Four friends on a 4,000-km rickshaw ride through India raise money for charities and discover yet another shade of adventure. As narrated to Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary.
It was a journey of a lifetime that thanks to minute-by-minute interplay between the clutch and the accelerator threatened to turn a high-adrenaline adventure into a sputtering, hiccupping nightmare. But what else can really happen when people who are used to driving sleek cars on superfast highways take to driving autorickshaws through a 4,000-km bone-jarring, mind-expanding, teeth-grinding multi-terrain landscape from Shillong to Goa in India?
The ubiquitous Indian autorickshaw, the equivalent of the Far East's tuk tuk, is the most inexpensive surface transport that takes on potholes, speed bumps, crazy corners and pencil-thin space corridors on jammed thoroughfares with pulse-accelerating abandon. Being a passenger in an autorickshaw is the most powerful way of losing all fear.
Driving one is the equivalent of a freefall from Mount Everest. And driving one across the terrain of India is the epitome of being born free.Five breakdowns, countless muscle-building tows on gravelly, potholed roads, coming up for air between walls of spectators at every turn and driven to seek police protection... these were
a few of the highlights that four partners in the auto rickshaw were faced with. Jeff McMahan, Helen Ahern and Pippa Daniels, from Dubai were joined by an Indophile from the US, Jason Lewis, in this venture.
The feat earned the foursome two awards in the race – 'Legends of the run' and 'The Team most likely not to finish but did'! They finished 31st and 32nd in a race of 60 autorickshaws. McMahan, who is the scion of a family that owns the world's fastest legal street car, the Maxximus G Force, was the main architect of the adventure. After being constantly surrounded by high-tech gadgetry, he wanted to do his own thing the low-tech way. And in the company of friends. He did it last year, completing the run in a record ten days. That was the temptation they couldn't resist this year. Looking for an adventure of a lifetime, as they describe it, the four friends returned from the journey wiser, battle-scarred and drained by the excesses of adrenaline. However, their original resolve to face the unknown in life at all times took a beating!
Friday met the team bubbling with enthusiasm before they left Dubai. Both Ahern and Daniels looked forward to this unique experience, while McMahan was more composed since he had done it before. Lewis, the fourth member, flew to India from the US via Dubai, where he had a brief stopover. The foursome maintained an exclusive daily diary for Friday, recording their experiences on the trip which were tough beyond expectations. But as Ahern puts it, "This is something to tell our grandchildren about." Excerpts:
Prologue
A run-up to the Rickshaw Challenge... the essential preparation
A trip to Ravi restaurant (in Dubai) to get acquainted with Indian food, a chance dinner with Bollywood star Anil Kapoor (of Slumdog Millionaire fame), several meetings with West Coast Customs (who are providing us with custom-made seats for the journey and a whole lot of fundraising. Preparation? No problem! Or so we thought.
Arrival in Shillong
We arrive in the beautiful hillside town of Shillong and go to see our 'vehicle/home' for the next three weeks and get a crash course in how to drive a rickshaw. We leave slightly terrified – driving a rickshaw is much harder than it seems! We also survive our first crash with an accidental reversal into one of the practice rickshaws. We return early morning for another lesson and finish pimping our rickshaw. We are now fairly competent in driving in a straight line... reversing and turning around still may be an issue. We are lucky to have Jeff in our team, an experienced rickshaw driver who has in the previous year completed, and indeed won, this race. His words of wisdom, 'We will be fine'. He has been busy installing a sound and PA system in the blue rickshaw and as such hasn't actually seen us drive yet.
The Pink Rickshaw Diary
Day 1 – Shillong to Guwahati
The Rickshaw run is ceremoniously seen off by the Governor of Meghalaya, Ranjit Shankar Mooshary, and the pink rickshaw is chosen to lead the procession through the town of Shillong (the basis of this decision is unclear but it was clearly not excellence in driving). The scene is pretty impressive, and absurd to most of the residents, as 60 brightly painted rickshaws meander through the quiet town... this is it, we are fending for ourselves now... no backup, no support and no going back. The true adventure, this is what we signed up for!
Ten kilometres on, we realise that we have lost the blue rickshaw. At this point with no map and no way of communicating with them, we realise more detailed preparation may have been a good idea.
