Full Circle with Michael Palin
Encyclopedia
Full Circle with Michael Palin is the title of a 1997 documentary
television series produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Presented by Michael Palin
of Monty Python
fame, Full Circle was one of a series of programmes in which Palin made unusual and interesting trips.
The series documented a 10-month, 50,000 mile (80,000 km) trip taken by Palin and a film crew around the rim of the Pacific Ocean
in 1996 and 1997, beginning on the Diomede Islands
between Alaska
and Russia
in the Bering Strait
. The intent was to make the full anti-clockwise trip around the Pacific Rim
and end up back on the Diomede Islands, but due to rough weather, he was unable to actually set foot back on the Islands again at the end of his journey. He got within 2 miles of completing the full circle. Palin travelled through Russia
, Japan
, South Korea
(they were not allowed to travel very far in North Korea
), China
, Vietnam
, Philippines
, Malaysia, Indonesia
, Australia
, New Zealand
, Chile
, Bolivia
, Peru
, Colombia
, Mexico
, United States
, and Canada
.
Palin also authored a companion book
based upon the series, which was published concurrently with its first broadcast. This book contained both Palin's text and many pictures by Basil Pao
, the stills photographer on the team. Basil Pao also produced a separate book of the photographs he took during the journey, Full Circle - The Photographs
, a large coffee-table style book printed on glossy paper.
The program consists of 10 episodes, each 50 minutes long. Unlike the first two Michael Palin journeys, the episodes were not given names, and are just presented as "Episode One", etc.
at Little Diomede Island
, Alaska
, in hopes of returning there in a year's time. Arriving at Nome
, he visits with a goldpanner on the "Golden Sands of Nome". Next Michael journeys to Kodiak Island
, aiming to catch a flight from the U.S. Coast Guard
to the western island of Attu
. Unfortunately, the plane never arrives; however, he does catch a glimpse of the Kodiak brown bear. Michael and his crew find an alternative: they catch the last Alaska Airlines
flight of the year from Anchorage to Petropavlovsk
in Russia. Arriving on the Kamchatka Peninsula
, he meets his guide Igor Nosov and his assistants. They board a helicopter and observe the Kronotsky Nature Reserve
, which contains some active volcano
es, as well as some reindeer
. Moving on to the city of Magadan
, he visits an old Gulag
camp with a survivor. In Vladivostok
, he observes the once-powerful Pacific Fleet and is given an opportunity to sing with the Pacific Fleet Ensemble.
. He participates in a morning run with drummer hopefuls and then takes his shot at the largest drum. Then it is on to Tokyo, where he meets up with Mayumi Nobetsu, a Japanese
Monty Python
fan. They tour the Asakusa neighborhood where they decide to bet on a horse race. Michael and Mayumi strike gold with a horse named Super License. The two also eat at a restaurant where the specialty is loaches who have been fed sake, the popular Japanese rice wine. Afterwards, they catch a punk rock concert in Yoyogi Park
. Catching the shinkansen
to Fukuyama
, he takes in a Zen Buddhist meditation session at Buttsuji Temple. During the meditation session in the Zendo
, he is struck by a keisaku
, which is used to keep meditators from lulling off to sleep. In Nagasaki, he visits Huis ten Bosch
, a Dutch-themed park set to symbolize old trading ties with the Dutch.
After catching a ferry to Busan
in South Korea
, he meets up with Shin-Na, a journalist in the capital of Seoul
. Shin-Na explains to him that there still exists animosity between Koreans and the Japanese, none more evident than in the fact that most Japanese cultural items are still banned in Korea. The two then witness a rally protesting generals' immunity from prosecution in a bloody massacre
in Gwangju
in the early 1980s. (About 3 months after Michael left Seoul, the generals were prosecuted and imprisoned.) At the South Seoul Marriage Hall, Palin and Shin-Na attend a wedding ceremony. Michael notices that the number of traditional Korean marriages are dwindling. Not too long after, Palin encounters his first roadblock of the journey: North Korea
. He can only go with a group of foreign tourists (no Koreans are allowed) led by one of the Americans stationed at the DMZ
. He then "crosses" the border in the Joint Security Area
at Panmunjeom
into the North; however, he cannot venture much further than that without being shot or arrested. A sad and despondent Michael looks out into North Korea and states that North and South Korea are not really two separate nations, that it is one nation divided against itself.
