Mysore right leg
Got here yesterday, splashed out in a plush hotel - and we've made good time so have two days off here in Mysore. We have 350km to go, we'll make that last push to the finish line on the 20th, which gives us one day spare before the finish line closes and the finish party begins!
The Titfield Thundebolt has been running good these last few days.. If we keep her under 30mph/50kmph then all seems good. OUr speedo cable broke a few days ago though, so it's all a bit hit and miss!
We made our plan to mysore to skirt Bangalore and use a ring road.. But on arrival at the toll both, no three wheelers allowed! Doh! So into the massive city we went. Added on over an hour and 10k's more, but it was great fun.
Roads are perfect now, and there are proper coffee shops and McDonald's lining them. Pretty differnt to the north!
Will update more soon. Ta ta for now!!
Mysore right leg
Got here yesterday, splashed out in a plush hotel - and we've made good time so have two days off here in Mysore. We have 350km to go, we'll make that last push to the finish line on the 20th, which gives us one day spare before the finish line closes and the finish party begins!
The Titfield Thundebolt has been running good these last few days.. If we keep her under 30mph/50kmph then all seems good. OUr speedo cable broke a few days ago though, so it's all a bit hit and miss!
We made our plan to mysore to skirt Bangalore and use a ring road.. But on arrival at the toll both, no three wheelers allowed! Doh! So into the massive city we went. Added on over an hour and 10k's more, but it was great fun.
Roads are perfect now, and there are proper coffee shops and McDonald's lining them. Pretty differnt to the north!
Will update more soon. Ta ta for now!!
Ongole to Chittoor
Made it to Chittoor tonight. Went via Tirupati, as it's the most visited pilgrim place on earth (even trumps Mecca!). However due to our planning we couldn't stay and it seemed it would take an age to get up to the twmple.
Tomorrow we head to Mysore, where we will take 2 days off for R&R. Then one last 350km push to Kochi to arrive on the 20th. If all goes to plan!!
Ongole
A relatively stress free day today...actually a totally stress free day today. The titfield thunderbolt is performing well. We've realised that no issues seem to occur if we keep the speed below 30mph :) which also happens to be a nice speed to see the country!
The roads are a bit more boring now - they are full on motorways with no potholes - boo! Just lots of trucks and fast cars.
The people are noticeably more wealthy down here. We are starting to see motorcyclists and drives point iPhones and other smartphones at us to take pictures, rather than crappy Nokia phones.
We bumped into a fellow rickshaw runner Ricky, a lovely Irish lad last night, so we travelled in convoy today.
Staying in a very plush hotel tonight too! Very nice.
We have a plan to get to mysore in two days, at which time if all goes well, we can stay there for two days, then one final 350km push down to Kochi. It now seems all doable!! Touch wood.
Ta ta for now!
Ongole
A relatively stress free day today...actually a totally stress free day today. The titfield thunderbolt is performing well. We've realised that no issues seem to occur if we keep the speed below 30mph :) which also happens to be a nice speed to see the country!
The roads are a bit more boring now - they are full on motorways with no potholes - boo! Just lots of trucks and fast cars.
The people are noticeably more wealthy down here. We are starting to see motorcyclists and drives point iPhones and other smartphones at us to take pictures, rather than crappy Nokia phones.
We bumped into a fellow rickshaw runner Ricky, a lovely Irish lad last night, so we travelled in convoy today.
Staying in a very plush hotel tonight too! Very nice.
We have a plan to get to mysore in two days, at which time if all goes well, we can stay there for two days, then one final 350km push down to Kochi. It now seems all doable!! Touch wood.
Ta ta for now!
Rajahmundry
Long days breakdowns and weddings
Again too tired to write much. Might have to do this retrospectively!
But we are in high spirits, even considering we have practically got nowhere in 15 hours on the road! Needed a new piston ring, and also found out our scew drive le won't undo the smallest jet in the carb, so we had to ask a mechanic to it for us. Even after fixing all that our rickshaw still splutters if we go over 50kmph! No idea why. Will change spark plug tomorrow in hope.
Time for some R&R
Stopping for 2 nights here in puri, a seaside town. Need some R&R! Also need to put on a new head gasket and fuel filter!
Will write more tomorrow when I've had more sleep!
Into Odisha!
Relatively pain feed day of driving yesterday. It was made much better by the decision to not wake up at 5am, but rather 7am.. And to have a nice breakfast of eggs toast and coffee before we set off!
We flew along at 45kmph until we hit the border of the state of Odisha.. Truck jam big time. Some nifty manoeuvring, asking nicely to the truck drivers to reverse there huge trucks and we made it through!
Stayed in a nice hotel to boot.
Lovely stuff!
Adventure beyond belief!
Wow what a day! Lost Propelty has had Gasket holes, fuel blockages, washed out bridges, elephants on trucks stuck in rivers, 1.5 hour off road detours through tribal villages, hit another car (but a villager shouted the car away and told us to go quickly!), then finally some night time monsoon rain driving! 'kin love it! Sooo much fun. Made it to Bakura on our way to Odisha.
