Donal MacIntyre puts his life and reputation on the line as he tries to live at the absolute limits of human habitation in The Edge of Existence, a new four-part series for Five. Tonight’s opening episode sees Donal travel to Papua New Guinea to live with the Insect Tribe of Swagap. Throughout the world there are places so inhospitable that humans cannot survive there in the long term. The Edge of Existence shows what it is like to live in these places, as Donal experiences first-hand the natural world at its harshest. Combining survival know-how, anthropology and extreme physical challenges, Donal travels to some of the most spectacular locations in the world. Deep in the heart of Papua New Guinea’s jungle, several days’ journey away from civilisation, lives the Insect Tribe of Swagap. The tribe is so-named because its members worship the preying mantis, and have in the past been known to engage in tribal warfare and cannibalism. Unknown until the 1950s, they live on fish and whatever they can hunt in the surrounding jungle. For the first time ever, the tribe has allowed a visitor to experience their way of life.
Donal MacIntyre puts his life and reputation on the line as he tries to live at the absolute limits of human habitation in The Edge of Existence, a new four-part series for Five. Tonight’s episode sees Donal travel to Borneo in southeast Asia to experience life with the sea gypsies. After a gruelling three-day journey through the shark and pirate-infested waters of the Celebes Sea, Donal arrives at the port of Semporna on the southeast coast of Borneo. Here, he hopes to learn of the Bajau-Laut –a nomadic tribe of people who were born, live and will die at sea. But since the Bajau-Laut –or sea gypsies –are rarely on land and do not keep to a conventional calendar, they are very hard to find. As Donal sets off into 100,000 square miles of water, he is apprehensive: “I’d love to tell you what’s going to happen over the next while,” he says, “but I’ve no idea.” His initial fears are allayed when he approaches Omadal island and receives a warm, traditional welcome from the inhabitants of a small settlement. These villagers were once sea gypsies themselves, but have since transferred their lives to the land. Their existence is still centred around the sea, however, as Donal soon discovers.
Donal MacIntyre puts his life and reputation on the line as he tries to live at the limits of human habitation in this four-part documentary series. Tonight’s episode sees Donal travel to Oman to encounter the Bedouin people. The Arabian desert has not seen rain for two years. Very little can grow here and survival requires exceptional skill, yet the Bedouin tribes have called it home for thousands of years. Why, in the 21st century, would anyone choose to live in the barren desert rather than the modern world? MacIntyre decides to find the answer. From the capital Muscat, he heads south to the Sharqiya Sands on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Extreme temperatures and a lack of water mean that this environment is unwelcoming to the novice, but Donal is in good hands. His guide and translator, Ali, knows the land well and introduces Donal to the Bedouin family with whom he will be staying.
Donal MacIntyre puts his life and reputation on the line as he tries to live at the limits of human habitation in this four-part documentary series. In this final episode, Donal travels to the one of the most inhospitable places on earth –the high mountains of the Andes –to follow Quechuan Indians in their native environment. Donal’s latest adventure has brought him to the altiplanoregion of Bolivia, a mountainous area some 17,000 feet above sea level. This harsh land is home to the Quechuan Indians, an indigenous people who pre-date the Incas. The highly spiritual Quechuan eke out a living in one of the remotest regions of South America’s poorest country. Donal is initiated into Quechuan life when he arrives in a small town and witnesses a ritual to celebrate Pachamama, or Mother Earth. The Indians, dressed like Spanish Conquistadors, sacrifice a sheep to appease the gods and set its still-beating heart on the ground. A dance ensues, in which the Indians – fired by alcohol – engage in mock fights. Donal is dragged into the ritual, enduring kicks and punches before being wrestled to the ground.
