All language subtitles for M.P.S01E14.1080p.WEB.h264-BAWD_track3_[eng]

(tense music)

NARRATOR:Our first
mysterious place is in Africa.

In order to find it,
we are taking a helicopter

because from the air
they can be seen the best...

The Victoria Falls
between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Somewhere here,

the Devil's Pool
is supposed to be located.

A bathing spot
right at the steep waterfall edge.

A drop would be FATAL here.

We join an adventurous group
that are keen for some goose bumps!

First of all,

we catch a motorboat into the middle
of the course of the river.

On foot, we cross an island
right at the edge of the falls.

Then it is time
for the hardest part...

The last bit of way
to the bathing basin has to be SWUM!

Already here,
the current is dragging on the body.

About 30 metres away
from the abyss of the falls,

we battle our way
through the water.

The psychological strain
is as great as the physical strain

on the body.

The way to the Devil's Pool
is arduous.

Sharp rock edges cut into our feet,

it is noisy,

the constant wind is blowing
the cold spray of the waterfall

in all cardinal directions!

Finally,
the pool appears in front of us,

about four metres wide
and eight metres long...

Right by the edge.

Looming behind it,
110 metres of free fall!

And not only for the water,

but looking from this angle,
at least,

also for the visitors
of the Devil's Pool.

The current is strong,

but there are some rules that make
visiting the edge possible.

At the left side of the basin,
the current is very weak.

Only if you were to drift off
the right-hand side

once you have jumped in,

the force of the water
would drag you from the pool

and send you over the edge!

Holding onto something
would be impossible.

The tension in the air
is palpable.

The brink is close.

- The pool is awesome!

It is the drop that scares you
a little bit!

Like, I'll try and stop there,

but what if I don't?!

- I don't know, I'm super scared!

I don't know if I'm going to do it,
but it's so exciting!

- I reckon the fear of going down...

- Yeah, I think
that's the biggest one!

- Yeah, then this is it...!
- Yeah!

NARRATOR:By now at the latest,

the adventurers realise
that the danger is very real.

One of the guides draws
their attention to the risks again.

Now or never.

Only from September to December,

when the Zambezi River
is at low water,

is it possible
to jump into the pool.

Before and after this time,
the water levels rise drastically.

The speed of its flow rises from
two kilometres an hour to 30!

Feet and hands of a swimmer
then don't even touch the rock,

and even if they would,

against this force of nature

no one has a chance
of remaining in the pool.

There is no turning back now.

(conversing and shouting)

The tourists have to jump

right into the middle
of the three-metre-deep pool,

otherwise
they'll hit the sharp rocks.

It is important
to not become disorientated

after resurfacing.

The deadly exit
at the right-hand side

is only a few metres away!

Once in the water,

the current inevitably
drags you towards the edge.

Two guides are always watching
that no one stands up

or drops into the depths.

At the end of the pool,
the group lines up.

The spot right at the ledge is also
sometimes called Devil's Armchair.

Like a kind of underwater bench
made of rock,

it lies right beneath
the surface of the water.

The swimmers are sat on top of it

and are clenching on
with their legs!

The water going over the edge
at the moment

is only about 30 centimetres high.

Due to the low height,

the current isn't strong enough
to wash the people away.

The only risk of dying
would be slipping over the edge

due to your own recklessness.

The guides' jobs
are the really dangerous ones here,

as the whole time
they're stood right by the edge!

If a tourist were to panic,

strike out backwards
and knock one of them off balance

the only thing awaiting them
is a 110-metre drop!

Jeremiah is 37.

For six years, he has been
jumping around on the cliff edge

during the dry period,

taking care of the visitors.

Before, he worked as a mechanic.

The risky work environment
took some getting used to

for him at first!

- I used to come here
with my brother, a fisherman.

So, first day, I was really scared

but the other day
I was really, really like,

"Oh, wow, I am enjoying my life!"

I really, really take care of myself
that I cannot fall into the falls!

NARRATOR:But many adventurers
are hitting a brick wall,

not only
because of the cold and the noise,

being sat so close
to the edge of the abyss

is very stressful psychologically!

