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Sunday 14th October 2007 @ 22:38
WoooHooo another crazy adventure is about to kick off, this time through India and Nepal.
And once again you can keep abreast with our madness right here with our pre-rally warm up, and then get all the gory details when we hit the road just after Christmas.
And don't worry if you're missing our old Mongol Rally website, it's still online here.
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Tuesday 30th October 2007 @ 21:19
Where has all the time gone? It's almost the end of the year, what with only 8 weeks to go  it's starting to hit home what we're actually doing. To say we are organised would be a lie - a big fat lie.
So what is sorted? Well, flights and Jabbs, and ... erm ... that's it.
We've got a busy few weeks ahead of us, getting visas, travel permits, insurance and of course raising lots of money for charity.
Which reminds me, we're going to run a prize draw. One ticket for every £5 donated to charity, or five for a tenner, and when we return at the end of January we'll put all the tickets in a hat and pull out the winners.
We're still working on prizes, so watch this space, but please dig deep as all money donated goes towards some great causes in India.
Right where did I put my passport!
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Monday 5th November 2007 @ 17:05
We picked up our International Driving Permits at the weekend, spent nearly an hour trying to convince the chap in the post office that he should stamp the bit of the permit that allows us to drive 3 wheeled vehicles. He wasn’t having it to start with but we eventually pulled it off.
We also picked up a few maps of India and Nepal, so now we'll know when we're lost.
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Wednesday 14th November 2007 @ 22:18
Got told off yesterday by the chap in the Indian embassy for not sitting in the right order while waiting for our visas  We'd all been given a number and everyone was just sitting where they wanted, waiting for their turn. Not good enough apparently, everyone should have been sitting in the correct order and then shuffling down the line of seats until we got to the front. Then we all got told off again for making too much noise as everyone tried to work out where we should have been sitting. It was like being back at school. A wee insight as to what India might be like I wonder.
Anyway, Indian visa now firmly inserted into passport, next up is our Nepalese visa.
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Monday 19th November 2007 @ 22:27
Our prize draw is now officially open, and a couple of great prizes are up for grabs. You could win an iPod shuffle or an in-car satellite navigation system.
All you need to do is make a donation to charity. £5 gets you one ticket and a tenner gets you five.
And remember, every penny goes to charity so please dig deep. Full prize draw details are here.
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Sunday 25th November 2007 @ 22:08
Just added a new prize to the Prize Draw - for all you caffeine junkies out there, it's a £20 gift/drinks voucher for Costa Coffee (I'm assured they do decaf. and sarnies too).
Also just got our passports back from the Nepalese embassy, so that's all the paperwork out of the way ... can't wait to get going now.
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Monday 26th November 2007 @ 21:29
Here's another new prize for the Prize Draw, thanks to Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife - 2 family tickets to any 2008 Scottish Championship Race event - what a great day out that'll be.
So the prizes up for grabs now are:
- An In-Car Satellite Navigation System
- iPod Shuffle MP3 Player
- £20 Costa Coffee Gift/Drink Voucher
- 2 Family Day Tickets for Knockhill
Wow, even I'm impressed.
Full prize draw details are here.
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Sunday 23rd December 2007 @ 21:09
Well it's only a few days before we head off and the nerves are setting in. What on Earth are we doing!
Anyway, here's our plan - On Boxing Day we fly out to India and we'll spend a couple of days acclimatising in Delhi.
Just before the New Year we'll fly down to Cochin and get ourselves set for the off, which takes place on New Years Day.
After this your guess is as good as ours, but stay tuned as we'll update you from the road with every bump, scrape and turn.
Wish us luck.
Oh and Merry Christmas.
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Wednesday 26th December 2007 @ 08:40
Right, that time has come, we're off to the airport - next stop Delhi, assuming the fog has lifted and they don't cancel any more flights - keeping fingers crossed.
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Thursday 27th December 2007 @ 14:27
Arrived Delhi this morning just been in 1st auto-rickshaw, OMG we're in trouble. Driving's crazy but seen worse so I'm sure we'll manage. 1st Indian food - delish.
