By Any Means
Encyclopedia
By Any Means, also known as Ireland to Sydney by Any Means, is a television series following Long Way Round
and Long Way Down star Charley Boorman
. Travelling from Wicklow, Ireland, to Sydney, Australia, it features him completing the journey using 112 modes of transport and only travelling by plane when absolutely necessary.
conceived By Any Means in late 2007. Travelling across 24 countries, the crew comprised only Boorman, Malkin and a cameraman, Paul "Mungo" Mungeam.
's house in Wicklow. They rode their motorbikes up to Kilkeel
before crossing the Irish Sea
by fishing boat to the Isle of Man
, and then by ferry to Liverpool
. There they took a combination of taxis and a train down to the Coventry Transport Museum
to spend the night, where Boorman was reunited with the motorcycle he rode on Long Way Down
, before riding again on motorcycle down to The Ace Cafe
in London the next day. From there they drove a Routemaster
bus down to Dover
and boarded a small sailboat across to Calais
which they completed in five hours.
in a 1969 Citroen DS
and boarded the Venice-Simplon Orient Express
which took them across France
, Switzerland
and Austria to Venice
, Italy
. They spent some time in Venice, experiencing the daily lives of people on the Venetian canals before boarding a catamaran
to Poreč
, Croatia
. From there they travelled to Zagreb
in a Yugo
and then to Vukovar
where they spoke to locals about the devastating Croatian War of Independence
and a tower in the city with over 600 bullet holes in it that still failed to collapse it. They then boarded a train which took them through Serbia and Belgrade
and they took a boat down to Danube
. Later they travelled through Bulgaria
by train, where they compared the hills and pastures on the landscape to the Lake District
in England, through Sofia
where they stopped very briefly for refreshments before continuing on to Istanbul
.
In Istanbul they experienced Turkish cuisine
such as Turkish Delight
and apple tea which is sold in abundance in the country and they boarded a boat across the Bosphorus and drove across the coast of Northern Turkey
in a minibus. It was designed as a public service bus with notices of the towns they would pass on their journey on the windows. They encountered some memorable passengers along the way including one passenger named Fatih (the pronunciation of which is "Farty" - a euphemism for flatulence common in England), this unfortunate conflict of dialect/pronunciation caused some amusement to the team and consequently some upheaval to the point the passenger felt offended and had to depart the bus. They crossed into Georgia
to Batumi
, where they resumed their journey in an old Russian built Mercedes Van and across to the Caspian Sea
in Baku
, Azerbaijan
. They noted how polluted the city was, and the difficulties of the everyday lives of the workers who worked in the multi-billion
dollar
oil
industry despite earning very little. They then travelled down the coast of the Caspian Sea to Astara, Iran
but on the way they had to switch transport to an old Russian car which was regarded as a Rolls Royce
of Russian automobiles and quite a privilege (volga).
They reached Iran, where they joined a truck cargo with over one million kilometres to its name and its drivers who took them through to Tehran
, on the way noting how the journey seemed split by lush green countryside in which tea was grown, and suddenly juxtaposed against the desert
landscape by only a tunnel which they encountered on the second half of the leg. In Tehran they took a taxi
through the city, driven by a tough Iranian female driver and boarded the Iranian Express which took them down to Esfahan, Qom
and down to Bandar Abbas
on the southern coast, travelling with the Bakhtiari along the way.
across to Dubai
which Boorman described as "paradise" before boarding a 270 metre long cargo ship across the pirate waters of the Gulf and the Arabian Sea
to Mumbai
, India
. Boorman found Mumbai extremely crowded and hot, but took the time to visit some pottery makers in the city. He then took a cab to the train station where he boarded a train for the 852 miles journey to Delhi
that took 19 hours. In Delhi they took a tuk tuk across the city, where they picked up Royal Enfield Bullet
500cc motorcycles to take them to Agra
. During this time the cameraman, Mungo, learned of his grandfather's death and seriously injured his leg meaning he had to return to London to receive treatment whilst the others continued. They took a taxi to Kanpur and then boarded a Tata Truck which Boorman was emphatic about through Allahabad
to Mirzapur
. There they switched transport to Mahindra Jeeps for some 42 miles to Ramnagar Fort
. There they boarded a rowing boat on the Ganges for the five miles journey to Varanasi
, one of India's holiest cities for both Hindu
s and Buddhists
. Boorman found the city extremely spiritual and a moving experience, witnessing the Sandhya Aarti
and cremations at the river side at night and the cleansing.
