GLOBE TREKKER: SEASON 9
Episodes 9 01- 9 30
901 Holy Lands: Jerusalem & The West Bank — Join Globe Trekker on a fascinating exploration of the region’s religious, historical and political identity. Zay Harding takes in the ancient city of Jerusalem, ventures into the Palestinian West Bank and explores one of the world’s natural wonders, the Dead Sea. (Feeds 4/ 4 / 10 ; encore broadcast on 12/19/10 )
902 Senegal & Cape Verde — Zoe Palmer begins her journey in Senegal’s capital city, Dakar, where she checks out the city’s colorful markets and pulsating nightclubs before a trip to historic Goree Island, a center of the slave trade in West Africa. Zoe travels next to the Muslim holy city of Touba, en route to the Niokola-Koba National Park then heads to the village of Oubadji, where she is privileged to see a rarely witnessed traditional tribal ceremony. She ends her trip on the Cape Verde islands, known for their spectacularly beautiful volcanic landscapes. (F eeds 4/ 11/10; encore broadcast on 8/29/10 )
903 Madrid City Guide — Adela Ucar Innerarity visits exciting Madrid, taking in the artwork at the Prado, “El Rastro,” the city’s famous flea market, Spanish Civil War landmarks and samples the fabulous cuisine. She also takes excursions to nearby El Escorial, the Roman aqueducts of Segovia and the charming hillside town of Toledo. (Feeds 4/ 18 / 10 ; encore broadcast on 9/26/10 )
904 Las Vegas City Guide — Ian Wright kicks off his visit with a look at the fantastical hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas “strip.” He tours wedding chapels, enjoys the kitsch of Liberace, attends a beauty pageant with a twist, participates in a “hair-raising” tribute to Elvis and gets up close and personal with a performing Bengali tiger. Leaving the city, Ian travels to the Nevada Test Site, where atomic bombs were tested, and hikes into the Grand Canyon. (Feeds 4/ 25/10; encore broadcast on 8/8/10 )
905 Indonesia : Java & Sumatra — Megan McCormick explores two of the 11,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago. Starting in Jakarta, she learns about shadow puppets, Java's most famous art form, and visits the old Dutch trading schooners. From there she climbs the famous Krakatoa volcano and goes diving in the waters nearby. After visiting the world-famous Boroubudur Temple, Megan travels to Sumatra, learning the ancient art of batik from the people who invented it. She visits the island of Nias, home to ancient Stone-Age culture and some of the best surfing in the world. She ends her trip in the orangutan preserve of Gunung Lenser Park. (Feeds 5 / 2 / 10; encore broadcast on 8/22/10 )
906 Pacific Isl a nds : Fiji , Vanuatu & Solomon — Ian visits the Pacific Islands, once infamous among explorers because of head-hunting and cannibalism. In Fiji, he is welcomed with a local tribe’s Kava-drinking ceremony. Later, he goes diving on the Astrolabe Reef, known as one of the finest dive destinations in the world. Visiting the Solomon Islands, he dives down to the Tao Maron, the most intact of the many World War II shipwrecks that now litter the seas around the islands. (Feeds 5/ 9 / 10 )
907 Nepal — Ian’s first stop is the bustling modern-day capital city Kathmandu. He visits Pashupatinath Temple, the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, and meets the young princess goddess. Ian next travels to Royal Badia National Park, where he searches for Bengal tigers. His next stop is the Lukla in the eastern Himalayas, where he treks along a section of the Everest Highway and visits the Buddhist monasteries of Pangboche and Tengpoche. Ian concludes his trip in Pumla, an extremely remote region of Nepal. There he attends a most unusual and festive wedding involving five grooms and one bride. (Feeds 5/ 16 / 10 ; encore broadcast on 8/15/10 )
908 Mongolia — Ian travels through the varied landscapes of Mongolia. His first stop is the modern-day capital of Ulaan Bataar where he visits the Gandan Monastery, one of a few to survive the Stalinist purges of the 1930s. Ian heads to Karakorum, once the magnificent center of Genghis Khan’s empire but now in ruins. He samples mutton, the national dish, and enjoys a throat-singing performance. He journeys across the plains where he encounters nomads who live in a traditional ger and joins them on horseback to hunt marmots. Ian’s next destination is the Gobi Desert, the least populated area of the country, where he spies the rare two-humped Mongolian camel and explores the Valley of the Dinosaurs. He arrives back in Ulaan Bataar to celebrate the Naadam Festival, a huge contest of the “Three Manly Sports” — archery, wrestling and horseracing. (Feeds 5/ 23 / 10 )
