Day 1 – Initialization in Chennai

Welcome you all for this crazy adventure and our Rickshaw Challenge’s annual event Classic Run. This event had crossed 11 years and stepping in to the 12th year with minor tweak in the route. The total number of teams were 32 and total number of participants were 80. Our organization team had set up two counters to deal with the crowd and time.
Even though it’s not unusual we had many people who grouped themselves before they could register themselves in the rally participation. Team 21 Tinky Winky, Team 22 Dipsy, Team 23 Lala and Team 24 Po is the biggest of the group with 10 members. Likewise, Team 2  Woohoo!! , Team 13  Carpe Diem, Team 14 Freddie’s Folie and Team 27 Alpine Dingoes consisting of 8 members is very interesting combination of sons and mothers drawn by Regan Worley, the hair dresser, of Team 2 with a soul aim to rejuvenate the people who hit the monotony in their life. Furthermore Team 7 and Team 8 Getthatindia 2 and 1 respectively, then it is Team 3 The Flying Kiwi, Team 6 – Bon Vivant and Team 9 AFLO formed another group.
Rest of the teams were new to each other and formed a formidable army of 80 people and that has created a hype right before the rally could start. Yes, I mean the call I received from the Immigration Office to check whether this Rickshaw Challenge is illusion or reality. Thus with the reality check, we will step in to the events which followed one by one to make it a complete life changing experience.
By 11 am exact the briefing started, I did not opt the luxury of microphone and I felt the mistake in the last stage of the speech. Holding up and finishing it successfully and in a purposeful manner, the event moved on to the practice ground. Even before I could enter the ground I saw almost 10 to 15 teams on the move. Then I had to purposefully hold on to them to teach them the basics of fuel mixture. I think some of the people didn’t pay any attention as that was the main reason for the break down even on the last day of the journey.
Whatever is said and done, at the end of the day it is only the numbers that speak. When we count 32 in the hotel then its all fine. The practice did not go without the essential excitement. Team 14 Freedie’s Folie was the first team to break down. An interesting journey by Judith Ham who got a muscle breaking down syndrome but she is a gallant fighter. Her son Geoffrey, who is a music teacher by profession, had taken up the challenge for his mom – an inspiring story to go through. Their Vehicle broke down with electrical failure within half an hour of the start. The mechanics could not find the suitable system and they eventually had to swap the engine. It was done within half an hour and to everyone’s amusement and indirectly increased the confidence of the teams in the Chennai Garage.
At the first junction on the way back to the hotel, on the busy Indian road, Team 4 RickShawn of the Dead faced the challenge of a technical snare in the vehicle and the Chennai Garage showed all their experience to navigate the team out of the chaos and fixing their problem in that sea of traffic was another booster of confidence.
Thus the first day’s program came to end. The finish was the welcome drink for the teams, which was arranged at the pool side. The great crowd sat together with beers, just like a mighty congregation of battle leaders. Even the Gods were among them, listening to the stories and laughing their heads out. Thus a smooth start become evident, which additionally motivated the support crew and organization team.

Day 2 – Culture and Cheap Booze

The day started at 7 am when the teams started dropping the bags and went for the breakfast. Handling 80 people’s bags was much easier than what I thought about. We had a strong team of 3 people to handle the situation with a smart kid of new age from Manipal University, Mr. Sowmeyan. Round Table 42 chairman Mr. Piyush came for the flag off. Before that, he introduced their projects and made an appeal to the participants for their noble case of ‘Freedom through Education’.
At 8.30 am all the participants gathered for a group photograph and then it’s just go after that.  Our Chennai Garage team was split with two teams in two different vehicle and it all went well for an hour or so. The first team to call up the support was Team 13 Carpe Diem. We met them outside of Mahabalipuram and rectified the carburetor issue. Then after this I received a call from Team 2 and they called for support. Interestingly it took the support crew two hours to find them. This adventure brought the human element of the rally, even though we have the most advanced technological system of maps and location. Just don’t think that you had overcome all. Wait there is still more to come.
Team 4 Rickshawn of the Dead faced a challenge which they shared with me during the flag down at the hotel reception. They bumped in to a two wheeler and they settled it with money and negotiation skills.
Then it’s all a cruise down to Pondicherry. There were 5 teams who got already settled in the base hotel much before I could enter the reception. One by one all the teams drive in to the base hotel and the night got settled early. There were couple of more calls for support and the support truck had it easily sorted out without much hassle.

