this area.

362
00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:47,560
The whole tropical region of Central
America is fraught with hurricanes

363
00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,720
and this is right on the
hurricane corridor.

364
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,960
'90% of the island's piers and docks
have been obliterated

365
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,600
'and it's the fishermen who've been
hit hardest.'

366
00:27:58,600 --> 00:27:59,880
Hello, how are you doing?

367
00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:04,880
From England. Look at him, look at
him, look at him.

368
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,360
England. England? Oh, hi, mate.

369
00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:07,960
How are you doing?

370
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,040
Nothing to do.

371
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,520
No. I'm Joe, anyway. My name is Joe.

372
00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:14,880
What's your name? Joe.

373
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,040
This is the guy right here.

374
00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:25,640
What happened with the hurricane?

375
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,400
Did you lose any of your
buildings or what?

376
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:29,960
You lost your boat? Everything.

377
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:30,920
Yeah.

378
00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,040
That was where yours was, right?

379
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:35,920
Yeah.

380
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,720
Belize is a tiny nation of just
300,000 people.

381
00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,120
And 10,000 of them lost their homes
in the hurricane.

382
00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,280
Further down the coast, we pass
through Belize City.

383
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:04,840
Until 1981, Belize was a remote
outpost of the British Empire,

384
00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,880
known as British Honduras.

385
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:11,080
Thank you. Thanks, very much.
Have fun, guys.

386
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,400
Look at the old...
The old British postbox there.

387
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:15,440
You can see it's an old colony.

388
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,000
Belize was Britain's only foothold
in Central America

389
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,640
and, for once,
I'm fluent in the local tongue.

390
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,880
Morning, how are you doing?

391
00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,280
Yeah, where you from, man?
From England, how are you doing?

392
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:29,600
Good. Good. Yeah.

393
00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:32,200
So, are you just walking around?

394
00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,160
Walking to Guatemala.

395
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:35,480
WALKING to Guatemala?

396
00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,400
Well, actually we're
walking to Colombia.

397
00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:39,840
You're the walking crew?

398
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:41,600
Yeah. Don't mess around,
brother, really?

399
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:43,920
Yeah, really.

400
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,320
You guys are crazy, baby.

401
00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:55,800
Up ahead

402
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,920
are the hills of Western Belize

403
00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,960
and that's the direction
that we're going now,

404
00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:06,880
into the jungle and then heading
towards the border with Guatemala.

405
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,120
'We're approaching
the same rainforest

406
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:13,680
'where I did my army jungle
training in 2007.

407
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,840
'It's the ideal place to
prepare for our mission

408
00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:18,920
'to walk through the Darien Gap,

409
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:23,080
'a notorious stretch of wilderness
between Central and South America.'

410
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,600
The jungle has always been regarded
as one of the most dangerous

411
00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:30,920
and difficult environments to be in.

412
00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,000
It's been described as
"the green hell."

413
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:35,920
'To survive out here,

414
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,920
'we need the help of an expert and
I have just the guy in mind.'

415
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,400
We're going to meet Aaron.

416
00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,360
He's the guy that taught me
jungle skills way back,

417
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:46,760
almost ten years ago,

418
00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:48,720
so he's going to come
tomorrow morning

419
00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,120
and, for Alberto's first time
in the jungle,

420
00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:55,880
show us just how to live and
survive in this environment.

421
00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,880
THEY LAUGH

422
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:04,120
You don't get that
if you rub sticks together!

423
00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,120
Expert tracker Aaron has trained
British soldiers

424
00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,160
in jungle warfare for over 16 years.

425
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:20,720
And I feel safe with you.

426
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,080
Today, he'll lead us on a trek

427
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,600
to teach us survival
and navigation skills.

428
00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,760
So, 5K.

429
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:33,280
On the road,
that would take one hour.

430
00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,880
How many hours do you think this is
going to take through the jungle?

431
00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:38,160
Six hours. Six hours, OK.

432
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,680
So, we're going to head off
the main trail now.

433
00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,560
And this is where things get tough.

434
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,120
'All being well,
we'll be a few miles closer

435
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:48,360
'to the Guatemalan border
by the end of the day.

436
00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:58,760
'A lot of things in the jungle can
either kill you or keep you alive.

437
00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:00,960
'Luckily, Aaron knows the
difference.'

438
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,200
We're going to be using this
stuff later.

439
00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:07,200
It's a termite nest. What is it?
Explain what it is.

440
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:11,240
It's called a termite nest.
OK. I'm going to see if it's alive.

441
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,880
Oh, it's lovely. It's alive.

442
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,640
That is food.

443
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:17,800
That's surviving.

444
00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:18,760
How do they taste?

445
00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:23,160
They taste like fish and chips.