The only exit from the pool
is on the opposite side.

The rope helps against the current.

So that nobody
accidentally falls into the water,

a maximum of 14 people
are allowed onto the island.

More than seven
can't go in the pool

at the same time.

Because the small island
is privately owned,

bathing at the cliff edge
costs $50.

But were the strain and the risk
really worth it?

- It's a... It's a weird feeling!

Cos you can feel the water...

You know you're not gonna fall over,

but you can feel the water
kind of pushing you up on the rocks!

It's an amazing feeling!

- Once you're there, it's fine.

It's a kind of surreal, like,
moment.

You don't really feel
if it's reality

or somethin' like that!

- Amazing, just being there,
just over the edge...

- You can feel the current
pulling your legs under!

It's a bit surreal
but really enjoyable!

NARRATOR:The Devil's Pool
at the Victoria Falls,

a truly unbelievable place!

Our search takes us on to Spain...

Right in the centre of Barcelona,

there is a mysterious church.

Its name, Torre Girona.

From the outside,
it is a completely normal chapel,

but this church door
hides a secret

that is closely guarded...

We have arranged to meet
Sergi Girona.

He is not a priest,

but the director of
the Mare Nostrum!

In the centre of the church,

one of the fastest supercomputers
in the world is located!

But why is it
specifically right here?

Sergi will explain later.

First, the computer expert tells us

what this super machine
is actually for.

- To identify the future

and to identify
the unknowns of the universe.

NARRATOR:In order to show us
how the Mare Nostrum does this,

as an exception,

Sergi lets us into
the most sacred area

of the computing centre.

Inside the glass box,
it is very loud!

The noise is due to the wind
caused by thousands of fans.

They cool the processors down.

(whirring)

And this is the memory
of the computer,

a huge store
consisting of 700 hard drives!

- Every one of these discs
is three terabytes.

Many of these
you can have at home.

But the aggregation of all of those,

managed by some servers,

has a single image

and provides access to the sum
of all the available disc space!

And it's huge!

NARRATOR:So big
that Mare Nostrum could almost save

one and a half MILLION hours
of film!

And the computer is also
constantly being modernised

and improved.

About 30 years ago,
mass was still held here.

Today, the mega machine computes
as much information in one hour

as a laptop would in a whole year!

Thanks to high-speed processors

and tons of network
and electricity cables,

about 100 kilometres worth
are installed here.

And where there are cables,
electricity flows!

The supercomputer
is running all day, every day

and it NEVER stops!

This means that Mare Nostrum
uses lots and lots of electricity.

Sergi's computing centre
gets handed a bill

of over $1 million
from the city of Barcelona!

But every computer
doesn't only require electricity

but also a water cooling system
that prevents it from overheating.

For football fan Sergi,

the colours of the pipes
also have a special meaning!

- This is the colours
of the Barcelona Football Club team.

So, this is funny,

but they came this colour

and we said,
"This is the Barca team!"

NARRATOR:But Mare Nostrum

doesn't only make scientists
from Barcelona happy...

The supercomputer generates
simulations for gene research,

calculates prognoses

for the utilisation
of alternative energy sources

or for earthquake research.

Why it is set up in a church
has practical reasons...

- We need to have a facility
with 180 square metres,

with no columns, a clear view.

No interruptions, very high,

and this was available space,

so we have the opportunity
to install it here,

but the chapel, don't worry,

was decentralised 20 years ago.

NARRATOR:So, the church
wasn't a holy place anymore.

The religious images have stayed

but now the building
is a huge computing centre.

The Mare Nostrum,

a supercomputer
hidden behind church walls!

Ninety kilometres
south of Cartagena,

there is an island that is anything
but typically Caribbean.

Palm trees
and endless sandy beaches?

Not on Santa Cruz del Islote!

Because although the island is only
about the size of a football field,

there are about 100 houses on it,

all right next to each other!

Alexander Atencio Caspar
is one of the about 600 islanders.

He has gotten used to
the exceptionalities

of life on the island.

There are four little shops
on the island,

but with so many inhabitants,

they are often soon sold out.

This goes for living space as well.

Each person only has about
16 square metres to himself.

