And so it begins...
Trip Start
Dec 25, 2006
1
15
Trip End
Jan 13, 2007
Mangalore, India
Friday, December 29, 2006
We, of course, overcame that little hurdle and everyone made their way down to the old world fishing port town on Fort Cochin. A Portuguese enclave in Southern India, which houses the worlds most scant selection of bars ever seen. I've been in dry Muslim countries and found it easier to get a drink! However, we did, of course manage to get a drink and to arrange ourselves somewhere to stay! What else would we do???
In Cochin we met up with the eclectic mix of buccaneers bound on this adventure. Some 40 teams in all. However, they all seemed a little despondent. Apparently we can't make it to anywhere on time for anything and we might as well give up as soon as we have started! Great attitude guys! Why pussy out before you've even tried! With this spirit in mind we of course ensured that all people present at the inaugural rickshaw run launch were made aware of the fact that we could make it to Goa by New Year (something impossible apparently) and that we could do it with time to spare! Admittedly, we are only on the way there at the moment! But we're a hairs breath away, and we'll be resting on the beach in the afternoon before new year! Where are you guys eh? Some truck stop on the highway! Have a little faith!
To explain that a little more. We've set off from Cochin and navigated our way through the hair-brained and manic traffic on the NH 17 headed towards the great state of GOA! We managed to leave the opening events of the run on the 28th in good time to get the team together, that's the two GSR ricks, and Loaded's own stallion and bound off towards the northern lights, instantly separating from the general consensus to head East and Take it Easy on the Major Roads! We've been trucking over sand, sea and tarmac so far and it's bloody fantastic! If not a little hard work!!!
When we left Cochin we hit a side road for a couple of hundred Kilometers and had to stop for Dark in a 1970's Shining style hotel just outside of somewhere or other! A nice place, except for the fact that no-one had been in this mansion of a vacationing residence since it's opening day; the day, we assume, that the terrible accident occurred which blighted it's future resident numbers. Until, of course, we arrived!!!! Great news. Most of the team even thought that statues in the garden were real people and that they shouldn't disturb their silent mediation. Either it was something in the air or someone had allowed Mike to mix up some kind of special tea or something! Except of course - there was no tea.....
Anyhow, from there we've hit the roads again in the most magnificently (painted in one hour) rickshaws I ever have seen!!! And, we are still Goa bound. At this very moment we are just short of Goa. The only guys who seem to be in a little trouble are the Loaded boys, who've already had a bump or two! Not that we can blame ten, it's worth a scrape to see it you really can fit a rickshaw between a four-car abreast single track road overtaking situation!
Other than that there's little else, except for the stories of Elephants blocking the road and Mainc bus drivers to report! We're on track and sailing up the coast, at the expense of our waking hours! And, we're going to be in Goa on New Year and Hyderabad by the 3rd, Just you watch us!!!!
Till soon!! And if you are wondering about pictures,..... we might have a few next time... but it's bloody hard to find a connection fast enough! So you can wait...
