21 March 07
Mercy Corps Thank Us
They did do something with those Rickshaws, the letter from Mercy Corps updating us with where wads of cash and the three-wheeled wonders went.
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23 January 07
Dealing with Loss
As we deal with the good, bad and sad on our respective returns more updates and photos are coming. Maybe we will have a personal page each; front wheel (Cliff), left-rear (Jay) and the one that spent most of it’s time in the air, right rear (Karl).
12 January 07
Day 16
Wow, so we’re here in Darjiling. The post destination arrival realisation is slowly making it’s way through our slightly oxygen deprived brains. All helped by todays closing ceremony and parade through the streets complete with band, a cacophony of cheers & horns to arrive at a school packed with less fortunate but most happy school children.
After 4500 kms (the rally record), 15 days, 30 tanks of awful India petrol, 22 thalis, 13 hours of listening to bollocks directions and 67 cups of chai we’re all completely shagged (Karl has just gone that little bit further and thrashed his legs with a game of football with some 12 year olds). Over the last 24 hours we have managed to reference our performance; even though the first team to arrive in Darjiling was about a week before us we packed in more miles, sights, experiences and dosas over the most diverse and longest route (minus a gun being pointed at our heads). It would be impossible to try and put all of our individual personal thoughts & experiences on here but there is a mutual feeling that this has been one of the most amazing things that we’ve all put ourselves through.
Thanks everyone for all your support in the form of comments, texts, emails and prayers!We’ll add more over the next few days as the tiredness is replaced by acknowledgement.
- Cliff, Jay & Karl
day15
not much happening 2day. ran out of gas again, swindled by 2 paper boys & took the rickshaw sidecar style up a 70km hill 2000m above sea to darjiling.
[update]Woo hoo! Apologies for the brief message last night, extremely cold after the long and dark trip up the hill, the reality of reaching our destination failed to leach past numb brains and bums. Not helped by Cliff’s sleeping bag being sucked out of the rickshaw part way up into a NASTY sewer of brown ’stuff’.
–bbnz
11 January 07
day 14 pt 2
malder, the largest truck stop 4 badly tuned vehicles in the world, access only for those that can navigate through dust, craters and diesel fumes
–bbnz
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day 14 pt 1
280km sth of darjeeling. morning shift ended abruptly at non existant bridge. a few rupees and indian can-do = use of bambo raft to cross river.
–bbnz
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10 January 07
day13 (9 jan) location
bhandhherman, west bengal approx 160km north of kolcata in filthy hotel. us very dirty, cold and due for darjeeling arrival 12 jan…
–bbnz
day13
500kms knocked out today on the golden quadrilateral, flew down the famous grand trunk road through the poorest & most lawless state in india, & out 2wb.
–bbnz
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09 January 07
day 12
spanked by the big city. the 2 hr escape from varanasi left us sweating and stunned. to avoid night driving have parked up in lodge not far into bihar.
–bbnz
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08 January 07
Varanasi and onwards
Varanasi an explosion of sights and noise - for sure the busiest streets I have ever walked along. The Indian people, dogs, cows, rickshaw drivers, fathers driving a motorcycle with family aboard, cool and the gang on their motorbikes racing, they all have an amazing awareness of space, speed distance to the next gap. You see small children dubbing friends on a bike and puppies play fighting all mixing it in the middle of the road, all honing their skills for later in life.
The Ganges was great to see - all the morning rituals, washing, bathing etc. Relidgon is so strong over here.
We depart today to punch east through the lawless state of Bihar. We have had mixed information about the level of danger - but it seems to be safe sticking to the Grand Trunk Road which is our intended route. We will travel during daylight hours only, and we have booked a lodge half way across which is easily reached tonight, then another easy day tomorrow out and into the state of West Bengal. Then 2-3 days to Darjeeling.
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