Thursday, May 20, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
GANGTOK!
We made it!!
Arrived at the finish line yesterday midday to an overwhelming welcome party, just for us of course.
We found out last tuesday, the day after we drove through Chhattisgarh, that it's not quite the safest place to drive through at night. The next few days were a bit of a blur of heat and dust.
Early thursday morning we began heading towards Kolkata, and over dinner that evening decided a long night drive was an excellent idea. Hit Kolkata at around 1am, after an hour of getting lost we gave up and paid a drunk taxi driver to show us the way out.
A few more hours of driving and falling asleep at the handle bars, slept in someones front garden in our fantastic tent. Woken at half 5 but some incredibly confused and intrigued locals.
More to come, and pictures too, a little recovery time is needed.
Couldn't have had a better time with 5 incredibly fantastic people and two of our favourite rickshaws.
Arrived at the finish line yesterday midday to an overwhelming welcome party, just for us of course.
We found out last tuesday, the day after we drove through Chhattisgarh, that it's not quite the safest place to drive through at night. The next few days were a bit of a blur of heat and dust.
Early thursday morning we began heading towards Kolkata, and over dinner that evening decided a long night drive was an excellent idea. Hit Kolkata at around 1am, after an hour of getting lost we gave up and paid a drunk taxi driver to show us the way out.
A few more hours of driving and falling asleep at the handle bars, slept in someones front garden in our fantastic tent. Woken at half 5 but some incredibly confused and intrigued locals.
More to come, and pictures too, a little recovery time is needed.
Couldn't have had a better time with 5 incredibly fantastic people and two of our favourite rickshaws.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Route 16 does not exist
Eventful few days. Wrong way down Hyderbads busiest street at night in rush hour, sleep next to the barbed wire curfew zone. Early start lost in the city and out to the highway.
Dirt and dust bloody noses and sick friends desert heat and remote towns.
We head off NH7 east on NH16, which comes to an abrupt stop at the bank of a large river.
The truck drivers rip us off dragging betsy and bitsy across the sand to the water. After hours of confusion team Shayu pick up the battered rickshaws and dump them onto a small boat. Precarious. Make it across with a few bumps and a waterlogged engine. Close calls with dogs and cows at night.
11.30pm we run into a dust cloud and flock of trucks, feel tiny in our powerless bathtubs lost in a maze of beasts. Out alive but nowhere near town.
Made it to a closed dicrepid city, find a bed at a guesthouse. A welcome rest but little sleep with drunk owners knocking on the door every hour. Very happy to be in convoy with 3 others to share these ridiculous situations with.
Malaria scare today for 2 of the team we have stopped in Raipur for rest and medicine.
Early start tomorrow, betsy is running beautifully after a service and over 2000km this week.
She has done over 24000km in her short life, a long way for a small machine.
Dirt and dust bloody noses and sick friends desert heat and remote towns.
We head off NH7 east on NH16, which comes to an abrupt stop at the bank of a large river.
The truck drivers rip us off dragging betsy and bitsy across the sand to the water. After hours of confusion team Shayu pick up the battered rickshaws and dump them onto a small boat. Precarious. Make it across with a few bumps and a waterlogged engine. Close calls with dogs and cows at night.
11.30pm we run into a dust cloud and flock of trucks, feel tiny in our powerless bathtubs lost in a maze of beasts. Out alive but nowhere near town.
Made it to a closed dicrepid city, find a bed at a guesthouse. A welcome rest but little sleep with drunk owners knocking on the door every hour. Very happy to be in convoy with 3 others to share these ridiculous situations with.
Malaria scare today for 2 of the team we have stopped in Raipur for rest and medicine.
Early start tomorrow, betsy is running beautifully after a service and over 2000km this week.
She has done over 24000km in her short life, a long way for a small machine.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
HAMPI!
We have arrived in beautiful Hampi.
Leaving Cochin on sunday, we didn't make it far before breaking down. Being a sunday, repairs not complete until late monday morning. A slow start!
Since then every day begins at 4, driving at 5, rainforests, barren farm land, picuresque villages, crazy towns, bumpy, windy, hilly roads, various cows, chickens, dogs, monkeys, happy and confused faces, friendly locals, close calls, trucks and more trucks, horns and cars and motorbikes, short sleeps, sunshine, petrol stations, curry, rice, naan and roti, chai and coffee...
We are planning to head east, and then north towards Hyderbad.
So far, so good
Leaving Cochin on sunday, we didn't make it far before breaking down. Being a sunday, repairs not complete until late monday morning. A slow start!
Since then every day begins at 4, driving at 5, rainforests, barren farm land, picuresque villages, crazy towns, bumpy, windy, hilly roads, various cows, chickens, dogs, monkeys, happy and confused faces, friendly locals, close calls, trucks and more trucks, horns and cars and motorbikes, short sleeps, sunshine, petrol stations, curry, rice, naan and roti, chai and coffee...
We are planning to head east, and then north towards Hyderbad.
So far, so good
Saturday, March 27, 2010
TRUE LOVE
FINISHED! our sound system has been installed, the gears have been oiled.
We are ready to go, all we need is snacks.
Friday, March 26, 2010
PIMPED
Our rickshaw has been pimped. I would love to put up a picture here, but techology is beyond me this evening. It has been a long day. For your imagination, a lovely paint job, fruity seat covers, plastic flowers and some very large speakers.
We spent the morning having driving lessons, which progressed splendidly, along with a few blisters, hand kick starts and stiff gears.
We also woke up to the wonderful news that me, Katie and Natasha were in the local newspaper! celebrities already.
Tomorrow we play cricket and make final preparations for our launch on sunday.
The realisation of what we are doing is slowly sinking in..
We spent the morning having driving lessons, which progressed splendidly, along with a few blisters, hand kick starts and stiff gears.
We also woke up to the wonderful news that me, Katie and Natasha were in the local newspaper! celebrities already.
Tomorrow we play cricket and make final preparations for our launch on sunday.
The realisation of what we are doing is slowly sinking in..
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
UP AND AWAY!
The adventure begins. Couldn't be more excited, hopefully we will encounter one of these some time in the next month.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
THE BEAST!
Many people seem to think we are pulling a rickshaw 4,000km across India. Alas we are not.
This is the machine we will be using!
For anyone interested, it contains a 2 stroke, single cyliner, forced air cooled, 145cc engine. Fantastic.
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