By Any Means 2
Encyclopedia
Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo By Any Means, also known by the working title By Any Means 2 is a 2009 adventure series by Charley Boorman
and is a sequel to the 2008 BBC
travel series and book By Any Means
in which Boorman travels one from one place to another by any mode of transport. By Any Means 2 follows Boorman's journey from Sydney
, where the last series finished to Tokyo
.
page that a sequel, tentatively named By Any Means 2, was in the works. He originally announced that it would take him and the team from Sydney
to far eastern Russia
via the Pacific Rim
.
Filming for By Any Means 2 commenced on 18 May 2009 leaving from Manly, Sydney with a bike convoy. Boorman traveled across Australia
, Papua New Guinea
, Indonesia
, the Philippines
, Taiwan
, and completed his journey in Tokyo, Japan.
The journey finished at Rainbow Bridge
in Tokyo
on August 9 and following this he vacationed in Bali
, but with family. Throughout the journey, Boorman kept his Twitter page updated of the latest developments in the trip and released pictures of himself in a 1923 Ford in Japan for example. On 17 September 2009, Boorman announced on Twitter that the new series would air on Sunday the 27 September at 9.00pm on BBC2 under the title "Charley Boorman: Sydney to Tokyo By Any Means".
. He then travelled up to Nymboida
by bike where he switched with a EVME lime green electric car which he travelled in to Byron Bay. There he stayed in a camp of backpackers before catching a lift with one of them up to Moggill
near Brisbane
. At Watts Bridge Airfield Boorman travelled in a custom made Spitfire aircraft up to Maryborough
. From Maryborough he caught a Tilt Train to Rockhampton
where he caught a plane to visit a cattle station and experience local cattle mustering on horseback. He then hitched a ride in a customized ute
up to Cairns. He then joined the Flying Doctors
to travel to the Aboriginal
settlement of Pormpuraaw and surveyed some of their traditional weapons and art before returning to Cairns and switching to trail bikes to travel up to Helenvale
and Cooktown. Later he rode an electric trail bike and caught a plane to Weipa. At Weipa he caught a plane to visit a snake farm in the bush to see some of Australia's most poisonous snakes and later visited a mining community near Weipa. He then caught another small plane to Bamaga
and then a boat to Thursday Island on the coast of northeast Australia and Horn Island. At Horn Island he caught a plane across to Daru Island
and landed in Daru Airport
in Papua New Guinea
.
from Port Morseby and then catches a truck to Goroka
. In Goroka he views the work done by the VSOS and a Dutchman at Goroka General
Hospital
, views local customs in which they would coat themselves in clays to appear white to play a ghost which traditionally was used to ward off unwanted visitors and Boorman was taken around a coffee and given an explanation of Coffee
production in Papua New Guinea
. He then travelled up to Betty's Lodge where they switched to dirt bikes to travel up to Madang
past places like Mount Wilhelm
, Brahman and Usino. The route had never been ridden on motorbike before and the roads were heavily flooded and treacherous, and at one point some ruthless locals placed a blockade across the road and demanded money. Nevertheless masses of people viewed their progress up to Madang. From Madang, Boorman rode in a minibus to Boroi and then a speedboat to Gapun. There he met with an anthropologist and discussed local village life with the natives. He then rode in a canoe boat along the broad Sepik River to Angoram
where he inquired at the local police station and joined a truck up to Wewak
and then to Aitape
.
to Vanimo
by boat but was denied entry into West Papua. Given his UNICEF commitments, this meant he had to return to Port Moresby and fly to Singapore, then to Jakarta
and then to Makassar
, two days of flying to reach Makassar on time. He then travelled up to Watansoppeng
(where he witnessed the black bats overhanging on tree) and Masamba
, and arrived in Sengkang
and was treated to Paniki
, a bat dish (and later on the journey, dog). Then Boorman went to Cendana Putih and south to Siguntu where he spent a considerable amount of time surveying local funeral customs in which a grandmother received her funeral one year after passing with a large celebration of pig slaughtering and finally taking the body to a cave. He then rode on a Harley Davidson to Makale
, Parepare, and down to the port of Ujunglero
where he experienced boat building customs. From there he drove in a Land Cruiser, professed to be one of his favourites modes of transport, for 150 miles north again to Mamuju. From there he had a 15 hour cramped bus journey up to Palu
and then to Gorontalo
by bike, and eventually after camping out for the night on a beach, reached Manado
. The plan then was to catch a boat across to Davao City
in the Philippines
but they found out that the immigration service in Manado was shut down, meaning that they had to enter the Philippines another way.
