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rickshaw run blogs jan 2014 North to south pan-india on a glorified lawnmower
for our second run April 2015 (west - east across the top 3000+ Km @ 40km/hr) go to DO blogspot
I probably did too much thinking in India. I blame it on the roads, for they were superb...” Preparation - RajasthanBoxing Day 2014: The day to Live More Awesome. Seven stages of the natural learning framework. Preparation is the first stage. Clinging to trappings of first world consumerism mandatory burger on departure. 22 hours later taste India at work. 10.30 pm: Slap Mumbai tarmac, impatient for smells. It's been the pre chat from those who have been before me. Would it be like diving in a pool, drowning, moist, ...ghastly? RAS activated mind looking for familiarity; collision with difference. Manila floated, comforting pre paid taxi system sign, baggage claim icon, and an immigration line that moves. Less machine guns than the Philippines, India is fine! Until our visa's... All pre trip reading indicated that kiwi's can rock up and apply for - visa on arrival. Certainly Sir - once doing the needful, $100 US dollars and an evening worth of entertainment, a visa stamp is produced for each passport. It took four and a half hours, comforted by others there longer. Passports; not ours, examined for fraud, lights and enlargers throw backs to OHP's of school circa 70's. Detainee and deportation whiteboards, scrawls of Hindi, dates, flight numbers keep an aura of respectability to proceedings. Triplicates, no carbon. We remark often in the days to follow - The system actually works. Ejected from the airport, soft Mumbai air, peaceful and more quiet than I'd thought at 2.30 am. Only one beggar well dressed, well fed, obligatory sleeping baby at the hip, our hotel driver describes her as a professional. To soon to judge but years of Asia kick into action I tune out the harshness and hope he is right. Edward starts to chat to her as he continues to DO to all until we leave nearly a month later - Them ...Where you going? Where you from? Him: Thank you - India is great! Instead of a breakdown tally I wish I'd kept count of these statements or that we would somehow earn donations for the charities each time they were uttered. First State - The Land of Kings#Aoteasouvenirs Queenstown donated kiwi mementos to team Goodbye Curry Pie to give to those who facilitated our journey. Puns are essential to pimping an auto rickshaw. A Dingo Tuk Tuk My Baby, Rogan Josh and the Hot Chick Peas, Kicking it Sari Style, The Krazy Jalfrazzi's, Miles of Smiles, Worlds Fastest Kiwis, as soon as you stumble upon a good one it's the first hook that gets you to sign up for a run, you'll see... We wanted to profile New Zealand and share the love of learning and a NZ encounter. Our first #Aoteasouvenirs wind up kiwi was awarded to newly wed Balrun of the Jodphur Raas hotel, recently he left his new bride in New Delhi with his family while she studies. He headed off to a great role at the Raas, and I totally understand the pull for both of them. This hotel was our ritual arrival to India, in the old walled city, the call to prayer preparing our state immediately. A perfect host, representing a suberb establishment. Much learnt to share from the Raas for DO customer service workshops. Our first connection with people living in this rapidly developing environment, a decadent experience, food, sounds and service all above top notch. Understanding what it is to live as a young professional, goals and aspirations, same same but different to those in tourism in NZ. We explore the old city, marvel at the infrastructure and lack of it. Water is gold, wells and ghats, low and littered. The fort cursed with a dry spell that saw a man buried live in the foundations. State rooms and 5 star hotels, imagining the lives of cloistered women in the fort, a palm reader tells me I'll live to 85 - 90 , thank you Allah that covers the next couple of weeks then. Practical steps ticked off team to DO lists. Map hunting the side streets we hit pay dirt with a geography lesson archive wonder. A mission to find our "pee skirts" almost goes nasty when Heather and I are surrounded and hounded. You really are fine until you are not. SIM card set ups and the illusion of unlimited data. Not real madam just sign ....or not real madam just label - Another BFO to haunt the journey as data plans took days to activate and cut out with every state border or cow crossing. Sometimes tech worked sometimes tech didn't, 6 devices between two teams we managed coverage of some sort right up unitl about 15 mins from the finish when all systems went down. But that's 3006 kms away, in the first state of Rajasthan it's all about preparation. A driver found for the journey to Jaisalmer - great training for the start. Om Singh is King, friend, family and facilitator. The keys to Rajasthan. Horn, brakes and good luck. Don't let www.theadventurists.com create any illusions that the event is supported. Autos are almost guaranteed to have no fuel and not start when they were handed to teams, insurance papers are the wrong format and will be emailed out later - just find somewhere to print them on the journey. There is a carnival like atmosphere with tents selling stereos, drums of petrol spilling onto the sand, Beer and spark plug hawkers, the beer is cold but the sparks we will discover down the line don't fit. Pimpers are pimping, people are adding lights, dangly things, they are painting, panting and pushing their autos all over town making our presence a little obvious. Edward immediately starts to drive the pie. I get stage fright in front of 200 others who are dropping patches slamming into each other, tooting horns and decide I'll learn later, much later, like in my next life time. Heather and I volunteer for logistics and kit fit out. We head to the market to DO what it is that we DO best. SHOP. The challenge is which item is the least likely to give away your runner status. Once you are carrying a plastic jerry can, a funnel, electrical wire, and a mattress its hard to pull off the just visiting the Fort persona. The start line is that fine line between chaos and disorder, a respectful midday start after a huge night before - but what goes on tour at A Rickshaw Run start party New Years Eve remains sacred. One team member first to coma, one kiwi who flew across the Rang Mahal stage, A kiwi hat rape, and plenty of team bonding with other teams the irony of which we will not see them again until the finish. It's a moment of celebration, team spirit, royal speeches, bands, explosions, hugs and waves of wonder followed by the reality being alone on the road facing a super over in a freezing cold desert wind. Traffic, and miles and miles and miles and miles of India ahead of us. and 14 days to DO it in. Those who know the learning framework know the second state is Globalisation where you get the big picture, the overview, the context. To be framed up in the next blog - Jaisalmer to Abu Road. The big picture for us is that every team here is doing this for charity. For Cool Earth, for women, children's organisations, schools, orphanages, Frank Water, Brains Trust, WWF, charities in India, Charities around the world and our own LMA, so many missions so many messages, every single person committed to DO this thing for the greater good. The irony is that every fighter jet that roars over head patrolling the border with Pakistan could fund the building of a sewerage system with just one fly by cost analysis. The Fort is eroding due to raw sewage but the border is safe for now. The playboy journalist who has hitched a ride with another team seems more interested in base jumps and Queenstown than Rickshaws and India... If he is one that is - "The just card madam, not real" mantra - has me slightly sceptical that what he has is a great sales ploy, I'll bite my tongue when I see Scott's story, for all of you with Playboy subscriptions let me know when you see the article. Suddenly we get it. Every person here has been bitten by the run bug, meeting there own costs and generating funds and donations for someone else. Every team has different budget, different pilgrimage ahead of them different journey to undertake. they may have worked ahead of time for freebies and famils and sponsors, Be paying there way or sleeping rough and eating little. Every dollar spent or spilt on the ground here helping someone in India, Every dollar raised helping a charity. As the Maharajah with the royal eyes sent us on our way his thanks for doing this for India seems a paradox, thank you Mother India for doing this for all of us. I knew I can do the job in the 'Super Over' and I'm happy that I did it for my team — Yusuf Pathan after winning the match for Rajasthan Royals in the Super Over against Kolkata Knight Riders / April 23, 2009
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