Kerala, India
Made it to the finish line via a nice ferry ride in 28th place at 1pm to be greeted by Picot, her mum and Aaron which was a very nice surprise. We've had the best of times and worst of times, no breakdowns for Bestsy but several relationship and stomach breakdowns during tense days that were swiftly remedied by Kingfisher. It was great fun but we are all agreed we are happy to go to our graves never riding a slow tinbox with wheels on an Indian road again. On a side note, which will be also a final thought, we have a date with ronald mcdonald, mr burger king or at a stretch the colonel. We ragged Betsy silly for the last 5kms where we drove on a sandy path coming across a freshly tarmac'd road built only for the motorcycle race that morning, Much like the india we have seen, the autorickshaw is uncomfortable, hot, smelly, shakes your stomach but makes you wake up every day eager to keep going not quite sure if what you have seen is something you can describe in words.
Ernakulam, India
just played footy against local teams (only later did we realise we had barged in on a school playing field and took over from the sports teachers) and donated a very valuable liverpool top and a priceless aston villa top, which the kid removed straight away and wiped his sweat away. After we left, we turned back and saw the kid with the L.pool top take it off in favour of his green rags. Having lunch at a lovely resort before the final push to Kochi.
Kerala, India
We already knew that we weren't onto a winning hand with our hotel room when we saw that the beds had no sheets, the only window was smashed and frogs were hopping around the bathroom, but when the fish market started blaring at 4am outside our room it really took the biscuit, business seems to be done here by honking horns shouting and playing load music. On to our final leg of the journey now and we can hear Betsy falling apart around us. On a side note we again generated curious looks as we bathed in the sea between what sounded like a sergant major directing children to pray in the water and about 200 fishermen bringing their small wooden craft and nets to shore. Perhaps that is a sign a storm of trouble is coming for Betsy on her final leg.
Kerala, India
had lunch in a lovely spot on the beach then went for a refreshing dip in the sea. Betsy is flying since we cleaned the air filter, she is an amazing work horse when she has a fully tummy of fuel and an open road ahead we are disappointed even that she hasnt keeled over on a busy highway like a normal Tuk Tuk. Now to find a beach resort for tonight, Life is tough right now!. The Tuk Tuk is getting sweatier as we head south and we look like Victorian chimney sweep boys after a full day of dust racing into our sticky faces.
Kerala, India
Betsy had a good run on the beach today, we now have to race to Kochi before the salt water makes her fall apart. As we drive further south we are starting to see the progressiveness of India with plenty of people parading in short skirts, those people however are men, who are often holding hands, the mind boggles how they produced over a billion people with those kind of shenanagins.@
Kerala, India
found a sweet beach resort and bathed in the arabian sea, which included complementary bath salts. Was nice to wash the smog infested indian roads out of our hair and off our faces. Gonna now take the taste away with kingfisher. Ideal. On a side note we intend on driving Betsy to the limit on the car access beach just outside our hotel, avoiding all the stinking dirty happy hippies about.
Kerala, India
fuelled up and heading for kannur tonight. Got a full tummy of chicken and an open road. Did ask for a diablo sandwich and a dr pepper but had to settle for chicken tikka again. South bound and down, our 3 wheels are rolling.@
Karnataka, India
trying to leave early from our roadside hotel however the one eyed reception matress sleeping manager keeps trying to make us tea. Betsy requires a push start every morning which we like to call mechanic yoga in the morning which is followed by a full day of wave at stranger yoga. Our clothes are getting progressively dirtier and are saturated with a mixture of gasoline, oil and curry. Hopefully try and meet our canadian friend picot today or tommorow somewhere in mangalore or cochin, hopefully she can recognise us under the unshaven shells of the men who started in Jaislmer. On a side note one of the team is going back to Ahmadabad for work after we finish in cochin, hopefully with a better understanding of lateness or fatality on the daily commute to work@
Finally in Goa, somewhere 09/01/12
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Finally in Goa, somewhere 09/01/12
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