All language subtitles for Aerial.Argentina.S01E03.Contrasts.1080p.WEB.h264-CAFFEiNE

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

- Argentina
is a wild ride,

from the continent's
tallest mountain,

to ocean's gentle giants.

It's where people
play on the wind,

trains chase history,

and kids chase glory.

In this episode,
we fly around every corner

looking for something unique,

and we always find it.

Like high and dry,

wet and wild,

the Roof
of the Americas,

and the bottom of
the largest waterfall system

on the planet.

Here, dramatic wind-carved
cliffs

share the stage

with thick, vibrant jungles.

Indigenous traditions endure,

trains teeter over
deep gorges,

and adrenaline junkies
ride the dunes.

If the landscape
doesn't grab you,

the people will.

Argentina is simply
unforgettable.

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

[dramatic percussive music]

♪ ♪

Why not start
right at the top?

This is Mount Aconcagua,

known as
the Roof of the Americas.

It is the unrivaled titan
of the Andes Mountain range,

the highest peak in
the entire Western Hemisphere.

Aconcagua is 22,831 feet tall.

Anyone who's ever laid eyes
on it has a story about it.

More than 500 years ago,

Inca priests would climb
as high as they could

to offer a human sacrifice
to their gods.

In 1897, Swiss mountaineer
Matthias Zurbriggen

became the first known climber
to summit.

Today, Aconcagua is
a mountaineering magnet,

attracting climbers
from around the world.

Scaling the mountain
doesn't require rock climbing

or technical skills,
but this is no gentle giant.

Bad weather
and the high altitude

can be a deadly combination.

♪ ♪

Relatively sheltered
at 14,000 feet,

Plaza de Mulas is one of the
world's largest base camps.

But in early March,
climbing season has ended.

The skeletons of domes
and other shelters sit empty.

In eight months, they'll
fill up again with climbers.

Because the air is so thin
up here,

climbers often acclimate
at base camp for several days

before pushing on
to the summit.

♪ ♪

Aconcagua is the tallest,

but it's just one of
hundreds of mountains

that form the spine
of South America.

4,300 miles
from north to south,

the Andes is the longest
mountain range on the planet.

It shapes life in all
seven countries it touches.

[adventurous music]

For Argentina,
it forms a natural border

with Chile that is both
storied and dangerous.

In 1817, Argentine General
José de San Martín

led 5,200 men over the Andes

during the wars
for independence from Spain.

Hundreds died along the way.

But the remaining troops
caught the Spanish off guard,

leading to the liberation
of Chile and Peru.

Today, tourists retrace
part of the army's route

over a mountain pass.

They do it in perfect weather
and on horseback.

Hopefully, the only threat
to the riders is saddle sores.

[ominous droning music]

The Andes aren't just
dangerous

for hikers and horses.

On October 13, 1972,

a plane carrying a rugby team
was on a routine flight

over the Andes
en route to Chile.

Due to pilot error,
it crashed.

And today,
part of the fuselage

still rests
in the mountains.

A polished black stone
commemorates those who died

and those who survived
and struggled for 70 days.

With almost no food or water,

some survivors resorted
to cannibalism

before they were rescued.

The tragic story inspired
at least five books

and six movies.

It's now known
as the Miracle of the Andes.

[light string music]

Flying in the rough conditions
of the Andes

is easier for some
than others.

This Andean condor
rides a powerful wind

that often blows from
the west over the Andes.

It's called the Zonda.

The Zonda can reach speeds
of almost 75 miles per hour

and often carries
thick clouds of dust,

creating health issues.

But for Paulo Favero,

the Zonda
is a breath of fresh air.

He rides it in his paraglider

and can stay aloft for over
six hours at a time.

♪ ♪

He's been paragliding
for 11 years

and has no plans to ever quit.

♪ ♪

Strong winds
and minimal rainfall

keep the eastern side
of the Andes dry,

but water from melting snow
does flow down the slopes.