and then an Ambassador 1800 to Sunauli across into Nepal
. Due to heavy rainfall the 68 mile trip to Tharu lodge in the Royal Chitwan National Park
was a difficult one and they were forced to use 6 different modes of transport in 24 hours including a minibus, Mahindra
275 jeep, a tractor, a Chitwan dug out canoe
and even elephant
s towards Kathmandu in which they eventually caught a taxi. On 28 May it was announced that the old monarchy was coming to an end and a new Republic with a president would be replacing it and they experienced massive crowds in the streets proclaiming the end of the monarchy. After visiting a UNICEF site in the city they took one of the UNICEF minibuses to Kodahi.
Later they took a helicopter
trip to Tengboche
in the Himalayas
which Boorman described as "the most awesome flight he had ever taken in his life" due to the scenery of the green valleys, the looming mountains and Mount Everest
. During their time there it coincided with the 55th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary
's ascent of Everest, and they met his son, Peter Hillary
who was visiting with family. They witnessed a marathon being held there, always won by the Sherpa
s due to them being accustomed to the thin air at that altitude. They were also under scrutiny on the Tibetan border by the Chinese army as their helicopter teetered marginally into Chinese airspace.
Back in Kathmandu, due to the natural disasters that has devastated Burma and Sichuan
, they caught a plane to Guangzhou
in south-east China
, where Boorman received treatment for his painful wisdom tooth. They then caught a cement barge
along the Lijiang River
in a westerly direction through Xijiang to Wuzhou
in Guilin
province, spending time with a family who live the entirety of their lives going back and forth along the polluted river. In Wuzhou they caught a bus to Yangshuo
where they experienced village life in the area and the rice fields, exploring the deep pot hole mud caves, and enjoying a balloon
ride. They then took a minibus through Nanning
and Guangxi
province to Pingxiang
on the border with Vietnam
.
down to Hanoi
, where they spent some time learning about the Vietnam War
. They then took the 75 miles to Ha Long
by bus and went out onto Halong Bay
in a shuttleboat to experience the local pearl
trade. The engine of their boat was drenched by a passing wave and they had to be rescued by fisherman, later catching a passenger boat to safety. They then caught a minibus to Nam Dinh
and then the Reunification Express train from Haiphong
to Dong Ha
, a trip of 289 miles. They then rode 19 miles in an open top U.S. jeep to a village named Vinh Moc which had experienced extreme bombing during the Vietnam War as it was a landmark between North Vietnam
and South Vietnam
. During the war the local villagers built many tunnels to hide, and 17 babies were born beneath the ground between 1966 and 1972. They then visited the Khe Sanh
base for further war history. They then reached Dongpanh in Laos
and after some part travelled on a Lao Songthaew
to Phnom Keng, and they caught a Lod Mei bus through Savannakhet Province. They later travelled down the Mekong
past Pakse to Champasak
and by minibus to visit the Khon Phapheng Falls in southern Laos near the border with Cambodia
, the largest waterfall in southeast Asia. Then via minibus to Veren Kham in Cambodia, they took a rocket boat for two hours which was equipped with a powerful road engine, leaving Boorman confessing it was the greatest mode of transport to date. Past Stung Treng
they used dirt bikes to travel across much of Cambodia, including a ferry to transport their bikes across the river, through Kratie and up to Beng Meala to visit the ruins before continuing on to visit the grand Angkor Wat
site, encountering a monsoon
along the way.
After some time visiting the ruins of Angkhor and the surrounding temples, they continued on to Phnom Kulen
and rode on an elephant truck to Chang Neas, witnessing the primitive rice farming livelihoods of the Cambodians on their way to Sisophon
. In Sisophon they rode about on an old bamboo cart train, and remarked that the town was very dirty and undeveloped. They then reached Aranyaprathet
on the border with Thailand
by minibus, before boarding a Mercedes Bus to take them four hours west to Bangkok
.
