My name is Levison Wood.
Woo!
In 2014, I walked the Nile,
and in 2015, I walked the Himalayas.
Now, I'm about to trek between two continents,
on what could be my toughest journey yet.
You don't get that if you rub sticks together!
My plan is to walk from the point where Europeans first made landfall
in Mexico, all the way to Colombia,
along the length of Central America.
My route will take me through eight countries, across volcanic planes,
drug smuggling routes and cloud forests.
But, before I can cross into South America,
I'll have to make it through one of the last great wildernesses on Earth
the lawless jungle of the Darien Gap.
I'll take four million steps, over remote,
unpredictable...
I've never seen anything quite like this before!
..and beautiful landscapes.
You can see everything.
This is absolutely incredible.
I'll see Central America...
..through the eyes of the people that live here.
Bullet hole. Dangerous business, being a pastor around these parts,
isn't it?
Now, I'm on the final push.
Glad to be back in the jungle.
Over 500 miles of uncharted...
You've spent 12 hours in the cave and you never found the end?
..and deadly terrain.
An absolute monster.
Is that a fer-de-lance?
As we approach...
..the most dangerous jungle on Earth.
I'm on the final leg to walk the Americas.
After 1,300 miles, and three months on the road,
I'm in country number seven, Panama, with my friend Alberto.
I think he likes you, Alberto.
Oh, yeah.
Does he? And is he a wet Mexican on the road?
There's nothing more sexy than that.
With my moustache, you know.
I think I look more like Antonio Banderas, both sweat and wet.
Just like Antonio Banderas.
The image is terrifyingly similar.
Over the final 600 miles, we must cross mountains, uncharted terrain,
and the Panama Canal, to the wealthiest city in central America.
From there, we'll head towards our ultimate challenge,
the infamous Darien Gap -
60 miles of the most dangerous jungle on Earth.
Home to drug smugglers and venomous snakes,
before attempting to cross into Colombia,
South America, and the end of our journey.
We're high in the Talamanca mountain range
that straddles both Costa Rica and Panama.
Formed 10,000 years ago in the last ice age,
these hills hold some extraordinary secrets.
We've come off the Pan-American Highway when we meet a local farmer.
What's your name? Jose Deliano.
Jose Deliano?
Yeah. How long have you been living round here?
So you actually own the cave then? Mmm.
So, how deep is the cave?
So you've spent 12 hours in the cave and you never found the end?
No, no. Wow.
None of my guidebooks have listed caves in this region.
But, sure enough, Jose Deliano leads us straight into one.
Uh-oh.
It's getting dark.
Whoa! The ceiling!
Hundreds of thousands of bats, just in this one cave.
Look at how many bats.
So these ones are vampire bats.
Will they attack people? No. Are you sure?
It's scary, huh? I've never seen so many bats.
Literally everywhere you look, there's bats.
And these horrendous looking insects.
All over the walls... The wall is literally crawling.
These bloody bugs!
Check this monster out.
Are you sure? Yes.
Well, that's what he says, but that looks just like a whip spider,
and I don't like the look of those pincers.
OK? This place is incredible.
So what kind is that?
It's a gremlin spider.
After two hours walking into what feels like the centre of the Earth,
we ask Jose Deliano to kindly lead us back the way we came in.
Thanks, Jose Deliano.
Not any problem.
I wouldn't want to get lost in there.
What an incredible day.
There's a river cutting straight across our path.
It's too far to jump, that's for sure.
What do you think? There's only one way to know.
Jump in.
One, two, three...
A day later, and we are near Cochea village,
in Panama's Chiriqui region.
It's November soon. Are you going to keep your moustache for Movember?
I'll have to. Do you think I should shave?
Maybe a little bit.
Maybe I should get rid of the beard, and just keep the tash. Ah, sure!
There's a husband shaving his wife's head.
Shall we go and ask him if we can get a haircut?
Florentino says he's been using his wife as a model to practise.
I think you've just signed me up for a beard trim.
Un poquito, just a little bit.
Has he taken a chunk out?
Most people around here are farmers,
but clearly Pablo and his family have other business plans.
He looks like a decent person now.
Perfecto.
See you!
The road here is flanked by vast cattle ranches.
We trek for miles without seeing anyone.
But every now and again, we come across an unusual walking companion.
Do you know what kind this is?
