Rode deep into the desert for an overnight doof in the dunes Only rules:
1. Sleep with your bag. India dogs are devils
2. Run. India fireworks have short fuses
3. Don’t accidentally go to Pakistan
Alas. 17 days, 3000km. 75 teams from 20+ countries. Countless memories. And a few more we unfortunately can’t remember. All we can say is - thank you, India.
And to all you following along — we wanted to say thanks for making this possible by donating to National Alliance for Mental Illness. We couldn’t be happier to rep the amazing work that NAMI does on our travels. We’ll post details in the coming days if you missed the first round and still want to donate to the cause
Next up: party tonight with the other idiots who did this. Tomorrow, a proper celebration by riding some camels into the desert and getting weird under the stars. Wrap it up with some Taj Mahal action. And pop a few quick flights back to the States. See y’all soon enough —
Last 100km. Might need to push this shit across the finish...
Jodhpur was a whirlwind! After arriving to town yesterday after some roadside repairs we met rush hour traffic in narrow streets as we tried to navigate to our hotel. A couple dings, knocked over mopeds, ditches, and an empty tank we eventually got settled in. Today brought a chilly rooftop breakfast with a view, a stroll through the towns markets, an ancient step well, a tour of an amazing fort, and epic views of the city. Given that we have a haul to jaisalmer tomorrow we wrapped up things in Jodhpur after lunch and hit the road. After getting rejected at a dumpy hotel we stumbled upon a nice desert cottage resort. The rickshaw journey ends tomorrow so it’ll be awesome to have a night under the stars.
From canopies to cacti - the boys have officially entered the desert. Photo cred to Andy, as usual.
Udaipur is such a gem! From touring the city palace, overlooking the lake from various rooftops, exploring tons of amazing shops/vendors, and spending quality time with the other runners we couldn’t ask for more. This is by far one of the prettiest and cleanest places we’ve been to. Rajasthan has not disappointed one bit. Having a day off of driving is always a welcome respite as well. Off to Jodhpur today as the rickshaw run begins to wind down
Udaipur is saweeeeet.
Day 11 was off to a shit start. Ahmedabad traffic was the worst we’ve seen (more and more accidents for our fellow runners), the Shaw bounced between local mechanics, and the route north was even more poverty-ridden than usual.
Thankfully the day was saved as the Mystery Machine limped into udaipur like the champion she is. Apart from its stunning lakes and market-lined alleyways, udaipur meant a much-welcomed return to legal booze. We converged 5 rickshaw groups for dinner overlooking the city, hopped on the back of some motorbikes across the river, and closed out the local palace rooftop bar.
Day 12 should be killer, as 15 to 20 of us take a rest day to tour the beautiful city
Ahmedabad: a city of highs and lows for team RAD.
High: eating a beautiful vegetarian dinner on a rooftop overlooking the city
Low: being in a 12 car wide traffic jam on a 2 lane road
High: checking out the incredible Jami Masjid mosque all lit up at night
Low: Waiting 30 min to catch an Uber back to our hotel (even we have limits to our rickshaw driving)
High: finding a beer store in a dry state
Low: non-alcoholic beers only
Mooooooooo-ve.
This is an interstate highway.
Ryan
Andy
Dan
National Alliance on Mental Illness
This organization does some truly amazing work and provides support, education, and advocacy to and for those all over the nation who are affected by mental illness.