In Bangkok, Boorman was surprised by the level of commercialisation of the city, comparing the difference between the vastly undeveloped parts of Cambodia like "chalk and cheese" . He caught the Bangkok Skytrain
to beat the heavy traffic congestion and took the time to see Thai boxing. They departed Bangkok on the International Express Train in which due to the tight schedule travelled a 24 hour journey down to Butterworth
on the border with Malaysia, from which they caught a coach directly down to Kuala Lumpur
, leaving Boorman disappointed that they couldn't have experienced that leg further. After seeing the Petronas Towers and a mosque
they used a hire car down to Danga Bay
, and then Boorman became the first man in history to wake board from Malaysia across the bay 12 miles to Singapore
. In Singapore he met with old friends and family and their colonial black and white home there, before boarding the Indera Supala ferry to Bintan
. They then drove in a 1971 Holden
Kingswood, an Australian car across the island, and then caught a water taxi to Nikoi Island
before continuing to the mainland on Borneo
.
in West Kalimantan
, and visited a UNICEF tetanus
vaccination facility in the area before catching a flight on a Boeing 737
to Bali
where he caught up with Russ. He rode in a X2K speedboat for the 68 miles to the Gili Islands
as night was falling. On the Gili Islands he rode in a horse and cart (known to locals as a Cidomo
) before resuming a 218 mile journey in the speedboat the following day, arriving 9 hours later in Bima
. From Bima he boarded a 222 ft Phinisi wooden sailing ship, crammed with people across the Flores Sea
where he stopped off at Komodo Island before returning to Bima to resume the trip to Kupang
, in West Timor
, East Nusa Tenggara
on the Pelni ferry
, equally as populated. There Boorman then boarded a small iron wood ship named the Oelin helmed by an experienced Australian and they crossed the 643 miles to Darwin
in six days at an average speed of 7 knots. On the way Boorman witnessed dolphins swimming around the ship, remarking it was the closest he had ever been to them.
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From Darwin they drove in an old camper van for the 906 miles to Alice Springs, where they took the time for some camel
riding and for meeting up with a group of old touring Australian bikers, during which they rode around an old airstrip. They then resumed in a modern pickup can/truck and detoured to visit Uluru/Ayers Rock
, camping in the vicinity in the outback, resuming the next day and experiencing some enormous modes of transports such as a road grader and a road train which Boorman compared with his boyhood dream when he would play with Tonka
trucks.
They resumed in the pickup van to Coober Pedy and William Creek, reportedly the smallest town in Australia located by the worlds biggest cattle ranch, the size of Belgium
but only farmed by three people. Boorman then drove in an old 1953 classic Holden
which was a popular family car in Australia in the 1950s to Quorn
where he tested out a solar car
which had been used in the World Solar Car Challenge. Near Woolshed Flat, he and Russ rode in a steam train, and then resumed in the pick-up van. On the way to the Snowy Mountains
, they stopped at a garage where one of the owners was a specialist steel
carver who had made many 3D
looking figures out of steel. Russ purchased a large steel carving of a biker who was renowned in Australia in the 1950s and put it on the back of the pick-up van and resumed. In the Snowy Mountains, Boorman went horse riding, before driving up into the peaks via a Ski Tube and then a snow mobile at the top. After descending, they resumed the journey to Wollongong, on the coast where they caught up with their families. They then met up with a rally of bikers in a fashion that emulated Long Way Round
, and Boorman on a BMW motorcycle with gang rode the 76 miles north along the coast to Sydney
. There, the journey finished in Sydney Harbor opposite the Sydney Opera House
. In total they used 112 modes of transport that took them through 24 countries in 102 days.
. The book By Any Means was published on 23 September and the DVD set has been released on 3 November.
page that a sequel was in the works. BAM2 would take Charley and the team from Sydney
to Japan via the Pacific Rim
.
The journey began on 18 May leaving from Manly
, Sydney with a bike convoy and finished in Tokyo
on 9 August. The series aired on BBC2 starting on 27 September 2009.
