Team The Honey Badgers

Epilogue

With more than a hint of sadness us Badgers abandoned our mobile tin bucket. Our brave work horse had carried us admirably across almost the entire sub-continent. Now as we make our way back towards Jodphur & the waiting overnight train to Delhi we still see Rickshaws grinding out the final kilometres to the finish. Sadly for them they have missed out on the chaotic victory parade around Jaisalmer fort, ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/e50ef7ada773b37c7dd143c04aef278a92bf3baf.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/eb9061b096c30a4b29edc3f18da00d8be48c6c58.jpeg) another thumping in the cricket at the hands of our hosts & the epic finishing party. They also have missed the Honey Badgers receiving a silver camel, ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/5ca668ff47331a82a38d6680ea19ef9f12b94f91.jpeg) awarded to the team that embodied the spirit of the Rickshaw Run. A high honour indeed. What did the Badgers learn on our adventure? India is incredible, the Indians are wonderful hosts, it is possible to eat over 100 curries in 2 weeks & that somehow despite the insanity that reigns it is possible to survive India's roads. Thank you for your generous support & for following our blog. Until the next time, The Honey Badgers. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/b1e6dc3a58ea8d62fbbc6130fd2072e42a6a44dd.jpeg)

Glossary

A - Accident (n), the inevitable consequence of driving like an Indian. B - Bus (n), agent of death on the road, also a people transporter. Bobble (v), head movement by an Indian to indicate agreement, disagreement, happiness, confusion, excitement, or disappointment. C - Car (n), vehicle of greater important than a rickshaw & moped, less than bus or truck. Chai (n), drink of the gods. D - Dosa (n), breakfast of champions. Darwin Award (n), prize given to person who ended life prematurely by foolish act. Consistently won by Indian drivers. Dust (n), substance that covers all surfaces after 60 seconds in a rickshaw. Can cause allergic reaction in hotel receptionists. Danger (n), permanent state any road user will find themselves in. E - Excitement (n), reaction of the Indians when they see a Rickshaw or have a selfie opportunity with a tourist. Uncommon in Goa. F - Freezing (adj), average temperature in the back of a rickshaw before 10am. G - Goa (n), former Portuguese colony on west coast of India, now annexed by Putin. H - Hindu (n), average Indian, billions of them. Also see Excitement. Honey Badger (n), most ferocious species of badger, highly skilled operator of a rickshaw. Known for high quality banter. Horn (n), auto tool to allow Indians to express a bobble at high speed. Hotel (n), destination for food not lodging, only discovered when the latter is urgently needed. Helmet (n), road safety device deemed superfluous by motorbike user. I - India (n), incredible sub continent. Best explored in a rickshaw. J - Joke (n), state of average Indian road, rush hour driving. K - Kerala (n), beautiful & tranquil state of southern India. Often prescribed as antidote to Goa or Mumbai. L - Livestock (n), cattle, monkeys, pigs, goats, dogs, camels, commonly seen wandering the highways. Light (n), source of totally inadequate illumination for a rickshaw, cannot be used in conjunction with a horn. Load (n), game played by drivers of how many people or objects their vehicles can carry. Also see Danger. M - Moustache (n), facial hair perfected by the Indians. Map (n), navigation aid, commonly ignored by men as they know best. Mechanic (n), any passerby who can fix a broken rickshaw. N - Night time (n), a time of day to be avoided on a road. O - OMG (adj, slang), phrase most commonly used by foreigners when seeing Indians drive. P - Parantha (n), best Indian bread, accompanies any meal. Police (n), extractors of bribes from road users. Pothole (n), device to slow traffic, damage rickshaws, vary in size, known to swallow entire vehicles. Q - Queue (n), what happens post an accident, excuse to drive wrong way on the other side of the road. R - Rickshaw (n), bottom of Indian road food chain, occasionally driven by foreigners. Also see Excitement & Accident. Rush hour (n), time of day when temporary insanity grips a road user. S - Shock (n), common state of foreigner when on Indian road. Speed Bump (n), obstacle to slow traffic, vary in size and aggressiveness, only spotted at the last second. Speed Limit (n), see Joke, Police. Selfie (n), a common request by an Indian for interaction with a foreigner. School (n), place for very friendly small people, best hope for India's future. T - Truck (n), larger & slower agent of death on the road, also transports goods & people. Often seen upside down in a ditch. Take (v) - Action taken by a bus, truck or car, over or under. Also see Darwin Award. Toll (n), road use payment not required of rickshaws. Daily body count among road users. U - U-turn (n), maneuver conducted by an Indian driver without indication. V - Velocity (n), honour is obtained by achieving the highest form without regard for life. W - Waiter (n), food service provider, unused resource of local cuisine knowledge. Most commonly excited to help foreigners when asked. Wet Wipe (n), futile device to combat dust, oil & petrol. X - X-rated (n), certificate given to Indian road safety video. Y - Youth (adj), average life expectancy of an Indian road user. Z - Zebra Crossing (n), aid for pedestrians to cross a road, aid for drivers to run down pedestrians.

