0:00:09 > 0:00:13I've followed the Equator across Africa and across Asia,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17and now I've got just over one month to follow the line
0:00:17 > 0:00:19across Latin America.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Hopefully I'll make it across the continent
0:00:22 > 0:00:24in time to ride on a giant wave.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Now, the route is going to take me
0:00:29 > 0:00:32across some of the most dangerous parts of Colombia
0:00:32 > 0:00:35and some of the most beautiful parts of Brazil.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39But right now, I get to witness one of the great wildlife spectacles
0:00:39 > 0:00:42on the planet, here on the Galapagos.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12The final leg of my long trip around the Equator
0:01:12 > 0:01:14took me across Latin America.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's a continent rich in natural resources
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and home to the lungs of the planet,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23but dogged by drugs and civil war.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27I began in the Pacific Ocean, off the South American mainland,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30at an island archipelago straddling the Equator -
0:01:30 > 0:01:34the Galapagos - where I witnessed a spectacular display of wildlife...
0:01:36 > 0:01:38..like nowhere else on Earth.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49It was young Charles Darwin's visit to the Galapagos in 1835
0:01:49 > 0:01:53that ultimately transformed our understanding of evolution
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and put these islands on the map.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Today, I'm being guided around by conservationist Paul,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02who wanted to show me the sea lions,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05some of the very few mammals native to the islands.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10Ah!
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Fantastic!
0:02:13 > 0:02:15That was absolutely extraordinary.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21This is one of those breathtaking sort of moments.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25The seals are swimming and dancing all around us
0:02:25 > 0:02:27as we're under the water.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Scientists regard the Galapagos
0:02:29 > 0:02:32as one of the most precious habitats on Earth,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and the islands are carefully preserved,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37with a whopping 97% of them declared national park
0:02:37 > 0:02:39by the government of Ecuador.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43I just had a wonderful moment then where I was going down
0:02:43 > 0:02:45and a sea lion was coming up,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and he looked quite surprised to see me,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52and it just kicked its tail and just went whoosh, raced out of the way.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57It's just... Extraordinary creatures, they really are.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58What a privilege.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14- The landscape here really is completely otherworldly.- It's stark.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19Millions of years ago, these islands emerged from the Pacific Ocean
0:03:19 > 0:03:21as a result of volcanic activity.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Their isolation has helped keep them unspoiled,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28providing scientists with a portal to the past.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31A quarter of the shore fish, half of the plants,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and almost all of the reptiles are only found here.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40The land iguanas are really the highlight of this island.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- You're tripping over them, almost. - Look at this huge beastie here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- They're all around us.- They're all around us, they're all on the move.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- They don't seem particularly concerned by our presence.- No.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Fearless. Absence of predators,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- absence of humans chasing them and eating them.- He's just so close.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01You're a fearsome-looking creature.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04We have a huge yellow one that's on the move over here,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and we might have a bit of action.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Looks like he's going to chase the other females.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10Ooh!
0:04:11 > 0:04:14He's stopped now cos we've caught him at it!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16They have a hemi-penis.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- A hemi-penis? What is that?- It's almost like a little double penis,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24so it doesn't get too awkward to have to move things around too much,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26you just have one on each side.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- It doesn't mean they can have two lady iguanas at once?- No.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33But it means if one of them goes unserviceable,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35they've got a back-up. Quite nice.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38He's not going to show us his todger, is he?
0:04:38 > 0:04:39No, he doesn't usually.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I'm almost relieved. I'm not sure I want to have any envy
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- in that department.- No, no.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Particularly not from an iguana!
0:04:50 > 0:04:52How come no mammals ever made it here?
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- Do you think they might have done, and couldn't survive?- Well, no.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00The biggest limiting factor to life in Galapagos is the journey across.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04So if you're coming on floating rafts on the ocean current,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- the minimum time it takes to get here is two weeks.- Right.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Two weeks without food or water.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- That's too long in the baking sun for a mammal?- Exactly.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16A mammal cannot live for more than three days without water.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- But reptiles... - Whereas a reptile can.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23And that is the limiting factor to life, terrestrial life on Galapagos.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33Argh!
0:05:33 > 0:05:37That was one of the worst so far.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42'No wonder land mammals had trouble making it across the ocean.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45'As we headed to the capital island,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49'Santa Cruz, we were given a real battering by the Equatorial waters.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55'And my idea of a relaxing four-hour boat trip was disappearing fast.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58'One by one, we all succumbed to seasickness,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'including my producer, Steve.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:02HE GROANS
0:06:05 > 0:06:07"Come to paradise," they said.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09"Have fun," they said.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11"See the animals."
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Hang on - this is what YOU said!
0:06:14 > 0:06:15Argh!