Ah, so it doesn't bite?
It's a boa. So it's not poisonous, but it's a constrictor.
It basically squashes you.
Boas are often seen as a pest here,
and it's left them an endangered species.
This farmer has tried to kill it,
sadly, because it's a beautiful animal.
We'll try taking it away and moving it somewhere else.
Just grab it, like in the TV programme.
Be careful, be careful.
Here you go. Snake in a bag.
I hate snakes. I can't believe you're carrying one in my dry bag.
I'm not going to use it any more.
This is probably a good place to drop him off. Yeah.
OK, let's cover up this.
She'll be fine.
We're still 100 miles from Panama City.
But things already seem to be getting busy.
Today is 3rd November,
and this is a very special time here in Panama because
Independence Day today, when Panama got independence from Colombia.
The whole country seems to be having a bit of a party.
In fact, Panama is in a four-day fiesta frenzy.
Celebrating not just independence, but the Day of the Dead,
and even the national flag.
Whilst there's been no army here since 1990,
after America kicked out the country's dictator...
..Panama sure knows how to put on a parade.
Alexandra, your costume is amazing.
OK.
Yeah... Oh, wow.
So what's this on, the pom-pom?
I came in the wrong attire, didn't I, today?
Can you show us a dance?
Un poquito? Go on!
The Tamborito dance is unique to Panama.
The man tries to seduce the woman with fancy footwork.
If she so much as smiles, he's won her over.
And with moves like that, who could blame her?
We have 30 miles to go to Panama City...
..the last major town before our final challenge of the Darien Gap.
The city should soon be on the horizon,
were it not for the gigantic pampas grass standing in our way.
Looks like an abandoned hotel.
Look at that. Wow.
Over there is the Panama Canal, and what a view.
That's Panama City over in the distance,
with the ships coming in and out of the canal.
So we've got one last night camping before we make it into the city.
Tonight, we have this campsite all to ourselves.
Well, almost.
That is a big tarantula,
and there's probably a lot more out there.
We have 150 miles to go before we reach the Darien Gap,
a lawless jungle that we must walk through to reach the end of
our journey in South America.
Come on, Alberto, wake up.
It's too early.
That's a sight I've been waiting to see all my life.
The Panama Canal.
And there, in the distance, is Panama City.
CAR HORN
We're approaching the bridge of the Americas,
and a major highlight in our journey.
The Panama Canal.
One of the greatest feats of engineering
in the history of mankind.
The Panama Canal is 50 miles long
and links the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
It's one of the most important trade routes in the world,
generating $2.6 billion for Panama each year.
35-40 ships a day,
big supertankers,
pass through that and underneath this bridge.
It really is one of the marvels of the modern world.
They say that 27,000 people died during its construction.
I hope those boys have got safety harnesses up there.
Hey, guys. Hola!
What are you doing?
Is it dangerous?
It's an incredible piece of engineering.
Adios.
This canal has transformed two continents, and created
one of the wealthiest regions in the whole of Central America.
And it seems like the money stays right here, in Panama City.
It's like being in another world, isn't it?
This place, I had no idea it was so built up.
A Ferrari.
It doesn't match with the rest of the country.
There's a lot of, a lot of rich people here.
I think we need to find somewhere suitable to stay.
Here.
There's no shortage of swanky hotels here.
And with the mighty Darien Gap still to come,
Alberto and I take a moment to enjoy the high life.
So, I think there's only one way to see Panama in style
and that is by private helicopter.
There are 115 billionaires in registered here.
Helicopters also popular, even Uber have hired them out.
This city is where the super-rich,
revealed in the Panama papers scandal,
hide their dosh.
Down there, you can see the old city.
500 years ago,
this was just a fishing town,
until the Spanish started bringing gold here from South America
on its way to Europe.
These days, high finance and the drugs trade help bring in the bucks.
You can see all the mansions down there, look.
Completely different to everything I've seen in Panama.
And that's the way we're going.
East and then south into the Darien Gap,
into the unknown.
Out there, there's a hell of a lot of jungle.
Nice!
I love it!
Over the next 120 miles,
we'll head through indigenous lands to the Darien Gap,
and on to the start of our jungle trail in the village of Canan.
We spend four days enjoying Panama's hospitality...
..fine dining...
Nice crabs.
..and roadside facilities...
