Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast

With Tom still off gallivanting around Asia I guess it's left to me to fill you in on our last days in India.

When we left you last we were enjoying a well earned cold beverage with a few of the other teams who had rolled into Pondicherry that day. Not wanting to give up the rickshaw just yet we had decided to hang on to it for one last day. This almost proved to be a costly mistake.

Buoyed by a sense of achievement and fuelled by a not insubstantial quantity of cocktails it was decided that what was really needed to mark the end of our epic journey was a sort of victory lap along the seafront promenade. It would be one last chance to see the rickshaws, individually fantastic looking but as a group a real spectacle.

Well that was the plan but as usual things have a way of changing without anyone really noticing or realising why (ok so it was probably the drink in this case). The next thing we knew was that the parade had morphed into a drag race to decide the greatest rickshaw driver. In a rare moment of restrained adventurers spirit and sobriety a number of teams dropped out, us included, figuring it was a far better plan to watch from the hotel balcony where we could continue our merrymaking.


So five rickshaws roared off into the night and a minute or two later, following a close battle between two clear leaders, the winner was crowned (though they almost blew it rounding the final corner on two wheels and looking for all the world like they would plough into a group of parked motorcycles). We waited for the remaining teams to return, and waited.

Now drag racing rickshaws down a road which is a popular evening hang out for locals is not a bright idea in itself, however when your intended route (a there and back course) twice passes by the local law enforcement headquarters you know you really have made an error of judgement. One of the remaining teams, having seen the police station on the way out, decided discretion was the better part of valour and continued on into the city not to return that evening. The remaining two, caught up in the race, turned their chariots for the return leg. They might have made it too if the third place rickshaw had not run out of petrol, slap bang outside the police station.

Almost instantly a large crowd gathered and following brief questioning the guilty parties were escorted away, and their rickshaws impounded. The news that emerged the following morning was that they would have to attend a court hearing and in all likelihood pay a 500 rupee fine (about £6).

The big event on Sunday was the Rickshaw Run finish party held at an Eco Resort on the edge of town. We were welcomed with flower garlands and tikka'ed (marked on the forehead between your eyes) which is believed to bring good luck. Following a fantastic 12 course meal we were treated to some traditional Indian music and dancers. The beer flowed freely and we all had an amazing evening which was topped off by us winning an award, one of only four handed out. The award was for best team name and technically we were chosen as second best but since 'Pirates of the Currybean' didn't make the finish party we got their prize, hard luck lads! Still the history books will forever show 'Raiders of the Last Chapati' and we each were given a ceremonial khukuri (the daggers carried by Gurkha regiments). It was an incredible end to an incredible two weeks.


Over the next couple of weeks we'll be posting all the photos and video footage we took and generally doing all the things we hoped we'd be able to do on the road but were thwarted from doing by dodgy internet connections. So, we may have returned unscathed from the Summer 2008 Rickshaw Run but you'll still want to check the blog every now and then.

Thanks for all your support and good luck messages.

Mark and Tom