Rickshaw Run 08

Drivers, on your mark!

Wow!  So much has happened in the past day.  Everyone got their rickshaws yesterday and spent the day madly racing about time finding things to deck their rickshaw out in.  A bright few (of whose number we're not included) submitted designs for their rickshaw that the organizers put on their vehicles.  Needless to say, we did a rockin job!  What say?

Max brought some under-vehicle neon lights, so if we do do any night drivering, we are gonna be pimp!  Eek! Race starts in 40!  More later!

New Year's in Cochin

They really love New Year's here. Fireworks everywhere, big procession from the Catholic church down the street (did I mention this is the Christian state of India, and all the buses say things like "Infant Jesus"?), and lot's of well wishing. We went to a private party on an island with food, dance, and explosions. About half of the adventurists jumped in the pool (some naked), and the organizers/resort management weren't too happy about that. Well, what do you expect when you have a new year's party by a pool with a bunch of "unplanned" adventurists? On the way back the streets were crowded with men hanging about, and they all wanted to shake everyone's hand and say "Happy New Year"! Surprisingly enough, not too many women about. That's the biggest difference from new year's in the US, but I guess this is still India.

-- Don

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Max- Fort Cochin

Arrived in Cochin airport at 10:20pm.  Slightly crazy taxi ride put me in Fort Cochi at around 12:30am.  There was a miscommunication about the booking, so I actually didn't have a place to sleep.  I was on the verge of putting my head down in the parade ground until a pack of wild dogs ran by.  The conceirge at another homestay hooked me up with an expensive (2000 Rs, $50) single 2km away.  The first impression of India was actually how empty the streets were around the airport and in this neighborhood. 
Spent the next day leaving notes at various places, trying to find my teammates.  No one got the notes even after we located each other.  I went for a short (too short for the money) rickshaw driving lesson.  Basically piece of cake, and ignor the brake because it is totally ineffective.  Better to downshift, honk, and yell.  That wasn't part of the lesson, but I'm a quick self learner. 
Today we get to pimp our rickshaws.  I'm going to try and paint roadkill all over the Crazed Weasels shaw and install the Down Low Glow on both vehicles. (www.fossilfool.com)  I believe Rachel and Matt bought pillows and stuff yesterday.  I actually haven't seen them yet, I just read their post.

Max - belated Singapore post

so after the gaming cafe, I ate pork rib stew with herbs at a food court.  Yum and only 3.80 Sing (~$2.50?).  I decided to walk over to the river for kicks.  I hit clubland pretty quick.  Thumping Indian music along River Quay, and nonethnic techno along Clark Quay.  Clubs here are open until 5am on Friday nights and I know there were men walking around, but I only remember really short skirts on very pretty Chinese girls.  And people puking in the gutters. 
I napped in a dark empty park until the mosquitos kicked me out.  My malaria medicine and mosquito repellent still being in my check baggage, I surrendered.  No homeless people anywhere.  It's weird.  Woke up and ate fish porridge with raw seasoned fish (like ceveche) (4.80 Sing). 
Hopped on MRT and bus to MacKready Reservior Nature Preserve to see the treetop canopy walk.  Innocuous photo in tourist pamplet doesn't mention the hike.  Ended up hiking over 12km in sandals carrying no water, but had two books and a motorcycle helmet in my backpack.  Fun!  The hike was like a cross country runners' highway, complete with the equivalent of retreads littering the whole path.  Bits of shoe soles every 20 feet or so.  Is that normal, or is it the humidity and cheap ripoff Reeboks? 
Many kayaks and canoes skimming across the ultra smooth water.  Preserve lived up to its name and there were huge bugs, monitor lizard, tree snake, monkeys, and birds.  Sure beats a stroll through GG Park.  Feet hurt too much to keep sightseeing.  Bought a new shirt, wiped down, and napped at the airport.

My first day on the road

Today I planned to ride my bike from Bangalore down to Kochin, planned being the operative word. Somehow I didn't quite make it that far.

I got a late start, leaving the hotel about 10:30 am. I asked for directions to the town of Mysore, which seemed like a good stopping point on the way to Kochin. Thankfully the directions to Mysore weren't too confusing from the hotel, since it had taken me 3 hours to find my hotel again after leaving Matt, Rachel, Annie, and Adam last night. I wound up riding through traffic for about an hour to leave the city, and saw my first wagons pulled by water buffalo. So, it was about 11:30 by the time I actually left the city and got onto the highway.

It's kind of funny, but riding in Bangalore the night before with my helmet on, people kept rolling down the windows of their cars to ask me directions (in English, too). I just have to tell them I have absolutely no idea, since I just got there the night before. I think maybe my bike looks kinda fancy, since it's an Enfield, and most people ride the small Japanese scooters/bikes.