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Sunday 30th December 2007 @ 13:26
Arrived in Cochin yesterday & just had our first shot in a tuk tuk it was sooo much fun  2morrow we decorate it
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Monday 31st December 2007 @ 20:27
Happy New Year from the 2 crazy fools in Cochin, its 2am and just been for a New Years dip, being eaten alive by mozzies but loving every minute of it ... so far
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Tuesday 1st January 2008 @ 05:57
Spent the morning ironing out wee glitches with our tuk tuk. Now sitting on the start line in Cochin. Should be on the road within the hour eeek
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Tuesday 1st January 2008 @ 09:37
Been on the road now for about 2 hrs and covered 60kms, most of that lost in Cochin roads are ok, heading for Munnar tonight
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Tuesday 1st January 2008 @ 15:51
Made it as far as Munnar on day 1. Worked out a full tank of petrol will do us 150km-ish ... because that's as far as we got before we ran out.
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Wednesday 2nd January 2008 @ 09:21
Past through Madurai 2 hrs ago going is slow and v bumMmPppY. Writing this as Julie drives, her style of driving is well suited to the madness here
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Thursday 3rd January 2008 @ 03:35
Been on the road since 6am now about 200 ks from Chennai, stayed in a flea hole last night but it only cost us pennies
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Thursday 3rd January 2008 @ 13:09
lots of half finished roads today 10km good then 20km bad, stopped in Mamallapuram for the afternoon & found a nice hotel but costs a whopping £2
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Thursday 3rd January 2008 @ 15:04
Near miss #64: Adam reverses ricky into elephant 
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Friday 4th January 2008 @ 02:34
Route Update: After much deliberating, humming & haaing, and pen pointing at maps we have decided to skip Varanasi and head straight for Calcutta and Darjeeling.
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Friday 4th January 2008 @ 11:24
Ah there you are!
Wow, we've been on the road now for a few days, and in India for a week – life is totally crazy.
We left Cochin 3 days ago and headed east into the mountains up a windy road, and spent the night freezing our butts off as we'd left the sleeping bags at home – not enough space.
Next day we headed down the mountain round hair-pin turns towards Madurai. At one point we passed through a checkpoint at a state border only to run out of fuel, rolling to a stop directly under the raised barrier - the wee man had to hold the barrier up until we pushed ourselves clear 
Later on while trying to find a bed for the night we ended up driving round the narrow streets of a wee town, packed with traffic and people. At one point, while attempting a 3-point-turn, I reversed and narrowly missed driving over an elephants foot, as its trunk swung past the tuk tuk not sure he noticed though so we legged it.
A 6am start saw us on the road again – driving in India is a piece of cake – basically it involves tooting your horn a lot - the bigger, louder, fancier horn wins. Driving a tuk tuk however is a skill we've still to master. We're getting about 170km to a tank of fuel which is costing us about 4 quid.
Anyway we're in Mamallapuram just now and will be hitting the road shortly, it's almost lunch time and it's raining. We have had a change of mind about our route as we have had several bad reports about road conditions and safety around Bihar, which we'd have to pass through if we went to Varanasi. Anyway, not wanting to be kidnapped, shot or turned into curry we've opted to head straight for Darjeeling for a nice cuppa. Will take us about 6 days though.
Onwards and upwards.
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Saturday 5th January 2008 @ 03:42
Heading up the coast along the bay of bengal we're 1400km from Calcutta
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Saturday 5th January 2008 @ 03:52
Just had the best eggy toast pancake thingy for breaky from stall at side of road - Julie now driving and has broken the speedo 
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Saturday 5th January 2008 @ 15:26
A day in the life of a tuktuk driver - 2 minor accidents, a broken speedo, 1 repaired exhaust, a fine and 500 km under our belt - roll on tomorrow
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Sunday 6th January 2008 @ 06:12
Stayed in nice hotel last night in Rajahniundry - or raj-i'm-a-hungry as we've been calling it. Been on this road for 2 days & only just 1/2 way
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Monday 7th January 2008 @ 06:07
Drove until 8pm last night until the highway came to an abrupt end & turned into building site. Now 450 cliks to Calcutta
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Monday 7th January 2008 @ 08:44
TukTuk just ground to halt on highway, 2nd time in 2 hrs, towed by a local tuktuk driver to garage near Cuttac - still don't know what's wrong
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Monday 7th January 2008 @ 10:29
Mechanic did mechanicy stuff to our tuktuk & we're back on the road again - not much progress today - 2 hrs daylight left need to find hotel
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Tuesday 8th January 2008 @ 05:36
Stayed in Bhadrak last night. Been playing dodge the pothole all morning. Tuktuk appears much better today - touch wood. Pushing on to Kharagpur
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Wednesday 9th January 2008 @ 00:34
Left Hw 5 behind we've been on it for nearly 5 days. Pothole dodging is impossible now you just have to choose the least destructive route through
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Wednesday 9th January 2008 @ 00:39
Eventually arrived in Raniganj & found another crap hotel with yet more over attentive staff who just want tips. Hitting the road again in a mo
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Wednesday 9th January 2008 @ 08:37
Slow going today, got lost, 4 minor crashes, a broken wing mirror and a burst petrol can - having lunch now - hopefully this aft will be better
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Wednesday 9th January 2008 @ 09:42
Some shadows across the road look like speed bumps, most speed bumps look like shadows, everything else is pot holes, progress is slow.