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Visitor numbers to the Galapagos National Park
0:06:21 > 0:06:24have more than doubled during the last decade,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28now reaching 100,000 tourists a year, and bringing in 200m.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But not all the 30,000 inhabitants
0:06:31 > 0:06:35of the islands are benefiting from this influx of cash.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Down at the harbour,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48it's not only the pelicans who are scraping together a living.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Fishermen on the islands claim it's difficult to make a living
0:06:51 > 0:06:55because of fishing quotas imposed by the government,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58who say they are trying to protect fish stocks.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07It didn't look as if any of these fishermen expected
0:07:07 > 0:07:09to make their fortune playing cards,
0:07:09 > 0:07:14so I thought it was safe enough to take my chances among the sharks.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Can we play a game with you? I've got 20.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19LOUD CHATTER, LAUGHTER
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I've got 20!
0:07:21 > 0:07:23- Come on, then. Sit here?- Yeah.- OK.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Are we playing for a lot of money?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30LAUGHTER
0:07:30 > 0:07:33There's no way I'm going to win any money!
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Protect the cards!
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Which one do you think I should put down?- That two.- OK.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48This happens all the time.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51He says you've got the wrong teacher. HE LAUGHS
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I'm a bit flummoxed by this game.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Is this the popular game, Fleece the Tourist?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02LAUGHTER
0:08:09 > 0:08:12While conservationists want to preserve the Galapagos,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15these fishermen just want to make a decent living.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20A growing number are furious about restrictions on their work,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24and say the government cares more for the wildlife than for humans.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27In recent years, the anger boiled over,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and fishermen besieged the prestigious Darwin Research Centre,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34holding scientists and animals hostage.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Jose defends the protest.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42TRANSLATION: All the problems started because there are too many
0:08:42 > 0:08:44conservationists in the park.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Have they stopped you working?
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Not stopped as such, but we have
0:08:48 > 0:08:53a growing problem with sea cucumber fishing that gets worse every year.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Now we are only allowed to fish it for two months of the year,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01and that has caused many problems.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Also, we have been trying to sell our local products,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09mainly fish, internationally,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and we have got the buyers, but they have been clamping down on that.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20The angry fishermen confined
0:09:20 > 0:09:2330 scientists and several rare tortoises to the Darwin Centre
0:09:23 > 0:09:27for four days and refused them any food or supplies.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32You were holding people there,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35almost holding them hostage then, and the tortoises as well?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It took place at the entrance to the park.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44A net barricade was put up by the gate.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46They didn't even try to leave.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50They wouldn't have been able to do so because of the people outside.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52There were ten times more of them.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59That war was not started by fishermen.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01They were the ones who started that war.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09The gang of disgruntled fishermen came here to the Darwin Centre,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11wielding machetes and knives,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and threatened to kill Lonesome George, one of the best-known
0:10:14 > 0:10:16residents of the Galapagos.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21I've come to see Lonesome George,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24who's really perhaps the most famous of the tortoises here.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Oh, there he is! He's huge!
0:10:28 > 0:10:29Hello, George.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35George is an 80-year-old giant saddleback Galapagos tortoise,
0:10:35 > 0:10:36and the last of his kind.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Since 1972, the Darwin Centre has been trying to save his sub-species
0:10:42 > 0:10:44by encouraging him to mate.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48But poor old Lonesome George has always resisted.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51What have you been doing to try and find him a mate?
0:10:55 > 0:11:00- TRANSLATION: - So that he can reproduce, a girl came from Switzerland
0:11:00 > 0:11:02so that the tortoise can learn
0:11:02 > 0:11:05to be friendly with people because he was very timid.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- You're talking about a human? - A human.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14- A human being?- A human Swiss girl, yeah, a scientist.- A scientist.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16And why did he need a friend?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19He needed her to extract his sperm.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21First of all, she started touching
0:11:21 > 0:11:25him in sort of strategic areas and trying to get him excited.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30- So, this scientist had to masturbate this giant tortoise?- Yes, she did.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Just so we're clear about that.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36When the Swiss scientist failed to produce the goods,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39two female tortoises were moved into George's pen.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41But that was more than 14 years ago.
0:11:44 > 0:11:51I'm just on my way to see one of the ladies who George has rejected.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Oh, she's not fantastically attractive from the back,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58but from the front, I'm reliably informed,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01she's a bit of a looker for a tortoise.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05He's the last of his kind.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Aren't you?
0:12:11 > 0:12:16It would be such a shame if his particular sub-species
0:12:16 > 0:12:18was to die out
0:12:18 > 0:12:20along with him.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26The Galapagos are so isolated,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30it's an incredible 600 miles across the Pacific Ocean,
0:12:30 > 0:12:31along the Equator,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36until you finally hit land again - the west coast of Ecuador.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I think this is Karina, who's going to be our guide
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and who's going to take us across Ecuador.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Karina!
