Deccan Odyssey Day 8

 
If you had read the final update on Day 7, I mentioned about the Team 12 ‘Dushi’ and their wish to continuing the rally. On the 8th morning when I sat down in the reception before the start of the briefing, I was casually chatting with the teams who had assembled early there. One such team was Team 12 and Adam narrated a story which was horrifying to an Indian. Yes, the day we came to Aurangabad they had a good hotel booked by themselves, as they had not taken accommodation with us. They had their prescription from their doctor, back home and wanted a clinic to execute the medicine for them. Their search brought them to a small clinic close to the place where they planned to stay. The place was dingy and they decided it’s all right and wanted to finish the prescribed stuff and leave. To theie surprise they were not permitted out of the clinic till next day afternoon, with various reasons cited. It was a nightmare from Adam and they finally had to spend an exuberant amount of Rs.8, 000/- as the stay rent and Rs.3,000/- for the advocated drips. That is almost a hostage situation.
 

 
Getting back to the rally story, we had our briefing at 8 am that morning and all the teams were there. The day plans were explained and all the teams left in 15 minutes. As usual the luggage and support teams had their breakfast and started from the base hotel at 9 am. At around 12 noon I wanted to check the whereabouts and I found out that we took a different route than that of the official route. So I made adjustments to get to the official route and that took an hour and then I got a call from Team 2 for service; they were 40 Km further down in the official route. It took us one hour to reach them. By that time a local had invited them home, serviced the rickshaw and cultural exchange pictures had happened. However, the service they rendered was not up to the mark and we had to do it again after another half an hour of driving. After that it was pretty much a straight drive to Nashik. The vineyard tour was enjoyed by all and Team 9 had to be reminded that they had to drive back to the hotel. The penultimate day came to an end.
 
 

 
 

Day 6

It’s again an overcast morning and it drizzling every now and then. Teams started dropping their bags at 7.30 am and took their Breakfast in the base hotel
Warned after the briefing, the teams were prepared to take the longest and toughest drive during the Mumbai Xpress: more than 230 km to the coastal town of Rathnagiri. Once they had crossed Mahabaleshwar the early morning fog slowed all the vehicles down to below 15 km/h speed. Hazzard light and head lights were glowing on all the vehicles plying on the road.
 

A bit of fog ain’t gonna stop nobody!

I started immediately, along with all the teams and stopped for breakfast. Then I met Team 3 Just in Time and Team 10 Swole Team 6 at a waterfall. It’s a stunning view and teams were praising Maharastra for its scenic appearance and beautiful mountains. After that it is a pretty straight forward drive and I met all the teams on the way. Team 14 were talking to a police man and they were seems to be in up mood as they were finishing the challenge of the day.
 

Chivalry is not dead!

When I stopped for lunch I could see some more teams going past us. Team 2 3 Amigos was leading the pack to the destination. I did not get any service call throughout the day.  But after teams started checking in I heard that Team 8 Mayo4Sam had a small issue and they quickly set that right by a local mechanic.
 

Giving some scared locals a ride

All the teams were just on time except Team 7  Not Fast, Not Furious and team 12 Rickshaw Lady. Team 12, the lone traveler from Australia, lost her way and to find it back it took her time. Even though she lost time, she found a companion in Team 7 and they drove  to the destination together. It was almost 8 pm when they arrived at the base hotel.
Then it is all beer and stories. As the hotel had no bar, the teams made arrangements by driving into town to get beers well before 6pm. I think by now they all got along well and everybody understands the other’s need.  It’s a superb team building event.
 

Day 7 & 8

It is a bright start from Rathnagiri. I met all the teams on the way and waved passing them. The Goan state roads are such a reliefing sight compared to the battered Maharastrian roads. I reached the hotel around 4.30 p.m. One by one all the teams checked in the hotel after 5 pm. As the challenge was given in the old Goa, most of them visited the place and came back. The hotel was nice and all were relaxing and got ready for the rest day.
 

Taking the “Cow Picture Challenge” to a new level

Goan night is a party night. Team 7 Vollette Kels had birthday the next day and it was party in Baga where she got her birthday bash.
On the 8 th day teams rested thoroughly and some of them had their own agenda on visiting places and trying new food style. When I went to the hotel that day for a brief time, they showed me how they had partied the previous night. What happens in Goa stays in Goa. Team 10 Swole Team 6, who had a team member left from the start due to visa issue, decided to discontinue from the challenge and they announced it to me. Bye Bye Peter and Sebastian, amazing guys who missed their friend Bryan badly. Hope we shall see you in another challenge. It’s Bye from me form Goa.
 

We are eagerly waiting for this year xpress as it’s going to be a BLAST!

Rickshaw on fire/ there goes the pimping team were just fine:)

Directed by Steven lovas

Entering Mumbai was quite the experience, teams had to avoid the appearance of staying too close together, and the urban roads and distractions, including a major accident were difficult to navigate. But not impossible; impossible wound up being trying to order a coffee and a sandwich to be delivered within 30 minutes at the Park Hotel. Alas, better things were waiting for us in Juhu.

The next stop was a “flyover” or highway overpass, overlooking the Arabian Sea and the vast expanse of Mumbai. Home to over 20 million people, it’s a lot to take in after roaming around the rural wilds for two weeks. Suddenly the sun came out, a few journalists appeared and participants started sharing snacks and jokes, flaunting their outrageous costumes and doubtlessly breaking the rule of not distracting passing traffic. Once almost all of the teams arrived, we were off again to our final regrouping point a large dirt parking lot in Juhu, with massive Bollywood billboards contesting our own fantastical costumes but by the attention of the locals and press, it was clear who would be the winner that day. Waiting for the last of the group, we made it to a beachfront hotel/restaurant to sneak in a quick drink before the final procession began.

And what a procession it was. Glorious, all the teams in full regalia entered the ultra-luxe Mediterranean style rotunda of the JWMarriott, flanked by waiting press and the screams of excited locals from other cars, the street and buildings. With a final group photo, teams checked into the hotel.

That night we also had our beer session, where participants volunteered to take care of managing the Adopt-A-Village charity and funds to be properly used in the schools visited. A large buffet with cocktails managed to put everyone in a great mood until the grand prize winners, participant stories and CEAT Mumbai Xpress 2008 Finisher’s Certificates were distributed.

And Now: the Grand Prize Champions of the CEAT Mumbai Xpress 2008: Team #3 Two Tukkers in Tukxedos; Alex Jones and Stephen Milford from the UK. Congratulations gentlemen, you’re officially number one!