In comparison,

in Berlin it is about
250 square metres!

That is 15 times as much!

Today, dengue fever and malaria
are no real dangers anymore

but the majority of
the 600 inhabitants

still survive by catching fish

and feed their large families
this way.

On the island,

there is neither running water
nor a sewage system,

but still the inhabitants
always know how to help themselves

somehow.

But the biggest challenge
is the shortage of resources.

The people on Santa Cruz del Islote
have to be very economical,

especially with drinking water.

Because the water is so expensive,

many islands
prefer to collect rainwater.

And electricity too
is only available at certain times.

By the way,

a mayor or a police station
don't exist on the island,

but still here,
opposed to the rest of Colombia,

there is hardly any crime.

The people here
live peacefully and simple

on Santa Cruz del Islote,

the most densely populated island
in the world!

And we carry on to the island state
of ALL island states,

the Bahamas!

Fisherman Freddy Grant
leads us to the most unusual

of all 700 Bahamian islands...

And he even owns it!

The Island of the Swimming Pigs!

No humans live on the ten-hectare
small island,

only pigs!

And they LOVE to swim!

As soon as a boat approaches
the floating pigsty,

the hogs jump into
the 26-degree-warm water

and swim...

..because boats mean food!

The pigs dare to swim out to sea
as far as 500 metres off coast

just to scavenge for scraps
from passing boats!

That's a long way out,

especially if we remind ourselves

that the physique of a pig
is not really meant for swimming!

The pigs simply kick with their legs

and hold their heads and curly tails
above the water surface

and their snouts
function as a kind of snorkel.

And they aren't only
surprisingly fast

but also extremely agile!

Like most of the islands
of the Bahamas,

this one is uninhabited
apart from the pigs,

but it offers them
everything that they need...

Enough feed, sweetwater springs,

mud and shade!

And most important of all,
no natural predators.

The large grown-up pigs,
on the other hand,

are not scared.

They love their daily forages
in the sea.

Somehow, the waste
that the tourists have left

seems more interesting
than the naturally occurring fruit

on the island

and so, day after day,

they enjoy
their own private waterpark!

A Caribbean island just for pigs!

On our search
for exceptional islands,

we carry on to Okinawa.

The island is almost 500 kilometres
away from Tokyo.

We are looking for
the small village of Ogimi,

because the people here
are especially famous for one thing.

Their age.

More than ten 100-year-olds
live here!

That is why Okinawa is also called
the Island of the Old.

We want to find out why
the people here live for so long.

Sumiko Taira is 96 years old.

Her day always begins
at 6:00am on the dot

with some gymnastics
in her front yard.

Her early-morning exercise routine
lasts for 15 minutes,

then it's time for breakfast.

Tea, tofu
and of course gymnastics on TV!

Sports seem to play
an important part

in the life of
the great-grandmother of 23!

At 9:00,

Sumiko jumps on her bike

and goes to the collective field
of the village.

Her life has the same routine
every day.

Scientists have studied
the islanders for 20 years

and have concluded
this regularity

and the close social contacts
within the village

play an important part in
the long lives of the inhabitants.

Sumiko works on the field
for two hours every day,

despite her 96 years of age.

But maybe the secret
of everlasting health

is also the special climate
of Okinawa Island,

because the clear sea air
is good for Sumiko's lungs.

Or is it maybe
her very personal secret?

The fresh algae from the beach!

They are full of
nutrients and minerals.

Sumiko always collects them herself,
of course!

Back at home,

straight away the 96-year-old begins
with the preparation of peanut tofu.

She eats it daily,

as tofu is supposed to be
very rich in protein

and extremely healthy.

The balanced and self-prepared diet,

maybe another big part
in the long lives

of the people on Okinawa Island!

At 4:00pm,
the highlight of the day...

Sumiko meets up
with the other village elders

to play gateball,

a kind of croquet!

The pensioners compete in two teams

and play
with lots of ambition and energy!

(conversing in japanese)

What does a 96-year-old
with such a fulfilled life

wish for the future?

And the chances for this
aren't bad on Okinawa Island,

the Island of Long Life!

We're travelling on to Israel.