Day 3 – Road to Hell

All went well and the participants were well briefed for the second day of anticipated long drive and bad roads. Everyone was aware of the fact that the last bit of the drive to Tanjavur was a bit more crazy than expected. The Round Table had arranged a project visit and at the briefing we had egged a plan to make it to the hotel. The plan was a crapper and only 10 teams made it to the project. But that was the only story I can remember for the whole day. It was around 6 pm all the vehicles, were in the base hotel except one. There was no call for support on that day. Would you believe it, what expected to be a nightmare day went in so smooth without any issues. But hold on a second, not before I heard stories from many teams how the private bus drivers behaved on road. It is one of a hell of an experience. So many close calls. Team 19 AWE (Awesome Wild Estonians), did not turn up before 7 pm to the base hotel. I tried calling them and find out and that did not serve the purpose. Finally they arrived at the base hotel and told me that they were immersed in a conversation at a food place that they lost soo much of time.
Then Thanjavur night is hell with a big pool and unending serve of beer, were no devils could complain.

Day 3 – New Year’s Eve

The day’s drive started with the recommended visit of  Thanjavur’s big temple, the Brihadishvara Temple. It never failed to surprise no one. The grandeur of the temple and its magnanimity is simply a whavoo!-factor. The first call came from Team 13 and it was bit of a delay to attend them before the support team could make sure they are on the right way. Tirumayam Fort is another pit stop where the second support crew staff Babu had a busy time with a couple of vehicles. Team 5 Coworking were another bunch of guys who were not interested in getting their oil mixture right. They did not use the water bottle trick and they failed completely. They might have broken down like at least once a day and every time the mechanic team needs to clean the carburetor and set them again. Team 6 Bon Vivant broke down for the first time, but they got fixed in no time and they did not lose time as well. All teams reaching Madurai and then taking them to the retro party for New Year’s Eve was fun. Don’t ask me how did it ended and how the teams reached the base hotel… Rest is all history and I need investigator Aravind, the Chief Scientist, to have another blog on that.

Day 4 – Deserved rest

The demons of party wanted the angels to quench their thirst and heal the head which was banging from the previous night’s retro party. But even on this hungover day we had a small success story: Team 29 That’s what she said from Spain and Team 31 Surprise from Hungary had lost their bags in airport transit. Even though the Team 31 recovered it early, the Spanish team of three dudes had to wait till Madurai to pick up their luggage. But today they got their bags and could finally put on some clean underwear! And for us it’s just another three additional bags the next day to Rajapalayam.

Day 5 Ayyanar’s (name of a local guarding God) Bliss

A new route to Rajapalaym is the twist in this year’s trip and blended as divine element for the teams. At Srivilliputur, teams went to the famous Andal Temple and picked up the palm leaf made parrot and used it as a good charm for the rest of their journey. After a short detour of Ayyanar temple, which was attended by most of the teams, they were already on their way to the base hotel. The small drive came as a breather and the base hotel pool was like flooded with so many people and overflowing beers.

Day 6 Driving to the Founder’s Home

 

Another short day is fit for a finale with a surprise celebration in Thoothukudi. The day had a different set of surprise for me as organizer. Because of politicians and the social issue of pollution in Thoothukudi, a big riot had happened. Being foreigners doing some crazy activity of driving a tuk tuk caught the attention of local police and they immediately related this to that previous issue. I had almost my day gone before explaining every officer on what we do, the details and all the events briefing. That become by heart and that was useful for me for the next day events in Bhramajothi Farms. I had some serious issues with double bed of twin separate beds and king size bed. Judith of Team 14 Freddie’s Folie sat with me and gave me time of advice in many ways. I took it in a very positive sense and that sensed me that the evolution has not yet completed. In a sense it will never get completed till its activated time.

Day 7 Local Culture and Pongal celebration.

