Find this Film: Long Way Down/Long Way Round

Alright, so technically these aren't films, they are a set of television series following actor Ewan McGregor and his pal Charley Boorman (son of famed director John Boorman) as they ride their motorcycles around the globe.  They are mesmerizing and humorous travelogues that happen to be a blast to watch!

The first of the documentary series was titled Long Way Down and consisted of seven episodes, tracing Ewan and Charley as they journeyed from London to New York.  They rode their highly-specialized BMW motorbikes through twelve countries including England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Alaska, Canada, and the US all while followed by a small crew in a two-car caravan.  The trip totals some 20,000 miles.

The duo's adventure is much more than an elongated vacation, though.  Both Ewan and Charley work with UNICEF, making stops in hospitals and care centers around the world.  The stories, of Eastern European hospitals for example, are touching and a humbling break from this extravagant trip we get to take vicariously through the actors.  

After successfully traversing the globe via motorcycle, Ewan and Charley planned another trip, this time from the northern tip of Scotland, through Europe and Africa, all the way down to Cape Town, South Africa.  This second documentary series was entitled Long Way Down.  

The second course included a total of eighteen countries: Scotland, England, France, Italy, Tunisia, Lybia, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.  The excursion spanned 15,000 miles and took the crew 85 days to complete.

In Africa the men face harsh weather conditions including sandstorms and monsoon rains, while managing their heavy bikes in unpaved, sandy roads.  Ewan and Charley visit the pyramids, go on safari, meet the President of Rwanda, and again visit with UNICEF organizations.

 

These shows feature incredible views into worlds we may never get to see and adventurous tour guides in Ewan and Charley. The landscapes are interchangeably lush and coarse and the journey is a feat of endurance.  It's a pleasure to watch.

I highly recommend finding copies of these corresponding series.  You can learn more details on the show and the motorbike excursions themselves on the series' website Long Way Round and you can rent the programs from Netflix (though they are not, currently, available for streaming/play now.)

Enjoy!