We are landing at Ben Gurion Airport
in Tel Aviv.

At first sight,

it appears to be an airport
like any other,

but one thing is special about it...

It is supposed to be
the SAFEST airport in the world!

But at the moment,

we can't see any safety precautions
at all!

No soldiers, no security personnel!

Then we spot
a single police officer

and he isn't even carrying a weapon.

He is one of four police officers
in the whole airport!

We want to know why
there are only so few,

but none of the security personnel
are permitted

to give us an interview.

We're on our way
to meet the former head of security

for the Israeli president.

His name is Shlomo Harnoy.

He will show us how the most
secure airport in the world works!

He doesn't think much
of the European security concepts.

- If you concentrate to take
the mineral water from an old lady,

you will never find the bomb.

You will never find the Nigerian
that is suspicious

if you concentrate on the BLEEP.

NARRATOR:Harnoy means that
the Germans and Europeans

haven't understood
what it is really all about

when it comes to airport security.

- People that work in the airport
all work in McDonald's.

It is not nice to say,

but this is not level of security
that can deal...

..with the passenger.

This is not people
trained to find the terrorist.

NARRATOR:Harnoy
wants to show us at the airport

how it should be done.

Soon, we already discover
the first big difference

to German airports.

Security already begins
on the way to the airport.

About four kilometres
before reaching the airport,

the first checkpoint is set up.

Of course, no close-up filming
is permitted here.

All drivers are asked
where they are travelling to.

We also find out that cameras
register the numberplates.

When the passengers drive on,

it takes them a couple of minutes
to reach the terminal in their cars.

Valuable time.

If the alarm were to be raised,

heavily-armed guards
in unmarked police cars

could stop suspected car bombers
in time.

- It's a combination
between intelligence

and security.

NARRATOR:Now we have arrived
in front of the terminal building.

From here on,
we have a permit to film.

What we notice,

road and terminal are separated
by a park-like courtyard.

But the pretty green area
is not only for decoration,

just like the thick steel columns
that support the building.

- If somebody succeeded,

with penetrative,
explosive material with the car,

the damage
will not be so big here,

for people and for the construction.

NARRATOR:So, reaching the terminal
with a large amount of explosives

is difficult and pointless
for terrorists.

Already, in front of the entrance,
there is another security check.

If there is anything suspicious,

the luggage
is already inspected here.

A bomb attack inside the terminal
is therefore almost impossible.

But what if an attacker

were to shoot into the crowd
in the busy departures hall

with a weapon?

Or blow himself up
like in Turkey or Brussels?

Shlomo Harnoy can't divulge
any information

about this sensitive topic,

but among Israeli journalists,

there are constant rumours

that these mirrored windows
are used by security guards

for observation purposes.

It is said that,
in case of an attack,

snipers could also shoot out
one of these mirror cabins.

These glazed elements can be seen
everywhere in the airport,

and that snipers are deployed here
is not a secret.

- They are trained
to neutralise the attack

in a few, uh, seconds.

They are trained very good

and very specially
in how to shoot inside

or next to the audience.

It is not so easy,
but they are trained to do it.

NARRATOR:Still,
we can't see any security personnel.

The reason for this is that all
armed guards are in plain-clothes

in order not to be recognised
immediately by potential attackers.

- They are undercover,

as a passenger or as a visitor.

NARRATOR:We want to see this.

We take some time and observe,

and really, this passenger,
for example...

Hours after having received
his boarding pass,

he is still stood
next to the check-in desks

and is looking around the terminal.

Does he maybe have a gun
in his photo bag?

He definitely doesn't look like
a normal passenger.

And this lonely cleaning cart

that has been stood here
by itself for ages.

While the cleaner is mopping
behind the check-in counter,

he keeps letting his eyes
wander through the hall.

We notice him and he notices us too!

- Can I see your ID?

NARRATOR:It seems
as if we have caught someone.

Immediately, another employee
comes to the scene

and asks us for our filming permit.

Shlomo Harnoy has to constantly
consult with airport management

during our filming.

This doesn't seem too surprising

when you think about
all the security precautions here.

Then he takes us over
to the check-in desks.