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Thursday 10th January 2008 @ 06:26
Feels like progress at last - crossed Ganges yesterday now about 150 clicks from Darjeeling. Lost 1st gear & driving in thick freezing fog all morn
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Thursday 10th January 2008 @ 12:21
Nearly lost engine out of ricky, all bolts now tightened daily. Spent aft climbing steep hill to Darjeeling where we are now - lovely but freezing
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Friday 11th January 2008 @ 03:58
Day off in Darjeeling today going by jeep to tiger hill and then shopping for thermal underwear - heading for Nepal tomorrow
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Friday 11th January 2008 @ 12:10
Had a nice day relaxing - spent all afternoon sipping tea and exchanging war stories - having withdrawal symptoms so back on the road tomorrow
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Saturday 12th January 2008 @ 01:00
Back on the road in a mo, looking forward to more potholes, speeding trucks, rogue cows and suicidal chickens
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Saturday 12th January 2008 @ 05:43
Roof ripped off tuk tuk like a tin of sardines, gaffer tape to the rescue, pranged a jeep and first glimpse of Everest, its tiny.
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Saturday 12th January 2008 @ 10:28
Crossed into Nepal, tea with border guards. Good roads but have oil leak!
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Saturday 12th January 2008 @ 23:50
Nepali momos are just like Polish pierogies - Mmmm guess what we'll be living on
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Sunday 13th January 2008 @ 01:53
Stayed in Dharan last night pushing on today. Everyone is smiling and waving at us.
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Monday 14th January 2008 @ 03:59
Made it to Chitwan national park last night, saw lots of huge elephants. Now tackling mountain pass heading for Pokhara.
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Monday 14th January 2008 @ 08:48
Disaster has struck, we've run out of gaffer tape  Have had to re-attach windscreen with screws .
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Monday 14th January 2008 @ 09:25
Passed through amazing mountain pass, now sipping tea and eating pakora in Pokhara 
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Tuesday 15th January 2008 @ 10:52
And so we have arrived in Kathmandu, but not without one final accident. Time for a well deserved wash - oh and a few beers
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Tuesday 15th January 2008 @ 12:07
Washed and clean now out for beer. More stories when we find internet caf tomorrow.
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Thursday 17th January 2008 @ 13:17
Namaste from Kathmandu - So we've made it alive and in one piece ... and what an adventure.
We left Mamallapuram about 10 days ago in the pouring rain - weather proofed the rickshaw with a tarp and hit Chennai, where we got totally lost for hours, driving through huge puddles and getting soaked by spray from overtaking busses.
The Indian highway system was apparently completed in 2004, but no one told the highway builders as many sections are still building sites. One evening we were pushing on as the sun went down, missed a diversion sign and fell off the motorway - it was all rather spooky and surreal.
Motorway driving has its own rules - two lanes on each carriageway means you can drive either way on either side of the road - flashing your lights is obligatory, as is tooting your horn - but generally anything goes.
Food at the side of the road was always excellent - we're not quite sure what any of it was, but if the stall or shack was busy we stopped - and never regretted it - always veggie though.
Minor accidents became a way of life, we managed to spread a guys shopping all over the road prang several peddle powered rickshaws, hit a bus, a parked jeep, a motorbike, have a near miss with an ambulance and have the canvas roof ripped off by a truck.
