Synopses & Reviews
Eighteen countries. Five shock absorbers.
Two bikers. One amazing adventure...
After their fantastic trip round the world in 2004, fellow actors and bike fanatics Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman couldn't shake the travel bug. Inspired by their UNICEF visits to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth.
And so they set off on their 15,000-mile journey with two new BMWs loaded up for the trip. Their route took them from John O'Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland to Cape Agulhas on the southernmost tip of South Africa.
Along the way they rode some of the toughest terrain in the world -- and met some of the friendliest people. They rode their bikes right up to the pyramids in Egypt and visited Luke Skywalker's house in Tunisia. They met people who had triumphed over terrifying experiences -- former childhood soldiers in Uganda and children living amidst the minefields of Ethiopia. They had a close encounter with a family of gorillas in Rwanda and were nearly trampled by a herd of elephants in Botswana.
Riding through spectacular scenery, often in extreme temperatures, Ewan and Charley faced their hardest challenges yet. With their trademark humor and honesty they tell their story -- the drama, the dangers and sheer exhilaration of riding together again, through a continent filled with magic and wonder.
Synopsis
Longtime friends and bike enthusiasts McGregor and Boorman wowed international audiences with their first major motorcycle journey that spanned several continents, captured in the highly successful book and television show LONG WAY ROUND. Now they are back, with the fascinating account of their second, equally ambitious journey in LONG WAY DOWN.
From the northernmost tip of Scotland, across Europe and down through Africa ending in Cape Town, this is the breathtaking account of the authors' three month journey across two continents, over difficult terrain and in unpredictable conditions. Their route covers Britian, Italy, Switzerland, Tunisia, the Sudan, Rwanda, Botswana, and Namibia, among other countries; and they stop in cities and villages along the way to experience the European and African cultures firsthand.
Featuring original diary entries, travel maps, mileage charts, and dozens of color photographs, this is a fully-charged and wildly entertaining book from two world-famous actors who share a love of the open road.
Synopsis
This unique travelogue offers the breathtaking account of the authors' three-month motorcycle journey across two continents, that took them from the northernmost tip of Scotland, across Europe, and down through Africa ending in Cape Town.
About the Author
Ewan McGregor was born in Perthshire in 1971. An actor who has appeared in more than thirty films -- Trainspotting, Velvet Goldmine, Moulin Rouge, and the second Star Wars trilogy among them -- he rides an MV Augusta F4S and a KTM Duke. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters. Charley Boorman was born in England, grew up in Ireland, and currently lives in London with his family. An actor whose first starring role was in Deliverance, he met his costar Ewan while shooting The Serpent's Kiss. He rides a Ducati 748 and is preparing for the2006 Paris -- Dakar rally, if his wife lets him
Table of Contents
Contents
Prologue
1 Where's Charley?
2 Three's a Crowd
3 Break a Leg
4 Saddle BagsandSteroids
5 Five...Four...Three...
6 Here We Go, Charley
7 Cobblestones, CarsandKissing
8 Sea LegsandSecurity
9 Under African Skies
10 Here's Sand in Your Eye!
11 Ice Cold in Alex
12 PyramidsandPorn
13 Riding BikesandSaving Lives
14 The Stuff of Dreams
15 The Sand in Sudan
16 KalashnikovsandCustoms
17 A Cup of Ginger Tea
18 The Road at the End of the World
19 StewedandBrewed
20 Lola
21 Size Does Matter
22 Another Country
23 Destination: 'Transit'
24 Lilongwe Down
25 Out in the Cuds with the Girls
26 A Motorcycle Diary
Appendix A Route
Appendix B Equipment
So What Next: UNICEF
Acknowledgements