He wants to show us
the heart of the Israeli airport.

Here, it becomes clear

why passengers
have to plan in more time

than in other airports.

The reason for this
are these men and women,

the so-called 'interviewers'.

They question the passengers,

and due to
their answers and reactions

identify potential terrorists
that want to abduct a plane

or are planning an attack
inside an aircraft.

- All of them are recruited
from the army

after they served in the army,

and they understand the security.

Second,
they make a long course

in how to suspect people

and to understand
what are the suspicious signs

in each one.

NARRATOR:Ninety-nine percent
of the questionings

take less than 30 seconds,

but if you are a Palestinian

from an area that is under feud
with Israel,

you are not handed a boarding pass

until after undergoing
a longer interview.

But sometimes
it doesn't stay at this.

We hear about full body searches
again.

Unfortunately, we are of course
not allowed to film

in those separate rooms.

Via the Palestinian
humanitarian organisation

Adalah,

we get in contact with a woman
who is willing to speak to us

about her experiences
during an interrogation,

but she doesn't
want to be recognised.

- She asked me to go, uh,
to the private room.

Touching in your hair,

your body,

uh, asking you
to take out of your clothes...

Of course,
asking me several times to, um,

go around,
touching me everywhere.

Every part of you is being touched

and it's very, very disgusting.

INTERVIEWER:What do you feel?

- I really feel very bad
and many times I cried.

I couldn't...
I just couldn't bear it.

I really cried.

NARRATOR:The organisation says that
these naked searches are illegal.

- One of the big problems
with our concept,

especially the profiling concept,

is that you hurt
the privacy of people.

After a long discussion about it,

our goal is to minimise at all
any damage

or any link to the privacy.

NARRATOR:The alternative
to these checks is...

An AUTOMATIC terrorist detector!

- If you are a terrorist,
then you are afraid to be caught

and then I can catch you.

NARRATOR:This machine
can identify fear in people.

In the future,

this machine is supposed to
be able to work without touch.

It would identify terrorists
purely through their gestures

and facial expressions

and the machine could be connected
to security cameras.

Shootings
inside the airport building

could be avoided this way.

- We just now,
in the last few months,

getting, receiving invites,

invitations to do pilots
in European countries.

It's new.

NARRATOR:
No one is allowed to tell us

if the terrorist detector
is really going to be used,

but as odd as it may sound,

technology
doesn't play a very big part

at the most secure airport
in the world.

The principle in Israel
is technology can be tricked,

our people can't.

- Europe, they look first of all
for the explosive material

but not look for the suspect.

Here, we look first of all
who is suspect

and then we look for
the explosive material.

NARRATOR:Car checkpoints
in front of the airport...

..staff that is especially trained
for interrogation...

..and selective picking out
of certain passengers.

We have experienced

what makes the Israeli airport
probably the most well-secured

in the world.

With a safe feeling,
we get on our plane,

although we are leaving this place
a little thoughtful...

In the Chinese desert,

right at the Mongolian border,

there is an incredible building

40 metres high,
over 30,000 square metres large...

Diamond-shaped structures...

But what is behind all this?

The answer?

It is supposed to be
a luxury hotel

for rich Chinese people!

But why would you build a hotel
in the middle of the desert?

And why
would you go on holiday here?

We are meeting the manager
of the hotel.

- Hello! Hi! I'm Julian, hi!

Nice to meet you.

NARRATOR:Liu Xiaoyu
is proud of the huge infrastructure.

A holiday resort for wealthy people

that can enjoy
the unique desert view

from everywhere
inside the building,

far from the smog
and the noise of the cities.

During the main season,

up to 300 Chinese families
enjoy this view.

Right now, it's winter in Mongolia.

This means temperatures
below ten degrees

and therefore not the best time
for travelling here,

but the sun also shines
during the winter

and the hotel utilises it
in the form of solar power.

This makes the hotel
completely self-sufficient.

But also here, the rule is China:

Different country,
different customs.

(shouting)

- So, is this a kind of training
you do every day

with your crew here,
with your staff?

NARRATOR:But what is behind
the unusual shape of the building?

In the Buddhist religion,

the lotus flower
is THE plant of all plants.

