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!

The day itself was peaceful, the roads became less densely covered by jungle and more agriculture, towns and open spaces filled the view. Still overcast in the wake of the passing monsoon, the island was still not reachable by 4pm, the time when the tide should have gone out. The two usual options for making it out to Kulaba Island are simply waiting for low tide and walking, or taking one of the horse carts. With storm clouds threatening, it became obvious that only the poor swimming horses would be able to make it, even at the lowest tide.

This is one of those moments, when you realize how delicate nature is and even when something is repeated, like the CEAT Mumbai Xpress, nature often makes each experience totally unique. Last year there were hardly any monsoons, as the CEAT Mumbai Xpress 2007 chased the lingering monsoons. This year we were right in the middle of their fury. A wild and intense experience, but unfortunately not so good for the view this time around.

Luckily the Hotel RaviKiran had a flat screen television in the restaurant and teams got to soak in the Olympic fever with beers and local cuisine before resting up for their final day on the road to Mumbai. Before leaving the next morning the scores were posted. In the competition category, team 15 Wheelie Wheelie Mad from New Zealand was clearly in the lead, but with competition only counting for 55% of the total scores, who would be the winner? The question lingered on everyone’s minds.