446
00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:24,120
It's lovely.

447
00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,880
How do they taste?

448
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:29,080
Taste shit.

449
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:41,080
It's there.

450
00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,840
We've got a baby tarantula here.

451
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,000
And the whole family is there.
Does not want that on my...

452
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:47,760
OK. Let's let him go now, I think.

453
00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:49,480
Let's see how far she goes.

454
00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:52,960
OK.

455
00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,600
THEY LAUGH

456
00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,720
That's enough for me.
That's enough, right,

457
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:02,680
let's leave the poor thing alone.

458
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:03,760
Let's go.

459
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,080
Progress in the jungle is slow.

460
00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,640
Walking through the Darien Gap will
involve over a week of trekking

461
00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,640
in terrain much tougher than this.

462
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:20,440
It's hard work.

463
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,520
You know, you almost forget that the
dangers are lying all around,

464
00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,240
snakes, deadfall up above,
you know it's a proper...

465
00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:30,480
..difficult environment.

466
00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,000
You were telling me earlier about a
story about your boss, right?
What happened?

467
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,960
He was, erm, clearing an area like
this and he just pulled a vine.

468
00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,240
Actually, there was a dead branch
on top of the tree

469
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,840
and it came right on,
towards his face,

470
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,240
entered through his mouth,

471
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,080
came out the other way
under his jaw.

472
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,720
He's OK. All his teeth was gone.

473
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:07,560
Maps and compasses can only get you
so far in the jungle.

474
00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,920
Aaron is navigating
by following this stream.

475
00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,880
He says it will lead us to
a river and onto civilisation.

476
00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,920
THUNDER RUMBLES

477
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:24,000
It was bone dry ten seconds ago
and now it's bucketing down.

478
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,880
When it rains in the jungle,
you know about it.

479
00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,920
Everything is just soaking wet.

480
00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:36,200
It's super slippery.

481
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:41,240
Bollocks.

482
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:45,920
Aaron.

483
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:01,520
That tree there just
collapsed over...

484
00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,280
We head downstream until we find a
crossing point.

485
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:24,160
But the rain means the water's
rising by the minute.

486
00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,040
Well, we made it to the river.

487
00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:34,680
You see the river is coming fast,
so we have to hurry, OK?

488
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,320
OK. Let's do it.

489
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,680
Aaron tells me to go first.

490
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:57,000
It's taken us eight hours to cover
three miles.

491
00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,400
We've learnt just how unpredictable
the jungle can be.

492
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,560
But, for now, there's only one
thing on our minds.

493
00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:06,760
That way?

494
00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,440
Which way for the tacos, then?

495
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,680
Which way? Surely you
can smell them?

496
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,280
HE SNIFFS
OK, follow me, then.

497
00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,280
This way. Wrong way.

498
00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:19,160
Let's go, vamos. Vamos.
Press on, on foot.

499
00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:22,880
Hungry, very hungry.

500
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:36,360
The next morning, we're back
on the main road,

501
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,640
and aiming for the only land
crossing into Guatemala,

502
00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:40,840
20 miles west.

503
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:45,440
Hola, entrada?
Gracias.

504
00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:48,720
That's it, we're inside Guatemala.

505
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,720
Alberto's happy, he gets to speak
Spanish again.

506
00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:54,840
Yeah, finally.

507
00:36:58,040 --> 00:36:59,960
Away from the border,

508
00:36:59,960 --> 00:37:02,480
we find ourselves amongst
lush, rolling hills

509
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:04,120
dotted with small ranches.

510
00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:16,760
Alberto and I spend our first night
in a small forest camp.

511
00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:22,840
It's chilly, huh?

512
00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:27,040
It's 7am, far too late for
any self-respecting explorer

513
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:28,720
to still be in bed.

514
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:31,600
I love this,
this is like a baby cow.

515
00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:34,600
It's a big baby, this one,

516
00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:37,320
so it's going to take
a little bit to come out.

517
00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:46,360
You wake up, get out your hammock,

518
00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:47,400
then you discover...

519
00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:50,400
..something a little bit like this.

520
00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:55,760
And it's hidden gems like this

521
00:37:55,760 --> 00:38:00,240
that make Central America one of the
most incredible parts of the world.

522
00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,480
One, two,

523
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:03,920
three.

524
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:12,080
Woo!

525
00:38:22,860 --> 00:38:24,580
I'm in Guatemala,

526
00:38:24,580 --> 00:38:26,220
four weeks and 400 miles

527
00:38:26,220 --> 00:38:29,660
into my journey to walk the length
of Central America.

528
00:38:31,340 --> 00:38:35,060
We are walking through
the Mayan Biosphere Reserve,

529
00:38:35,060 --> 00:38:38,660
a protected area of tropical forest
in northern Guatemala.

