'Long Way Up' Episode 4: Ewan and Charley meet cyclist couple in Chile whose love story lifts their spirits
Spoilers for 'Long Way Up' Episode 4: 'The Andes'
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman would be glad they did this trip. While the start was quite rocky with the electric bikes and the Rivians, the duo are well and truly underway and the first signs of all are well is how well the Harleys hold up in challenging conditions. The roads alternate between unforgiving and pleasant and these e-bikes push through effortlessly. The episode starts off with the two riding through Santa Cruz, Argentina. They're 11,860 miles away from Los Angeles, as per the show.
The plan is to cross over into Chile and then going up into the Andes. Over the course of their journey, McGregor even talks about his Chilean connection where his great-great-great-grandfather, an engineer, went to Chile to help out with the construction of the railroads. "I've got a chink in my otherwise, pretty fully Scottish ancestry," McGregor says. As he and Boorman ride through Chile, the audience is shown a picturesque view of the beauty of the countryside, an experience which Boorman calls "magical."
Long rides are all about exploring new cultures and meeting new people. In the episode, McGregor and Boorman meet an adventure cyclist couple in Chile -- Martin from Poland and Tugba from Turkey -- who plan to cycle up north. When the four interact over refreshements, Togba talks about their love story. She describes herself as somebody from a small town with a small car until she met Martin. "I used to have such a normal life" she explains. "I was a teacher, I had a car. I didn't do any sports too."
"I live in a really small town in Turkey" she continues. "They look at life like this," she adds and imitates how horses wear blinders. "I was on the way to cycle around the world," Martin chips in cheerfully. "I didn't want him to go," Togba says while she laughs. She left with Martin instead after telling her folks she would work as a teacher in Istanbul. "I didn't tell them," she says leaving Boorman shocked and pleasantly surprised at the same time.
"This couple lifted my spirits a bit," Boorman tells on the show. "We all have our lives, but you have got to live yours the way you think is best." McGregor recalls the conversation as they resume their journey where he says, "I cannot forget how she describes falling in love with his blue eyes."
These stories are one of the reasons 'Long Way Up' has become a fan-favorite over the years. New cultures and stories make the show more refreshing and that's one of the reasons why this series deserves a watch.
'Long Way Up' Episode 4 is available for streaming on Apple TV+.