Like the previous days, Wednesday started at the crack of dawn in pouring rain. We departed Mahe heading north towards Udupi through Mangalore. Mangalore is the only malaria region on the west cost of India so we were hoping to get through there as fast as possible without any breakdowns.
Once the rain eased up we stopped for some chai and snacks in the most amazing roadside cafe in Taliparamba before hitting the road again and heading up towards Bekal beach for an impromptu photo shoot with the Wholly Cows and some local fishing families on a rainy beachside. After that was done and dusted we jetted off towards Mangalore. Since we were making good time, and having had such a great experience at the waterfall the day before, we decided to detour off the main road up the mountains in search of some nearby sights. In hindsight, given the condition of the roads we then drove on, it was probably not the best of ideas but this entire trip isn’t the best idea we’ve ever had so at least we’re nothing if not consistent! Having searched for the Peradana falls in vain we stumbled across some local teens who were eager to show us their farmland and we were more than happy to show it. So off we took, down a mud track towards the forest. If you remember above, I mentioned something about this being the only malaria region in western India so a trip into a wet forest was exactly the kind of thing we should not be doing. In any case, we’ve survived it (so far) and saw some incredible sights. Check our Instagram @teamcraggyislandcreameries to see more photos!
We’ve finally got the blog setup after a hectic few days. This post will be a bit longer than the others as it covers our first days on the road.
We got off to a great start even before the race started when Kochi airport was closed due to heavy rain in the region so we had to divert to Bangalore, overnight there and take a bus to Coimbatore the following morning. From Coimbatore we took a 5hr taxi to Kochi and arrived there 48 hours later than planned. That meant we only got the rickshaw the day before the race started and we had limited time to get to grips with it (many teams were in the same boat). Thankfully we met the wonderful Shaji who showed us the ropes and brought us around to all the supply shops for spare parts and translated whenever there was a language barrier.
The race began in earnest on Monday morning and we were off on our way to Jaisalmer in the afternoon once we had our sides stitched - Kerala is a Muslim majority state and it was Eid so most places were either closed or short staffed. Our first day ended with a late evening dash to Thrissur before it go too dark.
Tuesday began bright and early at 6am and we continued north up the coast towards Kannur with a slight detour up the mountains to a fantastic waterfall. The rest of the day we drove through the rain to make it to Mahe before nightfall.
Suffice to say, so far this trip has been mental. Traditional rules of the road are non-existent - the only constants are buses rule the road, followed closely by trucks. Old men with umbrellas will cross when they please, rain and traffic be damned. Cows on the road are not an uncommon sight and they will divert the flow of traffic as everybody moves around them, like a living, breathing roundabout.
Top-tip: don’t run out of petrol on a busy road!
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