We loop round to find the blue rickshaw helping out another rickshaw team named Ragged Glory, which 'housed' a British journalist making a documentary for Fast Track on BBC World. The rickshaw broke down only 100 metres from the start line... admittedly, due to their own error of filling the rickshaw with pure crude oil.
We have been provided with temperamental two-stroke engines, so getting the petrol and oil mix correct is vital – a lesson we could have well heeded.
With the oil problem remedied, we get back on the winding and rather busy road and, in convoy with our new friends, head for Guwahati. On the way we meet up with yet another rickshaw in the race, team 2 Blondes in a Rickshaw, and they join the convoy.
Major delays and missing team members result in us having to learn quickly how to drive in the night... going completely against our oath of 'never driving in the dark'. Given our inexperience as rickshaw drivers, negotiating city traffic at night is positively terrifying but thanks to our new friends, who had the foresight to bring a map, we make it. We decide that these guys may be worth sticking with. Around 100 km was accomplished today... only about 3,900 km to go.
Day 2 – Guwahati to the
Cement Factory
We awake to find that our departure from Shillong features on the front pages of most of the Indian press. The concierge are particularly excited to match the picture in the newspaper to our pink-and-blue rickshaw parked at the hotel. For once, a picture does not tell a thousand words and we look fairly professional, not like a team which had in fact stalled and kangarooed its way past the start line.
We decide to continue our adventure across India with the other two teams we met the day before. By way of introduction, team Ragged Glory consisted of an [elephant- inspired] green-and-orange rickshaw, the brainchild of three boys from London, Nick, Tom and Joe, and team
2 Blondes consisted of Claire and Lucy, the proud owners of a sparkling gold rickshaw.
We are beginning to get used to the alarming amount of interest we are attracting from local people.
On reaching the next town, it becomes apparent that we have blown a piston. It is beginninging to get dark and uncertain when we'll get the part and be back on the road. We send the other two teams ahead promising to catch up with them the next day. It is silly for us all to face another night drive.
News of our breakdown travels quickly and before long Shivendra, a senior executive for Punj Lloyd, the company building a series of new highways in North East India, appears and offers to take us to the local cement factory to see if his employees can help fix our rickshaw. They work long into the night, but with a national holiday the next day in Guwahati, there is no way of obtaining the part we need. Concern grows for our safety. (It is national election time in India) and typically elections are a tense time.
But with 16 armed police escorts, we are unlikely to go anywhere that they don't want us to. The armed guards station themselves outside our hotel till morning.
At this time, we still have no way of communicating. Phones and BlackBerries do not operate on the protected East Indian network.
Day 4 – Siliguri to Purnia
Another engine repair from a talented mechanic and with a lot of time to make up, we are ready for a 5am start which turns into a 6am departure. We await for our armed escort to the border of Assam and West Bengal. Making excellent headway through Bengal, past the foothills of Darjeeling... we finally think luck is on our side.
We hit our first dual carriageway. Excited by the smooth surface, rather than the dirt tracks we have been travelling on, we up the speed (albeit only to 60km/h). We finally have high hopes for making good time to Purnia and catching up with the other teams. Then the blue rickshaw breaks down. After a stint in a friendly garage waiting for parts to be delivered, and being set a few hours behind schedule, we set back off on the dual carriageway, pleased at least to be on a good road... until, without warning, it turns into a dirt track. We drive through the night with only two very dim headlights, kept awake and alert by adrenaline and fear.
At night we see road diversion signs but they don't have arrows and it is at this point that we have our first exciting encounter and drive the wrong way down a dual carriageway. After a lot of initial panicking, we later realise that this isn't a big deal.
Our night is only to get worse... the electronics fail on the pink rickshaw and we are left travelling down the carriageway with only a glow stick to alert others of our presence. At 4.30am we reach Purnia.
Day 7 – Varanasi
Another early morning but worth it because we get an opportunity to view the sun rising over the Ganges. But then the good humour of the day takes a turn for the worse when we receive a worrying text from the blue rickshaw – they had been robbed.
We head to the police station in Varanasi and speak to the chief of police who called the Sasaram police department to dispatch police officers to help them.
Day 10 – Rewa to Amravati
Usual early start and two Suzuki jeeps are waiting to take us to the tiger reserve (in Pench, Rewa). No tigers, but we see some tiger prints, a baby monkey and a few deer. At the very least driving through the jungle is a welcome relief from the roads and the rickshaws.