0:12:56 > 0:12:58DOG BARKS
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I wanted to stick closely to the Equator,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08so we hired a four-by-four to get us across Ecuador's
0:13:08 > 0:13:09agricultural heartland.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14The population here is a mix of indigenous tribes,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17descendants of African slaves and of Spanish colonisers.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22A full 70% of the 14 million people live below the poverty line.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29My foot is right down.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Straight through it.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36ENGINE REVS
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Go, go, go, go, go, go!
0:13:41 > 0:13:43- Go, go!- Ow!
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Sounds like the engine's going to explode.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- Go, go, go!- Oh...
0:14:04 > 0:14:07OK, we're stuck.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Oh, dear.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Oh, and it's so sticky.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13KARINA LAUGHS
0:14:13 > 0:14:18So, now we sort of know how difficult it's going to be...
0:14:18 > 0:14:21to travel along the Equator.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26There's the town. I can see the town.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'We managed to free ourselves from the mud,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33'but that was the easy bit.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Oh, no!
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Argh!
0:14:44 > 0:14:48There's no way we're going to get across there.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Argh!- What do you think?
0:14:57 > 0:15:02It's very frustrating, cos we've just driven a hell of a long way.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09THEY SPEAK IN SPANISH
0:15:10 > 0:15:13He does not recommend us to cross,
0:15:13 > 0:15:18- because if the car turns off, the river will take us.- Really?- Yeah.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22He has people that can push us.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Push us? Oh, that's very kind.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28OK, I think we should try and drive across, then.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39These guys, the villagers, are very kindly standing in the water.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42They are going to guide our car across,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44which means I've gotta drive through the river,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- which I'm a little bit nervous about, to be honest.- OK!
0:15:48 > 0:15:49- OK!- OK!
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'I was hoping to make it across, and stay dry.'
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Oh...
0:16:02 > 0:16:05I can feel the water.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Gracias!
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Aye, aye, aye.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12OK, we're having trouble now.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16OK, OK. Ah, we're drifting.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18SHOUTING
0:16:21 > 0:16:23KARINA: Bravo!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Yes!
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Gracias! Everybody who's wet gets a beer, I think.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- These guys deserve lots of beers. - OK.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Beers all around.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Hey!
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Does anybody else need a beer?
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Due to a major fault line that cuts across the Equator,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Ecuador has one of the greatest densities of volcanoes in the world.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Its Avenue Of The Volcanoes is a stunning 325km-long valley.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Tucked away, right in the middle of these volcanoes, lies Quito,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13the world's second-highest capital city.
0:17:16 > 0:17:211.8 million people, surrounded by several active volcanoes.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Experts say they are expecting a huge eruption,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32but no-one seems to be taking any notice.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50We set off from Quito to climb the volcano Pichincha,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54the closest volcano to the city, and the most threatening.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Pichincha has erupted at least 25 times.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04The worst eruption was in 1660,
0:18:04 > 0:18:10when more than 25cm of ash and volcanic rock covered the capital.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16We'd arranged to meet Theo,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19a volcanologist on a mission to save Quito.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- Hi, Simon.- Theo.- Hi, Theo. Here's Simon.- Hiya.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- How are you?- Nice to meet you.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29You look as though you've got properly togged up there.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32We're regularly up here, we know what to do.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41In 1993, two volcanologists were killed climbing Pichincha.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45They were working at the crater mouth
0:18:45 > 0:18:47when Pichincha suddenly erupted,
0:18:47 > 0:18:52hurling out steam and ash, killing the two scientists instantly.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Theo was taking me to the very same crater.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01We just take it...
0:19:01 > 0:19:02nice and slow.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12Is there any connection between the Equator, the actual line,
0:19:12 > 0:19:13the Equatorial line,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- and all these volcanoes? - I would say yes.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19All those volcanoes which are bordering us are the result
0:19:19 > 0:19:21of this chain of volcanoes,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24which were born or formed at the Galapagos.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Now, those volcanoes, they move toward the South America continent.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31There is a connection. You cannot deny this.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34A person denying this must be religious,
0:19:34 > 0:19:35with no idea from science.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Is anybody listening to you when you're warning about this?
0:19:39 > 0:19:41People live there, they say,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45"I always lived here. Nothing happened the last 30 years.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48"Oh, nothing big." They just want to forget, to ignore the danger.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But I say, " No, this is stupid."
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Craziness?- Craziness, exactly.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55The threat is there, it's out there.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06'We climbed nearly 5km into the clouds,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09'more than halfway up Everest.'
0:20:09 > 0:20:11HE PANTS
0:20:11 > 0:20:14'The altitude left me breathless and exhausted.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:18We're on top of the world.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Oh, it's knackering up here.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28You've got to be a mountain goat to go up here.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Theo, promise me we're nearly there.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Theo, we've made it!
