Long Way Down

• Ewan McGregor
• Charley Boorman

Long Way Down is the title of a television series about a journey that have made Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in 2007. It is the successor of Long Way Round in 2004.

Travel

This journey took the two adventurers over 24,000 miles from John o 'Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa. The trip started on 12 May 2007 and led initially by Scotland, England, France and finally Italy. There they went up on May 20 for the ferry to Tunisia.

On the ferry she received the news that the government of Libya under the said entry for the American team members. After crossing the Tunisia now decimated team traveled within five days by Libya. The rest, which was not allowed to enter the country, traveling by plane to Cairo and completed the team at the Libyan- Egyptian border again.

In Egypt they visited the pyramids and sailed for the first time sandy terrain. There also appeared the first problems with the motorcycles. In McGregor's motorcycle, the rear suspension broke, and Claudio von Planta crashed several times. This part of the route was completed under great time pressure, since the entry into Sudan by ferry across Lake Nasser was only possible from Aswan and this ferry runs only once a week.

About the Sudan it was on to Ethiopia. There she attended on behalf of UNICEF schools where they distributed books with pencils.

After leaving Ethiopia and arrived in Kenya, they needed special protection by armed companion, as, again and again occurred attacks on foreigners in the street where they were going. They crossed in the following days, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. When she then reached the border with Malawi, came Eve, the wife of Ewan McGregor, in addition to the two globetrotters. After initial difficulties with the handling of the bike and several falls she could keep up and went with her ​​husband and Boorman some stages.

After several days, Eve McGregor left them again. Ewan McGregor and Boorman continued their journey through Botswana and Namibia. There, they reached the South West African coast and made it to the final stage.

When they arrived in South Africa, they were not focused properly, resulting in an accident between Charley Boorman and Claudio von Planta occurred, but ran out unscathed.

The final stage went from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, Cape Town. There ended the trip on August 5, 2007.

Equipment

For the trip, they turned, as with Long Way Round, to BMW. They were then the latest off-road motorcycle, the R 1200 GS Adventure ( K255 ), provided.

In the car they trusted also notice no. The team drove in two Nissan Patrol through Africa.

Others

The exact route can be viewed on the official BBC website.

The TV series was again produced as with Long Way Round, by Russ Malkin and David Alexanian.