Rohat (Blog TBC)

Service in India

‎We rose at around 8am at our hotel in Ratnagiri and went down for breakfast. We are not teamed up with the coves so our numbers had swelled to six. We decided to take both motors in for a full mechanical service.

Arranging anything in India can have its problems. The level of job duplication is remarkable and the English language always seems to prove a slight problem despite Joe Hare's excellent ear for accents‎. Unfortunately he then responds in a odd Kenyan Indian hybrid accent but it seems to convey the message. Our experience getting the service was no different...

We arrived at the first garage to discuss the various works required and minor problems with about four different mechanics. After 20 minutes another one took both vehicles for a test drive before we repeated the conversation. At this stage they established they did not have the parts for Tuk Tuks, so instead took us down to another garage. Here we again discussed the works with about three different people before we established none were employed by the garage and in fact all were bike or taxi drivers looking for a tip. Finally we wrote down the works and left then with the only mechanic. We agreed to return to collect the vehicles at 4pm although none of us expected them to be ready.

We made our way down to the beach and chilled out in the bar of a resort. The rugby ball was blown up and we played some touch on the beach, the standard was very poor despite my best coaching tips...

When we returned to the vehicles ‎they were remarkably ready. We paid the bill and departed. As we only had two hours of light to travel we earmarked Chiplun as our target, 70 km up the NH66. We arrived without drama just after sunset, Tatiana was much healthier for her service, a very pleasing result!

We then experienced less pleasing service of a different kind in the Hotel Saisha. We dropped off our bags, showered and went down for dinner. We quickly ordered Kingfishers and our meal. Over the next 90 minutes or more we continued to chase the waiter who would respond with 'two minutes sir' before bursting into laughter and telling us some more about his 14 year career in the hospitality industry, working across the sub-continent. After a number of enquiries we finally started a stopwatch on him, which was greeted with further uncontrollable laughter. We noticed the waiter help himself to a couple of large brandies from the bar before coming back to the table. Finally we chased him out of the room down to the kitchen and about 15 minutes later our fairly straightforward dinner finally arrived! The hotel management then appearred and after various discussions with ourselves and other customers, confronted the waiter and took him away. At the end of the night one of the Coves was shown a CCTV video of the waiter drinking numerous double brandies during the course of the evening, it transpires he had just been getting himself completely legless without bothering to pass on our orders. The waiter was promptly sacked! Given his ability to explain his black story at least he shouldn't have to much trouble knocking together a CV to get a new job...

We retired to bed satisfied with the progress to date‎. Tomorrow will be a big push to the southern end of Mumbai, before we cross it before the morning rush hour the next day. Plenty to look forward to.

Speak to you on the other side,

Chris

Ghatbusters

Having enjoyed a delightful night's sleep at Villa Anita, and thanks to Margaret the 1st proper breakfast in days, the team kicked Tatiana ‎into life (on the 3d attempt), whipped out the novelty compass (a drunken purchase the night before) and once again headed north.

Potential vistors to the Goa region should note that although there are plenty of bars and clubs - selling dangerously cheap beer at c. 80pence, the region is also domain by Western Ghats, for which the Tuk Tuk is a very unsuitable vehicle. Never the less team SR ploughed on and were rewarded with stunning views across Western India.

Predictably the stunning scenery and mountain roads were all to much for Tatiana, who finally broke down in a small montain town. The team did the basis engine checks (fuel), after which we thought we'd try the 'let the engine cool down a bit trick'- all to no sucess. Luckily a passing local hurried us to a back street mechanic who, whilst wearing a Mami Police Department Wife Beater, stripped and cleaned the carburetor and had us back on the road within the hour. As a result of the breakdown Thomson had to drive the last 40km of mountain roads in darkness, however we finally arrived at our over night stop to enjoy a late dinner with the Ship Rik Coves.

From ed

Ghatbusters

Having enjoyed a delightful night's sleep at Villa Anita, and thanks to Margaret the 1st proper breakfast in days, the team kicked Tatiana ‎into life (on the 3d attempt), whipped out the novelty compass (a drunken purchase the night before) and once again headed north.

Potential vistors to the Goa region should note that although there are plenty of bars and clubs - selling dangerously cheap beer at c. 80pence, the region is also domain by Western Ghats, for which the Tuk Tuk is a very unsuitable vehicle. Never the less team SR ploughed on and were rewarded with stunning views across Western India.