Long Way Round
Long Way Round is a documentary television series, DVD set and book documenting the journey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman from London to New York on motorcycles...
and Long Way Down star Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman is an English TV adventurer, travel writer and actor. He is well known for his association with motorcycles and enthusiasm for biking.-Education:...
. Travelling from Wicklow, Ireland, to Sydney, Australia, it features him completing the journey using 112 modes of transport and only travelling by plane when absolutely necessary.
Background
After Long Way Round and Long Way Down, Boorman and producer Russ MalkinRuss Malkin
Russ Malkin is a British film producer and creative director. He produced and directed three motorcycle adventure TV documentaries; Long Way Round and Long Way Down featuring Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor, and Race to Dakar featuring Boorman. The format of these programmes meant that he also...
conceived By Any Means in late 2007. Travelling across 24 countries, the crew comprised only Boorman, Malkin and a cameraman, Paul "Mungo" Mungeam.
Episode 1
The expedition got under way on 12 April 2008 from Boorman's father John BoormanJohn Boorman
John Boorman is a British filmmaker who is a long time resident of Ireland and is best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General and The Tailor of Panama.-Early life:Boorman was born in Shepperton, Surrey,...
's house in Wicklow. They rode their motorbikes up to Kilkeel
Kilkeel
Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 Census...
before crossing the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
by fishing boat to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, and then by ferry to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. There they took a combination of taxis and a train down to the Coventry Transport Museum
Coventry Transport Museum
The Coventry Transport Museum is a motor museum, located in Coventry City Centre, England. It houses a collection of British-made road transport. It is located in Coventry because the city was previously the centre of the British car industry...
to spend the night, where Boorman was reunited with the motorcycle he rode on Long Way Down
Long Way Down
"Long Way Down" is a single by the Goo Goo Dolls from their breakthrough album, 1995's A Boy Named Goo. This song is often overshadowed by the low-key ballad "Name", which launched the band to household names...
, before riding again on motorcycle down to The Ace Cafe
The Ace Cafe
The Ace Cafe London is a transport cafe in Stonebridge, north west London, England. It is a notable venue in motorcycle culture which originally operated from 1938 until 1969, then re-opened on the original site in 1997.-History:...
in London the next day. From there they drove a Routemaster
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
bus down to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and boarded a small sailboat across to Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
which they completed in five hours.
Episode 2
From Calais the expedition drove down to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in a 1969 Citroen DS
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
and boarded the Venice-Simplon Orient Express
Venice-Simplon Orient Express
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a private luxury train service that travels from London to Venice that is popularly referred to as the Orient Express....
which took them across France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Austria to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They spent some time in Venice, experiencing the daily lives of people on the Venetian canals before boarding a catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
to Poreč
Porec
Poreč is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997....
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. From there they travelled to Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
in a Yugo
Yugo
Yugo may refer to:Automobiles* Yugo or Zastava Koral, a subcompact vehicle built by Zastava corporationPlaces* Yugo, Baltistan, a small village in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir regionEntertainment...
and then to Vukovar
Vukovar
Vukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river and the Danube. Vukovar is the center of the Vukovar-Syrmia County...
where they spoke to locals about the devastating Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
and a tower in the city with over 600 bullet holes in it that still failed to collapse it. They then boarded a train which took them through Serbia and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and they took a boat down to Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. Later they travelled through Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
by train, where they compared the hills and pastures on the landscape to the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
in England, through Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
where they stopped very briefly for refreshments before continuing on to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
In Istanbul they experienced Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...
such as Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; the cheapest are mostly gel, generally flavored with rosewater, mastic, or lemon...
and apple tea which is sold in abundance in the country and they boarded a boat across the Bosphorus and drove across the coast of Northern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in a minibus. It was designed as a public service bus with notices of the towns they would pass on their journey on the windows. They encountered some memorable passengers along the way including one passenger named Fatih (the pronunciation of which is "Farty" - a euphemism for flatulence common in England), this unfortunate conflict of dialect/pronunciation caused some amusement to the team and consequently some upheaval to the point the passenger felt offended and had to depart the bus. They crossed into Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
to Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
, where they resumed their journey in an old Russian built Mercedes Van and across to the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. They noted how polluted the city was, and the difficulties of the everyday lives of the workers who worked in the multi-billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
industry despite earning very little. They then travelled down the coast of the Caspian Sea to Astara, Iran
Astara, Iran
- People :* Religion: Mostly Islam Shi'a Islam* Ethnic groups:90% Azerbaijani, 5% Talysh, 5% other:Persian, Kurd, Russian * Language: Azeri, Persian, Talysh language- Famous people from Astara :* Ebrahim Nabavi - Iranian journalist...
but on the way they had to switch transport to an old Russian car which was regarded as a Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
of Russian automobiles and quite a privilege (volga).