♪ ♪

To make the most
of this limited resource,

the province of Mendoza has
built an irrigation system.

Dams and canals capture
and distribute water

through the dry land.

It has turned
the Uco Valley green,

a sharp contrast
to the land around it.

Clay, sand,
and limestone soil,

high elevation,
and long hours of sunshine

make this an ideal location
for an unexpected crop--

grapes.

In the 1990s,
world-famous wine consultant

Michel Rolland saw
the valley's potential.

He teamed up
with six others

and created the vineyard
Clos de los Siete.

They now produce one million
bottles of wine.

More winemakers moved in,
and vineyards now blanket

much of the Uco Valley.

The wine produced here
generates more than

$130 million every year.

♪ ♪

[upbeat guitar music]

Like an Argentine Napa Valley,

the wine business
here spawned tourism,

luxury hotels,
and five-star restaurants.

A local mother-daughter team
of architects designed

many of these buildings.

They use regional materials
and colors

to fit the buildings
into the landscape.

Outside one of their
latest projects,

Eliana Bórmida
and her daughter

Luisa Yanzón consult with
their business partner,

their husband
and father, Mario.

They like to keep it
all in the family.

♪ ♪

The vineyards are the region's
economic engine,

employing not just architects

but also thousands of field
hands, pickers, and farmers.

Malbec grapes account
for around 50%

of what's grown here.

To produce top quality,
high-end wines,

grapes are harvested by hand.

♪ ♪

Without these
tireless workers,

the crop would literally die
on the vine.

Starting with their handiwork,

this vineyard makes wine
fit for a king.

It once produced
the wine served

at the Dutch royal wedding.

[upbeat music]

But the arid plains
east of the Andes

contain more than vineyards
and are full of contrasts.

From a peaceful spot
to study the skies

to towering dunes where
only the daring will take

a wild ride in a new,
bone-jarring sport.

- There are wide expanses
of northwestern Argentina

that seem so rugged and harsh,

it's hard to imagine
anyone surviving here.

But humans
not only survived

in the Calchaqui Valley,
they thrived.

Here, the ruins of
the largest pre-Columbian

settlement in Argentina
nestle into a hillside.

This is the sacred city
of Quilmes.

The Quilmes people
first settled here

roughly 1,200 years ago.

They built in stone
and created terraces

on the hillside for farming.

On the steepest parts,
they erected pucarás,

or forts,
where they could watch

for invasion
and shelter during an attack.

♪ ♪

It's clear they could build,

but it turns out
they could also fight.

They held off a series
of attacks by the Spanish

for more than 100 years.

Finally,
the Spanish wore them down,

and the Quilmes were defeated
in 1667.

Their story
was mostly forgotten.

But today, David Vargas,

a descendent
of the Quilmes people,

leads visitors
in a traditional ceremony.

David is honoring
Mother Earth, or Pachamama,

by digging a small hole,
symbolizing her mouth.

Then, they bury food
in the hole

and burn incense.

It's an offering
to the Pachamama.

David is thanking Mother Earth

for everything
she has created.

And in this land of contrasts,

there's a lot
to be thankful for.

♪ ♪

To the north, she has created
something truly otherworldly.

Los Cardones National Park

is named
for the Cardon grande cactus.

Also known as
the Argentine saguaros,

they almost look like they
belong in the Sonoran Desert.

But the cacti here
are even more massive.

Some Argentine saguaro
grow almost 50 feet tall

and can live for 300 years.

Tourists come to see
the largest collection

of these cacti anywhere
in South America.

Ranger Emilio Daher
helps monitor the park.

Even though Argentine saguaro
are armed with clusters

of three-inch spines,

they need protecting,

and the park has helped
to preserve them since 1996.

A road cuts through the park.

It's so flat and straight,

it's called
La Recta de Tin Tin

or the Tin Tin Straight Line.

♪ ♪

What is now
a modern paved highway

used to be part of
the Inca Trail,

a web of roads
through the Inca Empire

that totaled
some 25,000 miles.