0:20:46 > 0:20:49We can't see down into the crater.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52The weather is absolutely terrible.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00You've brought me to the top of the world.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02I'm absolutely shattered.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07'The mouth of the crater, where the two scientists had met their end,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'might seem a dangerous place to stop for a picnic,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13'but Theo had brought some artichoke hearts.' Mmm!
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Cheers!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21I think it's time to go down.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29We continued east towards Colombia,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33intending to cross the border on the Putumayo River, near the Equator.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37But our travel plans were scuppered by the Colombian authorities,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41who forced us to make an annoying detour north, away from the Equator,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45to Ipiales, where there is a heavily controlled immigration point.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53The word "Colombia" is just synonymous with assassinations
0:21:53 > 0:21:54and death squads and murder
0:21:54 > 0:21:59and cocaine and drugs and killings and kidnapping of Westerners.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Welcome to Colombia.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11- Hi, Simon.- Nice to meet you.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16'My Colombian guide, Juan Pablo met me in Puerto Asis,'
0:22:16 > 0:22:18a jungle town on my route south,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21as I tried to get back onto the Equator.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Puerto Asis is the heart of the multi-billion-pound
0:22:24 > 0:22:25cocaine industry.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Government forces have militarised the town in an attempt
0:22:36 > 0:22:38to recapture this entire region
0:22:38 > 0:22:41from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - FARC -
0:22:41 > 0:22:43left-wing guerrilla rebels
0:22:43 > 0:22:47who have been at war with the state since the 1960s.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54How safe is it in the town where we are now, for foreigners?
0:22:54 > 0:23:00Yeah, I mean the town is a little bit difficult for everybody.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Difficult? What does that mean?!
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Very, very dangerous.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'Getting back onto the Equator
0:23:11 > 0:23:15'would take us through one of the most dangerous regions of Colombia,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19'where the army regularly battles with FARC guerrillas.'
0:23:21 > 0:23:24HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:23:29 > 0:23:32To secure safe passage south,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35we needed the help of the local Army commander,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Lieutenant Colonel Quintero, a man whose battles with FARC
0:23:39 > 0:23:41have left him with a hefty price on his head.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47What we didn't expect was that the colonel would insist
0:23:47 > 0:23:51on personally escorting us, along with his armed bodyguards.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01I'd just hitched a ride with one of the FARC's most-wanted men.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I know you've got a bounty on your head.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Do you know how much money FARC is offering for you,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and what are the chances of you getting attacked?
0:24:14 > 0:24:18TRANSLATION: FARC have offered a lot of money, but they can't stop me.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20We die the day we're meant to.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Despite assurances from the colonel that the army was now in control,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35dozens of soldiers had been killed in recent battles,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and FARC were still launching attacks,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40in this case, bombing the town's oil supply.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44OK, it's formed this sort of lake of just oily water.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Why do you think they attacked the pipeline?
0:24:48 > 0:24:52TRANSLATION: They want to punish the civilian population
0:24:52 > 0:24:54because they support the state,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56the government, the army.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01They always attack the civilian population.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03We are here to protect defenceless civilians.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17God, I mean it just looks like we're part of the bloody army,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20doesn't it, now? This is exactly what we didn't want.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23We wanted to keep away from the military if we could.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26We're now connected with the military,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and that makes us a much more inviting target.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38Behind the camera, there's about 15 soldiers following us.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- We need to get out of here. - Let's go.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49'We decided it'd be safer to leave the colonel
0:25:49 > 0:25:54'and his bodyguards behind, and continue south on our own.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58'This stretch of the road sees regular FARC activity,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'and I didn't want to be caught up in any crossfire.'
0:26:10 > 0:26:14We only got a few hundred metres outside town
0:26:14 > 0:26:18and we've just been pulled over by a few of the Colombian army soldiers.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I heard the word "gringo" there.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39The FARC is very eager to kidnap gringos,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41or to see if they can get some...
0:26:41 > 0:26:45I hate that word "kidnap"! I hate that word.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48This is what life is like here, for the people who live here.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Constant checkpoint, conflict,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53two sides battling against each other.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54For the locals,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58they just want to get on with their lives and pass through.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Later that day, we reached the unnervingly quiet town of Teteye,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13which had been attacked and captured several times
0:27:13 > 0:27:15by one side, and then the other.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The population has dwindled to a few dozen.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33This is the president of the town.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38He's just come and found us, he's come straight from his fields.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Why has everybody left?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48TRANSLATION: They were afraid,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52because sometimes there is conflict between the two sides.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They came here and cautioned them...
0:28:00 > 0:28:01..then killed them.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Shot them in the head.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And who did this?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11TRANSLATION: It was the army.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23The army came here and started to ask, "Where are the guerrillas?"
