Day 3

8am checkouts are actually kind of late for the rickshaw run! But we're off, ready for day 3!

Breakdowns!!

Had our first couple of breakdowns today! Got towed 5km to a mechanic. Dismantled the entire motor and carburetor, fixed it after 2 hours. Or so we thought. Broke down again in 2km. Luckily, the mechanic lived along the route and was on his way home for lunch. Saw the rickshaw while Anis had hitchhiked back to his garage. Fixed it again. Running smooth so far...3 hours behind schedule. Fingers crossed!!

Day 2

First day done and dusted with. Stayed at Barpeta. And now, on our way to Siliguri. Hopefully! 

Updates from Gogo - #01

We spent the night at a police station!

A little detail, though… Rickmaster Gogo started the rickshaw run a little earlier than expected. The night of the 4th, we’d left for the event party on the outskirts of Shillong after informing our hotel that we’d be coming back late, after about 1.

The party was great, and we dropped off some superdrunk Kiwis and a lovely New York couple back to their hotels, and reached ours by 130, pretty much as expected.

At 2, we were still knocking on the gates and sites and calling the manager’s mobile to no response. The folks in the adjacent hotel woke up, tried to shoo us away, but no way would we leave.

Finally, we decided to get the cops involved. Walked to the main circle, explained to a few cops and got 4-5 of them with us to the hotel. We (not the cops) had been able to get the outer shutter open, but the gate inside was padlocked. After another half hour of shouting, knocking and calling some more, we asked the cops to break the lock. But they were afraid of complications, so wanted their superior’s approval.

Off we went to the police station and spoke to the superior. Who sent someone higher with us to check the situation and just sort it out. You already know what happened. Knocked. Called. Shouted. Blared cop car sirens. Came back. This guy was too much of a wuss too.

This time we meet the super-erior! Sings in a rock band, travels the country. All round cool guy. Was bloody pissed to know what we’re going through. Took matters in his own hands, went to the hotel and did the same thing we’d done all night. Came back.

It was now 430, and we had a long day of rickshaw driving ahead of us! So he finally posted for us to sleep in the police station (women’s and general sections, respectively) till morning.

Which is what we did!

So tell me, what did you learn from this?

Gogo can even turn a police station into a hotel.

And we are off!!