530
00:38:40,060 --> 00:38:43,300
There's not many people about
but we are definitely not alone.

531
00:38:43,300 --> 00:38:45,420
FAINT ROARING

532
00:38:47,060 --> 00:38:49,420
LOUD GROANING ROARS

533
00:38:54,100 --> 00:38:55,420
Those incredible noises,

534
00:38:56,980 --> 00:38:59,540
that sound like dinosaurs,
they are actually howler monkeys.

535
00:38:59,540 --> 00:39:01,540
Let's go and see if we can get
closer.

536
00:39:03,620 --> 00:39:06,220
LOUD HOWLING ROARS

537
00:39:13,580 --> 00:39:17,140
Sounds like a combination between
a dog and a Tyrannosaurus rex!

538
00:39:23,660 --> 00:39:27,020
These monkeys guard one of the
oldest and most mysterious

539
00:39:27,020 --> 00:39:28,500
Mayan cities.

540
00:39:30,140 --> 00:39:32,700
This is Yaxha,
and it's unbelievable.

541
00:39:34,420 --> 00:39:38,900
It's one of the most spectacular
and biggest ruins in the whole of

542
00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:44,220
Guatemala. And what's incredible is
that all of this was built without

543
00:39:44,220 --> 00:39:46,620
even the use of the wheel
or any metal tools.

544
00:39:48,420 --> 00:39:51,500
The ancient Maya believed
blood had to be spilt

545
00:39:51,500 --> 00:39:54,780
to ensure life on Earth
continued.

546
00:39:54,780 --> 00:39:58,660
And these pyramid temples are some
of the largest monuments

547
00:39:58,660 --> 00:40:02,220
dedicated to death and sacrifice
anywhere in the world.

548
00:40:04,300 --> 00:40:07,220
Built as staircases
to reach the gods,

549
00:40:07,220 --> 00:40:08,860
many people climbing these steps

550
00:40:08,860 --> 00:40:10,700
would have been walking to their
death.

551
00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:23,660
Wow! We are almost at the top
of this pyramid and, from here,

552
00:40:23,660 --> 00:40:27,500
you can see everything,
the jungle all around.

553
00:40:27,500 --> 00:40:29,300
This is absolutely incredible.

554
00:40:33,500 --> 00:40:35,060
This is what I live for -

555
00:40:36,420 --> 00:40:38,780
finding places like this
around the world.

556
00:40:41,900 --> 00:40:47,020
But now, we're heading south
into a very different Guatemala.

557
00:40:47,020 --> 00:40:48,780
DOG BARKS

558
00:40:51,700 --> 00:40:54,220
Northern Guatemala
shares a border with Mexico.

559
00:40:55,300 --> 00:41:01,020
Too vast and remote to police,
it's now cartel territory.

560
00:41:01,020 --> 00:41:02,700
We've already been warned that this

561
00:41:02,700 --> 00:41:05,420
is a particularly notorious
stretch of road

562
00:41:05,420 --> 00:41:07,580
for drug trafficking, smuggling.

563
00:41:08,700 --> 00:41:10,500
Definitely on alert at the moment.

564
00:41:13,300 --> 00:41:16,220
You never know who you are going
to bump into.

565
00:41:23,780 --> 00:41:26,300
This area, El Peten, which
means the Bush...

566
00:41:29,140 --> 00:41:33,300
..it's where a lot
of the Guatemalan drug lords,

567
00:41:33,300 --> 00:41:36,340
they have got their mansions
and big houses.

568
00:41:37,740 --> 00:41:39,500
With that comes a bit of edginess.

569
00:41:40,780 --> 00:41:45,780
80% of the cocaine that reaches
the US passes through El Peten,

570
00:41:45,780 --> 00:41:49,420
and I'm well aware that walking
around with a camera could attract

571
00:41:49,420 --> 00:41:50,380
unwanted attention.

572
00:41:52,460 --> 00:41:53,900
Just hoping that, um...

573
00:41:55,300 --> 00:41:59,660
You know, the fact that we are just
a couple of tourists walking
through,

574
00:41:59,660 --> 00:42:01,580
they are not going to take any
notice of us.

575
00:42:05,300 --> 00:42:07,340
So there's a car that's been
following us for a...

576
00:42:08,940 --> 00:42:12,820
for a little while. I think it's
the same one that drove past
earlier.

577
00:42:12,820 --> 00:42:14,220
They are just stopping now.

578
00:42:16,220 --> 00:42:17,500
'I'm not sure who they are...

579
00:42:19,060 --> 00:42:21,820
'..but the three men in the car
insist we get in

580
00:42:21,820 --> 00:42:25,420
'and travel to the next village
for lunch.