They reached Iran, where they joined a truck cargo with over one million kilometres to its name and its drivers who took them through to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, on the way noting how the journey seemed split by lush green countryside in which tea was grown, and suddenly juxtaposed against the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
landscape by only a tunnel which they encountered on the second half of the leg. In Tehran they took a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
through the city, driven by a tough Iranian female driver and boarded the Iranian Express which took them down to Esfahan, Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
and down to Bandar Abbas
Bandar Abbas
Bandar-Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās , also Romanized as Bandar ‘Abbās, Bandar ‘Abbāsī, and Bandar-e ‘Abbās; formerly known as Cambarão and Port Comorão to Portuguese traders, as Gombroon to English traders and as Gamrun or Gumrun to Dutch merchants) is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on...
on the southern coast, travelling with the Bakhtiari along the way.
Episode 3
From Iran the team took a catamaranCatamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
across to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
which Boorman described as "paradise" before boarding a 270 metre long cargo ship across the pirate waters of the Gulf and the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Boorman found Mumbai extremely crowded and hot, but took the time to visit some pottery makers in the city. He then took a cab to the train station where he boarded a train for the 852 miles journey to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
that took 19 hours. In Delhi they took a tuk tuk across the city, where they picked up Royal Enfield Bullet
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield was the name under which the Enfield Cycle Company made motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines. This legacy of weapons manufacture is reflected in the logo, a cannon, and their motto "Made like a gun, goes like a bullet". Use of the brand name Royal Enfield was...
500cc motorcycles to take them to Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
. During this time the cameraman, Mungo, learned of his grandfather's death and seriously injured his leg meaning he had to return to London to receive treatment whilst the others continued. They took a taxi to Kanpur and then boarded a Tata Truck which Boorman was emphatic about through Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
to Mirzapur
Mirzapur
Mirzapur is a city in the heart of North India, nearly 650 km between Delhi and Kolkata and also equidistant from Allahabad and Varanasi. Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur has a population of a little over 205,264 and is renowned for its famous carpet and brassware industry...
. There they switched transport to Mahindra Jeeps for some 42 miles to Ramnagar Fort
Ramnagar Fort
Ramnagar Fort is a fort in Ramnagar, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state, India. The fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares and since the 18th century has been the home of Kashi Naresh.-History:...
. There they boarded a rowing boat on the Ganges for the five miles journey to Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, one of India's holiest cities for both Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s and Buddhists
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Boorman found the city extremely spiritual and a moving experience, witnessing the Sandhya Aarti
Aarti
Aarti , also spelled arathi, aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor is offered to one or more deities...
and cremations at the river side at night and the cleansing.
Episode 4
After some time driving a tuk tuk themselves, the team caught the Gorakhpur Express train to GorakhpurGorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
and then an Ambassador 1800 to Sunauli across into Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Due to heavy rainfall the 68 mile trip to Tharu lodge in the Royal Chitwan National Park
Royal Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the first national park in Nepal. Formerly called Royal Chitwan National Park it was established in 1973 and granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of and is located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal in the...
was a difficult one and they were forced to use 6 different modes of transport in 24 hours including a minibus, Mahindra
Mahindra Group
The Mahindra Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered at Mahindra Towers in Mumbai, India, with operations in over 100 countries across the globe...
275 jeep, a tractor, a Chitwan dug out canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
and even elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s towards Kathmandu in which they eventually caught a taxi. On 28 May it was announced that the old monarchy was coming to an end and a new Republic with a president would be replacing it and they experienced massive crowds in the streets proclaiming the end of the monarchy. After visiting a UNICEF site in the city they took one of the UNICEF minibuses to Kodahi.
