Death in Central America: An Ecotourism Nightmare

A travel writers' tour of Central America in 1993 to explore ecotourism destinations: beautiful tropical places, great food, lovely people. What could go wrong with that? Unsuspecting, these junketing journalists are caught up in the multi-layered mess of Cold War aftershocks, the expanding drug trade and the genocide waged on the indigenous. Along the road, they get tastes of what that means in real people's lives, but when they drop into the Darien Gap - the only blank spot in the entire 18,640 miles of the Pan American Highway - for a glimpse of unspoiled nature, it all converges on them. Sometimes, despite the best intentions, travel adventure goes off the rails.