, Michael checks in to the Welcome Guest House, where Mao Zedong
once spent a month right before the infamous Great Leap Forward
. Michael gets a massage on the streets of Qingdao and then visits a winery in the Laoshan Mountains, where he samples Chinese chardonnay
. He then climbs Taishan Mountain
, one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism
. Catching a train to Shanghai
, he notices how more modern Chinese trains have become since Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
in 1988. Arriving in Shanghai, he discovers a Harvey Nichols
store. Michael also takes time out to dance with one of the locals. He also finds out that the Bund
, the longtime economic heart of the city (even when he last visited), has been usurped by the Pudong
area. Taking an inland route via the Yangtze River
, he views the construction for the Three Gorges Dam
and notes how a lot of area will be submerged after its completion in 2009. In the large town of Chongqing
, he chats with a university graduate over lunch about modern Chinese society. From there, Michael heads south into Guiyang
and then the land of the Miao
people, a Chinese minority. Some people in a Miao village note that Michael is the first Westerner they had ever seen, as well as the fact he has a big nose. From there, he catches a bus to Pingxiang
and Friendship Gate
, on the Vietnamese border.
match in the capital of Hanoi
, although the BBC is not allowed to film because due to the fact it took place on land owned by the Vietnamese military, it was deemed a security risk. Michael also observes the Hanoi Hilton
, an infamous prison for Americans during the Vietnam War
. Catching a train going south to Saigon, he makes a stop in Huế
and the Forbidden Purple City, an old imperial palace. In Da Nang
, Michael relaxes at China Beach
and meets up with a 16-year-old who shows him what is known as the Gateway to Heaven. In Saigon, he tours the Củ Chi tunnels which the Vietnamese military used during all the conflicts within their borders. In nearby Tay Ninh
, he visits a Caodaist cathedral. Then he takes a ferry down to the end of the Mekong River.
In the Philippines
, Michael notices how congested traffic is in the capital of Manila
. He then chats with some women who are going abroad to work in order to support their families. Michael then takes the opportunity to observe the Banaue Rice Terraces
. However, when he gets there, a dense fog prevents him from seeing the terraces, causing frustrated and disbelieving laughter. In Baguio, he witnesses two unique procedures (assisting in one of them) known as "psychic surgery
". In the southern part of the country, Michael gets some scuba diving
lessons and even has a meal underwater. In Zamboanga
, he attends a cockfight
and also judges the Miss La Bella Pacifica beauty pageant. Afterwards, he drives a jeepney
down the streets of the city, waiting for a ferry to take him to Borneo
.
to the northern tip of Borneo. There, he visits an orangutan
rehabilitation center. From there, Michael ventures south to Kuching
in Sarawak
, once ruled by what were known as the White Rajahs
. Then he travels inward to a longhouse where members of the Iban people
reside. He chats with former headhunters
and takes part in a special feast honoring the highest-ranking Iban in the Malaysian government.
Afterwards, he ventures south to the island of Java
in Indonesia
. From the capital Jakarta
, he journeys east with his guide to a tea plantation where he samples tea and helps harvest tea leaves. They then observe a wayang kulit
puppet show. In the cultural hub of Yogyakarta
, they sample some durian
, a notoriously smelly fruit. They then tour the Buddhist
temple at Borobudur
and climb Mount Bromo
. In Surabaya
on the east coast of Java, they encounter their first major transportation issues since Alaska. Being unable to find a boat to take him across the sea to Darwin
, Australia, they settle for one that will take them east on Java, but no further.
, where he catches a truck down to Katherine
. There, he visits a crocodile farm and helps hatch a few eggs. (Palin wanted the camera to focus on the fact he held a baby crocodile in his hands for five seconds.) Nearby, he checks out an animal rehabilitation center. Down to King's Creek, he participates in an exciting camel
hunt which results in Palin actually getting one. Down to Alice Springs, he catches the Ghan train down to Adelaide
, where he participates in the Desperate and Dateless Ball. Then he takes part in a cow race, where he places second. On to Sydney
, he gets a cameo in the popular soap Home and Away
.
On to Auckland
, New Zealand, he catches a train down to the town of Kaikoura
. There he participates in a Māori
acceptance ceremony where he spoke and sang a song he learned at Shrewsbury
. Palin then travels to Mount Cook and Queenstown
for lessons in mountaineering and rafting. He then watches bungee jumping
and chats with A.J. Hackett, who developed the sport. Palin then ventures south to the University of Otago
in Dunedin
, where he is caught in the middle of orientation-week activities. Palin has now reached the halfway point around the Pacific.