Photos from the road

As promised here are some the snaps from the last few days... ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/b54813505e30bcd1ac827a93fc050ad42eace842.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/6ae0e6456d8bc5a19fb8ee377dfa2a0a1a4571c9.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/79ca4f4cd50b6e09da14938578fdfbd2297286f3.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/ddc99a24d66a35d1403c7a29e2eaecccef560c3e.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/8dd87a735f645d9c1ed5d2181538f3a48f389c91.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/e83e8b2c24b9b283750a67b2a08af4a320288279.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/2986f4845a8553540a64fe1ac76ce250fa00a6be.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/fd7428791e7e61c51362d20e8293633c10d0c5d2.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/30a0afdca01cda07ca88f016b7333f20f8982faa.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/da961bb498a0570be7a5d59bef88db0e84365ddb.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/735e3a9714b9cf175c308f0df4b792831c05503e.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/2b5edb18f6a135d142804364b9abf6d91299a97e.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/e54fc800e602e04883756154f240ab31864c2b87.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/5c22c34ba9814d8c2721cadf6e196b68c9c6d52e.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/8fa71d65d42ccdce6f4f65f73dc20f054adff76e.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/fe1bbda3fcf7124bf8fdcf82049f1609ba3bdc72.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/465acdd44f56004f2add496851146971f7782a85.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/d149ff3c06aa269469ca35d373c5b7bf03669032.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/1f6bd622baf8aeaa07f59e1ccc7364f50b6b713d.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/59b8f3f062a847db3fbb875b0bac94b0dcb8b19e.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/3fb9833371d87a28c35610af1a711365c340ad9d.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/928cd9e1998a340f38be6b136ca8bfb09f536ad7.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/3fe19b763180bd8a0958cb3b0327c33f93b24ccc.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/4f7f666ebd845baf87ceb39b1215a8a21e102847.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/b65e2ded8581c5ffdaa557b33ddfa04e134b803f.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/b660046ceae8308e88e88be8b9d71a7b103d04f1.jpeg) ![Uploading file...]()![Uploading file...]()![Uploading file...]()![Uploading file...]()![Uploading file...]()

Badgers bask in the glory

With our world record secured it was time for the Badgers to bask in the glory. Once we had shaken off our hangovers & sourced a ride to Delhi it was time for the victory parade. All the Rickshaws took a lap around Jaisalmer fort causing traffic mayhem & earning several reprimands from the local police. Back at the finish line many teams choose to rag their rides in the ever growing cloud of dust. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/9c64c60491702b9b3cd7d000639fb8b129705d4d.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/22d6ba22a3e6e09d7c036d6b077649a5c93172fe.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/a6c5121a5fea88b56c57f682ec66734e9f22910f.jpeg) There was time for a quick beer before we got clobbered by the locals at cricket (again).![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/2fddc70082b3ad525f617be9833575c17ced1fcb.jpeg) Time for the Badgers to rest at our flash gaffe outside town, before the finishing party tonight. At least tonight when the wheels come off we won't need a mechanic to fix it.![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/0d4402413780429685d2f2f3abcb7183a5632732.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/8c1173843ac2d029101630daf0928d56613b087e.jpeg)

