Agra, Utter Pradesh, India
Uhhhh!!! Overnight ride in a truck with rickshaw on the back!! The details will come later but just to say probably one of the most uncomfortable nights in my life. Poor old rick broke down and had to be lifted by a group of bystanders onto the back of a truck, the truck driver took us to the nearest mechanic then doubled his price at the end :( At least the mechanic was opposite a fire station where we could drink chai, have a bit of a lie down and genrally relax! Decided we had wasted muchos driving time so stuck the old girl onto the back off yet another truck for an overnighter to Agra. Thank goodness we are here, nice hotel, nice beds, good food, and best of all rooftop view of the Taj!!! Well, the very top of it, but hey we got to see it in person so happy days!!! This has been a nice stop after the horror of the truck drive....
Dehri, Bihar, India
Wooo!! another full day driving and yet seemingly still so far away!! This town doesn't seem to have a lot to offer but once again we found ourselves running out of daylight, another big day tomorrow but we are finally on highway and so we'll be flying!! Found out tof\day that the chassis of our rickshaw is the exact length as the width f the National Highway median strip......do not try to cross the national highway over the median strip...engine now has a brand new rattle...at least we gave the locals something to laugh at, silly foreigners!!! They again flew to our rescue though as we had to get it unstuck, such friendly folks!!
Mokama, Bihar, India
Wow, it's been forever since we updated this but we'll just continue to do it a day at a time. Mokama was awesome!! After a scary start (we thought we were going to get attacked by bandits) it turns out we were welcomed into the most amazing family, they let us stay at their guesthouse and we were invited to feast with them as they were feasting after a fast for their grandfather who had passed away, what an hoour to join them and such an amazing expeirence to have had....we aren't making much progress on the crap roads but it's all worth it!!
Kishanganj, India
Day four, another busy day! Got up to see sunrise at Tiger Hill but cloud cover meant it was disappointing :( back to Shiliguri to pick up our sacks and tuks to head to Bihar. Spent a few hours bartering with hotel and having men with big guns check us out but we got a sweet room to finally get that elusive shower!@
Kishanganj, India
Day four, another busy day! Got up to see sunrise at Tiger Hill but cloud cover meant it was disappointing :( back to Shiliguri to pick up our sacks and tuks to head to Bihar. Spent a few hours bartering with hotel and having men with big guns check us out but we got a sweet r ** some text is missing **
West Bengal, India
Day 3 sorry for the late update folks nothing to worry about just an epic day yesterday! Had a long day in the roads in convoy with the rickateers , Tom & James, and the mystery machine! Made it to shiliguri at 4.30 quick pack change and food, abandoned the rickshaws and took a shared jeep up to the hills of Darjeeling! Very crazy ride, got up there at about 10.30 and straight to bed for a 3.30 start to tiger hill to watch the sun rise over the himalayas :)
West Bengal, India
Day 3 sorry for the late update folks nothing to worry about just an epic day yesterday! Had a long day in the roads ** some text is missing **
Assam, India
day 2 a long day on the road, heaps of breakdowns but thankfully only a flat tyre for us. A late finish with no headlights was not a good decision, got to a hotel (finally) that was fully booked but found other teams hurrah! So now there are 11 of us on a tiled floor in a front room of a hotel, aircon though bonus! Feel a bit like a refugee we are all black and a little bewildered! Alongside us here are The Rickateers for anyone wondering out there, they are safe and well (as well as you could ask to be in this place)! Xx
Assam, India
first day in the shaw awesome! Made it to guwahati which is yuk. Had a little prang with another Rick but nothing serious just lost a wing mirror - neither of the girls driving at the time! Maybe because neither of us drove yet! The tarp did a great job all our clothes are wet through, commando tonight! Hotel is disgusting. Overall a good day! @carly collister @Simon bingham-ward x
The Team United at Last!
So Rawson at last returned...
The whole team last night spent many a fine hour drinking the night away and playing with the Ebay purchases and other donated articles already collected by the team. Lisa spent several hours this morning attempting to work the two camcorders specially bought to attach to the richshaw! (With minor success I might add...
There was some brief dress up involving Biggles, Hats (which I am sure Lisa slept in) and the wrapping of a small child in an emergency tin foil type thing! Although dissapointed about Sarah's onjection to trying him on Gas mark 5 for a few hours but never mind parents will be parents I suppose...
The next meeting is to come soon although getting together all at the same time does prove slightly difficult with Sarah's child commitments and extreme cleaning OCD issues, my working very strange unsociable hours between the NHS and being a weekend doorman and Lisa's social calander!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have donated and have promised to donate after christmas and would like you all to let the world know about our upcoming adventure so they may if they would like to send a donation our way... 'Every Little Helps' said someone who is nothing to do with tesco once probably said so I am not infringing on any copy right laws!