Later they took a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
trip to Tengboche
Tengboche
Tengboche is a village in Khumjung in the Khumbu region of northeastern Nepal, located at . In the village is an important Buddhist monastery, Tengboche Monastery, which is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region. The structure was built in 1923. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake but...
in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
which Boorman described as "the most awesome flight he had ever taken in his life" due to the scenery of the green valleys, the looming mountains and Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. During their time there it coincided with the 55th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
's ascent of Everest, and they met his son, Peter Hillary
Peter Hillary
Peter Hillary is the son of the late adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Tenzing Norgay, completed the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. When Peter Hillary summited Everest in 1990, he and his father were the first father/son duo to achieve the feat...
who was visiting with family. They witnessed a marathon being held there, always won by the Sherpa
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
s due to them being accustomed to the thin air at that altitude. They were also under scrutiny on the Tibetan border by the Chinese army as their helicopter teetered marginally into Chinese airspace.
Back in Kathmandu, due to the natural disasters that has devastated Burma and Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, they caught a plane to Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in south-east China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, where Boorman received treatment for his painful wisdom tooth. They then caught a cement barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
along the Lijiang River
Lijiang River
The Li River or Lijiang River is a river in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.-Background:The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle....
in a westerly direction through Xijiang to Wuzhou
Wuzhou
Wuzhou , historically known as Wuchow, is a prefecture-level city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:Wuzhou is located in eastern Guangxi bordering Guangdong province. It is at the confluence of the Gui River and the Xun River where they form the Xi River; 85% of all...
in Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
province, spending time with a family who live the entirety of their lives going back and forth along the polluted river. In Wuzhou they caught a bus to Yangshuo
Yangshuo
Yangshuo County is a county in Guilin, Guangxi Province, China. Its seat is located in Yangshuo Town. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River it is easily accessible by bus or by boat from nearby Guilin...
where they experienced village life in the area and the rice fields, exploring the deep pot hole mud caves, and enjoying a balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
ride. They then took a minibus through Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
and Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
province to Pingxiang
Pingxiang, Guangxi
Pingxiang is a county-level city in the municipal region of Chongzuo in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Situation:The city covers an area of 650 km²...
on the border with Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
Episode 5
From the Chinese border they rode Minsk motorbikesMinsk (motorcycle)
Minsk Motorcycle, or also known as Motovelo Corp, is a company that produces motorcycles. Minsk produces bicycles under its AIST brand. Motovelo is located in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.- History :...
down to Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, where they spent some time learning about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. They then took the 75 miles to Ha Long
Ha Long
Hạ Long also known as Hong Gai, Hon Gai and Hongay, is the capital city of Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. The city mainly lies on Bai Tu Long Bay, which is part of the Hạ Long Bay. It is located at about 160 km northeast of Hanoi...
by bus and went out onto Halong Bay
Halong Bay
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Administratively, the bay belongs to Hạ Long City, Cẩm Phả town, and part of Van Don district. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes...
in a shuttleboat to experience the local pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
trade. The engine of their boat was drenched by a passing wave and they had to be rescued by fisherman, later catching a passenger boat to safety. They then caught a minibus to Nam Dinh
Nam Dinh
Nam Định is a big city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the capital of Nam Dinh Province and capital of the South of Red River Delta. Nam Dinh province was, at one time, part of Ha Nam Ninh province until it was split up again in 1996 to return to being two separate provinces,...
and then the Reunification Express train from Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
to Dong Ha
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
, a trip of 289 miles. They then rode 19 miles in an open top U.S. jeep to a village named Vinh Moc which had experienced extreme bombing during the Vietnam War as it was a landmark between North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. During the war the local villagers built many tunnels to hide, and 17 babies were born beneath the ground between 1966 and 1972. They then visited the Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà.Khe Sanh Combat Base was a United States Marine Corps outpost in South Vietnam used during the Vietnam War. The airstrip was built in September 1962...
base for further war history. They then reached Dongpanh in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and after some part travelled on a Lao Songthaew
Songthaew
A songthaew , also known in English as a baht bus, is a passenger vehicle in Malaysia, Thailand and Laos adapted from a pick-up or a larger truck and used as a share taxi....