to the port of Balbagan operated by the Philippine Ports Authority
and caught a super shuttle ferry across to the isalnd of Bohol
. There he visited the Chocolate Hills
and went to Tagbalaran. On the island of Leyte
he surveyed the local fishing trade and the problems of overfishing and poverty. He was given a boat ride by the Philippine Navy
. He later visited Tacloban and a local historian and learned about the Philippines in World War II. He visited the Leyte Landing Memorial where General Douglas McArthur landed in 1944 after liberating the Philippines from Japanese occupation following the Battle of Leyte
. He also given a ride in a bamboo car than ran on coco biodiesel. After visiting Calbayog he went to the Scout Rangers Batallion barracks and was given an escort up to Legazpi City
, encountering a motorcycle accident along the way. From there Boorman went to Pili
to Lopez
. At Lopez he visited the Lopez Sports Centre to witness Cockfighting in the Philippines. One cock died in the fight and the winner died soon after, leaving Boorman shocked and remarking "this is not for me. I feel dirty". Following this, Boorman went to a livestock farm in Unisan
and drank many shots of coconut vodka. He then went to Las Pinas and visited Sarao Motors and was given a ride in one of their colourful military jeeps to the busy city of Manila
.
In the fifth episode, Boorman went to Subic Bay
port to support UNICEF and took a trip in a ultralight. Due to typhoons, Boorman had to return to Manila and fly to Kaohsiung
in Taiwan
. There he attended the World Games
2009 including experiencing Dragon boat racing. From there he visited Fo Guang Shan Monastery
, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan at the time celebrating its 40th anniversary. From there he went to Sinshih and visited a cricket farm before catching a bullet train to Chiayi
. From there he rode in a post office truck up into the Alishan Mountains and Sheng Le Tea Farm and its Fen chi hu tea. From there he went to Meifeng where he met a group of dirt bikers who travelled across the Taroko gorge into the eastern part of Taiwan. Boorman professed the bike ride through the mountains to be the best he had ever experienced. He then went to Taipei
and ascended Taipei 101
the tallest building in the world as of 2009 and the SYM
motorbike factory. He visited Hua Xi street and Snake Alley
and experienced dishes such as snake blood, snake penis and turtle testicles. Boorman then caught a train to Keelung
to catch a Star Cruises
cruisership headed to Okinawa, Japan
, experiencing a drag queen
act along the way.
. He then went to Kagoshima, Kumamoto and onto Mount Naka, travelling through countryside he described as being "as beautiful as any I've ever seen". He stopped at the Beppu hot springs and took a mud bath before moving on to Yawatahama where he caught a train to Shikoku
before catching a flamboyant deco truck in the middle of the night to Shozui. Then he went to Kobe
and learned about the 1995 Kobe earthquake which had affected local bikers and then went to Kyoto
and caught a bulletrain to Nagoya. There he surveyed local motorcycle and automobile customs including a tattoo artist who owned a 1923 Model T Ford and took Boorman for a ride. Boorman then took a bike to Hamamatsu before returning west to Hiroshima
where he was shocked learning about the bombing of Hiroshima and the devastation it caused to the people. He visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
and a peace ceremony. He then went to Yamanashi
,visiting the Fuji-Q Highland
theme park and experiencing the Eejanaika
and later viewed Mount Fuji
. He then rode into Tokyo
alone on a Harley Davidson, breaking the usual custom of making the final leg with a convoy.
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:...
and is a sequel to the 2008 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
travel series and book By Any Means
By Any Means
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...
in which Boorman travels one from one place to another by any mode of transport. By Any Means 2 follows Boorman's journey 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...
, where the last series finished to 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...
.
Background
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, tentatively named By Any Means 2, was in the works. He originally announced that it would take him 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 far eastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
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...
.
Filming for By Any Means 2 commenced on 18 May 2009 leaving from Manly, Sydney with a bike convoy. Boorman traveled across Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and completed his journey in Tokyo, Japan.
The journey finished at Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo)
The is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Construction started in 1987 and was completed in 1993. The bridge is long with a main span of . Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No...
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 August 9 and following this he vacationed in 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...
, but with family. Throughout the journey, Boorman kept his Twitter page updated of the latest developments in the trip and released pictures of himself in a 1923 Ford in Japan for example. On 17 September 2009, Boorman announced on Twitter that the new series would air on Sunday the 27 September at 9.00pm on BBC2 under the title "Charley Boorman: Sydney to Tokyo By Any Means".
