Have you ever considered how far will you go to realise a childhood dream? We are wired to wonder, but few find the drive to step off the beaten track to satisfy that curiosity.
This August, Discovery Channel presents a travel adventure of mystery and impossibility in HITCHED, the brand-new series following the story of two ill-equipped and under-financed South Africans, who set out to realise their lifelong dream of finding the legendary water-dwelling creature of the Congo River basin folklore, Mokele-Mbembe. Produced by Tomfoolery, the 10-part documentary series, captures the epic journey of cousins and passionate explorers, Luke MacDonald and Jordan Deall, as they travel through Africa on this road trip of a lifetime. With nothing but a single cameraman, time and passion, Luke and Jordan set out in search of the world’s last dinosaur – and they’ve decided that they will hitch-hike to get there.
“People like to think that everything worth discovering in the world has already been discovered, and we seem to pride ourselves in ‘knowing everything’. That’s why the idea of Mokele Mbembe has always been so exciting for us – it’s something that’s so foreign to our world, and represents the idea that there are still places worth exploring and things worth discovering,” says Jordan.
HITCHED follows Luke and Jordan’s incredible journey across 107 days, travelling through 10 countries and covering an astounding distance of 15,000km via 92 rides. Starting at home in Durban, South Africa, they walk and hitch rides in trucks, cars and buses, and catch lifts on trains, motorcycles, bicycles and boats, traversing countries such as Botswana and Namibia, to Zambia and Tanzania, before finally reaching the Democratic Republic of Congo. With each country and crossing bringing its own laws and restrictions, the trio face challenging times adapting.
“This has been an amazing journey for us. Being able to live out our childhood dream and hitch-hike through our striking continent, has been incredible and life changing. It allowed us the opportunity to learn so much about the diverse cultures, brought us close to so many interesting people and really exposed us to the general beauty of simplistic African travel,” says Luke. Will Luke and Jordan realise their dream and prove the existence of Mokele Mbembe? Follow their journey of self-discovery when HITCHED premieres on Discovery Channel (DStv 121) from Tuesday, 7 August at 20:00.
Source & Images: Discovery Channel