To be precise, Aravind, the founder of the Rickshaw challenge and king of craziness, is a native of Thoothukudi and the Pongal Festival we are celebrating for every Classic Run happens on his father Mr. Bhramanadam’s farm.  The farm is a one man’s interest in gardening since 1983.  That was not all that day, the first activity for the teams was to drive to Manapad, a picturesque town on the cost about 60 km away from Thoothukudi. All went on fantastic, the farm surprised many people, a small walk around the garden, making pongal, media glare, dinner at farm and convoy to the base hotel. All the activities followed one by one and there was no incident except a flat tyre for Team 13 at the start of the convoy. The Chennai Garage team needs to be appreciated for their precision this time as well.

Day 8 – To the Meeting Point of Trinity

The drive to Kanyakumari was made interesting with the suggested route of Papanasam Dam and Manimuthar Falls. Even though the entry to the Manimuthar falls was closed due to heavy rain and heavy water flow in the falls, teams enjoyed the route. The mountain passes and the water way stood as major reason to photograph. Yes, we had couple of calls for support and the best was the call from the police station of Pannakudi as the activity of the day (find the police station and find out the name of the inspector-in-charge) failed to amuse the police man on duty.
Meeting of the Indian Ocean with Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal with a perfect sunset is the highlight of the day.

Day 9 – Drive to the Finish Line

By a blink of an eye all the events got bundled up and came to the final drive. The final drive was another uneventful day. All said and done, the surprise element is that 32 teams and 80 participants all are fine and found the destination in Trivandrum. Team 1 Savills Surveyors won the charity award for their contribution in raising money for Round Table India. Team 21 Tinky Winky was judged the Bonkers, because of Paul Furber, man with an offensive water gun and crazy man who brought all his friends to enjoy the crazy stuff in India. Finally the world championship was won by Team 24 The super Marios, for their perfect score on every aspect of the rally. Thus, the great epic drive of the Rickshaw Challenge, Classic Run 2019 came to an end in the bar of the base hotel. Where the flag was ceremoniously dropped by Aravind and that marked the finish of the tour. The Good time continues, come join us in further rallies to enjoy the moment and definitely one of the most life changing activities you would ever remember.
See you for an adventure and until then bye from me and the organization.

Day 8

 

 
As the distance was short, all the teams took their time before they could leave the hotel. This day was like an illusion act of a magician. I could not remember any event on the day as all the teams reached the base hotel safe and hit the bar as usual. I started about 2 pm from Thoothukudi and reached the base hotel in Tirunelveli at around 4 pm. There was a small drunken brawl with the locals with a team member but all was fine: it ended up in many crazy selfies with the locals involved.
 

Day 9

 

 
If you look at the google maps the route to Trinelveli to Kanyakumari (the Southern tip of India) is straight forward drive in highway. But we had detour the rally route through Papanasam. The Main attraction is Manimuthar dam, which was unfortunately closed due to bridge damage in the recent heavy rains in the district.
 

 
All the teams had to drive through a tiger reserve and eventually everyone agreed that it was the most scenic route of the rally. Team 15 met with a small accident but luckily there was no damage for both the parties and they continued driving. Team 7 had their fuel mix wrong and the mechanics had to reach them to make them drive back on road.
 

 
The final destination is a wonderful hotel in Kanyakumari and teams viewed the sunset of Kanyakumari in the Sunset point. The day as usual finished at the pub of the base hotel and it was probably the longest day for all the teams.
 

 
 

Day 7: Pongal Challenge

 
Day 7’s activity was kept as a surprise for the participants and only during the daily briefing were things revealed to them. We had planned a Pongal festival in Bremajothi farm at Sayarpuram and for the earlier part of the day we gave a small tour of close-by Tiruchandur and Manapad. As it had been a long day before, all the teams had a chance to relax. Some teams skipped Manapad tour and drove straight to farm, reaching there before 2 pm, about half an hour before the schedule.

 
All the teams assembled at 2.30 pm at the farm and found the arrangements ready for them. The quiet and natural set-up of the farm did not fail to impress all the teams. Aravind and his wife Gayathri came down at 2:30 pm and by 3 pm all the teams were briefed about the activity. Aravind and Gayathri handed over the dhothi and sarees for the teams, while locals were on-hand to help everyone wear them properly! After they got ready we had a photo session and after that it was time for the competition.
 

 
The Pongal event has always been a grand event and it attracts lot of media attention. Finally, after an hour and half the teams lined up for the Pongal competition results. The judging team (pictured above, in tense discussions) had to arrive after that and it took about 6.30 pm to have the results. Team 1, The Tuktators, won the competition for the taste, consistency and presentation.