0:28:26 > 0:28:30But people don't have anything to do with the guerrillas,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33so they don't give the army any information.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47'Colonel Quintero had insisted the army was protecting civilians,
0:28:47 > 0:28:51'but if what the president of this town says is true,
0:28:51 > 0:28:55'it's clear the people of Colombia suffer, whoever's in charge.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59'In the decades of fighting between the army, right-wing paramilitaries
0:28:59 > 0:29:02'and the FARC, tens of thousands have died
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'and millions have been forced to leave their homes.'
0:29:16 > 0:29:19We travelled deeper into south-east Colombia,
0:29:19 > 0:29:25finally joining the Putumayo river, and heading towards the Equator,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27now just a few kilometres ahead.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33This is beautiful!
0:29:38 > 0:29:40'Entering La Paya National Park,
0:29:40 > 0:29:45'we hitched a ride with head gamekeeper Carlos.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48'Hundreds of bird species thrive here at the western edge
0:29:48 > 0:29:49'of the Amazon Basin.'
0:29:56 > 0:29:59The Equatorial line cuts right through your park,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02but we're in southern Colombia,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05which doesn't really attract many tourists.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Do you get many visitors, many foreigners or tourists coming here?
0:30:09 > 0:30:13TRANSLATION: In Colombia, as in the rest of the world, when people hear
0:30:13 > 0:30:15the name Putumayo, they reject it.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18They are scared of coming here.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23But the conflict is not as bad here as it is elsewhere in the region.
0:30:35 > 0:30:4114, 11, eight, five, two, one - we've just crossed the Equator.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45We've just crossed! Congratulations!
0:30:47 > 0:30:49This is the centre of the world.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Amazing!
0:30:52 > 0:30:55I think we should try and land and set up camp.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- Looks like there's no food.- What?
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Looks like there's no food.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06'It seems we'd inadvertently omitted
0:31:06 > 0:31:10'to bring some rather essential items of our jungle inventory.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:12We really haven't got any food.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14'Namely, our dinner.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18'Apart from a bit of rice, which wouldn't feed us all.'
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Everybody on our team is now going to pitch in
0:31:20 > 0:31:23to try and find us some food,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27because otherwise our stomachs are going to be rumbling all night.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31'Like all good cameramen, ours had come well prepared.'
0:31:31 > 0:31:33What's that you've got?
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Rum. It's good.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41BOAT CLANKS
0:31:42 > 0:31:43Yes.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Ah, jinks!
0:31:57 > 0:31:59OK, OK.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00What is that?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02A tarantula!
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Ahhhh... Let's get serious, though. Don't get so close to it!
0:32:06 > 0:32:08It's not going to jump to your face.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15That's a small one, but there must be mummy round here.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Did Simon come back?
0:32:19 > 0:32:22These are desperate times. Every man for himself.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Tsk, tsk.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29You shouldn't make any noise, there's an alligator there.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38I'm starting to find the Colombian jungle
0:32:38 > 0:32:39a slightly dangerous place to be.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42We have to be quiet because there's an alligator in front of us.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48THUMP ON BOAT
0:32:49 > 0:32:50MORE THUMPS
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Life on the Equator, who would have thought it could be such fun(?)
0:32:59 > 0:33:03There's only one way to deal with this situation.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09It's the only option.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16'It was looking as if we'd have to resort to a liquid diet,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18'when we got lucky with a catch.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21'Well, our Colombian fisherman friend did.'
0:33:22 > 0:33:25There is a fish. The man has a fish.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Look at the teeth on it.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31That is not going to feed eight people.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Can you go out and catch another 20 of them?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Oh, wow, is this for us?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47'Carlos cooked us a jungle feast with our rice, and the few fish.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52'We weren't to know this would be our last hot meal for a few days,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56'as the next morning we were going in search of a remote tribe
0:33:56 > 0:33:59'who we'd been told had a sacred monument to the centre of the world.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04'All I had to do now was negotiate my hammock.'
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Oh, please hold.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08Ah.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Aaah!
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Goodnight, everybody.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25I'll have breakfast at nine, please.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45'We chartered a small plane from a nearby jungle airstrip,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49'and headed to one of the remotest parts of the Colombian Amazon.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Just crossed the Equator,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01we're now going to head east directly along it.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13Beneath us now is an awful lot of jungle but not many villages.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17But there is one at a place called Pacoa which we're heading to now
0:35:17 > 0:35:20where they have a monument signifying that they're at
0:35:20 > 0:35:21the centre of the world.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44That was perfect!
0:35:54 > 0:35:59'The tribe at Piedra Ni live 15 days by boat from the nearest town.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03'And hadn't had a foreign visitor for more than 20 years.'
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Hola. Buenos.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11I'm not sure they see many foreign film crews here,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14or if they see any foreigners at all.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Look at this.
0:36:20 > 0:36:26'We stumbled into the main hall, clearly the heart of the community.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33'The children certainly seemed pleased to see us.'
0:36:35 > 0:36:38What is this? Show the camera this.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43'But the village shaman wasn't very happy about our arrival.'