909 Hong Kong & Taiwan — In Hong Kong, Megan practices early-morning tai chi with the locals, eats fantastic seafood on Repulse Bay, visits the songbird market and meets a giant panda named An. She then travels to Taiwan, beginning her journey in the capital of Taipei and exploring the island’s amazing temples and remote aboriginal villages. (Feeds 5/ 30 / 10 )
910 South Africa 2 — Justine Shapiro and Sami Sabiti travel to South Africa to see how much the rainbow nation has changed in the decade since the end of apartheid. They start their journey in Cape Town exploring its beaches and gay district before heading to Robben Island — where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned — and experiencing a healing sangoma ceremony. Sami heads north to Thohoyandou where he meets the Venda people, renowned as the country's most skillful artists. He helps them paint huts and make drums while Justine goes on safari in Kruger National Park — home to the largest variety of animals in Africa. They reconvene in Johannesburg and meet Winnie Mombasso, who runs a kitchen for AIDS orphans, and they visit the Apartheid Museum, a lasting monument to the new South Africa. Sami and Justine conclude their journey in the Soweto Township, home to the only street in the world on which two Nobel Prize winners lived; and Justine visits with her childhood nanny. (Feeds 6/ 6 / 10 )
911 Belgium & Luxembourg — Katy Haswell begins her trip in Belgium at the stunning Antwerp home of painter Peter Paul Rubens before giving in to her sweet tooth at the ubiquitous chocolate shops. She’s lured into Antwerp’s diamond district, tries her hand at lace-making in Bruges, goes shrimp-fishing on horseback in Oostduinkirke and tours the World War I battlefields near Ypres. Katy journeys to Brussels and discovers art nouveau, sea snail street food and the European Union headquarters before visiting the beautiful caves of the Ardennes. Her last stop is Luxembourg where she learns about the Battle of the Bulge and enjoys one of the country’s many festivals. (Feeds 6/ 13 / 10 )
912 Iran — Ian explores Tehran, the busy capital city, and visits the last resting-place of Ayatollah Khomeini, considered Iran’s holiest site of worship. After taking part in the “House of Strength,” an ancient Iranian sport, Ian checks out the local nightlife and treats himself to a dish of sheep’s brains. He goes skiing in Dizin and then travels to Bandare-E Torkaman on the Caspian coast, where he goes sturgeon fishing and visits a caviar processing plant. Ian wrestles a descendant of Genghis Khan before journeying to Esfahan, site of a magnificent blue-domed mosque. He flies to Shiraz to see the Islamic festival of Ashura, spends a day with the Qashqai Nomads and then visits Persepolis, a city built at the height of the Persian Empire. (Feeds 6/ 20 / 10 )
913 Georgia & Armenia — Ian begins his trip in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. He visits the rock-hewn Gerhard Church, Lake Sevan and the Armenian Genocide Memorial in the shadow of Mount Ararat. In Georgia, he explores the capital Tbilisi and the seaside resort Batumi before heading out into the Caucasus Mountains. In the village of Ushguli, he experiences the roots of Georgian song and dance and then visits the carved city of Vardzia before embarking on a two-day trek up Mount Kazbek, the highest peak in the Eastern Caucasus. (Feeds 6/ 27 / 10; encore broadcast on 12/5/10 )
914 Antarctica — Zay takes an epic adventure to the ends of the earth, voyaging to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Orkneys, South Shetland Islands, Elephant Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. Following in the footsteps of countless explorers, adventurers, naturalists and conservationists, from Captain Cook, Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton and Darwin, Zay explores the frozen, wind-swept, white wilderness that is Antarctica. (Feeds 7 / 4 / 10; encore broadcast on 12/26/10 )
915 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Lebanon — The rich soil and varied history of Lebanon have resulted in a world-class cuisine. Merrilees Parker travels to the capital of Beirut and then in to the countryside of Lebanon to learn more about its people, their culture and their cuisine. (Feeds 7/ 11 / 10; encore broadcast on 12/12/10 )
916 Caribbean Islands : St. Lucia , Martinique & Montserrat — Zoe visits the spectacularly beautiful islands of St Lucia, Martinique and Montserrat. Surrounded by stunning rainforests, mountains and volcanoes with a hybrid of English, African and French heritage, these islands deserve their reputation as one of the top vacation spots in the world.