Predictably the stunning scenery and mountain roads were all to much for Tatiana, who finally broke down in a small montain town. The team did the basis engine checks (fuel), after which we thought we'd try the 'let the engine cool down a bit trick'- all to no sucess. Luckily a passing local hurried us to a back street mechanic who, whilst wearing a Mami Police Department Wife Beater, stripped and cleaned the carburetor and had us back on the road within the hour. As a result of the breakdown Thomson had to drive the last 40km of mountain roads in darkness, however we finally arrived at our over night stop to enjoy a late dinner with the Ship Rik Coves.

From ed

Kerala becomes Karntaka

The alarm failed to go off on the 3rd January‎. Given the beauty of our surroundings in the spa resort this was particularly welcome, although we did miss our 7 am yoga class!

Having checked out of the resort we set off about 9 am having suffered our first mild reaction to sub-continental cuisine.

It turned out to be another long hot day in Southern India. We passed out of Kerala into Karnataka and we could tell the difference immediately. Everything quickly became less tourist-orientated and it felt like we were starting to experience the India that we expected.

We continued to travel north past Mangalore on a highway under partial construction. The road started to wind i‎nto The Western Ghats and for the first time Tatiana the rickshaw started to show the strain. Indian roads are clearly chaotic but on the mountains they manage to exceed themselves. Some of the trucks can only crawl up the extended climbs in first gear travelling at around 10 kph. Thomson decided it was a good idea to overtake one of these vehicles with Tatiana only managing around 12 kph herself. With much shrieking and horn blowing at the on coming traffic we did manage to crawl past the offending lorry only for Thomson to cut her up and then promptly stall. To say the reaction from the truck and the half mile queue was hostile would be an understatement. This was despite the fact he'd donned his driving (murdering) gloves for the first time on the trip...

At the end of the day we reached an amazing Hindu temple on the coast at Murudeshwara, around 40km south of Gokarna.‎ We enjoyed the beautiful surroundings before retiring for a 200 rupee dinner overlooking the beach and the ocean. The beach on a Saturday night was incredible with buses driving down to the waters edge to park next to boats pulled up to take the next consignment of locals out. There were jet skis flying through the surf and entire classes of school children playing in the shallows. With the back drop of the temple it really was the ultimate image of the sub-continent.

One day more to Goa, spirits high.

Chris

The road to MANCalore

Day 2, 2nd January 2015. Spirits were high as Team SR woke at 6am to commence day 2 of the adventure, this was partially due to the absence of a hangover (first time) and the fact everyone except Strong had enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Thomson had a successfully stint at the wheel pre-breakfast, making good ground towards Mangalore. After a delicious breakfast ( left over biscuits) Strong took the helm and steered Tatiana towards a delifgful beach resort. At the beach Strong and Thomson hit the Indian Ocean and Bremakumar went for a 'jog?'

Post beach Tatiana was ‎ragged further up the coast until the team came across the delightful resort of Bekal, south of Mangalore. We may have been beaten to Mangalore by the 'Ship'Rick Coves' but we're slowly building Tatinana up!

Le Grand Depart

To the start line we stumbled after a rather generous lie-in following the ritual consumption of beverages out of a boot the night before. Having checked ourselves into a hotel in close proximity to the finish line of the party and the start line of the Rickshaw Run, we should have been the most refreshed of the whole group. However, the Australians never cease to amaze, as we did our 20point turn in the parade square to get the rickshaw facing the right way, one Australian was badgering his teammates for a bottle of vodka. Standing next to our nemesis, the shipwricked coves, there was the a gladiatorial battle to start ahead of the other. Fortunately the shipwricked coves had a breakdown before the midday starting horn had even been sounded! However they got it restarted but not before The Savile Rovers stormed into the lead with me at the helm despite a few stalls even within the compound.

There were only two options to get off Fort Cochin - take the ferry (next to our hotel) or go through city of Cochin past the Dream Hotel. There was only one option for the seafaring Thomson. Rushing to the ferry 400m from the start line was an unbelievable anticlimax with the 45 minute wait for the typical chaos associated with loading and unloading the population of India onto any form of transport. Lorrys, motorcyclists and brightly pimped rickshaws driven by western nutters jockeying for position on the ferry.

On the island of vypin, we let the little tuk-tuk experience the joys of 4th gear for the length of the island. Definitely it's smoothest gear and probably the only gear that hadn't been destroyed by three bumbling surveyors. Having grumbled through 30km we arrived at a queue of pimped up rickshaws all inline for another ferry. One single ferry commanding the monopoly of the crossing at the north of the island. Again Thomson bundled his way through broken English to request a ticket for the crossing and succeeded in getting us onto the first ferry. Once on the ferry with a couple Brits in a rickshaw with St George regalia and two number 15 routemaster buses...seeing is believing; we embarked on another cruise north (far easier than driving) and saw the shipwricked coves poetically stuck on the mainland - having just missed the ferry. Cry me a river.

