The Finish Line
We finally made it.
We got over the finish line at 17:21 on Thursday.
We spent Tuesday in Bangalore getting shitbox a new clutch, gear box, carburettor and starting handle. Our weasel taxi driver did one better and brought a mechanic to us. Although it was better then brining us to the mechanic we knew that it was purely to charge us more rupees. In he walked with a sack full of spare parts and tools. Needless to say that hotel security were not best pleased and the head of security arrived. Captain Siri, an ex special forces member and an absolute gent, arrived and immediately disliked our weasel taxi driver and his mechanic. After a discussion with the taxi man he recommended that we give him the the payment let him "take care of it". So went to the national park and let left him to it.
It seemed it was our fate not to do a single bit of actual sightseeing as of course the park was closed on Tuesdays.... Standard India.
We arrived back to the hotel and met captain who told us to tell him if the weasel taxi man called us again. We were not surprised that the weasel didn't call.
From Bangalore we went to Coimbatore in an uneventful drive along the motorway as we tried to make up time after our setback.
We left Coimbatore and headed toward the finish. The dive down the mountains was amazing but the roads returned to North India standards. Progress was slow and we made terrible time in arriving in kochi.
The finish line was underwhelming as everybody had left to get ready for the closing parting which was staring within the hour. So our celebrations were put on halt as instead of getting on the ferry to the party, which we missed, we had to take another rickshaw to it. After driving 4,500 km in one it was the last form of transport we wanted to take to the party but we desperately needed a few well earned kingfishers.
Thanks to everyone who donated and supported us along our journey. In total we have raised €4641 and covered 3,646 km. It has been an incredible experience and I don't think it will fully sink in until I get in the car and try and go the wrong way down the N11.
Part 4
We are on the home straight now. Went from Kakinada to Ongole. The drive was incredible along the coast as we dipped in and out of villages and through dense forest hoping that we would end up in ongole. Of course we didn't, aimless voyager 1 aka "shitbox" blew its head gasket about 70km from Ongole. As darkness fell we were still getting it a new head gasket. We were in for some more night driving.
We continued towards our destination and attempted every hotel on the way. It was approaching 9 o clock and we were being refused from all hotels, as being Independence Day, all the hotels were full.
Following furter refusals we tried to take a shortcut to Ongole. It did not go well. Instead of arriving in Ongole we found ourselves in a field beside the motorway with a 10ft ditch separating us ad our destination. After a Brief discussion we decided to attempt to clear it. Only messing. we turned back and re routed to the motorway.
We arrived in ongole at half 12 and were refused from some more hotels until the police stopped us. Drummer confused them with his Irish driving licence while we managed to find a hotel. The longest day in history was finally over.
The drive to chennai was thankfully uneventful and so was the drive to Bangaluru. Until we actually got to Bangaluru. With aimless voyager 2 "dreamboat" purring like a kitten. Shitbox failed us again. Our old friends the clutch and started motor snapped right in the middle of traffic. Up stepped Gilso and drummer who proceeded to push the rickshaw along the highway with princess Donal at the wheel and Jim in pursuit directing traffic. The Bangaluru traffic system was temporarily disrupted and we were contemplating leaving the rickshaw behind. Until our knight in shining armour came in the form of a Bangaluru taxi driver who offered to help up us. He then hopped in his rickshaw and charged at our rickshaw with his leg extended similar to medieval jouster and pushed our rickshaw along the highway to our hotel which including a U-turn. He then vanished in hero like fashion after a long chat and a hefty tip.
Anyway we are in Bangalore for the next two nights waiting for our taxi driver hero to bring shitbox to its 10th mechanic.
Part 3
Progress has been slow since the last post. We were all set for a big day on Wednesday when we took aimless voyager 1 in for a "quick service".... 8 hours later we were still in the garage. We stayed in puri again that night. No progress was made.
We went for a big day on Thursday and went south from puri and took a ferry over kilikia lake in what had to be the most over crowded ferry ever to set sail. Just when we thought the ferry was full a bus of Buddhists monks squeezed on with the drawbridge of the ferry elevated slightly above flat to "ensure" the bus didn't slide into the sea.