..to finally make it to the edge of the Darien Gap.
As we do, security checkpoints starts to appear.
Armed guerrillas and drug runners plague the border with Colombia.
It's off limits to outsiders,
but after months of negotiation, we've got permission to enter.
This is the end of the road.
And there is the start of the Darien Gap.
The forest here is flooded in the rainy season,
so we have to take a canoe to the village of Canan.
The Darien Gap is a 60-mile jungle abyss that separates the Americas.
It's one of the last great wildernesses on Earth
and the only break in the 30,000-mile Pan-American Highway.
No-one's ever built a road through it, despite decades of trying.
To make it to South America,
I can't walk around it,
I have to walk through it.
The deeper we get,
the more wild this place seems.
After two hours, we reach Canan.
It's home to 400 of the Embera,
an isolated tribe who've lived in this jungle for hundreds of years.
The guy in the red T-shirt there is the chief of the village.
This is the chief's house.
Maybe we can put up our hammocks inside or something.
The Embera are a traditional tribe,
but technology is slowly catching on.
Manuel! Manuel!
Telefono!
Here we are in the middle of the jungle and
you can still get a phone.
Can I use it?
Tambien?
I don't know what...
So, we're about...
PHONE RINGS Oh.
Who's this?
Hello?
Jonathan Sangway?
I don't know Jonathan Sangway.
Jonathan Sangway! Telefono!
Jonathan!
Any Jonathans around?
The new and the old seem to live happily side by side in Canan.
We've been told to come over to meet the ladies and they're going to
induct us into the Embera tribe with a special blessing
before we set off on this journey.
Hola!
What is that?
So, why do you body paint?
What does the design mean?
So, if I'm wearing this, does this protect me against the snake?
Well, any help to get through the Darien Gap safely is welcome.
It's notoriously difficult to navigate.
Jungle trails can become overgrown and disappear in a matter of weeks.
The Embera only venture there when necessary, but chief Ernesto
has agreed to guide us to the edge of Embera territory,
deep in the Darien.
This is it, this is the start of the final hurdle.
We have 40 miles to go to the end of Central America.
From Canan,
we must head east and find a river that leads to a mountain ridge,
before climbing steep gorges and dense jungles,
where drug smugglers roam.
We must then cut a path to the Caribbean,
walk through a known hot spot for illegal immigrants,
before trying to cross the border into Colombia, South America,
and the end of our journey.
We've got a few of the local boys from Canan who've come with us
to help carry extra food and supplies.
And with us, we've got Ernesto back there, Leo, our guide.
I'm glad to be back in the jungle,
but I'm under no illusion that this is going to be
the hardest part of the entire expedition.
We hope to cover seven miles a day.
Right now, we're searching for a river that should lead to a mountain ridge.
I'm just watching my feet at the moment,
because every time you step over a log, you've got to be vigilant
that there's not a fer-de-lance or a bushmaster
or any of the other vipers lurking there, waiting to strike.
The fer-de-lance can kill with a single bite.
They live under logs and leaves,
so we must watch our every step.
Wow.
It's a hawk eagle.
They're really rare.
I wasn't expecting to see one here in the jungle.
After four hours, we've covered two miles to reach the river.
We're trying to follow the course of this river,
but it's not easy, because the rocks are really slippery.
And the jungle of there is so thick as to be impenetrable.
So now, we've got to...
Bollocks.
Slip and slide our way.
What's more incredible is that these boys do but all in wellies.
The Embera are proving expert guides and even find time
to introduce us to some river monsters.
Ah, he's got it!
Absolutely beautiful beast.
Let's put you back on your log, mate.
What a beautiful animal.
For the Embera, the Darien's waters have magical powers.
And more than that, according to Leo.
You're a bad man, Leo!
I wasn't expecting to find such pharmaceutical wonders in the Darien.
I want to see...
Oh, I'm not sure I do want to see proof, actually.
Well, that was an epic day.
And we've still got the hardest part left to go.
Tomorrow, we're setting off, carrying on up the river,
and then were going to climb up and over the hills and, basically,
hack a new trail through the jungle.
It's going to be hard work.
on the final leg of our journey to walk Central America.
To reach the end,
we still have 26 miles of dense jungle to get through.
And we are preparing for a gruelling day
with our Embera guides.
It looks like Alberto is going to get a quick jungle haircut.
