On the southernmost tip of Texas, where the US and Mexican borders meet the sea, sits the tiny town of Boca Chica. Surrounded by nothing but wild open scrub land, eight miles of virgin beach and a rich array of wildlife, the twenty-something residents of Boca Chica live in peace and disconnection. Away from the noise of the modern World.

It was that peace and disconnection that Maria Pointer, AKA Boca Chica Maria, and husband Ray sought when they made their plans to settle down and retire in Boca Chica. But dreams of a quiet retirement are to be thrown out the window when new neighbors SpaceX move into town, right outside their bedroom window.

In today’s episode of Passport, we take a very special look at one of the most important journeys we may ever take via a quiet town in the South of Texas. A town which has become the launch pad to new possibilities and discovery for the human race.

The launch pad to Mars.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://frequencymachine.com/passport

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Super Skyscrapers, Lamborghini police cars, streets where it rains 24/7 in the middle of desert… Welcome to Dubai, the UAE’s most populous city and one of the richest and most absurdly ostentatious places in the world. Those stories of diamond encrusted Hummers? They’re all true. It’s the epitome of luxury.

And nowhere is this more true than in the city’s islands. Well, artificial islands to be exact. Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, loves them, and in the mid 2000s he built his most ambitious to date. We’ve been around the world on Passport but now we’ve found the world in one place. ‘The World’ islands, a 300 island archipelago off the city’s coast.

It’s one of the most ridiculous pieces of architectural engineering you’ll ever see, but the story behind them is equally absurd, and incredibly dark. This week we’re headed to Dubai for a story about obscene luxury and how it all gets paid for. The answer? Corruption. On a big, big scale.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://frequencymachine.com/passport

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Peru has everything. Dense jungles, imposing mountains, and a long coastline. A rich history that combines breathtaking Incan archeological sites with the original seats of colonial power on the southern continent. But people also treasure Peru for something else: UFOs.

To those in the know, Peru is the Mecca for unidentified flying objects. Peru’s capital, Lima, even has its very own X Files-style UFO investigations office -- an official department in the Peruvian air force.

Recently the Pentagon released footage of US air force pilots tracking mega-fast unidentified objects that left no vapor trails -- this has been stirring up a lot of mainstream interest.

In Peru, they don’t need much convincing. UFOs are already part of the national psyche The reason? Just the sheer number of sightings and weird goings-on. So are UFOs really visiting Earth? And if so, why have they singled out Peru?

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://frequencymachine.com/passport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Passport, we go to the fog of London, and walk the fine line between the glamorous lifestyle of James Bond and the realities of spies sitting on the complicated grey streets of England’s capital. We see this fictional world through the eyes of writers and films, from Bond to Villanelle, a stylish femme fetal character from the new series, “Killing Eve.” We dive into what could possibly have inspired these characters, and the city they all have in common.

Our touch of reality is Annie Machon, a legendary ex-MI5 whistleblower who fled the London streets leaving any possible spy devices at home, to escape one of the most surveilled cities in the world, and disappear into the picturesque countryside of France.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://frequencymachine.com/passport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amsterdam is a city of canals and coffeeshops: of charm and sin. Nowhere is this better encapsulated than in its art scene. The Dutch capital is a hub of both contemporary and classic art - from incredible graffiti to world leading institutions like the Van Gogh museum.

Van Gogh still holds a lot of sway in the city - he’s the Netherlands’ most famous artistic son, after all. But his work is also under threat from art thieves. In the twentieth century, Amsterdam has been home to two of the world’s most notorious art thefts, and they were both Van Goghs.

This week, we’re going to meet the man behind one of those heists: Octave Durham, he’s an art thief. But when a Van Gogh is stolen, there’s someone in Amsterdam whose job it is to get them back. We’re going to meet him too: Arthur Brand, he’s an art detective.

It’s a story straight out of holywood, taking us to the heart of stunning art and audacious crime in the Dutch capital.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://frequencymachine.com/passport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Bay Area around San Francisco is home to beautiful beaches, gorgeous wineries and the people who are creating the future. Because if you head south from San Fran, you’ll find Silicon Valley, the center of global technology.

