Adventure Rickshaw Rally

01-14 May 2016

MALABAR RALLY, in a

TUK-TUK

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Embark on a 1000 km pan-Indian adventure in a 7 horsepower glorified lawnmower. This Rickshaw Rally is easily the least sensible thing to do with two weeks!

The rally entails riding across the Malabar Coast of India (west coast) covering the states of Kerala, Karnataka and the Union Territory of Goa. With a distance of ±1000 kms, the ride encompasses some breathtaking scenic views and historical cities. You’d wish you’d had time for those!

No set route, no way of knowing if you're going to make it. It's just you and your mates in a wholly unsuitable vehicle, traversing the subcontinent enduring whatever shit the road throws at you. The only certainty is that you will get lost, you will get stuck and you will break down. Luckily, for this we have a team of mechanics, who will reach you sooner or later, according to their own IFT (Indian Flexible Time).

At each end of the rally there is a party of earth-shattering proportions, but what is between them is all down to you. And luck - good or bad.

At the very end of the story, you can opt to treat your ego in a beautiful setting in Goa, at the shores of the Arabic Sea.

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Kneel before engineering's highest life form If God had made machines he probably wouldn't have bothered with a Rickshaw. But as with so many other things he would have been wrong.

Essentially, it's not a very good idea. It's not very fast, it smells, it falls over when you go round corners, it breaks downs more often than an emo teenager and a days driving feels like you've been kicked up the arse by an elephant. But somehow all this makes them better.

And so they are, unquestionably, the greatest vehicle on the planet. To prove it we surveyed nearly some of the people at HQ and 100% agree.

They are the only way to try and cross the Subcontinent, and if you do make it across, you'll never want to drive anything as pedestrian as a car for the rest of your life.

Engine: 2 stroke, single cylinder, forced air cooled

Power: 7 HP at 5000 rpm (equiv. 1 family dog)

Transmission: 4 forward, 1 reverse

Fuel Capacity: 8 ltr + 1.4 reserve

Top Speed: 55 km/h (downhill)

Engine Size: 145.45cc

System Voltage: 12V, DC

Driving the Beast This is where the tri-wheeled Demi-god roars into a whole new category of driving pleasure. With a cheeky 2 stroke engines that feel quite pokey held in check by handlebars and foot pedals it's a bit like driving a crash between a scooter and a milk float.

• If you've ridden a scooter it will all make sense.

• Your left hand has the clutch and gear change.

• Your right hand has the accelerator and the front brake

• Your right foot has the occasionally functional rear brakes

• Most importantly your right thumb hovers, sweating, over the horn button.

The Art of Pimping With all this engineering genius floating about we were left wandering what can you possibly do to make such a beast better. We realised there is only one thing that could improve the performance of such perfection. And that was PIMP: Your rickshaw, visually enhanced with your artwork.

It's one thing to cross the Indian subcontinent in a rickshaw, but it's a much better thing to do it in one that's been pimped. With this in mind we invented the art of distance pimping. It's a bit like distance-learning but without any learning.

First you concoct your own fantasy rickshaw paint job. Paint your chariot pink if you wish, cover it in zebra stripes, or even give it a wonky moustache.

Then send us your designs by email. We’ll then blend it with some Indian artistic genius, a certain amount of enlightenment, a few spelling mistakes and the odd dodgy hand-painted line and.... BAM…Pimped Shaw! Nothing short of genius. There’s a prestigious award for the best overall effort, and the awe-struck stares you receive as your fully pimped machine flies by are enough to keep you smiling when it all goes to shit…

Test Driving Now, chances are your rickshaw driving experience is a touch limited.

Working on the terrible presumption that you lot are mostly novice rickshaw-ists, we put on rather exciting test driving days on the two days prior to the launch. Here you’ll have complete access to your vehicles, whether it be for driving, pimping, to fiddle with the engine (or lack of) or just to stroke it a little. You'll need to come to at least one of these sessions before the event starts so that you know which way to point your un-trusty steed.

It's also always good to get the first couple of crashes out of the way before you begin the adventure in earnest too.

These days in the field are also a good opportunity to meet your fellow runners, compare your beasts and generally get excited. In the evenings we then retire to somewhere serving fizzy beverages for some impromptu Q&A sessions and some nerve calming: or failing that to sit in a corner and quietly crap yourself about what you've let yourself in for.

The Route (or rather the Un-route) The un-route is a simple yet devastatingly effective concept. Each day there's a start line and a finish line. Everything in between is up to you.

Proper adventure only happens when you do a follow-through fart right in the face of the tourist trail and wobble off the edge of the map. No handholding, no arse-wiping, just you and all the magnificent chaos the Indian sub-continent can muster.