The Tin Tin Straight Line
is a mere 11-mile section

of this network
and ideal for a bike ride.

But there's little cloud cover
and almost no rain,

so bikers better
wear sunscreen

and pack plenty of water.

[light guitar music]

♪ ♪

As Argentina always promises,

there's a different look
around the bend.

The straight road
turns and twists

into green mountains.

Any bikers left have their
work cut out for them.

With hairpin curves
and switchbacks.

But their reward
is the town of Cachi.

Founded in the 18th century,

and still a tight and tidy
Spanish colonial town.

♪ ♪

Its centerpiece
is a mission-style church.

Most of the buildings are
covered in adobe or whitewash.

Its streets
are still paved in stone.

By mid-afternoon,
the neighborhoods shut down

for the daily siesta.

But not everything
is how it appears.

♪ ♪

Hiding behind
the traditional facade

is a quirk of modern culture,

a UFO port.

Terry Werner Jaisli,
a Swiss traveler,

created it after claiming
he had a close encounter

with two UFOs here.

He built it
to be a sign of welcome.

It was called
The Star of Hope.

Then, Werner disappeared.

Believers thought
he had left in a UFO,

but he had simply returned
to Switzerland.

And today,
the Star of Hope welcomes

another kind of visitor:
tourists.

His spaceport still
turns heads

in the otherwise traditional
town of Cachi.

[jaunty music]

Roughly 60 miles to the east,

the city of Salta
has the same charms,

just in a much bigger package.

With a population of 600,000,

Salta is one of
the largest cities

in northern Argentina.

♪ ♪

Like Cachi, Salta maintains
a colonial feel,

and its numerous churches
are a constant reminder

of Catholicism's central role.

The city nickname
is Salta la Linda

or, Salta the Beautiful.

And as pretty as
the city is up close,

it's even more spectacular
from sky high.

Locals and tourists
take a cable car

to San Bernardo Hill.

Here,
they can admire the city,

but also get a peek
of what's beyond.

[upbeat music]

In the northwest corner
of Argentina,

San Antonio de los Cobres
is not just one of

the driest towns
in the country,

it's also one
of the highest.

It sits 12,000 feet
above sea level.

From here, travelers can reach
even higher

in a diesel locomotive
known as El Tren de las Nubes,

or Train to the Clouds.

Before every trip,
engineer Carlos Tucu Rodríguez

inspects the train
to make sure

everything is in
working order.

Carlos has been an engineer
for 40 years.

Today, tourists ride to see

some of the country's
most rugged terrain

from the comfort
of a modern coach.

The track was first built
as a trade route

connecting Argentina
and Chile.

And it's earned the name
the Train to the Clouds

because it climbs to almost
14,000 feet,

which can be in or above
the clouds.

But on a clear day,
like today,

riders can see for miles.

The train crosses 29 bridges.

If the vertigo doesn't
affect passengers,

the high altitude can.

There is always
a medical team onboard

for emergencies
and altitude sickness.

The highlight--if you have
the stomach for it--

is when the train stops cold
on the La Polvorilla Viaduct.

It stands more than 200 feet
over the valley floor,

supported by over
1,700 tons of steel.

On the other side,
passengers can get out

and brave the view themselves.

Of course,
anywhere a train stops,

makeshift markets appear
out of thin air

to welcome the tourists.

In this land of contrasts,

something new awaits
around every corner,

from a festival rooted in
thousands of years of history

to a forest so dense
it's called The Impenetrable.

[upbeat music]

- Northern Argentina looks
like a land

of subtle browns
and greens

until, tucked into
a monochrome valley,

the hillside suddenly explodes

in an unexpected
prism of color.

It seems like
it's been painted

by some unseen
mythical creature.

And that's exactly
how legend says

these hills got their color.

The stories say
that Pachamama--

Mother Earth--
wanted to brighten

what she considered to be
a monotonous place.