, Palin views the end of the continent of South America. He travels through the southern islands of Chile
to the town of Punta Arenas. He renews acquaintances with his guide from Pole to Pole
and the statue of Ferdinand Magellan
with the Indian whose toe he kissed to ensure a safe journey. Venturing through the islands, he views the Torres del Paine National Park
and the grave of an English explorer who committed suicide in the area. At Chiloe Island
, he chats with an American transplant who discusses the possible existence of witches on the island. Then he attends a local barbecue that included dancing and Palin attempting to play the horse's jawbone. North to Santiago
, he observes a memorial to victims of the 1973 coup d'état. Driving through the Atacama Desert
, Palin reaches the highest elevation of his life thus far. At the world's largest copper
mine in Chuquicamata
, Palin does the honors of counting down to the explosion. In the northern town of Arica
, he catches a one-car train to La Paz
in Bolivia
. Things go smoothly until, as they are within striking distance of La Paz, the train has a freakish derailment. After several attempts to get the train back on line, they are successful and eventually reach the Bolivian capital in the black of night.
, Palin visits with reed boat
makers on the shores of Lake Titicaca
. Crossing the border into Peru
, he chats with a lady who hopes to get the Yavari
, a century-old ship, sailing again. On to Cuzco, he arrives in the middle of the Feast of Corpus Christi. He then journeys to the most famous relic of the Inca Empire
: the lost city of Machu Picchu
. As well, he visits a nearby village of Inca descendants. He then catches a train to Quillabamba, and then moves on to Kiteni, where he meets a local pub owner who agrees to go up the Urubamba River
with him. After a day or two consisting of sailing and birdwatching, they reach the canyon of Pongo de Mainique
. Soon thereafter, they stop and set up camp for the night. Palin later states that Pongo de Mainique was his favorite place to travel in the world.
village where the feast of St. John the Baptist is going on. Palin observes a men's and women's intervilage football matches. Then he samples a drink made from the yucca
plant. Back on the Urubamba, Palin eventually makes it to the northern town of Iquitos
. Here, there is a barrio
that contains many shops. Palin visits one where a lady is making cigarettes. He then takes his first puff of a cigarette in a long while. After a little wait, Palin realizes a dream by catching a boat on to the Amazon River
.
Bogotá
, Colombia
, is as Palin put it, "trading one jungle for another." With a guide, he discovers why the Colombian capital is one of the most dangerous places on earth. He learns that most of the trouble stems from the drug trafficking in the country. He then travels down Bullet Street, arguably the most violent street in the city. Here, rocks are thrown at the car Palin and his guide are traveling in. He then offers to take him to lunch; however, his guide declines, stating that the restaurant he is going to is owned by the father of a notorious drug trafficker. Palin, however, continues, and is granted an interview of the restaurant owner, Don Fabio
. Continuing north, he visits an emerald
mine and some of the workers there. Then, it is on to Cartagena
, where he hops on a party bus, celebrating the end of his nine weeks on the South American continent.
, Palin attends a lucha libre
match and listens to a lively mariachi
band. The next day, he observes the darker side of the city, as a graffiti protest is being led by a lucha libre wrestler named Super Barrio. On to a small village outside of Querétaro
, he helps a lady make tortillas. He then catches a bus to the town of Tijuana
, where after observing a house in the shape of a woman, he walks to the United States–Mexico border
, a.k.a. the "Tortilla Curtain". Here he observes "Pollos" attempting to cross without any security noticing. Afterwards, Palin crosses the border legally into San Diego and gets a glimpse of the border from the American perspective.
Venturing north to Los Angeles, he gets a bird's-eye view
of the city from a local news helicopter reporter. He then becomes involved in a breaking story of a plane approaching Van Nuys Airport
landing on the freeway. Driving along the California
coast, he reaches San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge
. He then takes a tour of the notorious Alcatraz prison and chats with two former inmates. Then he visits The Castro, well-known for its homosexual population. Palin's guide introduces him to a local gay policeman and then shows him the place where The NAMES Project
originated in 1987. From San Francisco, he flies to Seattle, where he tests a flight simulator at Boeing
headquarters.
On to Canada, Palin manages to flag down a train near Vancouver
, British Columbia
. In the nearby town of Squamish
, he is the guest of honor at a loggers sports festival, where he takes part in one of the races. Taking a train north through to Prince George
, he realizes that the closer he gets to completing the circle, his transportation options dwindle. He reaches Wales Beach
, the westernmost point on the North American mainland
. However, Little Diomede is still 25 miles away. Then the Coast Guard comes to pick him up and put him on a boat that will attempt to get him there. Unfortunately, the weather does not cooperate, and the Coast Guard abandons the attempt. Even though Palin came up two miles short, he believes, in a way, he did close the circle.
In the DVD interview, Palin noted it was somewhat fitting the circle was not closed, referencing his inability to enter the Reform Club
at the end of ...80 Days and not getting on the 'Agulhas' in Pole to Pole.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Presented by Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
of Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
fame, Full Circle was one of a series of programmes in which Palin made unusual and interesting trips.
