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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Photo by Daniel Rintz, Himba children, Namibia

The only impossible journey
is the one
you never begin

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Himba children, Namibia



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  #106  
Old 7 Nov 2007
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2 true quotes

Quote:
Originally Posted by tedmagnum View Post
I can do that for you now....

1) Ask the BBC to plan and pay for all paperwork, visas and routes

2) Ask BMW and other sponsers to deliver bikes and prep it for you

3) Wake up every morning and be told where to be and at what time

4) Arrive at Cape down and have a party

5) Go home on your pre-booked business class flight and watch the money roll in.


Similar "holidays" are available in the back of MCN

Joking aside, I kinda feel sorry for them. They seem to get fed up of being told what to do and where to go. I dont know why they dont just go it alone with just the one camera man on the bike. They would have 10x more respect and 1000x more fun going it alone at their own pace.

I do get the feeling that they probably wouldnt do it at all if they didnt have the backup.. I think thats what irritates the rest of us.
(Quote)
I think they should be invited to the next HU meeting to give us all a talk on how to do a trip down Africa.

B

These are probably the 2 best posts on here, Well said chaps, to even get in touch to enquire if they would come to a HU meet it would most likely be a premium rate number to call.It would be great to have Boorman there, fill him up with baked beans and let him light his farts and hopefully blow his fking head off
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  #107  
Old 8 Nov 2007
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Have I missed the point?

I ride a lot, both on and off road - and appreciate other people who actually get out there, do it and share their experiences, even if they do get a lot of support.

I enjoyed the Long Way Round and the Race to Dakar, if for no other reason that it showed me things I wouldn't otherwise of seen, like Mongolia, the Road of Bones and just how tough the Dakar really is.

I agree that both Ewan and Charley enjoyed an unprecedented level of support, that I for one would not have enjoyed, but their time was limited and they were making a 'main stream' television program.

So lets be straight; WE are not the intended audience for either Long Way Round or the Long Way Down, it is aimed at the more ordinary man in the street, who may just dreaming of doing what we take for granted.

While on one hand I understand some of the more damming comment being made in this thread - about how easy they had it; but on the other hand, you don’t have to watch program! You could always turn over and watch Eastenders, I know what I would rather watch.
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  #108  
Old 8 Nov 2007
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well put, Smokin. I'd still like to take the piss out of them though, if you don't mind, It's a sport. I like sports !
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  #109  
Old 8 Nov 2007
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One thing that is very different and better about LWD from LWR is that they are not BSing about the support vehicles. In LWR they say that they "only met at borders".. and anyone who knows anything about cameras and bikes knows that 70-80% of the shots where taken from a vehicle mounted platform..meaning that the two 4X4 where with them all the time. Also proven when the truck rolled and they "were 100s of miles away and only making 40 miles a day".. and yet in the next cut they were there as the medic was fixing them up.. :confused1:

LWD is "more" real... they admit the support is there 90% of the time, and are not trying to make it out that E and C are "going it alone". That was my biggest gripe.. The show is a tele show.. it is as real of an adventure as star-trek or dr who. Just based on bikes not space. I dont particularly like it.. I want to see some of the countries that they are riding though ... not CB's arse. but that is the formate they chose, so i watch if i have nothing else to do.

I in particular feel sad for them.. I dont know if they could/would do it on there own.. but they are riding though some amazing places at light speed. they are experiencing all the bad of traveling with out any of the good. They are just actors on this show, not travelers.. How would any of us feel about going though tunisia in 2 days.. FFS i spent 2 days in Duoga (the roman city up north) alone. and a day in eljem.. they spent what 15min in both.. (and they are what 5 hours ride apart).. so very very sad...

I am not sure who this show is aimed at not bike travelers, it is not a travel show ala Mike Palin. But whom ever it is aimed at it is hitting the mark. I have never been in touch with "normal society" doubt i ever will be. this is just an other example.

People say the the ride is squeezed between EM's movies, hence the speed they go though places. Well If i had the opportunity to travel slowly at a the cost of a multi million dollar movie.. i would pick travel slowly.. but this is me, i would rather live my life and remember that time we did anything.... over remember that movie i made that made XX dollars...
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  #110  
Old 8 Nov 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyingdoctor View Post
I'd still like to take the piss out of them though, if you don't mind, It's a sport. I like sports !
This it true too...
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  #111  
Old 10 Nov 2007
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Talking 5) go home on pre-booked business class flight.....

Quote:
Originally Posted by tedmagnum View Post
I can do that for you now....

1) Ask the BBC to plan and pay for all paperwork, visas and routes

2) Ask BMW and other sponsers to deliver bikes and prep it for you

3) Wake up every morning and be told where to be and at what time

4) Arrive at Cape down and have a party.

5) Go home on your pre-booked business class flight and watch the money roll in.