Badgers set new world record

CNN Breaking news... The Honey Badgers break the 2,500,000 metre world record. Never before has any Badger gone through the 13 day barrier. The Badgers dedicated their success to team work & chai. A victory parade is planned for tomorrow. Indian fighters jets are repeatedly buzzing the winners enclosure. Rumours are rife that the Queen may attend... End of report. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/917d73f6536e6e8426cf013b294fb7a9aecfc936.jpeg) At 4pm we rolled onto the finishers platform in Jaisalmer. Probably just in time as our marvelous Rickshaw felt like she was on her last legs. We still had time for some last adventures as we pounded the road to the finish line. Our lunch stop as made memorable as what appeared to splendidly dressed & weathered local big wigs sipped chai on the next table whilst smoking joints. The fact they effectively hot boxed the restaurant may have made our lunch taste all the better. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/8f58013c116de1b2fcae65ae38641a2f3d3bb71f.jpeg) With the finish line in sight Rickshaws were dropping like flies under the fierce Rajasthani sun. On several occasions we paused to offer aid to stranded teams, but could only provide moral support. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/0f8bcd6b0ce4dece477ce39220488b5620667d62.jpeg) Now to the bar to celebrate. Thanks for all your support & well wishes. More to follow...

Badger limits

An easy 260km to Jodhpur was this morning's thinking... Having tried not to get overconfident we were already thinking of the finish line before our noble steed started to show the strains of nearly 2,000km. Twice our fuel line broke free of the carbaretta & required the man handling from a passerby to repair. Back on the road we took the route less travelled & got to see the real Rajasthan in all its simple glory, before an amazing Thali lunch. With a short 100km to Jodphur surely it was a cake run. Not so as our rear right wheel punctured. Although it was swiftly replaced our ride is clearly unhappy at the pounding she has taken. Only one final push to go. Can she hold together? In the meantime we had enough sun light to explore Jodphur's imposing fort. Possibly one of the most impressive castles the Badgers have had the privilege of nosing around. Even more breathtaking were the views over the city with its blue adorned buildings all splashed with the setting sun. Capt Cathay quickly sourced a replacement wheel & we retired to our quarters for G&Ts in the garden. [Editor's note - apologies for the lack of photos but our internet connection is proving somewhat unreliable. Will upload asap].

The home stretch

Glad to have left Modasa behind soon the Badgers also left Gujurat's dryness in our wake too. We promptly celebrated with a chai & dosa breakfast. Before we knew it we were winding our way into Udapur around lunchtime. Despite the almost insulted look of our hotel proprietor when us grubby Badgers pulled up we allowed to stay in what proved to be the nicest hotel so far. Revived by a great Thali lunch we set upon the City Palace with cameras at the ready. (The way to the Palace through the park may have been interrupted by Broom Badger disappearing into the undergrowth after his stomach disagreed with lunch). The City Palace & the (Octopussy) lake were stunning. We even had time to take a boat ride as the sun set & rewarded ourselves with a very welcome cold beer. Unsurprisingly town was teeming with other Rickshaw Runners including teams we had not met before as well as plenty of friendly faces. Tomorrow Jodhpur. Just over 500km to the finish.

