Monsoon Madness

Though it took most teams several days to get into the mindset of traveling and living in India as long haul autorickshaw drivers, by day 13 everyone had grown nostalgic and a little disappointed that it would all end so soon and regular life would take its’ place. Luckily there was also a fantastic extra...Read More

The morning flag off started with a group photo, The Engine team 13’s Steven and David in Sari’s borrowed from Team Compact Pussycats. Without any late sleeping officials to flag us off we enjoyed careening out of the hotel flagged off by the mechanics. Everyone, but the Spanish Team #16’s the Thirsty Riders, took off...Read More

After the extreme monsoon, driving, accidents and late night the teams started off humbled and determined to get to the evening’s hotel with as few breakdowns and problems as possible. Thankfully the weather and the roads seemed to hold out. Waterfalls made regular appearances and so did troops of monkeys. Close to the final destination...Read More

If there is one day that everyone present for the CEAT Mumbai Xpress 2008 will remember most, it is very likely to be Day 10. After almost all 18 teams got their chance fighting with the hotel over ruined or stolen laundry, or change not received, burglarized autorickshaws and the late flag off due to...Read More

The longest and most arduous day of the CEAT Mumbai Xpress 2008 began promptly with a flag off at 8:30am amid torrential monsoon rains that drenched everything, regardless of any rain gear or the rain flaps attached to the autorickshaws. So dense was the downpour that the limitless view of the ocean on one side...Read More

Leaving the official flag down from the Hotel Taj Manjarun on a bright sunny morning, spirits at an all time high, the rickshshaws began their over 150 kilometer journey. The first stop and challenge location was the legendary Shri Krishna temple in Udupi . A large winding structure situation in an old town complex, this...Read More

One of the most beautiful and varied roads on the route, teams flagged off from the tropical setting of the Hotel Ashhok and got their first taste of outrageous road conditions bounding up and across dusty dirt roads before hitting the lush tropical farm lands filled with coffee and pepper tree farms. Almost as soon...Read More

Located just outside of Bangalore, participants were bussed to Round Table School, a project of Bangalore Metropolitan Round Table-44 (BMRT-44) in Roopena Agrahara village on the outskirts of Bangalore city. Once again we were greeted with opulent flower garlands and traditional blessings for a good journey. This time the school had been mobilized into formation....Read More

After a flag off from the hotel driveway that led smack into the middle of typical Indian street chaos, teams were supposed to make an easy trip requiring only 3 turns to get to the next school visit. On the way, many were lost, stalled by the adventure of refueling or just misdirected by locals...Read More

The Flag off ceremony held in St. George’s Indo-English school and orphanage, a 300 year old series of buildings, set the stage with colorful tents, a RedBull arch, jugglers and speeches. Participants placed the final decorative touches on outrageously designed autorickshaws, from the Disco bottle hanging from Compact Pussycat’s rickshaw, to the bell pull used...Read More