(Feeds 7/ 18 / 10 )
917 Midwest U.S.A. — Justine travels to Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin, known as “America’s Cereal Bowl.” Here she finds a beautiful land of miles-long lakes and mountains, lumberjacks and Native American tribes; strange, experimental aircraft and Harley Davidsons; Mark Twain; and the world’s first McDonald’s. And that’s all before she visits the metropolises of Chicago and Detroit with their fascinating history of gangsters, Motown music and automobiles. (Feeds 7/ 25 / 10 )
918 Malawi & Zambia — Holly Morris retraces two epic journeys by legendary explorer Dr. David Livingstone to his most celebrated discoveries: Lake Malawi and the Victoria Falls. She encounters stunning wildlife and the ancient baobab tree along the Shire River in Malawi’s Liwonde National Park, dives into Lake Malawi and meets a witch doctor on remote Likoma Island. Holly then heads north to Zambia, where she explores the bustling capital city of Lusaka and strolls through its vibrant market and visits the Wanga Manga Environmental Park and Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage, a safe haven for rescued chimpanzees. She tours the Livingstone Museum and concludes her trek at Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (Feeds 8 / 1 / 10 )
9 19 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Scandinavia — Merrilees takes a culinary tour around Scandinavia, a region infused with Viking history and heritage. She begins her travels at a Viking festival, learns how to smoke herring in a Swedish village, assists with the smorgasbord at the Midsummer Festival, prepares moose with Lars Backman — the inspiration for the Swedish Chef on “The Muppet Show” — and cooks with the Sami people at the Arctic Circle. (Feeds 9 / 5 / 10 )
920 El Salvador & Honduras — Brianna Barnes explores Honduras and El Salvador, two of Central America’s most rewarding destinations. In Honduras, she swims with dolphins, spends the day at a banana plantation, visits the Mayan ruins of Copan and learns how to roll cigars in Santa Rosa de Copan. Next she heads to El Salvador, where she climbs the Izalco volcano, treks through waterfalls in El Imposible National Park, visits with a former guerrilla commander at the Guazapa volcano, enjoys a rodeo fiesta in San Luis del Carmen and ascends the still-active Santa Ana volcano, the highest in the country. (Feeds 9/ 12 / 10 )
9 21 Central America — Neil Gibson visits the Costa Rican capital of San José, where he gets caught up in election fever, samples traditional cuisine and visits volunteers trying to combat poverty in the city. He cruises to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and encounters tarantulas, deadly snakes and rare birds before arriving at Volcan Arenal, where he relaxes in the hot springs. In Liberia, he attends a bull fiesta where tries his hand at being a cowboy. He crosses the border into Nicaragua and stops at El Castillo, site of the only castle in Central America. Neil plays baseball on the island of Mancarron, rolls cigars in Granada and explores Managua, site of the devastating earthquake. He ends his trip at the Volcan Masaya, known by the Indians as the “land of the gods” and by the Spanish as “the mouth of Hell.” (Feeds 9/ 19 / 10 )
9 22 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Mexico — Tyler Florence kicks off his culinary adventure in Mexico City, where he explores the vibrant markets and discovers the potent chilies of the region. He travels next to Oaxaca, the heartland of cactus and mescal, the sister drink of tequila. Later Tyler samples chocolate in Puebla and whips up mole, the national dish. He celebrates at a festival devoted to vanilla and ends his journey on the east coast, where Mexican and Caribbean flavors combine to influence the local cuisine. (Feeds 10/ 3 / 10 )
9 23 Utah & Colorado — Holly Morris kicks off her trip in Denver, where she visits the U.S. Mint and enjoys the city’s many outdoor pursuits. Next she hikes the Mesa Trail, joins an archaeological research trip at Crow Canyon and delves into the history of the region’s ancestral Pueblans. Holly travels to Utah, home to numerous ski resorts, the Great Salt Lake and a plethora of breathtaking national parks — including Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyon. (Feeds 10/ 10 / 10 )