Jeff has not made it to Pench. The overhaul he expected to take three to four hours had taken nine hours, which means he has to play catch up again. Limited to 40 km/h to avoid blowing a piston, he has no option but to drive throughout the night, again. This is bad enough when you can take turns to drive and requires real strength of character when you are alone.
Day 14 – Last leg Belgaum to Goa
Off to the finish!
Having seen the engine repaired quite a few times we think we can attempt to fix it ourselves. This turns out to be a potentially engine-destroying effort which requires speedy and accurate maintenance. Fortunately, the problem is remedied. We are so close yet all it can now take is one more engine failure and we will not be able to make it to Goa. In the last stretch, we see a huge change in scenery as we descend towards the lush greenery of the state of Goa. A final challenge comes in the form of a hilly terrain and a lorry packed with tonnes of cargo and both rickshaws struggling to navigate across. We eventually manage with our fingers crossed and prayers on our lips and finally make it to Colva beach crossing the finish line amazed and dazed at 4pm, on schedule.
It's a funny feeling finishing. There is a sense of immense satisfaction that we have completed the race within the time frame, in searing heat that the rickshaws are not designed for, over a distance that was improbable for them to cover, with about four hours of sleep each night.
It was an adventure. We had a lot of fun along the way, and no shortage of mechanical tribulations, especially our blue rickshaw which racked up four new engines. We spent two weeks running on quite a lot of adrenaline, and at 4pm on Saturday April 26, the last drop was used. The triumph of finishing was mixed with utter exhaustion. We had met some great people, not the least Ragged Glory and the 2 Blondes – now we needed to conjure up the energy to celebrate.
The Blue Rickshaw Diary
Day 1 – Shillong
Came strong out of the opening gate only to break down 300 yards from the start line! By the time I walk back and returned with someone from the adventurists, Jason has got it fired up. We set out 30 minutes later than everyone else, found the girls as they have broken down at a gas station, the product of too much oil in the petrol mix; the white plumes of smoke are a dead giveaway.
Team Ragged Glory and 2 Blondes and another rickshaw are pulled over. Ragged Glory was also suffering from a bad oil/petrol mix. Two hours later the four of us are on our way, on highway 40, stopping for a quick picture overlooking a beautiful vista. Almost tip the auto going round a corner.
Had it up on two wheels, strong driving skills get it back down and I navigate the cliff yards ahead. Swerve out of the way of a bus passenger with a case of bad curry that he hurled out of the window.
A few more feet and we would have been VERY unhappy campers. I had promised not to drive at night, but we did the first day.
Day 3 – Bongaigaon
Looking to make up some time, we wake up early as the mechanic comes at 9am (Ladies engine being fixed in Bongaigaon). By noon it is obvious he has no clue what is going on. By 2pm another person is called in. By 3.30pm we have a police escort out of town; 3km after the escort departs, the ladies break down again. The sun starts setting as we set off. I make the decision to not head towards (Koch Bihar) our rendezvous point from the night before, but Kokrajhar, 35km away. The fear of breaking down in the middle of nowhere in Assam is a position I am not going to put the ladies in. Their auto is acting up and could not pass 40km without dying. They are having a hard time starting the auto, so Jay or I would jump out and pull the hand crank. We pull into Kokrajhar at 7.30pm, just past sunset. Sitting in the town centre it takes two minutes before I meet a second police inspector in as many days.
I introduce myself and explain we are looking for lodging. He guides me to a hotel and says it is best to stay there for the night.
At 10pm I am awakened and am summoned to the front desk. There is concern from the teammates that we were brought to this hotel to be robbed. I put my shoes on to meet the police. Inspector Singh is very cordial and accommodating. He informs me of his responsibility to make sure we traversed through his state without any issues. Tomorrow morning we would have an armed escort to the Assam border.
Day 4 – Kokrajhar
The air conditioner goes out during the night. I wake up covered in sweat. My pillowcase is soaked.
By 6.30am we are on our way out of Kokrajhar. By 7.30am it is obvious they (the police) are giving us a ride to the Assam state line! It is an amazing sight, men with guns driving lorries and cars off the road to let two hastily painted autorickshaws pass. The looks of bewilderment and amusement are something else.