0:36:46 > 0:36:49We were told to stop filming. You need to get permission first
0:36:49 > 0:36:52from the village elders who are just behind me,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56so we've just had a very long meeting and, quite frankly, very
0:36:56 > 0:36:59tense negotiations and discussions
0:36:59 > 0:37:02with really most of the village.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Everybody's had a say, it's been democracy in action, really.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10But ultimately they've agreed that we can film.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13We're going to go through some sort of initiation ceremony,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17and then we'll be allowed hopefully to visit their sacred memorial
0:37:17 > 0:37:18to the centre of the world.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30PANPIPE IS PLAYED
0:37:49 > 0:37:51This really is an extraordinary sight.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05LAUGHTER
0:38:43 > 0:38:45What is the purpose of the ceremony?
0:38:46 > 0:38:51TRANSLATION: It is performed on very special occasions, seasons of the year.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Because of the rain, the weather,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57because of these things, we perform the ceremony.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09What I really love is how inclusive it is.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12That's how they try and keep their culture alive.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15By getting the young and the teenagers involved now.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19They'll know these dances hopefully for the rest of their lives.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43Early next morning, some of the elders from this 160-strong tribe
0:39:43 > 0:39:45took us to their sacred place.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51TRANSLATION: It's just over there.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52We'll soon be looking at it.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57So we're nearly there?
0:39:57 > 0:40:00TRANSLATION: All these places here are sacred.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05It's hard to know what to expect,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09because obviously for us it's been built up into something huge
0:40:09 > 0:40:12and hugely significant and imbued with huge meaning.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16And certainly for the people who live here it does seem
0:40:16 > 0:40:18to be the real focus of their lives.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29After we've travelled such a long way,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31it's very exciting to finally see it.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44To the people around here, this is absolutely the very essence
0:40:44 > 0:40:47of what it means to live here and to be part of their tribe.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06TRANSLATION: He is saying that the first figure represents the God.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09It is the sun that is illuminating us now.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14Because it is the one that holds the life of all the indigenous people.
0:41:22 > 0:41:23It's extraordinary to think
0:41:23 > 0:41:27that tribes around here have worshipped this and venerated it
0:41:27 > 0:41:31as being the centre of the world for many decades,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34and now modern science is able to confirm for them
0:41:34 > 0:41:37that it really does lie at the actual centre of the planet.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48How long it's going to take?
0:41:48 > 0:41:52They want to know, because they don't want to spend too much time.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57For some reason, the villagers were unhappy about the amount of time
0:41:57 > 0:42:00we were spending looking at the monument.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Why don't you like looking at the monument?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11TRANSLATION: This is the sun, and that is why we cannot look up.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19Just as we can't look directly at the sun, we can't look directly at that,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22as we'll lose our sight.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36I don't know quite how their monument to the centre of the world
0:42:36 > 0:42:38came to be on the Equator, but it had been a privilege
0:42:38 > 0:42:42to have spent time with the tribe and witnessed their ceremonies.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Ciao.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53We crossed into Brazil through the back door, on the Uaupes River,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55just north of the Equator.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11There's a Brazilian military checkpoint over there
0:43:11 > 0:43:14that we need to stop at. They're not pleased at the fact that
0:43:14 > 0:43:16we're crossing the river at this point,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18because there's no immigration point here.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22So whether they're going to let us go, we're not entirely sure.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Fingers crossed again.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Our somewhat cavalier attitude to border controls
0:43:30 > 0:43:32was making our Brazilian guide Augusto a little uneasy.
0:43:34 > 0:43:35Can you stop filming now?
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- Why?- Military.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Cos what?
0:43:39 > 0:43:41Military.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43We've landed in Brazil.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46So this is the commander coming down now to see us.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52- Passport number? - No, your father name.
0:43:52 > 0:43:53I think we're doing OK.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56They're going to let us go and I think we're going to be all right.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58They're not cross or angry.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00"You're crossing here? Nobody crosses here!"
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Can we stop now?
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Very slow, very slow.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12Stop, stop.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19Equator! Zero, zero, we've just crossed from one to the other.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22We're crossing an imaginary line but it's still quite exciting in a way.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25We're going from one side of the planet to the other.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Oh!
0:44:35 > 0:44:37Hey, Simon - come on.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41Many piranha, alligator, anaconda...
0:44:43 > 0:44:44..big monster.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47What sort of big monsters?
0:44:47 > 0:44:49The only big monster there is you!
0:44:54 > 0:44:58- Come on, Simon, swim.- Hold on, he's got some valuables.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01I've got my passport in my pocket, for crying out loud!
0:45:03 > 0:45:07It does feel quite special, swimming on the Equator,
0:45:07 > 0:45:10even though something did just brush my ankle,
0:45:10 > 0:45:13and I've already been warned about snakes and piranhas.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17We're swimming on the Equator,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19along the Equator.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21East is this way.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22Come on!