The series documented a 10-month, 50,000 mile (80,000 km) trip taken by Palin and a film crew around the rim of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in 1996 and 1997, beginning on the Diomede Islands
Diomede Islands
The Diomede Islands , also known in Russia as Gvozdev Islands , consist of two rocky, tuya-like islands:* The U.S. island of Little Diomede or, in its native language, Ignaluk , and* The Russian island of Big Diomede , also known as Imaqliq,...
between Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
. The intent was to make the full anti-clockwise trip around the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
and end up back on the Diomede Islands, but due to rough weather, he was unable to actually set foot back on the Islands again at the end of his journey. He got within 2 miles of completing the full circle. Palin travelled through Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
(they were not allowed to travel very far in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
), China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Malaysia, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Palin also authored a companion book
Full Circle - Michael Palin
Full Circle is the book that Michael Palin wrote to accompany the BBC TV program Full Circle with Michael Palin.This book, like the other books that Michael Palin wrote following each of his seven trips for the BBC, consists both of his text and of many photographs to illustrate the trip...
based upon the series, which was published concurrently with its first broadcast. This book contained both Palin's text and many pictures by Basil Pao
Basil Pao
Basil Pao Ho-Yun is a Hong Kong-based photographer who is perhaps best known for his work as the stills photographer on the BBC filming teams that made Michael Palin's TV travel programs.-Early career:...
, the stills photographer on the team. Basil Pao also produced a separate book of the photographs he took during the journey, Full Circle - The Photographs
Full Circle - The Photographs
Full Circle - The Photographs is a large coffee-table style book containing pictures taken by Basil Pao, who was the stills photographer on the team that made the Full Circle with Michael Palin TV program for the BBC....
, a large coffee-table style book printed on glossy paper.
Episodes
Episode One: Alaska/Russia
Michael begins his trek around the Pacific RimPacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
at Little Diomede Island
Little Diomede Island
Little Diomede Island is an island of Alaska, United States. It is the smaller of the two Diomede Islands located in the middle of the Bering Strait between the Alaska mainland and Siberia...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, in hopes of returning there in a year's time. Arriving at Nome
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
, he visits with a goldpanner on the "Golden Sands of Nome". Next Michael journeys to Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
, aiming to catch a flight from the U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
to the western island of Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
. Unfortunately, the plane never arrives; however, he does catch a glimpse of the Kodiak brown bear. Michael and his crew find an alternative: they catch the last Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
flight of the year from Anchorage to Petropavlovsk
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the main city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Population: .-History:It was founded by Danish navigator Vitus Bering, in the service of the Russian Navy...
in Russia. Arriving on the Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
, he meets his guide Igor Nosov and his assistants. They board a helicopter and observe the Kronotsky Nature Reserve
Kronotsky Nature Reserve
Kronotsky Nature Reserve is a nature area reserved for the study of natural sciences in the remote Russian Far East, on the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It was created in 1934 and its current boundary contains an area of...
, which contains some active volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es, as well as some reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
. Moving on to the city of Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
, he visits an old Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
camp with a survivor. In Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, he observes the once-powerful Pacific Fleet and is given an opportunity to sing with the Pacific Fleet Ensemble.
Episode Two: Japan/Korea
Michael begins his time in Japan at Sado Island, where he meets the famous Kodō drummersKodo (taiko group)
is a professional taiko drumming troupe. Based on Sado Island, Japan, they have had a role in popularizing taiko drumming, both in Japan and abroad...
. He participates in a morning run with drummer hopefuls and then takes his shot at the largest drum. Then it is on to Tokyo, where he meets up with Mayumi Nobetsu, a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
fan. They tour the Asakusa neighborhood where they decide to bet on a horse race. Michael and Mayumi strike gold with a horse named Super License. The two also eat at a restaurant where the specialty is loaches who have been fed sake, the popular Japanese rice wine. Afterwards, they catch a punk rock concert in Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park
is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, Japan located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Shibuya.What is now Yoyogi Park was the site of the first successful powered aircraft flight in Japan, on December 19, 1910, by Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa, after which it became an army parade ground...
. Catching the shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
to Fukuyama
Fukuyama
-Places:*Fukuyama, Hiroshima, a city in Japan*Fukuyama, Kagoshima, a former town in Japan, now part of Kirishima city*Fukuyama, Japanese word for Mount Fuji, meaning "mountain of wind"-People:*Francis Fukuyama, an American philosopher and political economist...