Our chefs Anin and Rodrigo are putting on a heck of a spread.
Very nice.
Anyone fancy some hot cereal with mango?
Do you want to try it?
Try it.
See what you think.
Do you like it?
Yeah?
When you're in the jungle, what do you think is the biggest dangers?
Yeah.
Vamos, chicos. Si!
I've been wary of drug and people smugglers
but the Embera know the real dangers here.
Leo's uncle was killed by a snake bite in the Darien
just six months ago.
Well, day three in the Darien, and it has been slow going.
We've only managed to cover 25km, just over 15 miles in two days.
But, from here on in, it's going to get even more difficult.
Up ahead is a completely virgin jungle.
There's no trails, no paths
and we've got to go up and over a mountain.
Our head guide Leo has been this way before.
But with no permanent trails through this part of the jungle,
we must make our own.
How you doing? Now I'm tired.
This jungle is so thick, huh?
Leo says we must crest a mountain ridge
and find a camp five miles away by nightfall.
But the jungle is steep and dense.
And it's hit 35 degrees Celsius.
It's so slow.
After three hours, we have barely covered a mile.
LEV GROANS
On a steep traverse, I've hit my back on a tree root.
No.
You might have to.
Enough?
We're not yet over the mountain ridge
and still have four miles left to go.
I don't want to move, but we have to keep going.
I really hurt my back.
It's incredibly painful.
We're going to push on.
Going to fight on to camp.
With daylight fading, we make it over the mountain ridge.
But we're still two miles from Leo's camp
and badly need somewhere to stay.
So, we've just come down off this bit of jungle towards the river
and found what looks to be a shelter.
This looks to be a camp, but who knows?
It could be a narco camp
or a place that they stop
when they are bringing the illegal immigrants over.
So, we need to find whether or not
we're going to be able to camp around here
because it's already almost five o'clock
and we need to find somewhere pretty much now
otherwise it's going to be dark soon.
What do you think, Alberto? Safe to camp here, or what?
I don't care about the drug dealers. I don't care about any danger.
It was so hard, this day, I just want to fix my hammock.
We've no with no idea if this camp is still used by traffickers,
but we have little option but to take the risk.
Then, just as we're settling in for the night...
What is it?
Is it... Did it bite you?
Did it bite you?
You killed it?
Is that a fer-de-lance?
Yeah. That looks like a fer-de-lance.
Did it bite him?
We have no antivenom as it won't survive in this heat.
We're miles from help, and if Rodrigo had been bitten,
there's every chance he could have been killed.
That's definitely dead.
Phew! OK.
That's... That's one of the most dangerous snakes
in the whole of Central America.
They believe that when they do this kind of jumping,
the next time they find another one
it's going to be quiet and it's not going to attack them.
Right, jump over again. There we go.
Now I'm safe? Are you sure?
Si.
Right, keep our eyes peeled.
We set our hammocks high above ground.
Chief Ernesto has tried to clear the camp.
But we're in for an uneasy night.
My friend Alberto and I are on the final leg to walk Central America.
Yesterday, the dangers of the Darien truly hit home.
Well, after last night's snake attack...
..the whole sort of feeling in the camp has changed.
The chief was awake all last night, searching for snakes and...
Yeah, it's...
It's kind of put a damper on things.
Everyone's a bit more wary.
So, yeah, we're just going to be really careful today.
We don't want to
end this journey in disaster.
We have 20 miles of the Darien Gap still to walk,
along jungle and coastal paths.
Today, we'll leave Embera territory at the village of Carreto.
I think everyone's covered in
scrapes and bruises.
My back is killing me.
But I'm positive now.
We're on the far side of the mountain.
Carreto is home to the Kuna tribe, who rule this part of the Darien.
This region's a major transit point for illegal immigrants and outsiders
are often viewed with suspicion.
I've heard lots of stories of people being detained...
..and held for no particular reason just until the chief decides to
let them go.
We can't be far away from the village.
Chief Ernesto has gone up front is just to keep an eye out.
On the outskirts of Carreto, we are met by an armed villager.
Oh, mucho gusto.
The welcome's warm,
but the first signs of civilisation are bittersweet.
This is as far as our Embera friends are taking us.
They are heading home to Canon, back through the jungle,
so we must say goodbye.
THEY SPEAK SPANISH
Adios.
