Skip to main content
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.

Up Next

Ancient Peoples of the High Desert

Ancient Peoples of the High Desert

Season 13 Episode 3
26:14
River Runs Dry

River Runs Dry

Season 13 Episode 5
26:12
Cactus Capital of the World

Cactus Capital of the World

Season 13 Episode 6
26:12
Tehuacán: A Spanish Legacy

Tehuacán: A Spanish Legacy

Season 13 Episode 7
26:12
Oaxaca: Footsteps in Tradition

Oaxaca: Footsteps in Tradition

Season 13 Episode 8
26:13
Shadows of the Ancients

Shadows of the Ancients

Season 13 Episode 9
26:14
Visiting Ancient Mayo Lands

Visiting Ancient Mayo Lands

Season 13 Episode 10
26:14
Baja Journeys: Volcanoes/Oceans

Baja Journeys: Volcanoes/Oceans

Season 13 Episode 11
26:14
Baja People: Oases/Mountains

Baja People: Oases/Mountains

Season 13 Episode 12
26:14
Baja Boojums: Bizarre Plants

Baja Boojums: Bizarre Plants

Season 13 Episode 13
26:14
The Driest Desert in the World

The Driest Desert in the World

Season 14 Episode 1401
26:14
Back to Show
The Desert Speaks

Bolivia: The Cold Desert Frontier

Season 13 Episode 2

Our journey to the highest desert in the world begins in Potosi, in southwestern Bolivia. At 12,000 feet above sea level, it is the highest city in the world. The indigenous people of this high cold desert have used llama trains for thousands of years to transport the salt harvested in the area’s dry lakebeds. Our explorers also visit the Salar de Uyuni.

Support Provided By
Season
Sierra Madre Easter
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Travel around Chihuahua, Mexico with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Jesus Garcia
Hummingbirds: From Desert to Jungle
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
This episode examines the life of the hummingbird.
Ecuador's Fog Fprest: Mists over the Desert
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Travel to the agrarian community of Loma Alta, Ecuador.
On the Road to Cajamarca
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:21
Journey from Chiclayo upwards to the town of Cajamarca.
Palms in the Desert
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Ecologist Jim Cornett joins David Yetman for a look around Coachella Valley.
Magical Michoacan
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Travel through Michoacán to explore its coast, diverse habitats and local traditions.
Passions of the Pitaya
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Travel to a festival dedicated to cactus fruit in an area southwest of Guadalajara.
Tequilia: Exploring the Legend
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Travel to Jalisco, Mexico to explore how agave is gronwn, harvest and tequila is made
Exploring Arizona's "Big Empty"
26:20
Discover a relatively unexplored area of northwestern Arizona.
Giants On A Galapagos Island
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:20
Visit one of the few inhabited islands in the Galapagos.
Of Drought And Fire
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:19
Explore how scientists study the adaptability of desert plants to droughts.
Medieval Drought In The Southwest
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:19
Discover how scientists use tree rings to gather evidence of climate conditions.
Active loading indicator