There are many different
meanings and shapes for it.

From the outside,
the hotel is an eye-catcher,

so what do the rooms look like?

Almost never-ending corridors
take us to our room!

(funky music)

(beeps)

Bed, TV, bathroom with a shower...

The interior is of a high standard,

but the view is truly exceptional!

But still,

this is by far not enough
to get the Chinese to come

and visit this desert residence.

Another special thing
about this place

is responsible
for bringing the tourists here.

In the over 1,000-hectare-large
hotel grounds,

there is enough action on offer
to satisfy ANY visitor,

including the thrill
of sandboarding!

And the concept has flourished!

After the opening earlier this year,

the hotel was already fully booked
during the main season!

From action to relaxation,

for the necessary spare change
there is a lot on offer here!

But especially its unique shape

makes the Chinese luxury hotel
so special...

A truly incredible place
in the middle of the desert!

Our next mysterious place
is located in the USA.

Welcome to Bombay Beach!

These two live in America's
most famous ghost town

that actually really isn't one...

An eyesore
under the Californian sun.

Many ruins
and almost no soul in sight.

The next supermarket?
Over an hour away!

No school, no playground

but still around 100
young and old inhabitants live here

and we are planning
to meet some of them!

So, we are flying to the USA.

Here in the Southern Californian
desert is Bombay Beach,

a place that there is more to
than meets the eye.

From Los Angeles,

we're heading south
into the desert.

Three hours away,
the Salton Sea is located,

the largest lake in California,

and on its bank, Bombay Beach!

The first impression of the town?
Apocalyptic!

Here we have arranged to meet
single mother Krystal Worden

and her two sons.

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

- This is Robert and Chance.
- Hi.

- What's your name?
- Robert.

- And you're Chance?
- Chance.

NARRATOR:Not many people
stray to Bombay Beach,

and a camera team has never come
to visit the small family!

Normally, the boys are at school
during the daytime

but at the moment
it is the holidays.

This means that
there is lots of time for play!

- Robert pulled my shirt down
and then he made it rip!

(growling and screaming)

(laughter)

NARRATOR:And this is
the boys' playground, Bombay Beach!

Almost the size of a campsite,

150 inhabitants

and right in the middle
of the desert.

There is a supermarket,
a fire station

and a bar,

but who lives
in such a godforsaken place?

They are the last that are left over
from better days

and those
that don't have a lot of money.

Krystal likes living here.

- I've been here for 28 years

and I guess I was raised
pretty good.

There's no gangs,

there's not really any bad stuff
going on around here,

so that's pretty much
why I stayed here,

to raise my kids,

so it's a safe environment!

(laughs)

Everybody knows everybody
and you know...

NARRATOR:The house
belongs to her boyfriend, Carlos.

The extra costs
for electricity and water,

$300.

Life here is barren.

Krystal lives off social benefits

and gets $900 per month

but no one here
seems depressed.

Robert and Chance
are happy children.

(music playing)

- Hello!

NARRATOR:Still, we soon realise

the family live
on the edge of society

in Bombay Beach,

but it also has its advantages.

The distances are short.

- That's my mom's house.

NARRATOR:
Great-grandmother and great-uncle

only live one road further down

and they visit each other
every day,

but today is a special day...

There is a new addition
to the family!

- My grandma said she was lonely,

so I went and got her some...

I got her one and she's like,
"I need two of 'em!"

(laughs)

NARRATOR:Here,
people stick together

and help each other.

- We've got a church,
we've got...

You know,
everything you could want here,

I think.

What do you think?

- There used to be
a lot of people here,

there used to be
over a thousand people here,

originally,

and then we're down to, like,
150.

INTERVIEWER:
I mean, how do you feel about that?

- Uh, don't like it too much.

The town is slowly dying
along with the sea.

NARRATOR:The Ski Inn.

This bar has existed
since the 1960s.

Owner Wendell still opens it
at 6:45 on the dot every morning!

His shift is until 4:00pm
and is usually rather quiet.

Most of Wendell's friends
have moved away,

but the memories of them
are still very much alive.

- Well, it used to be
loaded out there,

water-skiers and fishin' and...

