Arrived in Cochin yesterday & just had our first shot in a tuk tuk, it was sooo much fun :-D 2morrow we decorate it.
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 real Indian food - delish.
Right, the 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.
It’s Almost Time
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…
Win Win Win
** The prize draw is now closed ** We held a prize draw to raise money, with every penny going to our charities. Up for grabs was: An iPod shuffle An in-car sat-nav system A £20 gift/drinks voucher for Costa Coffee 2 Family Day Tickets for Knockhill To enter all you needed to do was make a donation to charity.…
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.
Visas
I got told off yesterday by the chap in the Indian embassy ... for not sitting in the correct order while waiting for our visa. 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…
Driving Permits
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…
Time Flies
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 jabs, and ... erm ... that's it. We've got a…
The Rickshaw Run – India Calling
With memories of the Mongol Rally fading fast, we decided it was time for another crazy adventure, this time through India and Nepal in an auto-rickshaw. 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.
Our Final Mileage
A lot of people have been asking how many miles we covered, and I'm sure everyone who entered our Guess The Final Mileage competition is wondering the same. We left Dunfermline on the morning of 21st July and arrived in Ulaanbaatar four and a half weeks later, after covering an amazing 9,831.6 miles. On arriving in UB our car was…
Back at work today - where have the last 5 weeks gone :-( But look, I've just found the Rickshaw Run!
Arrived Heathrow last night - Just eaten enough food to feed a small country - On way to Stansted for easyjet flight home - Missing my wee fiesta :-(
So What Happened In Mongolia?
Well we are now sitting in Moscow airport, waiting for our connecting flight to Heathrow. Our adventure is almost over :( Mongolia was amazing but very, very, hard work. As we approached the Russian / Mongolian border at Tashanta last Thursday we thought we were near the end, we were - but a whole new adventure was about to start.…
Out of Ulaanbaatar
Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad - that's the best way to describe Mongolia. It's harder to get out of UB than it was to get in - but after a lot of leg work we've managed to find flights home via Moscow, should be home late Friday - so back to work on Monday :-( assuming Aeroflot don't live up…
In to Ulaanbaatar
So after 7 time zones, 8 and a half flat tyres and 53 midgy bites we've finally arrived in UB :-)) Boy it's been a tough ride the last few days - got here late last night - lots to sort out (and beer to be drank) so will write more soon. Right which way is home?
Back Of Beyond
Well, we made it to Mongolia yesterday :-) and since then the going's been tough. The roads ... if that's what you can call them ... are more like dirt tracks, in fact they are dirt tracks. We're making 20mph at best and have another 800 miles or so to UB. We're now in Khovd, so should be in UB…
Split from convoy at Barnaul. The other two cars are heading north for lake Baikal, we are off south to Tashanta & Tsagaannuur. Hope to make the Mongolian border tonight.