We have finished

We made it and every one is well what an adventure it wa, a tough 2 weeks but very fun the people of india make you feel like you are welcome to be in thier country. there is alot to see in india so we will be back I have not met every one yet in india.  It's great to be done but also sad, we've been planning this for so long it's now done.  What will the next adventure be? Kim & Mary

 

Headed for Cochin

We have made our way down the west coast of india to a place call Kannur and we will be here until tomarrow and the driving conditions have not changed but we have that little rickshaw will fit between two trucks gong opposite direction at full speed . We have changed our perception of what a close call is if the truck close just adjust the mirrors or completely tip them in.  you can not believe how they know just how much room you need to slip through. I can't believe today Mary said she would do this again. I think we have about 300 kil left and we are feelling sad, we got the opportunity to do something like this and it is coming to and end. We had the opportunity  to tour a factory that makes material all by hand and  cig factory that cuts tabacco leafs and rolls cig by hand at both factorys they make  $2.45, a day they work very hard. We have it very good at home. All the people we see want to interact with us in some way. We have decided what makes India a great country is it's people. Thanks to all of you who are bloging we read them many times. love you all and see you soon. Kim, Mary and Alan

lostday

lostday

day 11 rickshawrun

 Woke up early to find Alan. We drove for about 12 miles and found a hotel where another rickshaw was and we asked if they had seen Alan and they said he had left 15 minutes ago. We kept driving then found him at a gas station down the road.  Drove for awhile then ate lunch in Mangalore then drove on to Kammur. It was hilling, rough roads, and alot of good scenery.  Hung out with some guys from Thalassery, they were the ones that did the magic trick on our video blog. Ver nice. Rich & Rose--oh yeah we forgot it's called soda in places but I don't think that was the problem. Communication is tough sometimes. They don't usevery much tp here in India.  Having a great adventure.  You should be with us Rich, you'd love it. I have found the village to adopt, the one that came to our rescue when we broke down.  We shower about every other day, sometimes without  hot water.  Gas is appox. 6.00 a gallon.  Dave & Denise---Thanks for blogging.  We have ridden our bikes faster than these rickshaws go sometimes.  Found you some matches from India.  Can't wait to tell you all the stories.  Found really good coffee at one place in Goa, nobody makes strong coffee like us.  Thank you for wet wipes, but Kim is getting use to the sprayer. Paul & Deb---It has been very difficult to find WiFi, leaving Goa so the towns are smaller and alot without electricity.  I really have aquired the taste of Inda food, I thought I might loose a few pounds here but I think I did the opposite.  The garlic cheese naan and prawn peshwari is outstanding. The weater is dry and hot here but Kim loves it.  Thanks for your comments. Brenda & Blaine--You should be here!!!!!         

day 10 of the rickshawrun run

Left Goa around 8:30 this morning, took the wrong turn again but ran into a journalist that asked us to join him for breakfast but we didn't have time to. He did interview us and took pictures of us and our rickshaws to put in the Goa newspaper.  He said he would email us a copy, then we will post it on our website.  Jonny left early this morining for England so I'm riding with Kim and doing the navigating.  Kim likes honking his horn and waving at everyone (there's like 2 billion people in this country).  Alan is driving his rickshaw alone and I'm sure he's missing my backseat driving.  We found a place in Kundapura on the beach, it was a new hotel that had not opened yet, but the owner said we could stay there. We were the only guests there, they cooked us supper and treated us wonderful.  Alan chose to drive further and got a place about an hour down the road.  We will try to blog tomarrow.  Miss you all!!! LoveKim, Mary, and Alan 

day 9 we needed this break!

Kim and Mary:

Our time in goa is coming close to an end, and Jonny is leaving us at 4am tomorrow morning.  He has been a very good navigator, and will be missed.  we have travelled 200 km and have 1000km left to go.  Mary is going to take Jonny's place as the navigator. She will do a good job.  We will leave at 6.30am and try and travel 250km.  Hope to read more comments, it's nice to hear from home.  

Jonny-o I pretty well have it down, so I can teach you! Can't wait to tell you about the adventure in person.  

Paul and Deb, thank you so much for your encouragement. 