We used to go out
and just drive around,

catch two or three fish
and then just drive around,

you know?

Drank a beer once in a while!

INTERVIEWER:
And do you miss those times?

- Oh, yeah, yeah!

NARRATOR:Now only some tourists

that are interested
in the ghost town come by.

Kerry Morrison is a politician
and environmental activist.

He hasn't given up
on the former holiday town

and has been campaigning
for the Salton Sea for years.

Many people here

don't want to accept that it isn't
looking good for the region.

- It's a different kind of place.

See how noisy it is?

(silence)

OK!

And the next stop light
is 39 miles that way

and about 39 miles that way!

OK?

Do you see the traffic?

We love it all, OK?

You know...!

There's nothing wrong with the sea,
you know?

If you have a skin condition,

you get in there,
it's taken care of,

because of the salt
and the minerals.

Oh, man,
if you have a skin condition,

go in there a few times
and it's taken care of!

You're lookin' good!
Better than goin' to the doctor!

NARRATOR:The alleged
paradise has a tragic history.

In 1976 and 1977,

two hurricanes hit this region.

- It destroyed
a number of different homes

and restaurants
and a couple of hotels

in Bombay and a few other
areas around the sea,

and that started the, uh...

Kind of the downward turn

for a lot of what has happened
in this region.

NARRATOR:
The population of Bombay Beach

sinks from about 1,000
to about 150,

but not only is the town
dying bit by bit

but also the lake.

Its water is contaminated
by pesticides

from the surrounding farms.

Oversalted and full of algae,

the reason for the dying
of the fish.

Additionally,

the lake is drying out
more and more.

Water from the region

that would normally
flow into the lake

is now often diverted
to the Californian megacities.

If the lake dries out more and more,

the people living at its banks
are in great danger.

- Lakes that dry up,

they create
really, really fine dust.

Under this lakebed happens to be
anything that's gone into the lake

and some of that has been
some agricultural chemicals.

Uh, fertilisers,

and then some also
naturally occurring heavy metals.

They don't really
affect our health very much

while they stay in the water,

but we do not
want to breathe that.

NARRATOR:So, Salton Sea
mustn't dry up and needs water.

That is what Kerry is fighting for.

- So, we need the government
to take a real step

by investing serious restoration
funding

into bringing water from the ocean

and creating wetlands
that cover dust,

so these two main things
are of amazing importance

for this region.

NARRATOR:The people
who choose a life here

have to put up with
a lot of things.

Just going shopping
isn't easily done.

There is a minimart in the town,

but it's completely cleaned out.

No one seems to have shopped here
for a long time,

but it wouldn't be Bombay Beach

if a sign on the door
wasn't proclaiming the reopening!

Krystal can't wait that long.

She needs to shop now.

Together with her sons
and Uncle Joseph,

she makes her way
to the next bigger town.

It is the same way
that the boys go every morning

on the school bus.

For this,
they have to get up at 5:30

and then catch the bus at 6:20.

The drive through the desert
takes an hour and a half!

Shopping usually means stress
for Krystal.

The children have
lots of special requests,

but at the same time

she mustn't forget
what she really needs,

because Krystal usually buys
everything for a whole month!

- This is very tiring,
especially with two kids!

Coming back from grocery shopping
is like an all-day trip!

- There was Doritos,

but I know Chance
would want these ones!

- Yeah!

- And I want these ones!

So...

- Mom, I want that, I want that!

- Yeah?
- Mom, I want that!

- Oh, I want these!

NARRATOR:With a fully loaded trunk,

they had back to Bombay Beach.

Even if life this far out
isn't always easy and comfortable,

the family is happy
in Bombay Beach.

And mother Krystal
only has one wish...

- I wish for Bombay Beach
to grow to be a cleaner,

safer environment.

NARRATOR:Not much
reminds of us Bombay Beach

and the Salton Sea
being a booming holiday resort

over 50 years ago.

The tourists that come
to visit this place now

come out of a craving
for sensation.

The people that live here
don't care about this.

It doesn't matter,

it is their home

and they haven't given up hope

that people
will come back here soon to swim.

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