Tropic of Cancer

Episode 1

Mexico to the Bahamas

59 mins

Simon starts his world trip along the northern border of the tropics in Mexico, a country of contrasts. Tourism and NAFTA-investment bring dollars and affluent foreigners, while poor Mexican (mostly illegal) migrants and drugs leave to the US. Exploitation, a violence-saturated culture (even a patron saint of drug crime) and ecological disaster result. Simon also tries "lucha libre", the local show wrestling. On Castro's Cuba, anti-Americanism and the US blockade are harder to bear since the Soviet collapse. Bermuda, a Caribean paradise resort, also has its contrasting 'spare labor' of Haitian boat refugees. And a sea-life disaster because of a poisonous fish escaped form a Florida aquarium.