tagged w/ Deadliest Journeys S1
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Years of war have left Congo's infrastructure in ruins. In a country with no airport, no viable rail system and where the roads are almost totally unusable, transporting goods has become a serious problem. A journey of a few hundred miles can take a month. We accompany the 'Prince of the Highways', Domingo, as he navigates his truck, laden with goods and passengers, through swamps and jungle. Despite the assistance of three escorts, the journey becomes a nightmare.Years of war have left Congo's infrastructure in ruins. In a country with no... more
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The Karnali Highway in northwest Nepal is the most dangerous stretch of road in the country. Cut out of the mountains, the 250 km road ascends 3,000 metres into the Himalayans. It's the sole lifeline supplying vital supplies to inhabitants of the poorest region of Nepal. We follow the fortunes of those who, willingly or not, have to use this 'impossible' road. Drivers, travellers and merchants, the highway remains the fastest, if not the safest, way to get around in this mountainous region.The Karnali Highway in northwest Nepal is the most dangerous stretch of road in the... more
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Every year, more than a million people from central America travel thousands of miles attempting to reach the promised land: the US. It's a journey fraught with danger. Jumping onto moving trains, they run the risk of being killed or severely mutilated should they fall. We follow two young Salvadorians, Jaime and Lupita, who are eloping to Texas. Theirs is an emotional rollercoaster, full of hope and fear, as they dodge border police, brave robbers and rapists and face the journey's hardships.Every year, more than a million people from central America travel thousands of miles... more
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Criss-crossing the valleys of Bolivia, hundreds of metres above the ground, is a network of makeshift cables. Clinging onto these cables, coca growers whizz across the mountains, transporting their harvest. Should they slip or the aged cables snap, they face certain death. Once they've reached the other side of the mountain, the danger doesn't end. The coca then has to be transported along the 'Camino de la Muerte', or Highway of Death'. It's the only route connecting La Paz, Bolivia's administrative capital, with the Amazon Basin. And it's officially the most dangerous road in the world.Criss-crossing the valleys of Bolivia, hundreds of metres above the ground, is a... more
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PAKISTAN: DEATH TUNNEL The Lowari Pass in Pakistan winds its way through the mountainous region bordering Afghanistan. Ten kilometres of this road, dubbed the 'death tunnel' by locals, cuts straight through the mountain. Landslides and avalanches are common and the tunnel has to be cleared every day for rocks. Drivers like 23 year old Dawood navigate it at their peril. The smallest error can be fatal.PAKISTAN: DEATH TUNNEL The Lowari Pass in Pakistan winds its way through the... more
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The drivers are fearless, ready to risk life and limb to complete their journeys. We encounter a crowd waiting at the entrance of an unfinished tunnel. The roof has collapsed, and the lorries cannot get through. The travellers work for long hours inhaling dust and carbon monoxide, hoping that the vibrations from the engines will not cause the tunnel to collapse on their heads.
High up the hills, wood cutters fell the trees to make carbon, before embarking upon a back-breaking hike to the road side where they will sell their wares. To reach their destination they must swing across a 50 metre river on a make-shift flying-fox, their heavy cargo in tow. Further along, a Buddhist monk loads heavy stones on the back of a geriatric pick up truck, and an entrepreneur gambles his savings on a lead mine. The stories of the Duong Valley's intrepid inhabitants interweave with the drama of its beautiful but unpredictable landscape.The drivers are fearless, ready to risk life and limb to complete their journeys. We... more
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Meet 14-year-old Jesse. Like the other "riberinhos," or river dwellers, he learned to swim and paddle before he could walk. Alongside other children as young as five, he rows for hours a day on the Tajaparu River, risking death trying to fasten his tiny canoe onto fast moving tourist boats and freight barges. The children hope to earn a few pennies for their families, selling jungle delicacies to the passengers and crew. But what happens when Jesse pushes his luck too far?Meet 14-year-old Jesse. Like the other "riberinhos," or river dwellers, he... more
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Isolated from the rest of the world, the region of Llanos in Colombia's Amazon, is accessible mainly by plane. Villagers rely on pilots to deliver food and goods and spread manure and weedkiller. Here, pilots fly in conditions that would be unthinkable elsewhere, landing amongst animals and children. Joachim has already broken two planes flying in Llanos. The last time, he fell 70 meters after a swarm of bees engulfed his plane.Isolated from the rest of the world, the region of Llanos in Colombia's Amazon,... more
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