0:45:30 > 0:45:35The Uaupes River runs directly along the Equator for 200km,
0:45:35 > 0:45:39before joining the River Negro, deep in the Amazon rainforest.
0:45:39 > 0:45:4435,000 Indians from 23 different tribes populate the riverbanks
0:45:44 > 0:45:46along the Uaupes and Negro rivers,
0:45:46 > 0:45:50and they could do with some serious help to protect and preserve
0:45:50 > 0:45:52their fast-disappearing way of life.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59This is the first community of people we've seen actually living
0:45:59 > 0:46:01on the Equator. It's now 12.17.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Feel a bit cheeky just turning up in their village.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06The community here is very quiet.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10I wonder if there's anybody in.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21Unfortunately for us, there doesn't seem to be anybody here.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29'Finally, a young woman appeared from one of the houses.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32'She seemed to have been left behind.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35'Thankfully, she didn't mind a few prying questions.'
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Sorry to be so cheeky but can I ask, are you married?
0:46:38 > 0:46:39Do you have children?
0:46:39 > 0:46:41HE TRANSLATES
0:46:49 > 0:46:52She has one son and she gave birth one week ago.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54One week ago!
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Ah, congratulations!
0:46:56 > 0:46:58That's incredible!
0:46:58 > 0:47:01So she's 17 years old.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03So she's not married.
0:47:03 > 0:47:09Do you think it will be hard for you to live as a single mother out here?
0:47:09 > 0:47:11TRANSLATION: I think it is difficult,
0:47:11 > 0:47:15because he doesn't have his father here, he's in Sao Gabriel.
0:47:18 > 0:47:19It is difficult as a mother -
0:47:19 > 0:47:22you don't have the means to support your child.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Are many of the adults in the village working in Sao Gabriel?
0:47:29 > 0:47:31TRANSLATION: From here there are nine.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Nearly half of the village's men
0:47:38 > 0:47:42had been drawn up the river to the jungle town of Sao Gabriel,
0:47:42 > 0:47:43in search of work.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47And this looks like Sao Gabriel.
0:47:52 > 0:47:57- The bars are open and going strong.- Yeah.
0:47:57 > 0:47:5810.30am.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05'Along the Uaupes and Negro rivers,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08'and throughout the indigenous communities,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10'alcohol is banned by federal law,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13'but visitors to Sao Gabriel can enjoy all the usual benefits
0:48:13 > 0:48:15'of 24-hour drinking.'
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Here's to travelling.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27'After several days travelling down river through the rainforest,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29a cold beer was a welcome sight.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32'And I wasn't the only person who thought so.'
0:48:39 > 0:48:41Are you waiting for a boat?
0:48:41 > 0:48:45TRANSLATION: My boat is about to leave, but I don't want to go yet.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46I want another drink.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Are they waiting for you?
0:48:54 > 0:48:57I'm already drunk.
0:48:57 > 0:48:58- You're already drunk?- Yeah.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01You're even more of a lightweight than me!
0:49:01 > 0:49:03You've had about that much.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07- I couldn't have one, actually. - You're falling off the table.
0:49:07 > 0:49:08Yes, I'm a bit "oooh"!
0:49:08 > 0:49:11'Before the advent of 24-hour drinking,
0:49:11 > 0:49:15'indigenous communities drank heavily, but only once or twice
0:49:15 > 0:49:18'a year at special ceremonies.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20'I met Domingo, the president of FOIRN,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23'which campaigns for the indigenous community.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27'He fears this constant availability of alcohol has spelt disaster
0:49:27 > 0:49:29'for the indigenous tribes.'
0:49:31 > 0:49:34TRANSLATION: Their biggest dream is to be in this city, with a job,
0:49:34 > 0:49:38and a good standard of living. But when they arrive here they don't
0:49:38 > 0:49:40find the dream that they had when they were in their communities.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44That doesn't exist.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52So the indigenous people end up destroying themselves.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57So many indigenous families are destroying themselves with alcohol.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Little by little, the culture is forgotten.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12Life here in Sao Gabriel has no dignity.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20When you encourage the indigenous people to leave
0:50:20 > 0:50:22their ancestral homes
0:50:22 > 0:50:25where they've lived for generations, and come to a town like this...
0:50:25 > 0:50:27HE SLURS HIS WORDS
0:50:27 > 0:50:31..and when you promise them or offer them jobs and education and health
0:50:31 > 0:50:32care and then when they come here
0:50:32 > 0:50:35and they find that there's very few jobs... You OK?