She directed mountain elves
to spend seven nights

painting the rocks.

Their masterpiece,
Cerro de Siete Colores

or Hill of Seven Colors.

The geological explanation
for this display

also seems fantastic.

The layers began forming
undersea

roughly 600 million years ago

and each is colored by
different minerals

or deposits.

Then, tectonic forces
pushed them

more than 7,000 feet
above sea level,

where erosion exposed
their bright colors.

In sharp contrast,
the town of Purmamarca

is painted in a muted palette.

Its own bright colors
are reserved

for traditional
handmade textiles.

♪ ♪

They are all woven from the
fiber of indigenous animals:

alpaca, guanaco,

vicuña, and llama.

The most iconic product
is the poncho,

known around the world as
a part coat, part blanket.

The poncho
has indigenous roots.

The design is centuries old,

but it never
goes out of style.

And neither does this timeless
blanket of hillside color.

♪ ♪

Follow Argentina's
Rio Grande north,

and it creates an inviting
pathway through the mountains.

This is La Quebrada
de Humahuaca,

where humans have gathered
for at least 10,000 years.

A paved road
is a modern version of

the vast Inca road system
that ran through here.

Soldiers, merchants
and worshippers

easily traveled through the
valley's natural passageway.

The muddy Rio Grande
floods in the summer,

irrigating the bottom lands,

and leaving rich deposits,

a sharp contrast
to its colorful hills.

[upbeat music]

A string of towns has grown up
along its banks.

In the village of Tilcara,

a carnival parade flows
across the main bridge.

Often dressed as devils,

the costumed dancers work
their way through the streets.

Other locals perform music
for the dancers

or gather to watch.

In Tilcara, the colors
and music of carnival

are a unifying festival
that involves the entire town

and crosses
diverse traditions.

The Inca were just one
in a succession of people

who lived in this area.

[solemn woodwind music]

♪ ♪

Many ancient cultures
still intersect in Argentina.

Like her ancestors,
Roxana del Carmen Puca

leads a trio of llamas
through the hills.

She is a descendant
of the Tilcaras people

and remains dedicated to
preserving the ancient ways.

She practices
traditional healing methods

that use medicinal plants
and minerals.

Like many others,
she weaves her llama's wool

into cloth
and she also uses their fat

for ointments and salves.

[percussive music]

Traditional ways meet
the modern world

28 miles upriver in Humahuaca.

It's the largest town
in its namesake valley.

The town is a regional center
for culture,

business, and tourism.

In the main square,

a monument to the heroes
of independence from Spain

stands at the top
of a 103-step staircase.

It's crowned by
an imposing figure

supported by a bas-relief

that pays homage to those
who fought in the war.

The sculptor,
Ernesto Soto Avendano,

never revealed the inspiration
for the main figure,

but it's clearly
an indigenous man.

He represents
a proud Argentina

stepping forward
into the future.

And part of that future
lies just 50 miles away.

[plucky music]

♪ ♪

In the far north of Argentina,

a field of white stretches
almost to the mountains.

But this is not snow or ice,

it is salt.

Salinas Grande,
or the Great Salt Flat,

is almost four times bigger
than the island of Manhattan.

Millions of years ago,
a lake formed here.

Then, most of the water
evaporated,

leaving a brine that's thick
with salt and other minerals.

The landscape could be
from another planet

or the set
of a science fiction movie.

♪ ♪

But these
alien-looking structures

have a very earthly use.

Campers rent them
for overnight visits.

They get there on foot
or four-wheel drive.

Despite a lack
of valet parking,

the domes offer
luxury services.

And for those looking
to leave no trace,

they're equipped with
green energy sources.

But tourism is just a fraction
of the local economy.

The long-standing money maker
is salt,

which is mined in strips.

Local cooperatives have
the goal to produce

1,200 tons of salt a year.

But there's another material
here with more modern value--

lithium.

This soft metal is
a key component in batteries

that power everything from
smartphones to electric cars.