The place today is filled with artificial intelligence, billionaire tech-bros and people trying to become immortal. Silicon Valley might be the wealthiest town in America, but behind the Teslas and the venture capital is an origin story defined by people who bucked all the rules. The history of this town was written by adventurers, with an ethos of “nothing is impossible, everything is permitted”.

This week on Passport we’re going inside the Matrix, into the real Silicon Valley, mapping its history through the hackers and freaks who made it boom. We’ll meet secret societies, burning men and giant fighting robots from San Fran’s past, as well as the AI overlords, transhumanists and mind uploaders who dominate the place today. Strap in, it’s going to get weird.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://frequencymachine.com/passport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on MisInfoNation we talk to Ekaterina Markelova about a mystery wrapped inside a riddle inside an enigma - Mother Russia! A smart, funny, double PhD with a rather disarming smile, Ekaterina, takes on some of the craziest questions about her home country!

Western views of Russian culture are dominated by drinking, the cold and election hacking right now… But that can’t really be all there is, can it? So this week on Passport we wanted to see just how much of the deep deep Russian stereotypes remain true. Turns out the largest country on earth really does have a lot more to offer than you think it does.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://www.frequencymachine.com/passport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Passport team is off this week, making more shows. But we’ve got a special bonus episode: a fantastic show called The Alarmist.

Have you ever wondered who’s to blame for history's greatest tragedies? The Plague. The sinking of The Titanic. The break-up of the Beatles. If you answered yes, then Writer/Comedian Rebecca Delgado-Smith is here for you. Each week she and a special guest (or guests), scrutinize history’s greatest disasters to figure out what went wrong, and most importantly, who’s to blame. And not too long ago she invited Neil and Andrés to help determine who is to blame for the death of Che Guevara. Everyone at Passport HQ loves this show. We think you will too!

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This week on The Alarmist, Rebecca Delgado Smith decides who is to blame for the death of Che Guevara. She is joined by Neil Innes and Andrés Bartos (hosts of the new travel podcast Passport), Professor Michael Bustamante, Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Amanda Lund. On the board this week: Castro, American Fat Cats and Merch.

Tell us who you think is to blame at http://thealarmistpodcast.com

Email us at [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @thealarmistpodcast

Follow us on Twitter @alarmistThe

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| USING ART TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE |

In part two of our journey to Jerusalem, we cross the Green Line and talk to some remarkable people. An artist whose family roots in the city go back over 1000 years, but who still doesn’t qualify for a passport. An Amenian Jerusalemite, one of the city’s smallest minorities, whose work has crossed boundaries. And two Israeli entrepreneurs who found a novel way to create a safe space, free of soldiers. Plus, we hear the true story behind the Casino de Paris and what it was like to live in a neighborhood plagued by suicide bombers.

Also, we’ll have some blissfully good meals - but that almost seems beside the point. This episode is about what it truly means to be from Jerusalem.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, and the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://www.frequencymachine.com/passport

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| How to have fun in Jerusalem |

Sha’anan Streett might be Israel’s biggest hip-hop star and he also might own the most important bar in Jerusalem. In a tiny courtyard in the Mahane Yehuda market sits the Casino Du Paris, a little oasis in the bustle of one of the world's craziest markets. What you might not realise, sitting there with a cold one, is that this bar started a movement. In an era filled with conflict, this little bar helped the nightlife of the market explode into a bustling and remarkable place, helping turn around an entire neighborhood.

The first three days of our Neil and Andrés’ trip to Jerusalem were an upside down carnival ride; Little sleep, lots of delicious food, trippy live music, colorful art shows, a taste-test of the best kebabs in the world, so many laughs and friendly faces. We quickly realised, like everything in Jerusalem, the story of Sha’anan’s bar was much, much bigger than we thought. The ritual and practice of having fun in a historically dangerous place is complicated, but Sha’anan has a plan - and importantly, a map. Which we followed to discover a whole new side of the city - through the people who are pushing Jerusalem in new and wonderful directions.

For more, including links to the things we talked about, the places we visited, plus a full transcript, visit: https://www.frequencymachine.com/passport.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.