We stayed in Visakhapatnam that night which involved us again Navigating through a city at night. Stress levels were high but we managed to somehow find a place to stay and get ourselves to safety.
Yesterday we left Visakhapatnam and headed for Kakinada. Things were going well until we our 8 hour service failed us and aimless voyager 1 was in the mechanic. The mechanic took apart the engine in order to replace the oil. 2 hours later and we were off but were again in for some night driving. Drummer was behind the wheel and was about as calm as a leaving very student. After several near misses and detours later we were at a hotel.
Today is Indian independence day and it is a dry day. The idea of a dry national holiday doesn't overly appeal to us so we are going to power on to ongole.
Here is a photo of our great Wednesday.
Part 2
The breakdowns have started to come thick and fast with aimless voyager 1 suffering clutch and break issues which have resulted in 2 new clutches and a complete break failure.
On our was from Faraka to Calcutta We tried our luck with no breaks for a while on a road that would make the face of the moon look smooth but decided it may be best to get them fixed. We stopped off at one of the few mechanics in India and after a few games of an Indian game which is a mix of air hockey/pool we were back on the road.... For about 10 minutes until the breaks went again and we were back in a mechanic.
We crossed the Ganges at Faraka which was a milestone in itself and headed for Calcutta.
We went into Calcutta, the "arsehole" of the world as Jim described it. However, to our surprise we found a good place to stay and would put it as one of the highlights of the trip.
From there we continued onto balasore which was a disaster. Every hotel refused to take us and as the sun was going down we were saved by another rickshaw that took us to Chandipur where we met up with 9 other rickshaws at a beach "resort". Resort being used in the loosest sense of the word as the cockroaches and bedbugs had their say.
From Chandipur we headed for puri which is an actual beach resort. We had more clutch issues which resulted in us breaking down in the middle of a motor way junction and having to push aimless voyager 1 across 4 lanes and into the hard shoulder. Miraculously a mechanic was again nearby and after a few whacks with his spanner we were on the road again.
Currently we are in puri and about to get the rickshaws serviced. Aimless voyager 1 will more than likely be requiring significant work but hopefully we are back on the road soon.
Here is a picture of How comfortable we have become with our rickshaws. Jimbo fast asleep! [file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/db33672dd680979fd6e036c26182fe0dea8c929a.jpeg)
Part 1
Part 1: we started the race on Tuesday and had a very cooshy and sheltered first day that we seemed unworthy of a blog post.... How that has changed. We are deep into it now and have slowly but surely coming to understand the rules of the road. Rule 1: there are no rules. When we first were driving on a dual carriage a bus steaming down the wrong side of the road beeping and flashing made us pull over and reevaluate this drive. Now we barely bat an eyelid.
The cities require even more concentation and wits as our experience in siliguri thought us. After getting separated... 2 hours of phone calls and gps' later we managed to find each other and continue on. But needless to say there were a few people who weren't on speaking terms for the rest of the day. Nothing friendship ending.
From there we progressed onto kishanganj where the entire town gather to see us and after an inspection by the police Sargent, who couldnt understand why our passports didn't have our fathers name, we found a place to stay.
Our progress along the race has been okay driving 850 km to where we are now and should get to berhampore by this evening and onto Calcutta tomorrow.
Here is a selfie with me and at te time my only remaining friend in Silipuri
The test drive
Day 1 and we got our rickshaws. To be honest they were actually better than expected and were fully functional! We took them for a drive and Jim took to it like a duck to water beeping locals out of his way! Unfortunately the same can't be said for poor Drummer who took to it like a cat to water... But sure he won't be driving anyway. There are circa 90 other rickshaws participating and we reckon we are more prepared than at least 5 others so our odds of surviving have statistically increased. Anyways that's all for now and we will post again once our rickshaws are ready fully pimped out and ready for the race. 
The beginning
Drummer somehow managed to find out what day we were heading so in usual fashion met us in the airport. Donal arrived by limo and we all met in terminal 2 ready for this adventure. We have a rough idea in our heads as to how this will go but is uneducated guess work at this stage. Thank god the first entry is over and looking forward to updating everyone with some actual useful information. 
