The story of the Rio Balsas Power Boat Marathon

The State of Guerrero is one of the most arid and beautiful in Mexico. Once a year the canyons and the river are shattered by the roar of power boats. Visiting international crews send their 600hp jet boats snarling down the rapids at 70 mph. Some leap over the rocks; some slam into them and sink - £4,000-worth of boat lost in a few seconds. The 370-mile race lasts five days and passes through rapids and canyons, lakes and the open sea. Each night the Army build a barbed wire camp on the beach - bandits without, scorpions within - but the Mexican stars are overhead and the excitement of Mexico all around. For the Rio Balsas is much more than just a river race - it is a journey through Mexico.