Cunning stunts

Made it to Bangalore! What a journey. Many goodbyes tonight to friends made along the way. Thanks to the adventurists for making it all possible!

Cunning stunts

Made it to Bangalore! What a journey. Many goodbyes tonight to friends made along the way. Thanks to the adventurists for making it all possible!

Cunning stunts

With an easy drive to Bangalore today, we decided to make a detour to the Savanadurga state forest. Savanadurga is the largest monolith in India and a popular hiking spot. We visited a small temple at the base of the mountain - Greg and Kirk were blessed by the resident priest while Murray tried in vain to make friends with the troop of monkeys.

We popped in to see a beautiful temple on the way to the dam and witnessed a ritual being performed.

A quick dip in the river below Manchanabele dam and fresh fish for lunch was a welcome break after leaving Savanadurga.

Sun’s been out today and everything is crystal clear after the rain. The villages we pass through are painted in bright colours with women washing clothes outside while the dogs snooze in the shade.

Next stop: Bangalore!

Cunning stunts

With an easy drive to Bangalore today, we decided to make a detour to the Savanadurga state forest. Savanadurga is the largest monolith in India and a popular hiking spot. We visited a small temple at the base of the mountain - Greg and Kirk were blessed by the resident priest while Murray tried in vain to make friends with the troop of monkeys.

We popped in to see a beautiful temple on the way to the dam and witnessed a ritual being performed.

A quick dip in the river below Manchanabele dam and fresh fish for lunch was a welcome break after leaving Savanadurga.

Sun’s been out today and everything is crystal clear after the rain. The villages we pass through are painted in bright colours with women washing clothes outside while the dogs snooze in the shade.

Next stop: Bangalore!

Cunning stunts

With an easy drive to Bangalore today, we decided to make a detour to the Savanadurga state forest. Savanadurga is the largest monolith in India and a popular hiking spot. We visited a small temple at the base of the mountain - Greg and Kirk were blessed by the resident priest while Murray tried in vain to make friends with the troop of monkeys.

We popped in to see a beautiful temple on the way to the dam and witnessed a ritual being performed.

A quick dip in the river below Manchanabele dam and fresh fish for lunch was a welcome break after leaving Savanadurga.

Sun’s been out today and everything is crystal clear after the rain. The villages we pass through are painted in bright colours with women washing clothes outside while the dogs snooze in the shade.

Next stop: Bangalore!

Cunning stunts

Easy drive today on the highway to Sira- mostly open road in good condition. We stopped along the way for lunch at a small restaurant which was packed to the brim with locals - so we figured it must be good. Everyone there was eating the South Indian special - a selection of curries and chapati laid out on a banana leaf. We decided to try it - Delicious.

We passed a lot of bullocks ploughing the fields and befriended one farmer who let us say hello to his cattle and watch him ploughing. All very basic, wooden and steel with rope attachments. We were impressed at how well trained the bullocks were. Such a slow and methodical technique.

We planned to stay in Sira tonight but being a small town there were only 3 hotels which we could find online, two of them did not exist and while we were trying to find the third, we drove down a narrow residential alleyway which turned out to be blocked by piles of building sand at the end. It was a beautiful little street only just wide enough for our Tuk tuks, with colorful houses and Kolam drawings on the tarmac outside the entrances. While we were stopped and about to figure out just how to turn around, Kirk spotted a group of boys playing with a basketball. We decided to join them for a few minutes and it turned into a good half hour game of piggy in the middle, with more and more children running to join. The little girls didn't join the game but sat and watched, dressed in beautiful brightly colored sari’s and jewellery. The parents all had a good laugh at everyone’s antics. That small part of the day and random moment in time is probably one of our favourite moments of the trip.

After Toby failed to find any decent overnight spots during his scout, we decided to continue to the next town, Tumakuru. We checked into what seemed an ordinary budget hotel - but when we went upstairs saw that they have a super kitsch bar and dance floor in the roof, complete with smoke machine! Not really something we expected! We all met up with another team over dinner who have a similar plan to us - nice easy day tomorrow, and stay in Bangalore overnight before the finish day to explore a little while we still have our rickshaws.

Can’t believe it’s all nearly over! A truly incredible trip so far in so many ways.

Cunning stunts

Easy drive today on the highway to Sira- mostly open road in good condition. We stopped along the way for lunch at a small restaurant which was packed to the brim with locals - so we figured it must be good. Everyone there was eating the South Indian special - a selection of curries and chapati laid out on a banana leaf. We decided to try it - Delicious.

We passed a lot of bullocks ploughing the fields and befriended one farmer who let us say hello to his cattle and watch him ploughing. All very basic, wooden and steel with rope attachments. We were impressed at how well trained the bullocks were. Such a slow and methodical technique.