The concentration of lithium
is high on these flats,

but extracting it
may harm the water table.

How much is mined and how
to do it safely is uncertain.

But one thing is clear,

all of this white has
some people seeing gold.

♪ ♪

[upbeat music]

Not far away, it's all green.

The Gran Chaco is one
of the largest forest systems

in the world.

It's so dense its nickname
is The Impenetrable.

Unlike the Amazon rainforest,

it receives just 20 inches of
rain in the western areas.

♪ ♪

With more than
380,000 square miles,

it covers much of
northern Argentina

as well as parts of Bolivia,
Paraguay, and Brazil.

♪ ♪

The Gran Chaco's
thick canopy

hides hundreds
of animal species

and more than
3,000 types of plants.

Skirting along
this park's border,

the Bermejo River meanders
to the southeast,

and is one of the only ways
to penetrate the forest.

It floods in the rainy season,

carving new routes
and leaving behind

horseshoe-shaped channels.

Many of the trees,
like the quebracho,

contain hard,
rot-resistant wood.

Quebracho was once harvested
throughout northern Argentina

and made into railroad ties.

But the biggest threat
to the forests today

isn't from lumbering,

it's from clear cutting
for farming

and cattle ranching.

Since 1985, an area roughly
the size of South Carolina

has been cleared
from the Gran Chaco.

But there's a growing
awareness

of this forest's importance,

and a movement
to slow the clear cutting

is gaining momentum.

Environmental organizations
have bought private lands

and helped convert them into
El Impenetrable National Park.

Follow the Bermejo River
from the park

and then venture
to the southeast

and the land changes
once again.

Here, animals reveal how
Argentina's contrasts

can make strange bedfellows.

- In northeast Argentina,

slow-moving waters create
a unique ecosystem.

There's wildlife,
like the rare Pampas deer,

and herons.

Where a river once flowed,
there are now low areas

that have become swamps
and small lakes.

Today, Esteros del Iberá
is the second largest wetland

in the world.

And here,
conservationists have been

buying properties
to preserve the area.

With strong state support,

they have created
a nature reserve here

that includes the Iberá
National Park,

and other preserved lands.

Augusto Distel
and Marcos Etchepareborda

use GPS
to track native animals.

Their work covers
more than 2 million acres,

an area four times bigger
than Sequoia National Park.

The goal is to provide
enough open space

for native
and endangered animals

like this aguará guazú.

In the indigenous
Guaraní language,

aguará guazú
means big fox,

and it's also known
as the maned wolf.

The largest South American
canid is now endangered.

But by tracking and monitoring
animals like this,

people like Augusto
and Marco hope to help boost

their population
and reestablish balance.

The grassland
where the maned wolf roams

is just part a complex network
of habitats

in the Iberá National Park.

♪ ♪

[wondrous music]

And the cornerstone
of it all is water.

On the surface
it looks calm,

but predators
are always lurking.

The Iberá Lagoon is a prime
fishing spot for herons

and ideal hunting grounds
for the Yacare caiman.

They can grow to 6 feet
and weigh over 160 pounds.

♪ ♪

But these youngsters
are too small

to try to tackle
an adult capybara.

Earning the title of
world's largest rodent,

capybara are like
supersized sumo guinea pigs

that can reach
more than 130 pounds.

This peaceful scene
seems remote and wild.

But even here,

humans make their presence
felt.

An old wood and iron bridge
crosses the lagoon.

It connects the park
to Colonia Carlos Pellegrini,

a village of 900,

and serves as the entryway
for visitors.

But this clear path
into the park

can change
with a shift in the wind.

♪ ♪

Today, Iberá National Park
looks completely different.

And what was visible
a couple of hours ago

is no longer clear.

But this is not fog,
it's smoke.

In the dry season,
fire is always a threat,

and this year has been
particularly brutal.

Almost 40% of the nature
preserve has burned.

