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Superb cinematography showcases stunning vistas in otherwise inaccessible areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Jamaica in the Central America/Caribbean volume of the Travel the World by Train series. The video also opens a window onto the diverse peoples and cultures one meets along the routes. The footage in Mexico is most impressive. Embarking from the beach colony of Los Mochis on the Gulf of California, the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad climbs the arid Western Sierra Madre Mountains. Viewers accompany thrill-seeking tourists on a wild and wooly ride, ascending 10,000-foot peaks and traversing truly treacherous-looking bridges. Vultures soar in the wind, as though waiting for a snack of fallen passengers. The train stops in a village where smiling mountain tribespeople sell handmade baskets. Next, it passes through breathtaking Copper Canyon--four times bigger than the Grand Canyon. The Mexico City-Yucatan Peninsula route stops at the towering ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. This journey is indeed atmospheric: the sticky air clings to the skin; monkeys jump from tree to tree in the jungle outside. The trip from Guatemala City on the Pacific Ocean to Puerto Barrios on the Atlantic is a market route: antiquated trains on rickety tracks transport adventurous tourists amid Guatemalan families toting livestock. Little separates passengers from the elements: rain sprinkles into the train through glassless windows; the only source of illumination is the conductor's flashlight. Further intoxicating "South of the Border" adventures await viewers of the excursions through Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Cuba. --Laura Mirsky
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