Finish and Numbers


 OK, so we're done. I'm resting comfortably in a rollaway bed (thanks, Tea Bungalow for forgetting that we requested a double, thus trying to put us into one big romantic bed, where the more altitude-gifted Mr. Biggs is lounging now) and drinking a Kingfisher "extra strong." Tea Bungalow also somehow lost its liquor license, and yet somehow by hook or crook is able to supply me with these brews so necessary for calming the nerves and bringing on the nocturnal slumber, and the twisted dreams that the malaria pills engender. I haven't been posting as much as Mr. Biggs, in the past few weeks for two main reasons: I focused on drinking myself to sleep most nights rather than blogging, and he has a much larger tolerance for slow Internet connections than me. WiFi is something that Tea Bungalow excels at, thankfully, so here I am again. Above is a picture of our starting odometer on the machine, said to be the best of a bunch of 60 some rickshaws. It's a baby, having only down two runs previously, and we stretched its life to: 

So because I'm too intoxicated to organize my thoughts any better, here's a list of other interesting numbers. Number of breakdowns: 0 Top speed of rickshaw: 50 kilometers an hour, but mostly 45 (probably the main reason the number above is zero) Days on the road: 12 Bribes paid: 0! Money raised for charity: about 700 pounds for Frank Water and counting, which may (depending on the vagaries of Bloomberg's philanthropy department) may be matched yet again by the same amount. Also $2,500 for Japan's Red Cross and $2,500 for Maiti Nepal. Finish position: 6th place Malaria pills swallowed: 2 so far Mechanics visited: 2 Lowest hotel rate paid: 900 rupees Highest hotel rate paid: 7,800 rupees Number of nights sleeping in the same bed: 0 Times one team member left the other behind: 0 Number of "love taps" on the road: 1 Elephants seen: 2 Camels seen: Many

Day 12 -- Kozhikode to Fort Kochi

The End. Well, there's plenty more to write, but it will have to wait until after food and beer! Until then, I'll just say we arrived unscathed, 6th out of 70-odd. Result.

Day 11 -- Mangalore to Kozhikode

Our Kerala-licensed tuk tuk crossed the border into her home State. A fairly grueling 240 km in 8 hours along some packed Kerala roads, which the bus drivers mistook for highways! But we made it to Kozhikode at about 3 and went for as swim on the beach where Vasco de Gama landed all those years ago. Good for relieving stress. Then we hit a restaurant for a South Indian feast of tamarind fish and dry pepper prawns. Very different to the other curries we've had so far. 210 km tomorrow and we're all done.

Day 10 -- Goa to Mangalore

Travelled a lot further than expected today, about 370 kilometers in about 11 hours. Apart from the last part from Udupi to Mangalore, the road was much better than we remembered it from 2 years ago (this last part is the first time we're covering the same ground) so we pushed on from Udupi to Mangalore. We found a business hotel and got a very fiery dinner feeling pretty satisfied all round. Thanks to the big push today, we have 230 kilometers tomorrow and 210 kilometers to finish up on Thursday. Tomorrow we'll stay in a town called Kozhikode (Calicut) famous for its Keralan cuisine and beaches, as well as the place where Vasco de Gama is said to have first come ashore in 1498. As well as the `city of spices.' A fine selection for (touch wood) the last night on the road!