I am fast becoming an avid armchair traveller. I'm not sure if I am different to most, in that it is fully my intention to eventually get out of the bloody thing and go visit the places I dream about, but for now I am obsessively watching travel documentaries in the name of research and planning. I imagine every armchair traveller begins that way, before responsibilities, kids and so on take priority. That 3 month tour of Europe in a Fiat Panda is still going ahead next year though, at least in my head.
Simon Reeve has been one of my favourite presenters since Meet the Stans in 2003, which tapped into my weird desire to visit the ex-Soviet Republics along the silk road, connecting Europe to Asia. Part of the reason I want to do the London-Mongolia rally at some point is so that I can plot a route directly through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and all the rest.
His latest series for the Beeb is Explore - the tag line reading "don't just visit, explore". It should be engrossing. But for some reason, I'm just not that into it. The show is built around several presenters all highlighting little 5-10 minute stories which are the "unreported" tales of wherever it may be. Maybe I'm not paying enough attention, but it just feels like the time devoted to each issue is too short, and as a result I don't feel any more educated about it. I'm probably missing something. My powers of focus are somewhat diminished at half 9 on a Sunday evening.
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