Episode 1
The first episode sees Boorman departing from Freshwater Park on a hired Deus bike with a very large biker convoy in tow to Frazer Park up the east coast of Australia. The newspapers reported approximately 1,500 riders took part at the start, including veteran racer Wayne GardnerWayne Gardner
Wayne Michael Gardner OAM is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class...
. He then travelled up to Nymboida
Nymboida, New South Wales
Nymboida is a rural village located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 21 kilometres south-west of Coutts Crossing, 44 kilometres south-west of Grafton and approximately 687 km north of Sydney. Nymboida is close to the challenging and popular white...
by bike where he switched with a EVME lime green electric car which he travelled in to Byron Bay. There he stayed in a camp of backpackers before catching a lift with one of them up to Moggill
Moggill, Queensland
Moggill is one of Brisbane's western suburbs, about from the CBD. It comprises a mixture of small-lot and acreage residential homes along with a small number of remaining farms...
near Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. At Watts Bridge Airfield Boorman travelled in a custom made Spitfire aircraft up to Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
. From Maryborough he caught a Tilt Train to Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
where he caught a plane to visit a cattle station and experience local cattle mustering on horseback. He then hitched a ride in a customized ute
Coupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
up to Cairns. He then joined the Flying Doctors
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is an emergency and primary health care service for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia...
to travel to the Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
settlement of Pormpuraaw and surveyed some of their traditional weapons and art before returning to Cairns and switching to trail bikes to travel up to Helenvale
Helensvale, Queensland
Helensvale is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland , Australia and was named after Helena White.At the 2006 Census, Helensvale had a population of 14,767....
and Cooktown. Later he rode an electric trail bike and caught a plane to Weipa. At Weipa he caught a plane to visit a snake farm in the bush to see some of Australia's most poisonous snakes and later visited a mining community near Weipa. He then caught another small plane to Bamaga
Bamaga, Queensland
-Language:The community languages of Bamaga are Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Brokan , and English, particularly for education and government business.-Industry:...
and then a boat to Thursday Island on the coast of northeast Australia and Horn Island. At Horn Island he caught a plane across to Daru Island
Daru Island
Daru Island is an island in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, the town on the island goes by the same name and is the capital of the Province, housing the vast majority of its population of 20,524 . It is elliptical in shape, with dimensions of 5.0 by 3.7 km², 14.7 km² in area,...
and landed in Daru Airport
Daru Airport
Daru Airport is an airport serving Daru, the capital of the Western Province in Papua New Guinea.-Airlines and destinations:* Airlines PNG * Skytrans Airlines...
in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Episode 2
In the second episode, Boorman travels up to LaeLae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
from Port Morseby and then catches a truck to Goroka
Goroka
Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people , 1600m above sea level. It has an airport and is on the "Highlands Highway", about 285 km from Lae in Morobe province and 90 km from the nearby town of Kainantu also...
. In Goroka he views the work done by the VSOS and a Dutchman at Goroka General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, views local customs in which they would coat themselves in clays to appear white to play a ghost which traditionally was used to ward off unwanted visitors and Boorman was taken around a coffee and given an explanation of Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
production in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. He then travelled up to Betty's Lodge where they switched to dirt bikes to travel up to Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
past places like Mount Wilhelm
Mount Wilhelm
Mount Wilhelm is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at . It is part of the Bismarck Range and the peak is the point where three provinces intersect, Simbu, Western Highlands and Madang...
, Brahman and Usino. The route had never been ridden on motorbike before and the roads were heavily flooded and treacherous, and at one point some ruthless locals placed a blockade across the road and demanded money. Nevertheless masses of people viewed their progress up to Madang. From Madang, Boorman rode in a minibus to Boroi and then a speedboat to Gapun. There he met with an anthropologist and discussed local village life with the natives. He then rode in a canoe boat along the broad Sepik River to Angoram
Angoram
Angoram is a town and seat of Angoram District in East Sepik Province in northwestern Papua New Guinea. The area is noted for its rubber and cocoa plantations and the town is situated on the Sepik River. The town is served by Angoram Airport....
where he inquired at the local police station and joined a truck up to Wewak
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
and then to Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
.