, he takes in a Zen Buddhist meditation session at Buttsuji Temple. During the meditation session in the Zendo
Zendo
or is a Japanese term translating roughly as "meditation hall". In Zen Buddhism, the zen-dō is a spiritual dōjō where zazen is practiced...
, he is struck by a keisaku
Keisaku
In Zen Buddhism, the keisaku is a flat wooden stick or slat used during periods of meditation to remedy sleepiness or lapses of concentration...
, which is used to keep meditators from lulling off to sleep. In Nagasaki, he visits Huis ten Bosch
Huis Ten Bosch (theme park)
is a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture that recreates the Netherlands by displaying real size copies of old Dutch buildings. The name Huis Ten Bosch literally translates into English as "House in the Forest"...
, a Dutch-themed park set to symbolize old trading ties with the Dutch.
After catching a ferry to Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, he meets up with Shin-Na, a journalist in the capital of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. Shin-Na explains to him that there still exists animosity between Koreans and the Japanese, none more evident than in the fact that most Japanese cultural items are still banned in Korea. The two then witness a rally protesting generals' immunity from prosecution in a bloody massacre
Gwangju massacre
The Gwangju Democratization Movement refers to a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. During this period, citizens rose up against Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship and took control of the city...
in Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
in the early 1980s. (About 3 months after Michael left Seoul, the generals were prosecuted and imprisoned.) At the South Seoul Marriage Hall, Palin and Shin-Na attend a wedding ceremony. Michael notices that the number of traditional Korean marriages are dwindling. Not too long after, Palin encounters his first roadblock of the journey: North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. He can only go with a group of foreign tourists (no Koreans are allowed) led by one of the Americans stationed at the DMZ
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
. He then "crosses" the border in the Joint Security Area
Joint Security Area
The Joint Security Area is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone where South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face. It is often called the "Truce Village" in both the media and various military accounts...
at Panmunjeom
Panmunjeom
Panmunjom, located in Gyeonggi Province, is a village on the de facto border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War was signed. The building where the armistice was signed still stands, though it is on the northern side of the Military...
into the North; however, he cannot venture much further than that without being shot or arrested. A sad and despondent Michael looks out into North Korea and states that North and South Korea are not really two separate nations, that it is one nation divided against itself.
Episode Three: China
Arriving in China at the port city of QingdaoQingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, Michael checks in to the Welcome Guest House, where Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
once spent a month right before the infamous Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...
. Michael gets a massage on the streets of Qingdao and then visits a winery in the Laoshan Mountains, where he samples Chinese chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
. He then climbs Taishan Mountain
Mount Tai
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as tall, but is described by the PRC government as .Mount Tai is one of the...
, one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism
Sacred Mountains of China
The Sacred Mountains of China are divided into two groups, one associated with Taoism and the other with Buddhism. The group associated with Taoism is known as the Five Great Mountains , whereas the group associated with Buddhism is referred to as the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism .The sacred...
. Catching a train to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, he notices how more modern Chinese trains have become since Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
Around the World in 80 Days is a BBC television travel series first broadcast in 1989. It was presented by comedian and actor Michael Palin. The show was inspired by Jules Verne's classic novel Around the World in Eighty Days, in which a character named Phileas Fogg accepts a wager to...
in 1988. Arriving in Shanghai, he discovers a Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
store. Michael also takes time out to dance with one of the locals. He also finds out that the Bund
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
, the longtime economic heart of the city (even when he last visited), has been usurped by the Pudong
Pudong
Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial...
area. Taking an inland route via the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, he views the construction for the Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
and notes how a lot of area will be submerged after its completion in 2009. In the large town of Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, he chats with a university graduate over lunch about modern Chinese society. From there, Michael heads south into Guiyang
Guiyang
Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters...
and then the land of the Miao
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
people, a Chinese minority. Some people in a Miao village note that Michael is the first Westerner they had ever seen, as well as the fact he has a big nose. From there, he catches a bus to Pingxiang
Pingxiang, Guangxi
Pingxiang is a county-level city in the municipal region of Chongzuo in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Situation:The city covers an area of 650 km²...
and Friendship Gate
Friendship Gate
Friendship Pass Friendship Pass Friendship Pass (Chinese:友谊关,formerly 镇南关, Vietnamese: Hữu Nghị Quan, formerly Ải Nam Quan (both the present Vietnamese and Chinese names mean Friendship Pass) is a pass in the border between the China’s Guangxi and Vietnam’s Lang Son Province...
, on the Vietnamese border.