We planned to stay in Sira tonight but being a small town there were only 3 hotels which we could find online, two of them did not exist and while we were trying to find the third, we drove down a narrow residential alleyway which turned out to be blocked by piles of building sand at the end. It was a beautiful little street only just wide enough for our Tuk tuks, with colorful houses and Kolam drawings on the tarmac outside the entrances. While we were stopped and about to figure out just how to turn around, Kirk spotted a group of boys playing with a basketball. We decided to join them for a few minutes and it turned into a good half hour game of piggy in the middle, with more and more children running to join. The little girls didn't join the game but sat and watched, dressed in beautiful brightly colored sari’s and jewellery. The parents all had a good laugh at everyone’s antics. That small part of the day and random moment in time is probably one of our favourite moments of the trip.

After Toby failed to find any decent overnight spots during his scout, we decided to continue to the next town, Tumakuru. We checked into what seemed an ordinary budget hotel - but when we went upstairs saw that they have a super kitsch bar and dance floor in the roof, complete with smoke machine! Not really something we expected! We all met up with another team over dinner who have a similar plan to us - nice easy day tomorrow, and stay in Bangalore overnight before the finish day to explore a little while we still have our rickshaws.

Can’t believe it’s all nearly over! A truly incredible trip so far in so many ways.

Cunning stunts

Easy drive today on the highway to Sira- mostly open road in good condition. We stopped along the way for lunch at a small restaurant which was packed to the brim with locals - so we figured it must be good. Everyone there was eating the South Indian special - a selection of curries and chapati laid out on a banana leaf. We decided to try it - Delicious.

We passed a lot of bullocks ploughing the fields and befriended one farmer who let us say hello to his cattle and watch him ploughing. All very basic, wooden and steel with rope attachments. We were impressed at how well trained the bullocks were. Such a slow and methodical technique.

We planned to stay in Sira tonight but being a small town there were only 3 hotels which we could find online, two of them did not exist and while we were trying to find the third, we drove down a narrow residential alleyway which turned out to be blocked by piles of building sand at the end. It was a beautiful little street only just wide enough for our Tuk tuks, with colorful houses and Kolam drawings on the tarmac outside the entrances. While we were stopped and about to figure out just how to turn around, Kirk spotted a group of boys playing with a basketball. We decided to join them for a few minutes and it turned into a good half hour game of piggy in the middle, with more and more children running to join. The little girls didn't join the game but sat and watched, dressed in beautiful brightly colored sari’s and jewellery. The parents all had a good laugh at everyone’s antics. That small part of the day and random moment in time is probably one of our favourite moments of the trip.

After Toby failed to find any decent overnight spots during his scout, we decided to continue to the next town, Tumakuru. We checked into what seemed an ordinary budget hotel - but when we went upstairs saw that they have a super kitsch bar and dance floor in the roof, complete with smoke machine! Not really something we expected! We all met up with another team over dinner who have a similar plan to us - nice easy day tomorrow, and stay in Bangalore overnight before the finish day to explore a little while we still have our rickshaws.

Can’t believe it’s all nearly over! A truly incredible trip so far in so many ways.

Cunning stunts

We had a relatively easy day today with only 200km to cover. Began with a lazy breakfast with the Dragoons at a funky little cafe next to our hotel, called Artjuna. REAL coffee was a treat!

We stopped on the way out to sort out our second flat tire and then headed out through winding green hills through Mahdei wildlife sanctuary. The mountain passes were a little hairy with narrow, potholed roads, low viz in thick mist and big trucks to negotiate. We stopped at the top of the pass for a quick selfie request with some friendly truck drivers (with great hair 😂), then bumped into another Rickshaw team at our chai stop and sat out the downpour.

I tried my new waterproof poncho which turned out to be a fail - balloons up in all directions - I look like Violet Beauregard, the blueberry Girl from Ronald Dahl’s Charlie and the chocolate factory 😂. We spotted two ponies in the forest, Murray kept a safe distance.. one was a little grumpy but the younger of the two was very sweet.

We are safely in Hubballi tonight, a few other teams are staying at the same hotel so we are looking forward to another catchup over dinner and a quiet night.

Cunning stunts

We had a relatively easy day today with only 200km to cover. Began with a lazy breakfast with the Dragoons at a funky little cafe next to our hotel, called Artjuna. REAL coffee was a treat!

We stopped on the way out to sort out our second flat tire and then headed out through winding green hills through Mahdei wildlife sanctuary. The mountain passes were a little hairy with narrow, potholed roads, low viz in thick mist and big trucks to negotiate. We stopped at the top of the pass for a quick selfie request with some friendly truck drivers (with great hair