Similar "holidays" are available in the back of MCN

Joking aside, I kinda feel sorry for them. They seem to get fed up of being told what to do and where to go. I dont know why they dont just go it alone with just the one camera man on the bike. They would have 10x more respect and 1000x more fun going it alone at their own pace.

I do get the feeling that they probably wouldnt do it at all if they didnt have the backup.. I think thats what irritates the rest of us.
Ah!
didn't realize they are going to fly back, I wonder if they will make a film of it and call it 'Short Way Up'..........
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  #112  
Old 11 Nov 2007
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I think of this as aspirational tellie for the armchair adventurer, nothign more nothing less. It's not supposed to be educational nor a guide to the coutries they're travelling through it's the story of some blokes going off and having fun (mostly). Think of it like that and it's OK as long as you don't mind the blokes.

Mind you I did imagine this post the other day on the HUBB.
Hi, I've been watching Long Way Down on the Tv and it's got me into the idea of adventure motorbiking. So I did some searches with Google and found this place, looks like lots of good info and friendly people. Found this thread though, and now I'm wondering if my little trip would count as an adventure in the eyes of all the condescending, snooty-nosed tw*ts whining about Charlie and Ewan.
But like I said, I only imagined in in my most cynical of moments.
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  #113  
Old 11 Nov 2007
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I'm suprised we haven't seen this post here....

"Hi, me and a mate have been lurking on here for a few years now and are currently on our second big trip. We're trying to find some solitude in Africa as an escape from the rat race. However, we're being followed by two really annoying blokes in 4x4's. Do you have any suggestions of how we can loose them and start living our dream ?"
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  #114  
Old 11 Nov 2007
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Ah ! that will be me and Tedmagnum, we're only doing some research for the BBC.......
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  #115  
Old 11 Nov 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Holland View Post
Ah ! that will be me and Tedmagnum, we're only doing some research for the BBC.......
Im taking my little tank next time..

I hear that Africa is "One big country and full of AIDS".

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  #116  
Old 13 Nov 2007
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Exclamation Go on, you know you want this....

Find R1150GS R1200GS EWAN MCGREGOR LONG WAY DOWN on eBay within, BMW, Motorcycles Scooters, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 10-Dec-07 10:24:55 GMT)


I saw this and thought of you guys- go on, make a GS'er happy this Christmas. Its only £2,500!

Sorry, I'm not laughing my arse off... really I'm not. Nope.
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  #117  
Old 13 Nov 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeS View Post
Find R1150GS R1200GS EWAN MCGREGOR LONG WAY DOWN on eBay within, BMW, Motorcycles Scooters, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 10-Dec-07 10:24:55 GMT)


I saw this and thought of you guys- go on, make a GS'er happy this Christmas. Its only £2,500!

Sorry, I'm not laughing my arse off... really I'm not. Nope.
Thats one of the worst things iv ever seen !!
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  #118  
Old 13 Nov 2007
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Honestly Ted, if you weren't about to fritter your money away on silly bike trips, you would realise what a great investment opportunity this could be. I mean, just think, now the LWD is on air, the value of a Ewan numberplate can only go up, right??
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  #119  
Old 14 Nov 2007
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We won't get the LWD TV series here in Australia for a while. They are currently showing a re-run of LWR on one network. So I bought the LWD book. It has already been discounted at one big outlet from AU$35 to AU$25.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xander View Post
I in particular feel sad for them.. ... but they are riding though some amazing places at light speed.. ...How would any of us feel about going though tunisia in 2 days.. . so very very sad...
I have covered two-thirds of the book and for the first third, both Charlie and Ewan continually complain about being rushed. Both are quite pi$$ed-off about not spending enough time in each country and having to stick to a schedule. This even causes a lot of tension in their larger group. Was this featured in the TV series?

Earlier they did the visit to Rachel House (in Scotland, for terminally ill kids), then a Kenya detour on Riders for Health. I am now up to where they are in Ethiopia/Eritrea and things have settled a bit. The focus at this point is UNICEF and land-mines killing and disfiguring people (especially children). These things seem to be a significant aspect of the whole trip. In fact, it was an earlier UNICEF visit to Africa, and MotoGP exposure to Riders for Health, that inspired the LWD trip. Not much has been said in this thread about these humanitarian aspects being part of it all.
Cheers
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  #120  
Old 14 Nov 2007
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Hi,

For people like myself that are not in the UK and own a PC, and if you are able to follow some very easy steps, this is the way to download an episode of the Long Way Down.

1. Download and install Vuze by Azureus - High Definition Movies and Videos You might have to install Java as well.

2. Then fire up this search long way down torrent - Google Search=

3. Save whichever link you want to the desktop.

4. Double click on the newly Downloaded Torrent Link

5. Wait until it's down

6. Watch the Episode and Laugh


If you have problems with the above then I'm sorry but you shouldn't be riding a motorbike, as it's 1,000,000 times easier to do.

Lee
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