Fire is part
of the natural process,

but when it rages
out of control,

it puts endangered animals
and plants at risk.

And it leads
volunteer firefighters

to work in
critical situations.

So with most of the fire
burned out,

Osvaldo Medina, Pedro Benitez,
and Nicolás Medrano

are on the lookout
for flare-ups.

♪ ♪

In the smokey haze,
they have to get out on foot

and climb the truck
to see for themselves.

Nicolas finds it heartbreaking

to see what is left
of the trees,

a smoldering ruin.

But given time,
the grasslands will grow back,

trees will heal,
nature will rebound,

and the air over the village
of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini

will clear.

[lively music]

Outside the park's
eastern boundary,

the world turns green again,

with a perfectly maintained
road running along its edge.

This route has its own name--

La Ruta de la Yerba Mate.

Yerba mate is a plant
that indigenous Guarani boiled

and then sipped as tea.

Today, it is one of
the national drinks

of Argentina.

Eight out of ten Argentines
drink mate

in the traditional way,

steeped in water
in a gourd or wooden bowl

and drunk through a straw.

Per capita,
Argentinians consume

over six times more yerba mate
than coffee.

And this tradition passed
from generation to generation.

Yerba mate was harvested
and brewed

long before the arrival
of Europeans.

But now it's grown like most
modern agricultural products.

Tractors now fertilize
and spray the fields.

♪ ♪

The process of commercially
farming yerba mate

started with Jesuit priests
and missionaries.

In 1696,
Jesuits founded a mission

among the Guaraní
at San Ignacio Miní.

Far from colonial Spanish
authorities,

they sought converts.

In the 1700s, the mission grew
to 3,000 people

and became
increasingly independent.

Then, in 1767,
it came to an end.

Distrustful of the Jesuits'
growing power

throughout
the Spanish Empire,

the king decided
to suppress the order.

The Spanish expelled
the Jesuits from the colonies

and shut down their missions,
including San Ignacio Miní.

Abandoned
for nearly 200 years,

the buildings decayed

and succumbed
to the encroaching forest.

But in 1940,
the government started

to reclaim the site
for historic preservation.

Today, it is one of the most
visited ruins in Argentina.

The Jesuits returned
to Argentina,

but not in remote missions
like this.

Instead, they spread
throughout the entire country

and even inspired
today's most famous

Argentinian Jesuit,
Pope Francis.

[exciting music]

Near the ruins,
a red stripe of iron-rich soil

cuts through the green
and leads further afield.

It makes a bold arrow
toward a place called

Argentina's Triple Frontier.

Here, geography creates
colorful history.

Two rivers merge,

forming the border
for three countries,

to the west, Paraguay,

to the north, Brazil,

and to the south and east,
Argentina.

These borders have been
a source of friction

and heated confrontations
in the past.

Today, cooler heads prevail
on the Argentine side,

in the Plaza del Agua,
or water park.

♪ ♪

But when it comes to water,

this is just a warm-up act.

The real show is upriver

at one of the world's greatest
natural wonders.

The Iguazú Falls.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Three times wider
than Niagara.

Three million gallons
of water per second.

Nearly 300 separate channels.

It is one falls
with many faces.

Where the channel narrows,

it creates
the Garganta del Diablo

or Devil's Throat.

♪ ♪

Here, it is almost
500 feet wide

and more than 160 feet high.

♪ ♪

Mist creates an almost
perpetual rainbow.

And the rainbow
created legends.

Indigenous lore includes
the story of a prince

and princess,
separated by the devil.

He turned the princess
into a waterfall

and the prince into
surrounding vegetation.

But the rainbow
permanently unites them.

It's a story as enduring
as the waterfall itself.

[upbeat piano music]

From the Devil's Throat

to the Roof of the Americas,

and from vast wetlands

to some of the driest places
on Earth,

the colors, cultures,
and climates of Argentina

have no boundary.

It stretches
from one extreme to the next,

and makes its own rules.

It's one country
with many faces.