1 comments about Touring Mexico.

1. I have used "Touring Mexico" in my Spanish class for years as an introduction to Mexican culture, history and geography. It is a quick-paced movie that does not dwell on one particular theme for any great time, but does not leave you feeling like you are being shorted, either.
   
   The only weakness to the movie is the music and video is a bit dated - some shots from the early '80s anda reference to discotheques come to mind - if someone snorts about that in class I remind them that a "dance club" is just a re-named disco!
   
   The movie lasts about an hour and I primarily use it on days when I'm out of class for the day. I made a little worksheet to go with it and it becomes an easy day for the substitute teacher.

No comments about Switzerland * Summer Lakes and Alps.

No comments about Swiss Alpine Winter.

2 comments about Amazing Australia.

1. I think there ought to be a requirement somewhere that everyone should have to take the time and watch just one video about the place they are going to travel to. I guess I feel a little silly saying that because most of the people who read this might already have purchased video's before traveling on vacation. I'll try to defend my lack of awareness by saying all of my local video stores had no travel videos to rent to me. My local library had a couple. But Amazon.Com served me well by having such a wonderful assortment of Australian videos for me to purchase. This one is a must. YOur understanding of the country as a whole is enlightened by this video.A traveller to this country gets such a visual treat from seeing where you want to go before you get there. If the pictures don't all turn out, you're covered here too. And when the kids want something great to watch at any time they can get this video out and learn as they are entertained.You can't go wrong purchasing this one , it is a jewel.



2. I bought this for my 5 year old son but had to eject the tape when it began with a re-enactment of a public flogging, then panned over to a store with paintings of nude women.

   The video was more educational than scenic. It was more interested in going over the history and way of life of Australia than showing us the pictures of Australia. This is a valid objective of travel books and videos, but just realize this if you decide to buy the video.

   The narrator is Australian so the Aussie accent may be hard to follow at times and the treatment of the subject is quirky. There's more time spent on Ayers rock than on the Great barrier Reef. More time spent on crocodiles than on koalas.

   BUT -- the quirkiness is fun at times. We see a part of Australia that we don't often see on TV. Too bad the cinematography and camera work does not match that of National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. The best parts were the close-ups of the jumping crocodiles and the feeding of the fishes swimming around people's legs.

No comments about In the Middle Kingdom: China.

No comments about Have Gun Will Travel: The Fifth Man, Hobson's Choice, Foggbound, A Head of Hair.

1 comments about England,Land of Splendor.

1. Since the age of 6, I have been fascinated by English stories and ideas. As I grew into the turbulence of adolescence, I chose virile and dynamic heroes, to model my clumsy attempts of coolness after; mostly British. While in college, I checked this VHS out of my local public library and it was like a drill tapping into an oil deposit; pressure released after an eternity under ground.
   
   This program is a flyby tour of historical buildings, sites and ruins that link England's past to the present. Frequently, the filmmakers focus on a site of particular interest: Syon House, Chatsworth, Blenheim Palace, the City of Bath, etc. There are also a few festivals highlighted: the Henley Royal Regatta, Trooping the Color, the Parade of the Knights of the Garter, etc. Neolithic sites also feature prominently: Stonehenge, Avesbury Stone Circle, the Uffington White Horse, the Cerne Abbas Giant, etc. To many English people, these places are as much a part of their psyche as the Washington Monument, the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls are to an American. Not everyone has visited them, but you still know they are out there somewhere; part of your collective heritage.
   
   This video will seem very long and drawn out to the individual who does not have some kind of curiosity about England. If you feel any faint Anglophilic tendencies stirring in your soul, this video will be an overwhelming experience.
   
   When I first saw this video, the internet did not exist in its present form. Therefore, I wrote out lists of people, places and things I had never heard of and looked them up at my library. When I finally visited in 2005, I felt at home. It is difficult to explain but, I know that my imagination has been wed to this place and people; this video performed the ceremony.
   
   The photography is beautiful, the music is idyllic and stirring and the narrator's voice is oddly soothing...for the right person. The odds of Reader's Digest releasing this Travel video on DVD are probably a million to one. But, if it does, I will definitely purchase it, to replace my VHS copy, which is almost completely worn out.

No comments about Rick Steves' Europe: The Best of Ireland (VHS Tape).

No comments about Cruising to Alaska.

1 comments about Kids Explore Kenya.

1. This video is very interesting and informative for young school-aged children. It moves at a quick pace and covers a lot of basic information. At times, it does not give enough detail but, at the end, it does review all of the major points covered.