Michael has a full blown case of the travel bug. He's going further and longer than ever before. He's making a big circle around the Pacific Ocean. In Russia, he's struggling to find a bathtub stopper. In Japan, he meets his number one fan. In South Korea, he goes to the border. In China, he gets a blind massage and witnesses the beginnings of an economic transformation. Vietnam is starting to change. In the Philippines, he assists a psychic surgery and goes underwater dining. He visits the orangutans and a longhouse in Borneo. He harvests tea and eats durian in Java. In Australia, he feeds a crocodile. In New Zealand, he almost loses his head in a speed boat. In Chile, he turns north onto the moon. He boards a tiny train and crashes into La Paz. In Peru, he tackles some white waters to arrive on the Amazon. In Bogota, he visits some rough streets. He eats bugs in Mexico City. After crossing the border illegally, he rides a helicopter pass the Hollywood sign. He should have sang the lumberjack song in Canada before going back to the beginning.
Michael is now the best celebrity to do a travel show. His humanity always shines through. This one is the longest road trip yet but it still has the same disadvantage of not having a ticking clock. 80 Days remains the best for that reason in addition to being his first. Nevertheless, there are great memorable moments in this series. One can never forget Bogota. I recently watched this again after over 20 years since it was first broadcast. Something occurred to me. This is not only a travel show. It's a time travel show. This is not only a journey to places but those places in a specific time. I kept thinking that China and Vietnam no longer looks like that. This is very much a time capsule.