581
00:42:25,420 --> 00:42:28,500
'With no-one else around,
I feel we have to go with them.'

582
00:42:52,420 --> 00:42:55,380
'Half a mile down the road,
we arrive at the village.'

583
00:42:56,700 --> 00:42:57,660
You live here?

584
00:43:01,540 --> 00:43:05,300
'Hugo, in the blue T-shirt,
says he is an off-duty policeman.

585
00:43:05,300 --> 00:43:08,940
'He and his mates, Walter and Chico,
have plenty of questions for me.'

586
00:43:18,580 --> 00:43:21,980
'They are interested in where I've
walked before and, in particular,

587
00:43:21,980 --> 00:43:23,260
'my book sales.'

588
00:43:28,700 --> 00:43:30,420
How many did I sell?

589
00:43:39,220 --> 00:43:41,260
'Having answered their questions,

590
00:43:41,260 --> 00:43:43,500
'I'm relieved that we really are
here for lunch.'

591
00:43:45,740 --> 00:43:47,740
Looks good, huh? Very good.

592
00:43:47,740 --> 00:43:49,580
So this is...

593
00:43:49,580 --> 00:43:51,620
This is, what, pork or...

594
00:43:51,620 --> 00:43:52,940
Puerco? Puerco.

595
00:43:54,700 --> 00:43:56,380
'It's an uneasy 30 minutes

596
00:43:57,740 --> 00:44:00,140
'and we are about to make our
excuses to leave

597
00:44:00,140 --> 00:44:03,700
'before Walter says he wants us
to stick around.'

598
00:44:07,060 --> 00:44:09,900
They've invited us back
to their house, just to...

599
00:44:09,900 --> 00:44:13,380
He wants to show us his
mini-mansion, as he calls it.

600
00:44:15,820 --> 00:44:19,580
'It's impossible to tell who works
in the narco trade here

601
00:44:19,580 --> 00:44:22,420
'but illegal drugs
are on plain view,

602
00:44:22,420 --> 00:44:25,140
'even in front of someone
who says he is an off-duty cop.'

603
00:44:26,620 --> 00:44:28,020
What's this, Walter?

604
00:44:30,460 --> 00:44:31,860
Marijuana.

605
00:44:34,100 --> 00:44:35,740
'Walter doesn't just grow
the stuff.'

606
00:44:52,980 --> 00:44:55,740
Wow! That is an absolutely
massive reefer!

607
00:44:56,940 --> 00:44:59,540
I think I'll leave that.

608
00:44:59,540 --> 00:45:01,140
It's time to move on, quickly.

609
00:45:03,420 --> 00:45:05,100
'Finally, they let us go.'

610
00:45:06,460 --> 00:45:07,420
Adios!

611
00:45:16,620 --> 00:45:20,780
'Those guys were friendly
but El Peten's known
for violent robberies,

612
00:45:20,780 --> 00:45:23,980
'extortion, even kidnappings.

613
00:45:23,980 --> 00:45:27,100
'A stranger can't be sure
of anything or anyone here,

614
00:45:27,100 --> 00:45:29,660
'but I've told those guys where
we are going in Guatemala,

615
00:45:29,660 --> 00:45:31,820
'and now I feel anxious.'

616
00:45:31,820 --> 00:45:35,780
So do you think those guys
were the real deal or what?

617
00:45:35,780 --> 00:45:37,820
I don't know.

618
00:45:37,820 --> 00:45:43,700
In Spanish, we were talking,
he was asking too much questions.

619
00:45:43,700 --> 00:45:46,900
To be honest, the thing that worried
me the most was him asking

620
00:45:46,900 --> 00:45:50,580
how much money we've got
and which route we're taking.

621
00:45:51,900 --> 00:45:54,420
This is where we need to start being
a bit more cautious

622
00:45:54,420 --> 00:45:57,300
about where we go, who we speak to.

623
00:45:58,460 --> 00:46:01,300
The truth is,
anything could happen.

624
00:46:06,980 --> 00:46:09,860
'Still to come...
Mother Nature at her most extreme.'

625
00:46:10,940 --> 00:46:13,540
It's not called
the mouth of hell for no reason.

626
00:46:14,740 --> 00:46:16,740
'Central America's deadliest city.'

627
00:46:17,980 --> 00:46:20,220
There is literally just a dead body
just there.

628
00:46:20,220 --> 00:46:22,220
'Incredible scenery.'

629
00:46:22,220 --> 00:46:23,380
This is next level!

630
00:46:26,980 --> 00:46:29,220
'And the mighty Darien Gap.'

631
00:46:29,220 --> 00:46:31,100
Now we are properly into the jungle.

632
00:46:51,980 --> 00:46:55,660
Subtitles by Ericsson