Episode Four: Vietnam/Philippines
Michael arrives in Vietnam at a time when it is reintroducing itself to the global stage, via a process called Đổi mới ("new thinking"). He also observes a local cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match in the capital of Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, although the BBC is not allowed to film because due to the fact it took place on land owned by the Vietnamese military, it was deemed a security risk. Michael also observes the Hanoi Hilton
Hanoi Hilton
Hỏa Lò Prison, later sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War....
, an infamous prison for Americans during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Catching a train going south to Saigon, he makes a stop in Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
and the Forbidden Purple City, an old imperial palace. In Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, Michael relaxes at China Beach
China Beach
China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans...
and meets up with a 16-year-old who shows him what is known as the Gateway to Heaven. In Saigon, he tours the Củ Chi tunnels which the Vietnamese military used during all the conflicts within their borders. In nearby Tay Ninh
Tay Ninh
Tây Ninh is a town in southwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Tay Ninh province, which encompasses the town and much of the surrounding farmland....
, he visits a Caodaist cathedral. Then he takes a ferry down to the end of the Mekong River.
In the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Michael notices how congested traffic is in the capital of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. He then chats with some women who are going abroad to work in order to support their families. Michael then takes the opportunity to observe the Banaue Rice Terraces
Banaue Rice Terraces
The Banaue Rice Terraces also called Payew, are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is commonly thought that...
. However, when he gets there, a dense fog prevents him from seeing the terraces, causing frustrated and disbelieving laughter. In Baguio, he witnesses two unique procedures (assisting in one of them) known as "psychic surgery
Psychic surgery
Psychic surgery is a procedure typically involving the supposed creation of an incision using only the bare hands, the supposed removal of pathological matter, and the seemingly spontaneous healing of the incision....
". In the southern part of the country, Michael gets some scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
lessons and even has a meal underwater. In Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, he attends a cockfight
Cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters , held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories....
and also judges the Miss La Bella Pacifica beauty pageant. Afterwards, he drives a jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
down the streets of the city, waiting for a ferry to take him to Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
Episode Five: Malaysia/Indonesia
After a bit of a wait, Michael catches a ferry across the notorious Sulu SeaSulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
to the northern tip of Borneo. There, he visits an orangutan
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
rehabilitation center. From there, Michael ventures south to Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, once ruled by what were known as the White Rajahs
White Rajahs
White Rajahs refers to a dynasty that founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946, namely the Brookes, who came originally from England. A Rajah is a monarch in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.-Rulers:...
. Then he travels inward to a longhouse where members of the Iban people
Iban people
The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and...
reside. He chats with former headhunters
Headhunting
Headhunting is the practice of taking a person's head after killing them. Headhunting was practised in historic times in parts of China, India, Nigeria, Nuristan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Micronesia, Melanesia, New Zealand, and the Amazon Basin, as...
and takes part in a special feast honoring the highest-ranking Iban in the Malaysian government.
Afterwards, he ventures south to the island of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. From the capital Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, he journeys east with his guide to a tea plantation where he samples tea and helps harvest tea leaves. They then observe a wayang kulit
Wayang
Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre . When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang...
puppet show. In the cultural hub of Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (city)
Yogyakarta is a city in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to...
, they sample some durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
, a notoriously smelly fruit. They then tour the Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple at Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues...
and climb Mount Bromo
Mount Bromo
Mount Bromo , is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, in East Java, Indonesia. At it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most well known. The massif area is one of the most visited tourist attractions in East Java, Indonesia. The volcano belongs to the Bromo Tengger...
. In Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
on the east coast of Java, they encounter their first major transportation issues since Alaska. Being unable to find a boat to take him across the sea to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Australia, they settle for one that will take them east on Java, but no further.
- In the DVD interview, Michael states that while in Kuching, he learned that his wife, Helen, needed surgery to remove a brain tumor. Michael flew back to London from Indonesia, spent a few days with her, and then flew to Australia to continue his Pacific trek.
Episode Six: Australia/New Zealand
Palin begins in DarwinDarwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, where he catches a truck down to Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
. There, he visits a crocodile farm and helps hatch a few eggs. (Palin wanted the camera to focus on the fact he held a baby crocodile in his hands for five seconds.) Nearby, he checks out an animal rehabilitation center. Down to King's Creek, he participates in an exciting camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
hunt which results in Palin actually getting one. Down to Alice Springs, he catches the Ghan train down to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, where he participates in the Desperate and Dateless Ball. Then he takes part in a cow race, where he places second. On to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, he gets a cameo in the popular soap Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
.
On to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand, he catches a train down to the town of Kaikoura
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....
