Ruta 40 Argentina

A pair of Globe Trekker episodes take viewers on a drive down the entire length of Argentina's Route 40, a road—sometimes paved, sometimes not—running some 3,000 miles from the country's northern border with Bolivia to the southernmost tip of the South American continent. The genial driver-host is Zay Harding, who makes numerous stops along the way to visit volcanoes, glaciers, salt flats, ancient ruins, museums, towns, markets, and an observatory in a windswept desert. Harding also visits some out-of-the-way locales, including the place where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out under assumed names before being unmasked; a former hippie commune turned into a restful retreat; and a community founded by Welsh immigrants that retains many ancestral customs. Harding interacts enthusiastically with the locals—ranging from helping a driver whose car has overturned on the curvy road, to trying to rope a calf after receiving instruction from a Patagonian gaucho. Along the way, viewers are treated to beautiful shots of the area's mountains and valleys, while learning about ancient cultures and modern-day residents' way of life (one town, for example, is famous for its chocolate). Harding follows a challenging itinerary, but this off-the-beaten track travelogue should appeal to more hardy travelers looking for something a bit different. Recommended. Aud: P. (F. Swietek)