 
After that the teams had their dinner given by Aravind and being dark we decided to drive them in convey to the hotel. It all ended up superbly and without a hitch we reached the hotel and the teams made it to the pub to finish their day. Knowing that the next day’s drive was pretty easy all the teams were in super relaxed mood that night. Those who burned the oil late into the night were Team 2 ‘the Hasselhoffs’, Team 4 ‘The Death-Shaw’, Team 6 ‘The Valkyrie of Valhalla’, Team 7 ‘Vibes Spice’ and Team 8 ‘Curry me to the Alter’ are the fantastic bunch. Known for their long night drink parties. they continued the habit in Thoothukudi as well.
 
 

 
 

Day 5: Rest day at Madurai

 
The beautiful temple city town of Madruai was the place where the teams had their deserved rest after the long night parties. Even though the teams got up late no one missed the chance to visit the Meeneakshi amman temple there.
 

Day 6: Madurai to Thoothukudi

 

The short day is piece of cake for all the 15 teams. In fact some of the teams had their best moments in Thoothukudi (also known as Tuticorin), driving around the small town having a lot of fun with the locals. So far the Classic Run is going well and let us has the glimpse of the finish in the next report. Until then you can follow our page for more updates, until then bye from me.
 
 

 
 

Day 2: Chennai to Puducherry

 

The costumes of the participants made the first day extraordinarily colorful and gave a happy mood for the first day on road. Again the briefing was done by Aravind and teams left the base hotel within half an hour after we finished the briefing. There we go, Classic Run 2018 was officially flagged off and we were off on road. All went fine for the first day and I saw a couple of teams in Mahabalipuram, mentioned in day sheet. Alambari fort was closed as there were some issues with the locals.
 

Team 15 (Temoji), had no clue how they had to navigate in spite of briefing and they came as the last team and it was 7.30 pm when we finished the day in Puducherry. The other teams strolled to the beach to enjoy the end of the day. Over beers some stories of running out of fuel and minor break downs were discussed. The mechanics attended the overnight complaints and preparation for the next day went smoothly.
 

Day 3: Puducherry to Thanjavur

 

Being the longest day of the entire rally, teams were warned enough and the highlight of the day was again Team Temoji. At around 4.30 PM, I received a call from them and they had completely lost their way and detoured more than 40km. But everything fell into place as they were guided by some locals and the Chennai Garage team lead them after the town of Kumbakonam. Yet another day finished in the base hotel which had an extraordinary swimming pool. Beers by the pool, that’s sounds luxurious, doesn’t it?
 

Day 4 Thanjavur to Madurai

 

The big temple in Thanjavur was the first challenge for the participants. On my drive I met few teams at Tirumayam fort and the pictures taken at there were awesome. Special mention to Teams 11 (the B – Team) and 14 (Ripped and wrecked). Another no problem day ended up at Madurai and teams had their new year’s party… it was a long night for most of the teams! Let the fun begin. I would like to wish all the readers and regular followers of Rickshaw Challenge a Happy New Year!!!
 

 

Incredible Nature

Like these fields of green.

Often the best views are of plantations, like this spot in Western Tamil Nadu.
 

Pristine Beaches

Chennai, where the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run begins, has the longest natural urban beach in the country.

Fishing is an important industry in ports like Tuticorin.

Sometimes the clear white sand has to be seen to be believed.
 

Amazing Temples

The gopurams of Madurai are astonishing.

While Rajarajeswaram has been astonishing visitors for over one thousand years.
 

India’s Southern Tip

Your reward for making it all the way to the very south of the subcontinent is the stunning ocean views of Kanyakumari.
 

 

Chennai

 
Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is Tamilnadu’s capital and by far the largest city in the state. One of India’s major cities, it’s a perfect first stop when visiting India. Not quite as crazy as the very largest cities, and a little less “showy”, there’s still lots to do. You have to have a stroll along Marina beach (pictured above), the longest natural urban beach in India, and see nearby Fort St George, a relic of the city’s colonised past.
 

Pondicherry

 
The second stop on the Classic Run provides a chance to experience a very different atmosphere. Pondicherry (now officially known as Puducherry), is technically not part of Tamilnadu: instead it is located on Union territory, ruled by central government. In fact, Pondichery was French territory until the mid 20th century, and when it comes to cuisine, architecture, and overall feeling of the place, their colonial legacy is still very apparent today.
 