But we grew to love and admire the humble little tuk tuk, it really is the ultimate driving machine. No other vehicle can carry such a load (i.e. me) and be agile enough to weave its way at top speed through crowds of people, grid-locked roads and towns that resemble farms yards.
We managed to loose several important bolts - in fact there wasn't a day go by where a handful of bolts didn't fall off. The exhaust was the first to go, then the engine mounts, the roof supports and finally the bolts that held Julie to the chassis. By Kathmandu we were rattling like a maraca.
At one point near Cuttac we were happily speeding along at 60km/h, which is v. fast for a rickshaw, when the back wheels locked up - just as we were performing the simple task of overtaking a truck that was being undertaken by a bus travelling in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road - i.e. normality. We eventually found a mechanic who stripped the gearbox and clutch in five mins and had us back on the road in no time.
Finding a room for the night was always a mini adventure in itself. We learned quickly that if you tipped the bellboy for carrying your bags you would get a visit from someone else bringing you towels, then again for soap, and toilet roll, and to check the air-con and just because we were foreigners and they wanted a tip for saying hello.
Most of the places we stayed were quite nice, but some were horrible - with bugs, without water, with blocked toilets - but what can you expect for less than a fiver a night.
After 5 days we left the highway behind for a bit of country driving in the smog covered fields near Calcutta. We kept coming across gangs of kids at road blocks asking for money to enter their village. We were told by some locals not to pay them, so we had endless fun running the road-blocks - sometimes straight through the middle, sometimes off road around them.
We eventually found Darjeeling after a 3 hour, 75km mountain road - which was lovely - had a day off and then made a dash for the border.
The Nepal border was the typical mayhem that all border crossings are - not knowing where to go and what stamps to get where. I eventually befriended a customs official who ran around for me as I sat sipping tea with his colleagues and Julie stood outside guarding the rickshaw.
Nepali driving standards are much worse than those in India. In India there were rules - Honk of the horn means I'm coming through, Flashing the lights means I'm coming towards you so move out of my way, Indicating right means you can pass me on the right, Indicating left means I'm turning right, and a shuggle of the hand out of the passenger window means let me in because there's a truck coming towards me and if you don't we'll all be dead in a second.
The pecking order on Indian roads appeared to be (in order of importance): Cows, Busses, Trucks, Chickens, Cars, Motorbikes, Tuk Tuks, Dogs, Peddle Bikes and then Pedestrians.
But none of this stood in Nepal, it is a general free for all. The road is also called the pavement, the car park, the farm yard, the toilet, the bedroom and generally anything else they can think of as long as it doesn't involve motorised vehicles.
But we enjoyed every minute of it - we stopped off at Chitwan Nature Reserve where we spotted elephants and then took the mountain road to Pokhara which gave us a lovely afternoon off relaxing by the lakeside overlooked by HUGE mountains.
And so on the afternoon of the fifteenth day of January two thousand and eight we arrived in Kathmandu, where we've been celebrating quietly and responsibly with all the other rickshaw runners
We've still to work out our final mileage, as the speedo broke at around 1000km (on Julies watch may I add) but other teams have been topping 4000km, so we should be around that too.
We're going to miss our ickle ricky but right now we're off for more Momos ... So get back to work - the lot of you.
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Friday 18th January 2008 @ 13:07
The miles are in and counted and the results from the Indian & Nepali judges are:
4334 Kilometres Covered
650 Rupees of Fines (about 8 quid)
240 Litres of Petrol (about 150 quids worth)
30 Cuts & Bruises
24 Lost Bolts
14 Road Blocks Avoided
9 Minor Crashes
8 Litres of Oil
2 Road Kill
1 Major Breakdown
and a partridge in a pear tree.
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Saturday 19th January 2008 @ 21:12
Well that's us on our way home now - we're sitting in Doha airport reminiscing about days gone by.
We'd like to say a big thanks to everyone that's helped & supported us and made our ickle adventure possible.
A special thanks goes to all the confused locals who pointed in vague directions when a white man shouted badly pronounced town names at them, hoping to be sent down the right road - it mostly worked.
And a big thanks to everyone for your emails and donations - money is still coming in so if you haven't donated and want to there's still time.
Oh and there's plenty of pics coming online soon - so watch this space.
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Tuesday 22nd January 2008 @ 22:06
Photos from our wee adventure are now online - enjoy
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