. There he participates in a Māori
Maori culture
Māori culture is the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, an Eastern Polynesian people, and forms a distinctive part of New Zealand culture. Within the Māori community, and to a lesser extent throughout New Zealand as a whole, the word Māoritanga is often used as an approximate synonym for Māori...
acceptance ceremony where he spoke and sang a song he learned at Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
. Palin then travels to Mount Cook and Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
for lessons in mountaineering and rafting. He then watches bungee jumping
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
and chats with A.J. Hackett, who developed the sport. Palin then ventures south to the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, where he is caught in the middle of orientation-week activities. Palin has now reached the halfway point around the Pacific.
Episode Seven: Chile/Bolivia (arrival)
Starting the second half of his journey at Cape HornCape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, Palin views the end of the continent of South America. He travels through the southern islands of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
to the town of Punta Arenas. He renews acquaintances with his guide from Pole to Pole
Pole to Pole
Pole to Pole is an eight-part television documentary travel series made for the BBC and released in 1992. The presenter is Michael Palin, this being the second of Palin's major journeys for the BBC. The trip from the North Pole to the South Pole went via Scandinavia, the Soviet Union, parts of...
and the statue of Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
with the Indian whose toe he kissed to ensure a safe journey. Venturing through the islands, he views the Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, a glacier, a lake, and river-rich areas in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes...
and the grave of an English explorer who committed suicide in the area. At Chiloe Island
Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island , also known as Greater Island of Chiloé , is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean...
, he chats with an American transplant who discusses the possible existence of witches on the island. Then he attends a local barbecue that included dancing and Palin attempting to play the horse's jawbone. North to Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, he observes a memorial to victims of the 1973 coup d'état. Driving through the Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world...
, Palin reaches the highest elevation of his life thus far. At the world's largest copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine in Chuquicamata
Chuquicamata
Chuquicamata, or "Chuqui" as it is more familiarly known, is by digged volume the biggest open pit copper mine in the world, located in the north of Chile, 215 km northeast of Antofagasta and 1,240 km north of the capital, Santiago...
, Palin does the honors of counting down to the explosion. In the northern town of Arica
Arica
Arica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...
, he catches a one-car train to La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Things go smoothly until, as they are within striking distance of La Paz, the train has a freakish derailment. After several attempts to get the train back on line, they are successful and eventually reach the Bolivian capital in the black of night.
Episode Eight: Bolivia/Peru
At the town of CopacabanaCopacabana, Bolivia
Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, from where boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia. The town is a destination for...
, Palin visits with reed boat
Reed boat
Reed boats and rafts, along with dugout canoes and other rafts, are among the oldest known types of boats. Often used as traditional fishing boats, they are still used in a few places around the world, though they have generally been replaced with planked boats. Reed boats can be distinguished from...
makers on the shores of Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
. Crossing the border into Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, he chats with a lady who hopes to get the Yavari
Yavari (ship)
Yavari is a ship commissioned by the Peruvian government in 1861 for use on Lake Titicaca. She is named after the Javary River in the Loreto Region of Peru, bordering the Amazonas State ....
, a century-old ship, sailing again. On to Cuzco, he arrives in the middle of the Feast of Corpus Christi. He then journeys to the most famous relic of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
: the lost city of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
. As well, he visits a nearby village of Inca descendants. He then catches a train to Quillabamba, and then moves on to Kiteni, where he meets a local pub owner who agrees to go up the Urubamba River
Urubamba River
The Urubamba River is a river in Peru. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rises in the Andes to the south-east of Cuzco near the Puno Region border, where it is called the Vilcanota River . In the Sacred Valley, between Písac and Ollantaytambo, it is also called the Wilcamayu...
with him. After a day or two consisting of sailing and birdwatching, they reach the canyon of Pongo de Mainique
Pongo de Mainique
The Pongo de Mainique is a pongo in Peru, being wide and long, with to high cliffs. It is considered the most dangerous whitewater pass on the Urubamba River, which it divides between Upper and Lower Urubamba. It is a global biodiversity hotspot...
. Soon thereafter, they stop and set up camp for the night. Palin later states that Pongo de Mainique was his favorite place to travel in the world.
Episode Nine: Peru/Colombia
Palin and his guide approach a MachiguengaMachiguenga
The Machiguenga are an indigenous people of the Amazon Basin jungle regions of southeastern Peru, east of Machu Picchu and close to the borders of Bolivia and Brazil. The people are short, but stoutly built, with broad facial features, and very rarely overweight...
village where the feast of St. John the Baptist is going on. Palin observes a men's and women's intervilage football matches. Then he samples a drink made from the yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
plant. Back on the Urubamba, Palin eventually makes it to the northern town of Iquitos
Iquitos
Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, with a population of 370,962. It is the capital of Loreto Region and Maynas Province.Located on the Amazon River, it is only above sea level, although it is more than from the mouth of the Amazon at Belém on the Atlantic Ocean...