Thomson then blasted his way through Northern Cochin. With the only concern being his ability to get off the ferry (using a number 15 bus as a wedge to help him get into gear) and to get a three wheeled vehicle to drift.

Strong was handed the reins and keys of this monster of machine for the difficult village section where we were trying to get to the coastal road. Most roads had been washed away and so were absolutely torturous for both rickshaw and Strong to handle. Driving through the fishing village where streets were only the size of a rickshaw and the horn would not move the people from the street let alone the cows was difficult and stressful. Nevertheless the music selection by yours truly did get most people out the way and almost caused Strong and Thomson to abandon the vehicle. Since when has the early 90s music been out of fashion?

The final leg was handed back to me to take us into Calicut, the ambitious target for the day following the delayed start. With night descending on us we targeted the highway and trundled into Calicut, running out of fuel on a roundabout and then trying to get a room in a deserted hotel to no avail, before settling on a hotel currently undergoing a refurbishment and with workmen banging holes in the floor until 11pm. No rest for the wicked.

Hopefully tomorrow brings some welcomes solstice and now nighttime driving.

Rickshaw School

‎Rickshaw School and The Launch Party

Apologies for the lack of blog updates, I am sure you have all been desperate to hear our latest news, but our access to Wi Fi has been intermittent to say the very least!

‎From the 29th to 31st we prepared for the launch. Our selected 'highlights' are as follows:

Discovering our hotel The Dream was an hour's Tuk Tuk ride ‎from the event base. Through a crowded city of three million Indians all going about their daily business. This was frustrating to say the least, but good practice for the hours of Tuk Tuk riding to come!

Meeting out great rivals The Ship'ricked Coves at the base. We found out that they had been delayed for seven hours in a plane on the tarmac at Delhi airport due to the fog... excellent!

Meeting our faithful beast Tatiana the rickshaw, what a beauty! She behaved impeccably for three days meaning we had no opportunity to learn the vital mechanics that we will need when stuck on the side of the National Highway, in the dark, with Indian lorries and buses thundering past with no lights on...

Being entertained for a fantastic dinner by the Alapatt ‎family, old friends of Alex Keith. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at their lovely home in Cochin with plenty of red wine. Thank you guys.

On the 30th we attended the mandatory Q&A briefing. From 88 teams about the only question asked was 'what is the exact drink drive limit‎ in India?' Unsurprisingly he was Australian...

We mastered the basics of Rickshaw driving and were awarded three licences within about ten minutes of turning the engine on. I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about! We promptly minimised the amount of test driving we did on the basis that we did not want to bring on unnecessary mechanical faults, perhaps not the most sensible strategy.

So the days passed rather straightforwardly, all in the baking Kerala heat. In fact it was probably all slightly too easy! We failed to learn the basic mechanics we would need, failed to rack up any real practice driving hours and failed to procure most of the spare parts required... what's the worst that can happen!?

We finally managed to switch hotel to The Fort for our last night. We moved to the excellent Killian Hotel, would recommend to all.

So to New Years Eve. The launch party. Epic.

The event was hosted at Bolgatty Palace on an island opposite Fort Cochin. There were traditional Keralan dances, traditional English dad dancing, martial arts and plenty of Kingfisher beers! ‎The Coves and ourselves made friends with an interesting group of Aussies guys who immediately challenged us to a drinking Ashes. Like their rugby team their performance was all style and no substance. We generously called it a draw and a rematch was arranged for the finish line...

After a return ferry ride populated with sing-a-longs ranging from Oasis to Les Miserables we returned to our hotel looking forward to a hangover and Le Grand Depart...

A Bientot

Chris

Testing...

Sitting in my office in Mayfair on the morning of Christmas Eve. Unlike everybody else desperately trying to buy their presents last minute I am desperately trying to buy more supplies of Immodium! Boots seems to be running curiously low... Thomson?

We fly out on the 27th and start preparing in Cochin on the 28th. Kick off party is the 31st and we start our 'adventure' bright and early on New Year's Day...

Most excitingly there is a cricket match of runners against a local team on New Year's Eve as part of the launch. Finally a chance to show that it has been English pitches making my batting look bad all these years...

Anyway, have a merry Christmas and we will be in touch when we arrive in Kochin.

सादर

Chris

PS. Now how does this Proguanil work...