to Phnom Keng, and they caught a Lod Mei bus through Savannakhet Province. They later travelled down the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
past Pakse to Champasak
Champasak (town)
Champasak is a small town in southern Laos, on the west bank of the Mekong River about 40 km south of Pakxe, the capital of Champasak Province....
and by minibus to visit the Khon Phapheng Falls in southern Laos near the border with Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, the largest waterfall in southeast Asia. Then via minibus to Veren Kham in Cambodia, they took a rocket boat for two hours which was equipped with a powerful road engine, leaving Boorman confessing it was the greatest mode of transport to date. Past Stung Treng
Stung Treng
Stung Treng is the capital of Stung Treng Province, Cambodia. It is located in the western part of the Virachey National Park.It is the major city of both the district and province and has a population of 29,665 ....
they used dirt bikes to travel across much of Cambodia, including a ferry to transport their bikes across the river, through Kratie and up to Beng Meala to visit the ruins before continuing on to visit the grand Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
site, encountering a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
along the way.
Phnom Kulen
Phnom Kulen, Phnom Koulen, Phnum Kulén or Koulen Mountain is a mountain range in Siem Reap Province, Northern Cambodia.-Geography:...
and rode on an elephant truck to Chang Neas, witnessing the primitive rice farming livelihoods of the Cambodians on their way to Sisophon
Sisophon
Sisophon is the provincial capital of Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia. The city separates Cambodia's National Highway 5 and National Highway 6. Serei Saophoan is difficult to pronounce, so often the area is written transliterated as "Sisophon", even on Cambodian signs...
. In Sisophon they rode about on an old bamboo cart train, and remarked that the town was very dirty and undeveloped. They then reached Aranyaprathet
Amphoe Aranyaprathet
Aranyaprathet is a district in Sa Kaeo Province in Thailand. It borders Cambodia to the East.-Economy:Aranyaprathet was formerly a stop on the railroad connecting Bangkok with Phnom Penh, Cambodia...
on the border with Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
by minibus, before boarding a Mercedes Bus to take them four hours west to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
In Bangkok, Boorman was surprised by the level of commercialisation of the city, comparing the difference between the vastly undeveloped parts of Cambodia like "chalk and cheese" . He caught the Bangkok Skytrain
Bangkok Skytrain
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain , is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration...
to beat the heavy traffic congestion and took the time to see Thai boxing. They departed Bangkok on the International Express Train in which due to the tight schedule travelled a 24 hour journey down to Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
on the border with Malaysia, from which they caught a coach directly down to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, leaving Boorman disappointed that they couldn't have experienced that leg further. After seeing the Petronas Towers and a mosque
Islam in Malaysia
Malaysia is a multiracial country with Islam being the largest practiced religion, comprising approximately 61.4% Muslim adherents, or around 17 million people, as of 2010. Islam is declared as the "religion of the federation". Though there has been much debate on whether Malaysia is a secular...
they used a hire car down to Danga Bay
Danga Bay
Danga Bay or Teluk Danga is the largest recreational park in the city of Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. It is located near Istana Bukit Serene, about 7 km from Johor Bahru's city center...
, and then Boorman became the first man in history to wake board from Malaysia across the bay 12 miles to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. In Singapore he met with old friends and family and their colonial black and white home there, before boarding the Indera Supala ferry to Bintan
Bintan
Bintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community....
. They then drove in a 1971 Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
Kingswood, an Australian car across the island, and then caught a water taxi to Nikoi Island
Nikoi Island, Indonesia
Nikoi is a resort island located off the east coast of Bintan, Indonesia, approximately southeast of Singapore. The island was purchased by Andrew and Julia Dixon, an Australian couple visiting Bintan, in 2005 and developed, with the aid of a group of financiers, into a boutique resort named...
before continuing to the mainland on Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
Episode 6
Boorman went to PontianakPontianak, Indonesia
Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River...
in West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of four Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city Pontianak is located right on the Equator....
