BIB Sorry I don't the correlation between age and command of English, care to expand on that.
Congo is a former French colony, so outside local languages you would only ever have learnt French at school, plus it does not have much interaction with global business etc. therefore would be very unusual for someone to have learnt English.
Is like many parts of the world where it is the children and young adults speak English. It is only the last probably 30 years it has been seen as a global language you want to learn plus the spread of US TV and films.
If you have Sky is one of the limited number of shows saved to your box by Sky they call On Demand Showcase until Monday.
I just tried searching for it to record but made the mistake of looking under 'Extreme' as in railways, not 'Chris' as in Tarrant. :rolleyes: I'm not sure which is more irritating, The Sky+ search being strictly first word or C5 for having his name as part of the title.
I can't help feel they might have made The Ghan if they hadn't wasted time strapping small cameras to the light aircraft and chattering a second aircraft to film Chris's aircraft!
I can't help feel they might have made The Ghan if they hadn't wasted time strapping small cameras to the light aircraft and chattering a second aircraft to film Chris's aircraft!
Not as dramatic or adventurous as last week's but still very good. I'm glad he missed the comfortable train, it was much more interesting this way. I expect it was planned.
Reminds me of travelling (standing for many hours) in the cab with the drivers of a freight train in Africa to avoid waiting a day for the next passenger train. They found me a place to stay and dropped me at the door!
I can't help feel they might have made The Ghan if they hadn't wasted time strapping small cameras to the light aircraft and chattering a second aircraft to film Chris's aircraft!
I was thinking something similar - that they 'missed' it to make a better programme.
Not as dramatic or adventurous as last week's but still very good. I'm glad he missed the comfortable train, it was much more interesting this way. I expect it was planned.
Reminds me of travelling (standing for many hours) in the cab with the drivers in Africa to avoid waiting a day for the next passenger train. They found me a place to stay and dropped me at the door!
Good experience: mine was being dropped (nowhere exotic) where the branch line from Cluj (Romania) met the Orient Express from Bucharest in 1975 and I had a Polaroid camera which was used to give all the soldiers going back to camp a souvenir for the girls they were with (they had never seen such a camera...)
Chris doesn't have much luck, in the Congo the train was five days late and it broke down then in Australia he missed the Ghan but I imagine it wouldn't be as interesting if things went smoothly.
India next week, hope there's another series and maybe more episodes.
I was wondering why when he was on the freight train he didn't ride in the crew coach which was mentioned and and could be seen on numerous occasions as the train went past? I realise that it wouldn't have the made the journey quite as interesting, but he seemed to be implying that cab was the only place he could ride on that train.
I am impressed with Chris. He seems genuinely enthusiastic about the whole thing, and that comes across well.
That train was half a mile long. :eek: I wonder if the station platforms are as long, or do they have to walk along the train to alight.
Most long distance trains in the US and Australia have steps up into the carriages so you board at ground level and don't need platforms. It's only their urban trains which are like UK and European ones where you board at height via a platform.
Wasn't expecting this weeks to be as good as last, but it came a close second....and the train half a mile long...:eek:
Pleased he missed the Train too.
Next Week looks good....the Monsoon Railway of India.:cool:
BBC Four's Monsoon Railway is worth a look for those who haven't seen it, as is Bombay Railway, though they're both very different to what Chris is doing.
I'm biased though, I'll watch BBC Four's Indian railway docs time and again.
Wasn't expecting this weeks to be as good as last, but it came a close second....and the train half a mile long..
In the US of A they have had trains of a mile and more in length for the last 70 years or so. Here's a nice video of one such train. Certainly not the longest but hey it is steam. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhgHrDbN4EU
I think that in reality they missed the Ghan by something like three days. It would have taken about a day to cover the 700 miles or so and they actually said that they were driving for four days. Just for dramatic effect.
In the US of A they have had trains of a mile and more in length for the last 70 years or so. Here's a nice video of one such train. Certainly not the longest but hey it is steam. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhgHrDbN4EU
I think that in reality they missed the Ghan by something like three days. It would have taken about a day to cover the 700 miles or so and they actually said that they were driving for four days. Just for dramatic effect.
BBC Four's Monsoon Railway is worth a look for those who haven't seen it, as is Bombay Railway, though they're both very different to what Chris is doing. I'm biased though, I'll watch BBC Four's Indian railway docs time and again.
'Monsoon Railway' - West coast of India just finishing.
If you just missed it, try Five+1.
Excellent stuff again. Tarrant is far better than I'd assumed he would be. He's a natural at this and as good as any non-history, non-academic 'celeb' travel presenter IMO.
Comments
Congo is a former French colony, so outside local languages you would only ever have learnt French at school, plus it does not have much interaction with global business etc. therefore would be very unusual for someone to have learnt English.
Is like many parts of the world where it is the children and young adults speak English. It is only the last probably 30 years it has been seen as a global language you want to learn plus the spread of US TV and films.
It'll get properly interesting after the break when he gets off and you get a better feel for how harsh the country is and he does his history thing.
I can't help feel they might have made The Ghan if they hadn't wasted time strapping small cameras to the light aircraft and chattering a second aircraft to film Chris's aircraft!
Hahaha
Reminds me of travelling (standing for many hours) in the cab with the drivers of a freight train in Africa to avoid waiting a day for the next passenger train. They found me a place to stay and dropped me at the door!
I was thinking something similar - that they 'missed' it to make a better programme.
Good experience: mine was being dropped (nowhere exotic) where the branch line from Cluj (Romania) met the Orient Express from Bucharest in 1975 and I had a Polaroid camera which was used to give all the soldiers going back to camp a souvenir for the girls they were with (they had never seen such a camera...)
I am impressed with Chris. He seems genuinely enthusiastic about the whole thing, and that comes across well.
That train was half a mile long. :eek: I wonder if the station platforms are as long, or do they have to walk along the train to alight.
India next week, hope there's another series and maybe more episodes.
Most long distance trains in the US and Australia have steps up into the carriages so you board at ground level and don't need platforms. It's only their urban trains which are like UK and European ones where you board at height via a platform.
Pleased he missed the Train too.
Next Week looks good....the Monsoon Railway of India.:cool:
BBC Four's Monsoon Railway is worth a look for those who haven't seen it, as is Bombay Railway, though they're both very different to what Chris is doing.
I'm biased though, I'll watch BBC Four's Indian railway docs time and again.
In the US of A they have had trains of a mile and more in length for the last 70 years or so. Here's a nice video of one such train. Certainly not the longest but hey it is steam. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhgHrDbN4EU
I think that in reality they missed the Ghan by something like three days. It would have taken about a day to cover the 700 miles or so and they actually said that they were driving for four days. Just for dramatic effect.
Looking forward to the next one - India.
If you just missed it, try Five+1.
Excellent stuff again. Tarrant is far better than I'd assumed he would be. He's a natural at this and as good as any non-history, non-academic 'celeb' travel presenter IMO.