Thanjavur

 
The third city we visit is Thanjavur, the religious and cultural heart of Tamilnadu. One of India’s oldest cities, you can see relics of ancient empire, alongside impressive modern temples. Of particular note is Brihadeeswara Temple, a treasure of Indian architecture, over a thousand years old. The city is filled with life, famous for painting, music, and dance.
 

Madurai

 
Madurai is a city of temples, and it is impossible not to be impressed by the many intricately designed gopurams which tower over historic sites. An ancient city, which once traded with Rome and Greece, it has long been an important center for Tamil culture. However, the city is also flourishing in modern times, and it bustles with energy, especially during festival season.
 

Tuticorin

 
The Pearl City, Tuticorin, is Tamilnadu’s gateway to the sea. Also known as Thoothukudi, it has been an important port for centuries: once ruled by the Pandyan kingdom, it was taken over by the Portuguese, Dutch, and then British. Make sure you try the speciality of the city: the famous Macaroon!
 

Tirunelveli

 
Tirunelveli, variously known as Nellai or, historically, Tinnevelly, is located on the banks of the river Thamiraparani. Once the capital of the Pandya kingdom, there has been a settlement here for over two thousand years. The city’s most famous site is the impressive Nellaiappar Temple, dedicated to the god Shiva.
 

Kanyakumari

 
It’s easy to find Kanyakumari on a map: it’s located at India’s southern tip, and was known in Colonial times as Cape Common. Surrounded on by the Laccadive Sea on three sides, Kanyakumari offers fantastic views, particularly at sunset. It’s also home to many religious monuments, like the Vivekananda rock memorial (pictured above) and the Kumari Amman temple.
 

Trivandrum

 
The final stop on the Classic Run Rickshaw Challenge is Trivandrum, officially known as Thiruvananthapuram. This is the capital of glorious Kerala, known as “God’s own country”, the third state we will have visited. The city is blessed with a phenomenal location, between hills and ocean, and there are too many fantastic beaches to count. With its strategically useful position in the very south-west of the peninsula, Trivandrum has a long history and some great buildings to show for it: check out Kowdiar Palace (pictured above) and Padmanabhaswamy temple.
 
 

 

The Classic Run Gives Back

 

 
Morning with a visit to a school for hearing impaired children in Pondicherry, which is supported by our charity partner Round Table India. The teams gave presents to the kids of all ages, but they were actually more excited about letting everybody point out their country of origin on a big map in one of the classrooms, which brought a big smile on their faces.Team The Cock and Pullet are still going strong in their full body chicken costumes: we are sincerely impressed! There are several other teams who are still putting in the effort, despite seeming to be glued with sweat to their costumes by now!
 

Beaches and Bling

 

 
Today’s schedule planned a temple visit for the teams, but before getting all spiritual, first a quick visit to Silver Sand Beach in Cuddalore, where the teams could watch fishermen at work. Then we headed to Airvatesvara Temple, dating back to the 12th century, a small detour from the route, but definitely worth it. The temple is entered through a small basin filled with water and as the complex has been compared temples of Angkor it’s certainly a worthwhile sight to see. The evening was either spent shopping for sarees or in the hotel pool – a tough decision to make!
 

Television and Temples

 

 
The next day, the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was featured on the local TV and the teams used the opportunity to deliver an important message: If you see us on the street, stay away from us, because we don’t know what we are doing! Despite this little handicap, the teams managed to visit the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, one of the 3 great living Chola temples and a UNESCO world heritage site, rather impressive in its size and details. Team Shark Attack had the luck of breaking down in about 50 m distance from a local garage, and thanks to the talented locals were sent back on the road in no time for an incredibly low price.
 

Goodbye 2016!

 

At Thirumayam Fort one of the toughest challenges till now was waiting for the teams: climbing to the top and counting all the cannon balls they could find there! (We’re gonna tell you a secret: there are none. Some of the guys are probably still there, looking, searching…).  New Year’s Eve meant a sumptuous party at the Taj Hotel in Madurai – as far as we can remember…
 
Happy new year to everybody! Stay tuned for the first adventures of 2017!