'The important thing is to learn to stop and look around. But going down the east side makes more sense than going west, where there are probably more problems. 'Of course there's a few places we're a bit nervous about, such as Sudan, where there's been a lot going on recently. Then there's the mighty Okavango Delta wetlands, the bushmen in Namibia, I could go on forever. 'The pyramids, obviously, the Nile, and Ethiopia, which many people say is the birthplace of mankind, so that should be amazing. 'There's a huge amount we're really looking forward to,' says Charley. And they are hoping to catch many unforgettable sights as they travel through what's arguably the world's most fascinating continent. But Ewan and Charley are expecting it to be every bit as tough.ĭuring those 15,000 miles and three months, the daring duo will travel through as many as 20 countries: Scotland, England, France, Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

This trip's a mere 15,000 miles instead of the 20,000 covered from London to New York. It's north to south instead of west to east, and shorter than the Long Way Round. Long Way Down starts in Ewan's homeland, kicking off from the UK's most northerly point at John o'Groats and ending pretty much at Africa's most southerly point: Cape Town.

20 b&w illus., 48 pages of color photos.Ewan and Charley had plenty of fun planning Long Way Down - the route's going to show them sights they'll never forget. Bearing witness to the health and poverty crises in Africa, they put human faces and stories to the statistics, and find hope in a visit with Riders for Health, who bring medical help to hard-to-reach sites via motorcycles: ''the most effective answer to the problems of reaching people in remote areas I could see it working all over the world.'' Though long and exhausting, McGregor reports of the journey that he ''didn't want it to end'' readers-especially fans of their first volume-will likely agree.

A compassionate thread limns the macho derring-do, which includes efforts to raise awareness for UNICEF and other children's charities. With a trusty team of logisticians, plus local ''fixers'' in each country, the duo survive spills, wildlife, nutty drivers, border delays, searing heat and misdirection, while squeezing in some time for sightseeing.

Taking turns with the narrative, both are funny, smart and skilled at evoking the thrill of the open (dusty, sandy, gravelly, pot-holed) road. In this follow-up to their around-the-world motorcycle travelogue Long Way Round, actors/bike enthusiasts McGregor and Boorman chronicle an 84-day road trip from Scotland to South Africa.

Long way down bike