david spenser

david spenser
Of BabyTuk and Pappadom
On the The Rickshaw Run Autumn 09
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BIG update

So finally found somewwhere with an internet cafe. So far had a ball, and have made up good time lost due to a spectacualrly f****d tuk...

Baptism of fire driving over monsoon-ruined road over Western Ghats straight out of Goa - fantastic. All was well until our tuk - christened Cheerful Charlie by Hat - started to misbehave. no big deal we thought... hard to start, Then refused to start. For 100 kms or so we had a Little Miss Sunshine style tuk that would only jump start having reached about 20 mph. No problem we thought... we can always park it pointing downhill. "India's full of hills" we thought (ignoring the fact that we needed to get it up into the Himalayas...) Then dreadful noises and it conked out in Yargatti. 3 mechanics and 4 hours later it was just about going again but sounding v sorry for itself. It finally gave up the ghost; engine completely seized up outside the wonderfully-named Jamkandi.

Cheerful Charlie had morphed into Dead Fred

Those heroes The BombA-Team towed us for a while... first problem - what to attach the towrope to? If we loop it round the windscreen will the top pull off? We took the chance anyway and tied what seemed like a 4-foot length of knicker elastic between the 2 tuks (my underpants, actually, if you're wondering). Hattie, being marginally lighter than me, was voted the most appropriate driver. With some practice, using a Chuckle Brothers 'to me, to you' style it was possible to build up a head of steam, esp down the gradients. 

The upshot: we lost a day, but discovered the wonderful whispering (screaming) gallery in Gol Gumbaz tomb (if you're in the neighbourhood, highly recommended). Towed into town, new crankshaft, re-bored cylinder, new piston and rings re-assembly and delivery back to our hotel one day later for the grand total of 70 quid, including backhanders to speed things along. Not bad eh? Big thanks to mr Asif, GM hotel in Bijapur, our very own Mister Fixit.

Have kept the original piston as souvenir. It looks like something that's fallen to earth from orbit.

Since then (touch wood) Cheerful Charlie has returned in fine fettle.