From Carreto... Vamos!
..we have 18 miles of the Darien to trek
to reach the border with Colombia.
We're close to the coast where nearly 20,000 illegal immigrants
passed this year on their way to the US.
Many tried to cross the Darien on foot and mark the route with
whatever they can.
Somebody's definitely been here before us.
They go for days without food, just drinking from the streams.
Totally at the mercy of the criminal gangs that run the human trafficking
networks throughout Central America.
'As we approach the coast...
'..we stumble into two men sheltering by the sea.'
From Pakistan. From where? From Pakistan. Pakistan!
Ah, yes.
HE SPEAKS OTHER LANGUAGE
What's your name? My name is Levinson.
I'm Imran, this is my friend Javed.
Just, for come five minutes. Down there.
'Imran and Javed invite us to their makeshift camp.'
It must have been a very hard journey.
'They've travelled 10,000 miles in three weeks and they're not alone.
They are my friends. Yeah.
You see. How many people are you travelling with?
Four. Four of you? Four guys. Oh, OK.
Nice to meet you. Hi.
These guys have been stranded here for four days.
They've paid hundreds of bucks each for a boat ride,
but their people smuggler, or agent, has gone AWOL.
The agent, maybe he...
He's basically here?
He might be here at ten o'clock, so we're waiting for him here.
We are worried, because he was going to take us on a ship directly to
this mountain, because that's the easiest way.
You don't need to walk through the jungle.
Yeah. Well, we walked across the Darien.
Yeah. Darien, yeah. That's a big Darien Gap, isn't it?
Yeah. Yeah. So why don't you want to go back to Pakistan?
Why don't you want to live there?
We are trying to get us a better future.
If not for us, at least we do something for our families.
Yes. Are you guys from London, England?
Yeah, from London. From London which part you are?
Well, I live in a place called Hampton Court.
Oh, you live in Hampton Court?
Yes. Do you know Hampton Court? Yes, yes, yes.
I've been there. I've been there for seven years. Really?
Oh, wow!
I used to live in Stratford.
No way. Yeah, yeah.
Once you've lived in London, you cannot live in Pakistan.
Say hello to London!
Amar is missing London!
THEY LAUGH
I love England's Street and transport.
People used to run with their coffees and their croissant in one hand running...
It's amazing. The Central line, the Bakerloo line...
I just miss them.
I wish you the best of luck.
You've got a long journey ahead. Yes. Thanks for your time.
Thank you very much for allowing us to listen to your story.
It's really interesting. Yes, and have a safe journey.
Good luck to you as well. Thank you, sir. Thank you.
Wow. It's incredible who you meet in the jungle.
They said that this for them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
help their families, whilst we come to the end of our journey,
they are pretty much just at the start of theirs.
And they still got a hell of a long way to go.
Very sad to hear the stories of these people who have to abandon
their families to try to find the future for their kids.
That's how life is. It's hard for many people.
Still 10-12 kilometres to go through this jungle.
I'm very happy, I'm very excited, because
I almost do it.
As we get closer to the Colombian border...
..there are still a few dangers left.
We've been told there's irregulars in the area,
whatever that means. We take that to signify
traffickers or former guerrillas who are on the run.
After a brutal final day, we are within touching distance
of the Colombian frontier when Panamanian
border guards arrive to meet us.
There's a Panamanian soldier who's
just turned up out of the blue.
We explain who we are and get the all clear to continue.
I think he's going to
escort us up to the border post.
With our chaperones taking us,
we can safely enjoy the final few steps of Central America.
This is the last point in Panama
before we get to the Colombian border.
We've almost made it.
I can smell it now, it's so close.
There you go, there's a sign that says "Panama".
And up there, is the Panama flag and the Colombian flag.
It's incredible to think that we've been walking for over four months,
all the way through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras...
..Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
Panama and finally, here we are.
I think there's only one thing left to do
and that's get in the sea.
Are you ready for this, Alberto? Absolutely.
Let's do it.
It's been a life-changing adventure.
With a great friend.
People warned me about the dangers of Central America.
But what I've discovered is one of the most fascinating,
passionate and beautiful regions anywhere on earth.
Let's finish. Shall we get in there?
Yeah. Come on, let's do it.
THEY CHEER
We made it! Ready?
Woo!
Subtitles by Ericsson