Long Way Round

I first watched this series on DVD years ago when I was still riding a BMW GS1200 motorcycle myself. I had read a few books about riders traveling the world but watching Ewan McGregor & Charlie Boorman actually make the trip through Mongolia and the Road of Bones in Russia made the experience a lot more ‘factual’. Recently I saw it again on Apple TV+ and I am no longer riding a motor cycle. I never had the time to go on trips to ride my motor cycle and mainly used to avoid the traffic jams of my daily commute. The GS was just ideal for this with its stability, agility, protection against the elements and visibility. I sometimes did dream of going on a long vacation by motorcycle but I never did do it because I had other priorities and made a different choice. No regrets. Going off on a ride around the world all by yourself on roads barely ridable appeals to the romantic ideal of the lonesome cowboy of the past, free from all shackles, tied down to no place and no person. The series is all about going on an adventure and making dreams come true but what stood out besides all this is that these adventures are not for everyone. Even Ewan and Charlie were at moments crying in their helmets despite the fact that they had funds, publicity and the safety of a support crew not too far away if something went terribly wrong. Ewan and Charlie turned the lonesome cowboy phantasy into something more realistic, travelling together with cameraman Claudio also on a motorcycle and being away from family and friends for 120 days ‘only’. Watching Ewan and Charlie as they travel and struggle makes you become part of their journey emotionally and I enjoyed watching this series. It cured me from feeling I missed out on not having made such a journey myself. If I would ever take up motorcycle riding again and decide to go on a trip I would not spend it on roads not worthy of that name trying to ‘go where no man has gone before‘. Even in Europe and staying on asphalted roads you can find solitude enough if you pick the right region. But it is more likely that I will pick up a ‘habit’ from my youth again and go on a long bicycle trip. Distances covered are shorter but it is easy to find little traveled small roads and every hill conquered is a victory. Anyway, Long Way Round is good fun to watch, Ewan and Charlie are likeable characters so you cheer for them as they struggle, their success becomes your success. And if you like this you can watch Long Way Down and Long Way Up as well.