Episode 3
In the third episode Boorman travelled from AitapeAitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
to Vanimo
Vanimo
Vanimo is the capital of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea. It is located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia.Vanimo is a small township with an economy based around the timber industry. Logging company Vanimo Forest Products, which is owned by Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau, is...
by boat but was denied entry into West Papua. Given his UNICEF commitments, this meant he had to return to Port Moresby and fly to Singapore, then to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and then to Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
, two days of flying to reach Makassar on time. He then travelled up to Watansoppeng
Watansoppeng
Watansoppeng is a town in South Sulawesi province of Indonesia and it is the capital of Soppeng Regency. This town is also popular as Kota Kalong, which means megabat city. About 12,500 black Flying-foxes overhang on trees in city....
(where he witnessed the black bats overhanging on tree) and Masamba
Masamba
Masamba is a small river town and kecamatan in the Luwu Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The town lies on the Patikala River. It is served by Masamba Airport....
, and arrived in Sengkang
Sengkang, Indonesia
Sengkang is a town in South Sulawesi province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Wajo Regency....
and was treated to Paniki
Paniki
Paniki is an exotic dish of Minahasan from North Sulawesi made from bat . Before being cooked in spices, usually the bats are burned to remove its soft hairs, then cooked in coconut milk, herbs and spices....
, a bat dish (and later on the journey, dog). Then Boorman went to Cendana Putih and south to Siguntu where he spent a considerable amount of time surveying local funeral customs in which a grandmother received her funeral one year after passing with a large celebration of pig slaughtering and finally taking the body to a cave. He then rode on a Harley Davidson to Makale
Makale, Indonesia
Makale is the capital city of Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The city has about 30 thousand inhabitants....
, Parepare, and down to the port of Ujunglero
Ujunglero
Ujunglero or Ujung Lero is a town on the southwest coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia. A fishing port, the locals are skilled craftsmen in making boats and fishing. English explorer Charley Boorman visited Ujunglero as part of By Any Means 2 in 2009....
where he experienced boat building customs. From there he drove in a Land Cruiser, professed to be one of his favourites modes of transport, for 150 miles north again to Mamuju. From there he had a 15 hour cramped bus journey up to Palu
Palu
Palu is a chartered city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, located 1,650 km northeast of Jakarta, at . It is the capital of the province of Central Sulawesi. The city sits on the mouth of Palu River, at the head of a long, narrow bay. Because of its sheltered position between mountain...
and then to Gorontalo
Gorontalo (city)
Gorontalo is a city and the capital of the Gorontalo province, Indonesia. It has an area of 79.59 km² and population of about 153,036.- Geography :...
by bike, and eventually after camping out for the night on a beach, reached Manado
Manado
Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. Manado is located at the Bay of Manado, and is surrounded by a mountainous area. The city has about 405,715 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar...
. The plan then was to catch a boat across to Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
but they found out that the immigration service in Manado was shut down, meaning that they had to enter the Philippines another way.
Episode 4
In the fourth episode, Boorman flew to Davao City via Singapore and Manila. He then travelled up to Mintal where he experienced a local organic farm. From there he went to Cagayan de Oro (where Claudio and crew visited a barbers) to CamiguinCamiguin
Camiguin is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of Misamis Oriental in Mindanao. It is the second-smallest province both in population and land area after Batanes...
to the port of Balbagan operated by the Philippine Ports Authority
Philippine Ports Authority
The Philippine Ports Authority is a government-owned corporation under the Department of Transportation and Communications as an attached agency...
and caught a super shuttle ferry across to the isalnd of Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
. There he visited the Chocolate Hills
Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol province, Philippines. According to the latest accurate survey done, there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than . They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.The Chocolate Hills...
and went to Tagbalaran. On the island of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
he surveyed the local fishing trade and the problems of overfishing and poverty. He was given a boat ride by the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
. He later visited Tacloban and a local historian and learned about the Philippines in World War II. He visited the Leyte Landing Memorial where General Douglas McArthur landed in 1944 after liberating the Philippines from Japanese occupation following the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
. He also given a ride in a bamboo car than ran on coco biodiesel. After visiting Calbayog he went to the Scout Rangers Batallion barracks and was given an escort up to Legazpi City
Legazpi City
The City of Legazpi is a first class city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. With 179,481 inhabitants according to the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the Bicol Region in terms of population, though not in land area...
, encountering a motorcycle accident along the way. From there Boorman went to Pili
Pili, Camarines Sur
Pili is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Camarines Sur. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 76,496 people.-History:...
to Lopez
Lopez, Quezon
Lopez is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. It is located in the southern part of the province, 220 kilometers away from Manila, 83 kilometers away from Lucena City, 25 kilometers to Camarines Norte, 3 nautical kilometers to Alabat Island and bordered by the...