0:50:35 > 0:50:39- Ah?- ..Very little health care and the education is quite expensive,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42it's hardly a wonder they get depressed.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Although, he's not very depressed, he's quite happily drunk.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48And then you throw 24-hour drinking into the mix,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50they're going to turn to the bottle.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53As you have, haven't you? You've turned to the bottle.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Nao falo Portuguese.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02I don't speak Portuguese at all.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20Leaving Sao Gabriel, we flew east across the Amazon rainforest.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23On the Equator, the forest remains largely untouched,
0:51:23 > 0:51:24due to its remoteness,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28but farmers and loggers are slowly encroaching from the south.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Finally, we approached Brazil's east coast,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36where the many tributaries of the mighty Amazon
0:51:36 > 0:51:38lead to the Atlantic Ocean.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55'The final leg of my Equatorial adventure took me towards
0:51:55 > 0:51:57'the mouth of the Araguari river.'
0:52:01 > 0:52:05On this river, when the moon and tides are aligned,
0:52:05 > 0:52:09a natural phenomenon occurs pushing a massive wave back up the river.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13The Pororoca is the longest wave in the world.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19A wave which will be attempted to be surfed, by the daring,
0:52:19 > 0:52:22the foolhardy...
0:52:22 > 0:52:23and me.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31I'm very interested and excited about this landing
0:52:31 > 0:52:33because I've never surfed.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Why is the Pororoca here on the Amazon Basin,
0:52:36 > 0:52:38on the Equator, so special?
0:52:40 > 0:52:43TRANSLATION: Surfers come from all over the world.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47On the sea, a wave will last a maximum of 15 seconds.
0:52:48 > 0:52:54With the Pororoca wave, you can surf for about 30 minutes.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58That's why it's considered the longest wave in the world.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04So there are risks involved in surfing the Pororoca, then?
0:53:07 > 0:53:10The risks are that the boat could roll over or the surfer
0:53:10 > 0:53:13could hit something with the board.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17There is the chance of all kinds of animals coming along.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21The biggest danger would be the arraias.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Their poison is so powerful that it gives you many hours of pain,
0:53:25 > 0:53:29and can even make your whole leg paralysed.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46'It was more than a little unnerving watching an experienced surfer
0:53:46 > 0:53:48'like Ejiman prepare for the worst.'
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Ejiman, are you excited about surfing the wave?
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Hold tight.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23There's quite enough waves already!
0:54:29 > 0:54:32He says that it's possible to see on the horizon...
0:54:34 > 0:54:36..a volume of water coming.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Well, I can't see it.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44I think I can.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49There was a slight change on the horizon.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58OK, maybe now it's not quite so slight.
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Bloody hell!
0:55:12 > 0:55:17This has to be the most incredible natural phenomenon I've ever seen,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20this boiling, seething mass of water.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24It really feels like we're being chased by wild horses,
0:55:24 > 0:55:27clawing their way down the river or up the river.
0:55:31 > 0:55:32You're not going to get us!
0:55:38 > 0:55:40OK, it's going to kick now.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51I'm clinging on for dear life.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54But this is what we're going to have to do.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00He seems to have vanished into the wave.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04I'm sure he's OK because he's one of those lunatics who always survives.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Stand, mate! Go on, stand up.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14He's up, he's up!
0:56:20 > 0:56:21He's done it!
0:56:28 > 0:56:30What a dude.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Oh, now he's off, he's off, argh!
0:56:39 > 0:56:43- I'm going to rescue him over there. - We've got to rescue both of them.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50I'm about to jump in the wave
0:56:50 > 0:56:53to try and rescue Stanley.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Aggh!
0:56:59 > 0:57:00Aaaah!
0:57:03 > 0:57:05That was absolutely amazing.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08Stanley!
0:57:08 > 0:57:10You lunatic!
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Well done! Now it's our turn.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- Personally I haven't got a clue what to do.- Hold tight.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31What's the Brazilian for "man overboard" and "drowning"?
0:57:39 > 0:57:41We didn't do very well.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44In fact, we were pretty hopeless, weren't we?
0:57:46 > 0:57:48We felt its force.
0:57:51 > 0:57:56'My journey around the entire planet was finally at an end.
0:57:56 > 0:58:02'25,000 miles, eight countries, wars, floods, and killer diseases.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05'Quite frankly, I was exhausted.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09'But the Equator had one final, unexpected thrill
0:58:09 > 0:58:11'left in store for us.'
0:58:16 > 0:58:20We forgot the Pororoca happens twice a day!
0:58:20 > 0:58:23And it's happening now in the night-time. Whoa!
0:58:23 > 0:58:25Stanley's gone overboard.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29Stanley's mattress. His mattress has gone overboard.
0:58:29 > 0:58:32Aagh! Just stood on some glass.
0:58:38 > 0:58:41- What did he say?- I don't know. Do you speak Portuguese?
0:58:41 > 0:58:43The chef was in the shower.
0:58:43 > 0:58:44LAUGHTER
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Didn't anybody think to tell us?!
0:58:49 > 0:58:51Next time, tell us as well!