 

Alan:

Today is the final day, and night, in Goa.  We leave tomorrow for Cochin.  The shopping we did do! Jewellery, and spices and t-shirts, are the most prominent.  Gold jewellery ranged from 12 carat to 22 carat.  

Every morning we either ran or walked on the beach.  Our stretch of the beach was relatively uninhabited.  The restaurant was open air with a terrific view of sunsets.  

 

Jonny:

Most of the day was spent on the beach, and it was hard to tell how so many hours in the day could be spent driving!  This is the end of the road for me :(  - fly out tomorrow.  But good luck to 'Cats in Hats' and the rest of the trip - it has been a joy to travel with you.  Will miss you guys... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 8 in Goa

Kim and Mary 

Went to the Hyatt to use the internet - cost 700 rupees and it did not work very well.  Met a great couple from Canada, and Kim took them for a ride in the rickshaw.  when they got back the husband hugged me and said "I feel sorry for you!".  we will be friends for life!

Jonny 

The first lie in since leaving Jaisalmer, and a run on the beach! Had the best curry of the trip with a prawn pehswari.  After a look around town (Punaji) the beach and a nap was calling :)

 

Day 7 Rickshaw Run

 Woke up at 6:00 today, had to travel to Goa where we will spend a few days.  Jonny will be leaving to go home from here on the 10th. In the mountains today, very rough roads. Made it to Goa, found a nice hotel.   Jonny A very bumpy ride!  But we ended the day on the beach with a beer :))  AlanMumbai was an area of banana plantations and sugar cane fields.  Today is date and coconut palm trees.  It is becoming very hot and very humid, the swimming pool looks better every time I walk by it........ 

Day 6 Rickshaw Run

 

 

Left Panvel at 7:30, got lost again even with the GPS.  Traveling along the coastal route, stopped along the way an visited with a man on a bike that was riding from Austria, 4 months on a bike.  Started through the mountains, making good time today until just outside of Sangameshuar. Alans rickshaw broke down, Kim took the carb off and cleaned it out but it needed parts.  Four young guys on motorcycles stopped to help us and ended up calling a mechanic out to bring parts, by the time we were done it was dark.  The mechanic took us to his shop so Kim could see where he worked.   We stayed at a local moted called the Swad Tourist.  The owner was great, he made sure we had plenty of food and anything else we needed.  They woke up early to get us coffee, he wanted to have coffee with us before we left. They even had a man sleep by our rickshaws to make sure nothing happen to them.  Probably one of my favorite places to stay. 

 

Jonny

We made really good progress, pushing the rickshaws to the max through some very steep forested slopes.  By the end of the day we had nearly reached ratnagiri, before the breakdown.  No matter, we were well looked after by several local people, including a mechanic, and the owner of the swad hotel. 

Alan

Quite an adventure, broke down, meeting local people. Spent the night in the local village where the owner joined us for dinne. 

Day 5 Rickshaw Run

Found a great place to stay in Navsari, right in the middle of town.  We woke up this morning early so Kim could adjust the clutch on Alans rickshaw but wouldn't adjust so we called a local mechanic which had grease and then it would adjust. We first thought the clutch went out, thank goodness it didn't.  Headed out of town, got on something similar to our interstate and drove for awhile and met up with some other rickshaw team, traveled with them for awhile then spilt up.  We drove through Bombai, Alan did a great job driving in that hectic place.  Staying the night in Panvel, nice place but if you want hot water to shower you have to ask them to turn it on.  Met a man from India that was an engineer that showed us the hotel to stay in and he let us get a phone in his name. We would have had to go through police to get one on our own.  We felt like celebrities tonight, when we went to eat, everybody wanted to shake our hands.   Jonny Had a great drive through the metropolitan area of mumbai, taking in a change of scenery to forested hills, with contrasting sights of both wealth (for example we saw our first traffic light in india) and intense poverty.  An indian engineer helped us find a nice hotel by the side of the road, and kim made me eat a very hot chilli :)  Not far to go now!   AlanPulled into town and an elephant stuck his trunk into the rickshaw. Had a great dinner and met alot of people.