Professional Documents
Culture Documents
and out:
Ewan
McGregor
takes the
long
way
down
After riding from London
to New York, the long way
10. Audi around via Europe, Asia,
TT COUPE AND ROADSTER, 1999 – PRESENT and North America, there
The Audi TT is an example of minimalism at its finest. With its distinctive was really only one thing
lines and groundbreaking design, the TT immediately became an icon in
the automotive world. And since it was introduced, the TT has evolved to left to do. Sharp catches
become even sportier and more athletic than ever, while still staying true up with Ewan McGregor
to its original design. Recently, Audi launched the most aggressive and en route from Scotland to
powerful addition to the TT line-up, the incomparable TTS. Cape Town, in the midst
of his latest adventure.
by Dylan Young
photography by Richard Phibbs
After a hearty meal, fed to them by a hospitable elderly Italian couple, their lives. They’ll dine with bushmen and drink milk with Rwandan
the mood lightens. Boorman and McGregor—and producers David president Paul Kagame. They’ll visit Katavi National Park and walk the
Alexanian and Russ Malkin, who’ve been following along with the sup- Roman ruins of Leptis Magna in Libya. They’ll see silverbacks in the
port crew—try to sort out the issues contributing to their malaise. mountains of Uganda and trace the Skeleton Coast. And they’ll ride
Before long, they arrive at an unfortunate conclusion—the fault this off-road emotional obstacle course to finish nourished and better
is their own. They hadn’t spent enough time studying the routes and for the peaks and troughs.
timings. They should have scheduled an extra week for this leg. Now, “You have these days where the road just hammers you to smith-
because of a ferry connection from Egypt to the Sudan—that only hap- ereens,” McGregor will later say. “And you think there’s no way you’re
pens once a week—they will have to rush through Sicily, Tunisia, Libya going to get up the next morning and do it all again. And then you get
and Egypt—covering up to 800 kilometres a day—or risk compromis- to camp and there’s elephants—elephants! My god! Is there anything
ing their visas and arrangements for the rest of the trip. else to say? You’re eating dinner and twenty feet away there’s a family
“We screwed up a bit,” McGregor admits. “This isn’t just about get- of wild elephants.”
ting to Cape Town. The journey is a bigger, deeper picture, of moving But for now, they’re joking about the amount of road they will have
through countries, getting to know their people and feeling a sense of to tear through—Tunis to Aswan, Egypt—in five days.
where you are—in the present tense. ” “I just want to burn on today,” McGregor deadpans. “I want to avoid
seeing any of Tunisia. I want to avoid getting to know its people, or any
*** of its landmarks. I just want to get on into Libya and then—I want to
do the same thing in Libya. I want to burn through Libya. I don’t want
The morning of their visit to the ramshackle Star Wars museum to meet anyone or anything. Then I want to burn down to Cape Town,
outside of Tunis, McGregor and Boorman are in good spirits, goofing without seeing anything or meeting anyone on the way.”
around and doing silly impressions. They still have a long haul ahead “And when we get to Cape Town, we’ll have a huge party and every-
but there’s a sense that they’ll be able to relax soon. They’ve picked a one will think we’re great….” As he says this, his face morphs into
few spots to visit along the way, however briefly. And once they get to that familiar cheeky smile and he laughs, “Having said that, we should
Sudan, there’ll still be a lot more of Africa to see before Cape Town. really get on.”
They’ll have travelled 24,000 kilometres in 84 days. Along the way,
they’ll weather 46-degree heat, sandstorms, and roads made of scree and Go to Sharpformen.com for more about Ewan McGregor and his journey, the
dust and mud. Their bikes will wear and break. They’ll take falls and be Long Way Down. The series airs Tuesday nights at 10 pm ET/PT on the
bruised and saddle-weary. But they’ll witness things unprecedented in National Geographic Channel.