. Here, there is a barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
that contains many shops. Palin visits one where a lady is making cigarettes. He then takes his first puff of a cigarette in a long while. After a little wait, Palin realizes a dream by catching a boat on to the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
.
Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, is as Palin put it, "trading one jungle for another." With a guide, he discovers why the Colombian capital is one of the most dangerous places on earth. He learns that most of the trouble stems from the drug trafficking in the country. He then travels down Bullet Street, arguably the most violent street in the city. Here, rocks are thrown at the car Palin and his guide are traveling in. He then offers to take him to lunch; however, his guide declines, stating that the restaurant he is going to is owned by the father of a notorious drug trafficker. Palin, however, continues, and is granted an interview of the restaurant owner, Don Fabio
Fabio Ochoa Restrepo
Fabio Ochoa Restrepo was a Paso Fino enthusiast, rancher, businessman, and patriarch of a notorious Colombian crime family associated with the Medellín drug cartel of Pablo Escobar....
. Continuing north, he visits an emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
mine and some of the workers there. Then, it is on to Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, where he hops on a party bus, celebrating the end of his nine weeks on the South American continent.
Episode Ten: Mexico/Western USA/Canada/Alaska
In Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Palin attends a lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
match and listens to a lively mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
band. The next day, he observes the darker side of the city, as a graffiti protest is being led by a lucha libre wrestler named Super Barrio. On to a small village outside of Querétaro
Santiago de Querétaro
Santiago de Querétaro is the capital and largest city of the state of Querétaro, located in central Mexico. It is located 213 km northwest of Mexico City, 96 km southeast of San Miguel de Allende and 200 km south of San Luis Potosí...
, he helps a lady make tortillas. He then catches a bus to the town of Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
, where after observing a house in the shape of a woman, he walks to the United States–Mexico border
United States–Mexico border
The United States–Mexico border is the international border between the United States and Mexico. It runs from Imperial Beach, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east, and traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from major...
, a.k.a. the "Tortilla Curtain". Here he observes "Pollos" attempting to cross without any security noticing. Afterwards, Palin crosses the border legally into San Diego and gets a glimpse of the border from the American perspective.
Venturing north to Los Angeles, he gets a bird's-eye view
Bird's-eye view
A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps.It can be an aerial photograph, but also a drawing...
of the city from a local news helicopter reporter. He then becomes involved in a breaking story of a plane approaching Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley section of the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States. No major commercial airlines fly into this airport; it is used by private, chartered, and small commercial aircraft...
landing on the freeway. Driving along the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast, he reaches San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
. He then takes a tour of the notorious Alcatraz prison and chats with two former inmates. Then he visits The Castro, well-known for its homosexual population. Palin's guide introduces him to a local gay policeman and then shows him the place where The NAMES Project
NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, often abbreviated to AIDS Memorial Quilt, is an enormous quilt made as a memorial to and celebration of the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes...
originated in 1987. From San Francisco, he flies to Seattle, where he tests a flight simulator at Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
headquarters.
On to Canada, Palin manages to flag down a train near Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. In the nearby town of Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, he is the guest of honor at a loggers sports festival, where he takes part in one of the races. Taking a train north through to Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
, he realizes that the closer he gets to completing the circle, his transportation options dwindle. He reaches Wales Beach
Cape Prince of Wales
Cape Prince of Wales is the westernmost point on the mainland of the Americas.Located on the Seward Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska near the city of Wales, Cape Prince of Wales is the terminus of the Continental Divide, marking the division between the Pacific and Arctic coasts, as well as...
, the westernmost point on the North American mainland
Extreme points of North America
This is a list of the extreme points of North America: the points that are highest and lowest, and farther north, south, east or west than any other location on the continent. Some of these points are debatable, given the varying definitions of North America....
. However, Little Diomede is still 25 miles away. Then the Coast Guard comes to pick him up and put him on a boat that will attempt to get him there. Unfortunately, the weather does not cooperate, and the Coast Guard abandons the attempt. Even though Palin came up two miles short, he believes, in a way, he did close the circle.
In the DVD interview, Palin noted it was somewhat fitting the circle was not closed, referencing his inability to enter the Reform Club
Reform Club
The Reform Club is a gentlemen's club on the south side of Pall Mall, in central London. Originally for men only, it changed to include the admission of women in 1981. In 2011 the subscription for membership of the Reform Club as a full UK member is £1,344.00, with a one-off entrance fee of £875.00...
at the end of ...80 Days and not getting on the 'Agulhas' in Pole to Pole.