Badgers breakdown

After a solid rest the Badgers continued the Big Push northward. Initially we headed for Champener, a UNESCO world heritage site, to get a culture fix. We were richly rewarded for our minor detour with beautiful mosques from a time long passed amid the ruins of a citadel. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/3a52c3fa04ebf1c42e8b3ba178ec5582d5f15893.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/662de44fad6c2b22de9bea41462a4b121af248ad.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/85b32a346a3c03919a24ab9755fcf10517b39412.jpeg) As we refueled we noticed break fluid pouring from our troublesome front wheel. Our honey had a sore paw. A mechanic and as quickly located with the help of yet another friendly local. As our magician waived his mechanical spell naturally a small crowd gathered, including a young gent who was kind enough to act as our translator. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/49c2b41e795e425538584a6554e6983841c8c251.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/f5880e923594524778d928840231d3b90bff1e45.jpeg) In no time at all the Badger mobile was deemed road worthy & after a few emergency break tests we were set. Our mechanical legend refused all offers of hard cash for his efforts, simply saying it was 'his honour' to come to our aid. Doffs of caps to the lad. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/23639c08c5d9f8ee5a37a0bec5e20ab50920a217.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/472119bf809c1c687b3e7c89de14d9a67ed74cd7.jpeg) Back on the road a wrong turn took us through the back streets & the Sunday market of Godra much to the bemusement of the town folk. Despite all we still made our destination of Modasa before sunset, only to find the 'hotel' full with other Rickshaw runners. Once tales from the road had been duly exchanged the Badgers, accompanied by Cali John, headed in search of grub (this may or may not have included some night driving). Stopping at the 1st place we saw no sooner than we sat down we were surrounded by a hoarde of friendly locals. They all wanted to hear our story & were full of recommendations of what to sample. The chef promptly served up some of the best chicken tikka masala ever known. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/6de9010e145661149447a7e9f3c5be15737e64c7.jpeg) Our new found friends invited us to join them at one of their houses for an illegal alcoholic beverage or 2, challenged us to a cricket match in the morning & even organized a discount for our dinner bill. With Udaipur on our minds we declined all offers & treated to our quarters. Tomorrow Rajasthan (& beer)

Ruaraidh Smeaton
Of The Honey Badgers
On the Rickshaw Run January 2016

Badger tracks

Our gentleman host, Zaid, set up the Badgers for the longest day with a perfect 6am cup of chai. Consensus was to continue the big push northward. Once Capt. Cathay successfully steered us around Mumbai's destitute & polluted outskirts ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/ef9b352d4e267e6f27b1cb454f6b2c98036cde46.jpeg) ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/2b702bd840bc0ecaf6a4c0c11024647a921d6d39.jpeg) it was the open road. The next few hundred kms we played cat & mouse with other Rickshaws along the best highway yet. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/654c072e9339859555d94512e0da9912f6527588.jpeg) Indeed we made such good tracks we decided to make an ambitious dash for Ankleshwar. It became a race against sunset as we dodged rush hour traffic. After some 350kms of solid driving we pulled into a surprisingly nice hotel as daylight faded. The tired Badgers twice approached reception to request a room for the night & twice were denied. We were only saved by a chance encounter with the hotel manager, just as the call to prayer began. Of course there was room at the Inn, just come in. After being watered & fed we set about planning our escape from the 'dry' state of Gujurat. The Badgers will do anything for a cold beer.

Ruaraidh Smeaton
Of The Honey Badgers
On the Rickshaw Run January 2016

The Big Push

As we set about planning our northward charge Badger HQ heard chatter on the Rickshaw grapevine that the advanced units had made Mumbai. Our intel reports suggested that the citadel was to be avoided at all costs, especially at rush hour. After some furious map poring combined with the inside knowledge of agent Cathay Pacific we hatched a cunning plan, Operation Big Red Tent. Despite the Badgers cunning there were still the formidable obstacles of India's roads to overcome. No amount of map reading could avoid earth tracks, potholed crumbling gravel road & the odd smooth highway littered with speed bumps. The Badger mobile tackled each majestically & delivered us Badgers safely 290kms up the road at the overnight nest. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/50cde49514f1e2f0436c984932a88cc28a106850.jpeg) The RTC was an oasis of tranquility just south of the metropolis. Zaid's hospitality & BBQ lifted the tired Badger spirits for the continued dash towards Rajasthan. ![file](//uploaded-files.theadventurists.com/images/blog/cb3fc23a67f4001591097787f1f64ec5710342e5.jpeg) On our relentless journey it was heart breaking to see more & more of the crushing poverty that the Indians must endure. With your generous help we hope to be able to do a small part to lift this dark cloud.

Robbie Broomhead

Every journey starts with a cold beer

read more... Load Robbie

Ruaraidh

Rachel

Honey badger don't care

Room to Read

Room to Read envisions a world in which all children can pursue a quality education, reach their full potential and contribute to their community and the world. To achieve this goal, they focus on two areas where they believe we can have the greatest impact: literacy and gender equality in education. They work in collaboration with communities and local governments across Asia and Africa to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the life skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond.

Donate