, and visited a UNICEF tetanus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
vaccination facility in the area before catching a flight on a Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
to Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
where he caught up with Russ. He rode in a X2K speedboat for the 68 miles to the Gili Islands
Gili Islands
The Gili Islands are an archipelago of three small islands — Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air — just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia....
as night was falling. On the Gili Islands he rode in a horse and cart (known to locals as a Cidomo
Cidomo
A Cidomo is a small horse-drawn carriage used in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Lombok and the Gili Islands of Indonesia.-Etymology:The name Cidomo is derived from the Sasak word cika or cikar , dokar and mobil for the wheels used to move it...
) before resuming a 218 mile journey in the speedboat the following day, arriving 9 hours later in Bima
Bima
Bima is a city on the eastern coast of the island Sumbawa in central Indonesia's province West Nusa Tenggara, and the largest city on the island. In 2010 the municipality counted some 142,443 people, separate from the adjoining Regency of Bima with 407,636 population...
. From Bima he boarded a 222 ft Phinisi wooden sailing ship, crammed with people across the Flores Sea
Flores Sea
The Flores Sea covers 93,000 square miles of water in Indonesia.- Geography :The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Bali Sea , Java Sea , and the Banda Sea ....
where he stopped off at Komodo Island before returning to Bima to resume the trip to Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
, in West Timor
West Timor
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
, East Nusa Tenggara
East Nusa Tenggara
East Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia, located in the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, including West Timor. The provincial capital is Kupang, located on West Timor...
on the Pelni ferry
Pelni
Pelni is the national shipping company of Indonesia. It operates twenty-eight ships; twenty-five of these are passenger ships that serve a variety of routes within the archipelago, mostly on a bi-weekly or monthly schedule....
, equally as populated. There Boorman then boarded a small iron wood ship named the Oelin helmed by an experienced Australian and they crossed the 643 miles to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in six days at an average speed of 7 knots. On the way Boorman witnessed dolphins swimming around the ship, remarking it was the closest he had ever been to them.
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
riding and for meeting up with a group of old touring Australian bikers, during which they rode around an old airstrip. They then resumed in a modern pickup can/truck and detoured to visit Uluru/Ayers Rock
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
, camping in the vicinity in the outback, resuming the next day and experiencing some enormous modes of transports such as a road grader and a road train which Boorman compared with his boyhood dream when he would play with Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
trucks.
They resumed in the pickup van to Coober Pedy and William Creek, reportedly the smallest town in Australia located by the worlds biggest cattle ranch, the size of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
but only farmed by three people. Boorman then drove in an old 1953 classic Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
which was a popular family car in Australia in the 1950s to Quorn
Quorn, South Australia
Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area...
where he tested out a solar car
Solar car
A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic cells contained in solar panels convert the sun's energy directly into electric energy. The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used to power all or part...
which had been used in the World Solar Car Challenge. Near Woolshed Flat, he and Russ rode in a steam train, and then resumed in the pick-up van. On the way to the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
, they stopped at a garage where one of the owners was a specialist steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
carver who had made many 3D
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
looking figures out of steel. Russ purchased a large steel carving of a biker who was renowned in Australia in the 1950s and put it on the back of the pick-up van and resumed. In the Snowy Mountains, Boorman went horse riding, before driving up into the peaks via a Ski Tube and then a snow mobile at the top. After descending, they resumed the journey to Wollongong, on the coast where they caught up with their families. They then met up with a rally of bikers in a fashion that emulated Long Way Round
Long Way Round
Long Way Round is a documentary television series, DVD set and book documenting the journey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman from London to New York on motorcycles...
, and Boorman on a BMW motorcycle with gang rode the 76 miles north along the coast to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. There, the journey finished in Sydney Harbor opposite the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. In total they used 112 modes of transport that took them through 24 countries in 102 days.
Release and tie-ins
The show premièred on 7 September 2008 on the BBC and will be shown at a later date on the National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
. The book By Any Means was published on 23 September and the DVD set has been released on 3 November.
Second Series
On 22 March 2009, Charley announced on his TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page that a sequel was in the works. BAM2 would take Charley and the team from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Japan via the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
.
The journey began on 18 May leaving from Manly
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
, Sydney with a bike convoy and finished in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on 9 August. The series aired on BBC2 starting on 27 September 2009.