The highway was actually fairly impressive, given what people had told me about the roads here. It had a large center divider, and two lanes on each side. Of course, there were definitely some differences from America. Instead of putting "Slow" signs, they actually install a chicane on the road using 3 gates that traffic has to weave through (slowing it down nicely). There are also big nasty speed bumps by the towns, so everyone slows down there as well. I got the hang of this kind of traffic pretty easily, and pushed on to Mysore. I finally got there at 1:30 or so, way after I thought I would. I think it's only about 100 kms from Bangalore, but it took me forever to get there. I'm guessing this will be common in India.
I had been thinking of getting lunch in Mysore, but after riding around to see the palace, I realized there would be no way I would make it anywhere if I sat down for lunch, so I decided to press on. I took the road to Ooty, hoping to make it to the coast of Kerala, and then go down south to Kochi. Ooty road was a shock for me. Gone was the center divider, and the 2 lanes per direction, as was the smooth asphalt. This road was bumpier, more crowded, and a lot scarier. The big trucks are fairly slow, so everyone tries to pass them, which, of course, can make things pretty tight on a small road. There was no way I was going to make the same time on this kind of road.

I passed an elephant walking along the side of the road (with a man riding it) and stopped to take a picture. Another motorcyclist stopped too, and held out a coin for the elephant. At first, I thought it was a peanut, but that's just Dumbo. The elephant took the coin, and then put it's trunk on the man's head, blessing him. I wanted to get a blessing, but I couldn't find any coins through all my motorcycle gear.

After a bunch more of that, I got to the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary, which really just meant some signs asking you not to honk, park, or picnic, and lot's and lot's of really big potholes. The cars were having to drive very slowly and swerve back and forth across the road trying to find the one less-bumpy path. Thankfully on a bike I could just zip between the potholes no problem. I didn't actually see any animals in the wildlife preserve, but after it there was a truck broken down on the side of the road and there were 4 monkey watching it. I pulled over to take some photos. There were 2 adult monkeys and 2 baby monkeys. They were pretty cute, but I didn't get off my bike in case they were cheeky monkeys and wanted to steal my stuff.

By this time, the sun was going way down, and I realized there was no way I was even going to reach the coast, much less Kochin, so I set my sights for Kalpetta, a small town about 75 kms from Calicut, on the coast. I made it there at dusk and rode around for a while to find a good hotel, and finally found an Ayurvedic Hotel and Spa. They had one single room left, which was great luck for me, but unfortunately, all their massages for that night had already been booked. There are a lot of Indians travelling for New Years. At any rate, I made it safely 280kms or so, and I have another 280 to go tomorrow. I'm going to try to actually leave early in the morning so I can get to Kochin to have time to enjoy it in the sun. Maybe I'll even get to hang out on the beach!

-- Don

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We made it to Cochin!

Woot! After a small detour taking the train down from Bangalore, we made it
to Fort Cochin! This evening a bunch of people from the rally are planning
to meet up at the XL Bar here in town. Should be a great chance to meet the
teams.

However, this afternoon, we're going shopping! Gotta get fixin's to make
the rickshaws all puurrrty!

M

Night Train to Cochin

Night Train to Cochin

We left last night on the 9:45 sleeper to Cochin. The rail cars looked like prison ships complete with bars on the windows and covers for the go-betweens, but turned out to be a great way to make the journey. I'm getting the sense we came at the right time of year for south India - not too hot, and no monsoon rain. Can't speak for the rest, but I slept better than anywhere yet on the train.

In the morning the passengers opened the side doors revealing a hazy tropical landscape dotted with villages, rice paddies, and coconut groves. We watched the sun rise red through the smoke as we leaned precariously out into the morning air whizzing by. There's nothing like hanging off a train in a strange land.

At one village stop an Indian family boarded the train and sat with us - 3 generations of women in their colorful sari's munching shyly on idly and chutney.

At last it feels like we're in India.

I peed on my leg but still have my dignity

Note to self, when riding the Indian overnight sleeper train, make sure to roll pant legs up to knees before squatting down to pee.  Last night, my half asleep state combined with the more than gentle swaying of the train caused me to dribble pee all over my pants as I squatted over the hole that passes as a toilet, nice, huh?  (Oh, come on!  Like you guys didn't expect me to blog about that??)

Anyways, in the morning, we decided to ignore Matt's GPS system and followed the instructions of the natives to not get off at Ernakulum (the town next to Fort Kochin), three stops later, we realized that we should have listened to the GPS.  No matter, we got off at some BFE station, and hired a car to drive us to F. Kochin.  We got to ride in an ambassador!!  Yay!   I've been in love with that car forever.

ambassador:

Anyways, at this point, we are safely in F. Kochin.  Met up with the other member of our team, Dain; checked in for the race; and going to get some rickshaw lessons and meet up with other teams at a bar later. I forgot how many tourists this place had, more white people than I have seen on this trip combined so far.

The only person that's MIA is Max.  Max!! Where are you???

_A

Big Macs in India

Turns out the McDonalds here don't serve Big Macs, the cow being a
sacred animal here and all. What they have instead is ...

the Chicken Maharaja Mac! Great name. Not so tasty.

Motorcycle pic

And here's a picture of the motorcycle that Don rented with Rachel
posing on it.