To attain this nirvana-like state of ignorant adventuring bliss you must resist the temptation to shove the complete works of Lonely Planet into your telephone. Pay no attention to the hordes of travel bloggers posting boring-bombs all over the internet about what they ate for dinner and the top ten reasons why they are fucking awesome. Ignore it all. The less you know the better. If India unexpectedly appears on the telly quickly jab your eyes with a fork to avoid any advance knowledge seeping into your unsullied brain.

It's not just about protecting the sanctity of the unknown either. Trying to tame the beast that is the Rickshaw Rally is just not going to work. Crafting a daily route is pointless. Detailed planning of any kind is highly likely to go completely to shit by the second you hit the road. India will see to that.

So if you're the kind of person that likes an itinerary, for the love of all the gods, bugger off and never come back to read this brochure. If you like having no idea what will happen next and a vague sense of direction based on the position of the sun, read on...

The un-route will tickle your adventure balls (or lady balls), make you snort chai out of your nose then slap you in the face with disaster. Probably all in the space of an hour. But there are differences, each one has it's own blend of spicy seasoning.

Things start off in the capital of 'God's own Country' Kerala, Trivandrum, easier to be remembered as Thiruvananthapuram, it’s new name. You should then head north with a slight west tendency. This might trigger a better feeling, as it will feel getting closer to home. Or maybe just because there will be a monster-party up in Goa.

How do I go about getting there, then?

It's normally easier to get a return flight to one of the major cities (either Mumbai or Delhi generally work best), and then do your onwards travel from there. Internal flights are pretty cheap generally, especially if booked in advance.

Itinerary Day 1 & 2 ➠ May 3rd to 4th, 2016 Arrival in Trivandrum and practice Any idiot can drive a rickshaw badly, and - with a bit of practice - so can you. Bear in mind, however, that you’ll need a Cathegory A driving license to master this beast, and especially to get past the many vigilant Indian police barriers.

With this in mind we set aside a couple of days before the Run to familiarise yourself with stalling, failing to find neutral, toppling over and colliding with stationary objects. All the while our crack team of adventurists and mechanics will be on hand to offer advice, laugh at you and fix parts you break before you start.

Day 3 ➠ May 5th, 2016 Trivandrum | Allepey (190 kms) Starting from Trivandrum, we proceed to the Venice of the East, Alleppey, one of the best Backwater tourism destinations in the State of Kerala dubbed as “God’s Own Country”. The Palm fringed canals and shores bustling with glimpses from the day to day life in the country side, the mirror still lagoons, picture book lakesides and its long sandy beach are definite “go to” places in Alleppey. But you won’t have time for all of this, anyway.

Day 4 ➠ May 6th, 2016 Allepey | Calicut (230 kms) From Alleppey, we further move on to explore the beauty of the blessed state of Kerala, to reach Calicut, a place that has all the required ingredients such as the idyllic setting of the serene Arabian Sea on the west and mesmeric peaks of the Wayanad hills on the east, to fascinate a tourist.

Day 5 ➠ May 7th, 2016 Calicut | Mangalore (230 kms) If this wasn’t enough, the scenic city of Mangalore in the State of Karnataka, dotted with coconut palms, hills and streams, and is known for its temples and beaches, will for sure take you to a different world, the very next day.

Day 6 ➠ May 8th, 2016 Mangalore | Murudeshwar (170 kms) Anyone favor watching the sunset? Murudeshwar is the next pit stop on this Rampant Rampage (or should we call it a lovely odyssey?). An evening visit to see sunset at sun set point can be a real fulfilling experience and set up for a mesmerizing evening.

Day 7 ➠ May 9th, 2016 Murudeshwar | Panaji (188 kms) Save the best of the best for the last. “Panaji” – the capital of the small but vibrant state of Goa. Panaji is a tiny city that packs in a large punch.

The church on the main square, the Baroque architecture, pretty villas, cobbled streets and interesting buildings give Panaji a distinctly Portuguese ambience. After the marathon we had, we rightfully deserve a nice evening stroll. Wishful thinking? No. You get what you deserve and do that in style across the riverside promenade, as the pretty town of Panaji lies along the left bank of the Mandovi River. Wait!! There is more… The Old Portuguese quarter of Fontainhas, a charming section of Panaji with its narrow cobbled streets, quaint taverns, tiny pubs and bars, are a nostalgic kickback to the days of yore and for sure serve to be a nice farewell gift.