. At Lopez he visited the Lopez Sports Centre to witness Cockfighting in the Philippines. One cock died in the fight and the winner died soon after, leaving Boorman shocked and remarking "this is not for me. I feel dirty". Following this, Boorman went to a livestock farm in Unisan
Unisan, Quezon
Unisan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines and is the first capital of the province of Kaliraya, now Quezon. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 23,911 people.-History:...
and drank many shots of coconut vodka. He then went to Las Pinas and visited Sarao Motors and was given a ride in one of their colourful military jeeps to the busy city of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
Episode 5
Subic, Zambales
Subic is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 77,118 people in 13,882 households....
port to support UNICEF and took a trip in a ultralight. Due to typhoons, Boorman had to return to Manila and fly to Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. There he attended the World Games
World Games
The World Games, first held in 1981, are an international multi-sport event, meant for sports, or disciplines or events within a sport, that are not contested in the Olympic Games...
2009 including experiencing Dragon boat racing. From there he visited Fo Guang Shan Monastery
Fo Guang Shan
Fo Guang Shan is an international Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order based in the Republic of China , and one of the largest Buddhist organizations. The headquarters of Fo Guang Shan, located in Kaohsiung, is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The organization itself is also one of...
, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan at the time celebrating its 40th anniversary. From there he went to Sinshih and visited a cricket farm before catching a bullet train to Chiayi
Chiayi
-Administration:-City attractions:*Chiayi Park*Sun Shooting Tower *Lantan *Historic Archives Building of Chiayi City*University of Chiayi*Chiayi Museum...
. From there he rode in a post office truck up into the Alishan Mountains and Sheng Le Tea Farm and its Fen chi hu tea. From there he went to Meifeng where he met a group of dirt bikers who travelled across the Taroko gorge into the eastern part of Taiwan. Boorman professed the bike ride through the mountains to be the best he had ever experienced. He then went to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and ascended Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
the tallest building in the world as of 2009 and the SYM
Sym
Sym may refer to:* S'ym, comic book character* Sım, Azerbaijan* SYM motors, Taiwanese maker of scooters* Sym River, a left tributary of the Yenesei with a portage to the Vakh branch of the Ob....
motorbike factory. He visited Hua Xi street and Snake Alley
Snake Alley (Taipei)
Snake Alley is a two-block long night market in Wanhua district, the oldest district of Taipei, Taiwan. It is noted for its restaurants which serve bizarre "delicacies" including snake blood and meat, turtle blood and meat and deer penis wine....
and experienced dishes such as snake blood, snake penis and turtle testicles. Boorman then caught a train to Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
to catch a Star Cruises
Star Cruises
Star Cruises , a member of Genting Hong Kong, is the sixth largest cruise line in the world behind companies such as Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises...
cruisership headed to Okinawa, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, experiencing a drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
act along the way.
Episode 6
In the sixth and final episode, Boorman went to Naha, Okinawa where he learned about the Battle of OkinawaBattle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
. He then went to Kagoshima, Kumamoto and onto Mount Naka, travelling through countryside he described as being "as beautiful as any I've ever seen". He stopped at the Beppu hot springs and took a mud bath before moving on to Yawatahama where he caught a train to Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
before catching a flamboyant deco truck in the middle of the night to Shozui. Then he went to Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and learned about the 1995 Kobe earthquake which had affected local bikers and then went to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
and caught a bulletrain to Nagoya. There he surveyed local motorcycle and automobile customs including a tattoo artist who owned a 1923 Model T Ford and took Boorman for a ride. Boorman then took a bike to Hamamatsu before returning west to Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
where he was shocked learning about the bombing of Hiroshima and the devastation it caused to the people. He visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima, Japan.It was established in August 1955 with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall ....
and a peace ceremony. He then went to Yamanashi
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
,visiting the Fuji-Q Highland
Fuji-Q Highland
Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.The theme park is near the base of Mount Fuji. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as The Haunted Hospital, the world's second largest haunted attraction, and Thomas Land, a children's area with a Thomas the Tank Engine...
theme park and experiencing the Eejanaika
Eejanaika (roller coaster)
is a steel 4th Dimension roller coaster at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. The ride is the world's second 4th Dimension coaster, the first being X at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, United States...
and later viewed Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
. He then rode into 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...
alone on a Harley Davidson, breaking the usual custom of making the final leg with a convoy.