Job Done!

That was soooo easy!

We really didnt think we would be eating our words when we were in a hotel before Varanassi wondering whether there was a direct train we could put the Rickshaw on direct to Cochin....(and some adrenaline fulled tears!)

We arrived yesterday evening to the reassuringly portugese town of Fort Cochin coming in a modest 20th place (with no cheating!) Glad that we have seen the real India but glad to be in a place where we can get poached eggs for breakfast and opt out of chilli in everything.

 The finale party starts tonight after a spot of cricket  where we will get suitably drunk on Gin and Tonics in a suitably British fashion. Here's to having really stupid adventues!

 See you soon!

Tim and Rosie xx

 

A few more mishaps!

*Since the wolves incident (12th Jan) Boris spluttered another 8km to a town which handily had a Bajaj (make of our rickshaw) service dealer who fixed him up a treat...the carbureter needed cleaning so we also got an oil change and general tinker and another pin to hold the exhaust on...also Tim discovered that the whole engine actually moved when your touched it and was only being held on by a hairpin! Meanwhile team Duke an Gonzo get their exhaust refitted for the 4th time and clutch repair. We endured the 2 hours of questioning we hoped for the last time while we sat and had it fixed.

A bastard road leading to Badami shook out the engine screw again and a handy Rickshaw driver found us a part and fitted it for all of 50p. As his pimp stood their and took a cut telling us it was cheap as we were his guest...  

A cut out again further in our tracks we were delighted to find the battery had fallen onto the engine and melted the wires onto it. A bit of electrical tape later and some string to hold the battery in place we were on our way again....a close shave indeed. 

Further breakdowns and a 100km detour from a 30km truck traffic jam (which had turned into an airport carpark when everyone decided that to keep trying to overtake in the ditches and by any means ground all the roads to a halt) That sweet smell of the coast felt futher away than ever and we have ben stuck on page 105 of our map for 3 days.

A gruelling push to the coast but some idyllic jungle gave us half a day to touch base with the sea and chill at a beach resort and also find time fo an overnight back water cruise on a barge.

 

 

SMS Update

Left Solapur this morning with a brief encounter with 2 other teams who from the sounds of things their Rickshaws haven't been as well behaved as our Boris. Currently stopped before Bijapur as team Duke and Gonzo re-attach their exhaust for the 2nd time, exchanging bolts from the roof rack to hold it on until the next village and the silver foil left over from breakfast acting as a seal, genius. fingers crossed! Meanwhile Tim has gone back to his feral days scouting out the best bush to evacuate in. The new found joy that an ipod faintly drains out the groan of the engines is keeping us going and at times when the sun is out and we are cruising along it feels like a holiday....until you end up in a truck sandwich again. It is relentless attack on these one track roads. Destination aim is Hampi tonight. Thought for the day: Dont have chilli omlette for breakfast, over and out x

A snood awakening

We finally set off from Pokhara, Nepal after a bout of food poisoning (hurrah!), in a wacky races/fawlty towers style departure. I think we went once round the town following each other like sheep before someone had the nous to find the right road. We made it a full 5km before our first breakdown, which we fixed with a bit of gaffer tape, and then drove like the wind until dark, and then a bit more. Scary cannot describe what it is like to drive, without lights (because you hadn't figured that much out before you left), without seat belts, and without the power to overtake stationary cars... It's not really a vehicle, it's a skateboard with a roof.

We spent the first night in a border town hotel which was modelled on something very very dark from WW2, where bed time doesn't mean the noise stops. It actually increases with the generators switched on to fuel the 3 light bulbs in the hotel and the trucks use their wacky races horns more, just because they can.

Day 2 we crossed over at 7am into India. We were expecting the worst from the border control, but actually were pleasantly surprised to be through in under 1 hour. Just as well really, as we made an average of 30 kph for the next 10 hours! Part way through the day we lost our whole exhaust - it literally fell right off as we were driving along, which would have been no drama except for the deafening noise it made. Help was at hand though as a chirpy Indian man happily welded it back together, perched on his haunches, sparks flying dangerously near his nylon jumper. 5 quid well spent.

We decided it might be wise to have some food about 2pm, and stopped at an idyllic spot next to the road. From somewhere near the back of the tuk tuk Rosie muttered something about a cheeky monkey. Presuming it was aimed at me I carried on relieving myself into the beautiful countryside. However, with his extended family, a baboon promptly jumped into the rickshaw and stole the bananas right out of Rosie's hand. I tell you now, when people NEED to get somewhere fast, they do. We had that little rickshaw burning skid marks into the road thicker than our pants and broke through the sound barrier a minute later. Windsor safari park eat your heart out! The night was spent in a similar hotel. When i asked the Hotel owner if there was a 'deluxe' room he almost spat his betel nut onto my hand. We DID have running water, but of the legionaires variety, a hole, and plank of wood to sleep on.

Today we are much happier! We've found 2 cool german dudes to convoy with who are taking a same route through this darkness, to the east coast. Having someone to share the fun times with is always a bonus. When we say fun, we mean retrospective fun.

However. We are in Varinassi, home of burning floating funeral pyres and Indian spirituality, in a 5 star hotel, with hot water and everything. Hot as in warm. Everything as in clean sheets and TV and stuff. No loo roll though. My origami training has come in useful though. 'One square' Timmy is my new name. 'Two square' Rosie is my nemesis. However, like a warden from the aforementioned WW2 attrocity, she controls the paper rations.....in a nice Rosie way.

Check this out for a bit of rickshaw driving in India - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB5ihHa1S48](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB5ihHa1S48)

There is literally NO electricity in the countryside. Stories by burning plastic fires seem to be the order of the day, and when they say 'lights off', they really mean it. Meanies.

So, we'll update you in a couple of days. I'm still sulking about the lack of 3G.

Keep the donations coming, it really will go an enormous way towards helping build community projects.

Lots of Love, Tim and Rosie. x

 

ps. If you're wondering what the title of this posting is about, we've been having a RIGHT old laugh using the word 'Snood' in as many ways as possible after i purchased one in Nepal. Try it, if you've got a 10 hour drive on a hooded skateboard.