Day 8-11 ➠ May 10th to 13th, 2016 At the beach (optional) Your ripe for a treat, so it might be a good idea to spend a few days on the world-famous beaches of Goa. This will definitely not do any harm, on the contrary, you’ll probably even forgive India for what it has done to you in the past week or so.

…this is the beach, right in front of where you’ll stay…

Travel details.

Flight If you travel from Romania, you could join us on this flight:

You’ll get to spend a day in Doha, Qatar and the best thing about it is that it’s complimentary. Qatar Airways will cover all formalities, visa, transfer and accommodation costs.

And as you may have noticed, we are planing to spend another 4 days in Goa, just lazing at the beach or exploring the beautiful inlands. Sounds good? Check out the next page to see if you need to put on another mortgage on your house for this (don’t worry, just kidding!).

Visa You’ll need a visa if you really plan to make it to the rally. Costs depend on your home country and even the way you will get your hands on it. In most cases you’d apply online for it, but in Romania we still are invited to the Embassy, where they’ll ask for 180 lei and our fingerprints.

Charitable Focus Everything about the Rickshaw Challenge brings to mind complete insanity. However, we are not just about fun and adventure; we believe firmly in participating in, not simply passing through, the lives of the people we meet in villages and cities along the route. For this reason, we have teamed up with Round Table India, a national organisation that oversees charitable needs, donations, and projects. We strongly encourage participants to take to heart the projects that may be seen along the route of the rally. Please contact us for details.

The Money Stuff Below prices are valid for a minimum of 5 teams (teams of 2-3 people). Full payment should be made at least 45 days prior to arriving in Trivandrum.

Participation Fee (please refer to package details on next page) Standard

Deluxe

Per Person, in teams of 2

1.225 €

1.435 €

Per Person, in teams of 3

888 €

1.035 €

Deposit €900 (refundable) per rickshaw. Ain’t cheap but with experience we’ve found that it’s the right number to make sure that no matter how hard you party after the day’s stage that you’ll remember not to lose your mobile or not to crash your auto rickshaw just for the hell of it without stopping to consider the deposit. It’s also a built in expense account if you simply want the support mechanics to do your repairs without locating & negotiating repair costs along the way. Prices for repairs and replacements are listed in the road-book you’ll receive prior to the event.

Daily Costs After several trips to India we’re pretty good at setting basic guidelines for how much money you can squeak by on or how much you’ll need to do it in high style. India is much cheaper than other parts of the world but is not nearly as cheap as it is often supposed. There’s sightseeing, souvenirs and unique must try experiences every where. Our average participant budget is approximately €30 - €40 per day per person.

Goa Beach Extension It’ll cost you not more than €330 to cover the transfer charges and the 3 nights bed&breakfast at this fantastic place we have discovered. An idyllic, shady oasis, ideal place to relax, eat, drink and de-stress, and a base to explore the northern half of the state. The beach is one of the most peaceful beaches in Goa and the sea is so warm you can walk straight in. There are some excellent restaurants and cafés right nearby.

Flight ticket If you want us to handle your flight ticket, just let us know. We will do our best to hook you up with the rest of us, or find a cheaper option.

The Packages. What is covered?

General Services

Standard

Deluxe

Standard

Deluxe

Overnight Checkup

Pay parts, labour free

Fully Covered

On the Road Service Breakage

Pay parts, labour free

Fully Covered

Pay for parts/fittings

Fully Covered

Standard

Deluxe

Budget

Standard

Budget

Extreme

Musical horn

Musical horn

Luggage Truck Service Medical Kit Tool Box Navigational sheet (Day Plans) Event Shirt Sim Card Hotel Package Breakfast Airport Pick up Storage of valuables in Safety car Mobile Phone Road Map, Phrase Book Event Cap Team T-shirts Airport Drop Team Trading Cards Vehicle Maintenance

Pimping Rickshaw Entertainment Package Rickshaw Painting Package Vehicle Horn Water bottle holder DC Out Custom painting / Stickering Comfortable Seats New Tyres and Tubes

Want to sign up or have questions? Call us, or drop us an email!

Peter Schmidts: +40-723-291269

Sorin Oprea: +40-743-080333

travel@1001adventures.ro

www.1001adventures.ro DISCLAIMER You may have guessed, but a rally like this is a genuinely dangerous thing to do.

This brochure is written in a light-hearted fashion, but you cannot overestimate the risks involved in taking part in these adventures.

Your chances of being seriously injured or dying as a result of taking part really exist.

These are not holidays. These are adventures and so by their very nature extremely risky.

You really are putting both your health and life at risk.

That's the whole point.

All rights reserved. 1001 Adventures is a trademark of Faină-i Lumea