At the border, we stop for a photo op with the police. Another day, another state! We wind along highway 31 through mountains close to Darjeeling, a true spectacle! Misty mountain-tops, monkeys wandering around, endless farms of tea lead to a relaxing day. We plan to hit Siliguri by 3pm and then on to Kishanganj.
It has been 36 hours since we split with our group and everyone wants to catch up. Unfortunately today was the day that Jason and I had a taste of engine seizure just past Siliguri. After pushing for 2km, we are towed another 5km, though the passing local guy says "1 km". Just like it's always the spark plug. Aboi helps in translation as the mechanic uncovers the extent of damage we have done to our throttled rickshaw. Scorched cylinder, header and piston happily present themselves. We wait for an hour for spare parts.
Jason goes out for a haircut and shave, I get a shave too. The barber is Kamlesh. Anamika brought us little bread cakes... two-and-a-half hours to fix everything. I think the whole town turned out for this spectacle! We eye the next largest town Purnia, and assume this is where Ragged Glory and 2 Blondes are most likely to be holed up.
Three O'clock rolled around as we reached Purnia. We are exhausted, but feel that with daylight coming in two hours, we should just load up on gas and keep going. Still on highway 31, we continue to Patna as there is no sign of the other teams.
Luck finally shows up as I spot our lost teammates' autos parked outside a hotel, along with several other rickshaws, and pull in for the night, 21 hours logged on the road. We officially reunite at 6am, and are ecstatic to see each other.
Day 7 – Sasaram
Quite frankly, Sasaram is the single worst day of the trip.
The auto dealer did not carry parts for our two-stroke. Our piston head had blown a hole and it was going to take two days to get the parts. We negotiate with the dealer to make a temporary piston head for us. Unfortunately, it takes eight hours to manufacture.
Luckily for us, we find an internet cafe and our caravan spends the day in Varanasi cruising down the Ganges and overhauling their own vehicles. We make it out of Sasaram by 6:30pm and meet up with several other teams on the highway. We are the only team of four with headlights, so we lead the caravan into Varanasi. We wake up at 6am and depart for Rewa. Sleep has no place on this adventure for usit seems!
Day 14 – Belgaum
This is it! Final stretch! Two Blondes decide to go another direction as they do not want to turn in their autos just yet. A tearful goodbye ensues, and we take separate roads from the hotel. Wish them the best! Through the mountains and onto Goa. We encounter another lorry line at the state border and barely make it to Goa on time.
We all roll across the finish line at 3.58pm, two minutes before the official deadline. Lucknow Be 2 Ladies and Team America, as we have been christened, are numbers 31 and 32.
I am elated and exhausted. Just enough time to find a hotel, get cleaned up, and take a leisurely 20-minute stroll on the beach to the Finish Line Party.
There are three awards given during the night, Jay and I win two of the three, as voted by the teams – 'Legend of the Run' for the team that truly envisions the spirit of the Rickshaw run, and 'Team most likely not to finish but did'.
Epilogue
From Helen Ahern and Pippa Daniels
Three weeks on from the end of the race and we are back at work in Dubai. The race now seems like a distant but fantastic memory. Jeff has continued his love for the hectic lifestyle with the launch of his company's first car – the Maxximus G-Force, which is currently the world's fastest street car. He has also just become a dad! We are both contemplating career changes to become mechanics!
If you are interested in signing up for the Adventurists Rickshaw Run you can find more information on www.adventurists.com
From Jeff McMahan
This Run was much more difficult than the first. Ragged Glory, Joe, Tom, and Nick, were classy guys through and through. As my wife is due in one week (his daughter was born on May 3, 2009) my responsibilities now lie elsewhere.
I am officially retired from the Rickshaw Run.
Boy, what an adventure!
Fact file
Name of the run: The Adventurists Rickshaw Run for Spring 2009.
The Dubai team: Lucknow B 2 Ladies with two rickshaws, the pink one run by Helen Ahern and Pippa Daniels and the blue one manned by Jeff Mcmahan and Jason Lewis.
Date and Period: 14 days from April 11-26.
Route: Run flagged off from Shillong and went through Assam, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and ended in Goa.
Cause: This team pledged to raise $100 million for three charities – The Frank Water Project, Carolina for Kibera and the SOS Children's Village.
