Mexico: The Royal Tour

Although Mexico has received a lot of bad press in recent years due to its deadly drug cartel wars, most of the country remains safe for tourists. In this PBS-aired documentary from filmmaker John Feist, travel editor Peter Greenberg journeys to Mexico, where he receives a very special tour conducted by the country's president, Felipe Calderón, who also brings along the First Lady and their children. Mexico is a vast, geographically diverse nation—boasting mountains, coastline, and deserts—that is also rich in music, history, and colorful customs. A major attraction are the temples and ruins left by the mysterious but advanced Mayan culture, known for its sophisticated contributions to architecture, mathematics, and astronomy (historians have been fascinated by the Mayans' culture and their cruelty, which included human sacrifice). Other adventures covered here include ziplining through a tropical jungle, watching gray whale migrations off Baja California, seeing masses of migrating Monarch butterflies, visiting Mexico's deepest cave, and sampling liquor made from a pineapple-type plant grown in the red volcanic soil near the city of Tequila. Illustrating the rich mixture of cultures, as well as the colonial European style of some of the churches and towns (while also sharing the scenic beauty during a hot air balloon ride over the countryside), Mexico: The Royal Tour is an engaging travelogue, with Calderon providing humorous and informative commentary. DVD extras include bonus scenes, and an extended interview with Calderón. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)