Long Way Around and Long Way Down, Two must-read books about the adventurous motorcycle road trips taken by Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman.
Change your life. Take your time. Take the Long Way, says the catchy phrase for a truly remarkable road trips adventure book written by Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor and his friend, Charlie Boorman, son of director, John Boorman, chronicling one of two motorcycle road trips the friend undertook in 2004 and which culminated in their book, Long Way Round.
Ewan and Charlie took the challenge to bike 20,000-miles across 12 countries and 19 time zones in just 115 days. They rode their BMW GS R1200s crossing Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, riding the Road of Bones through Siberia, over to Alaska, through Canada, North America and finishing in New York.
In 2008, long after the first of their road trips, they embarked on a second even more grueling and physically enduring road trip, beginning in Scotland, heading through England, Europe, jumping over to Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, then across and down to Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and finishing in the Southern Cape of Africa.
Long Way Down, their second book, brings these two adventurers deep insight and kinship with the peoples and children of Africa over a period of 85-days. Opportunities in Europe and Africa presented themselves as the team traveled through 18 countries from the vineyards of Europe, never-ending deserts, jungles and bush of Africa providing outstanding and unique photography and short videos, which were also posted on their website.
Both road trips welcomed new and warm friendships daily with the locals, as did opportunities for charity projects in villages and developing rural areas along the way.
I highly recommend both of these books, if you havent already been touched with the adventurer spirit; these books are sure to capture the imagination and heart of even the most seasoned road trips enthusiast and will more than prove an investment worth your time.
