30 days to go...

Time has flown by since deciding to go ahead with this crazy adventure. The final details are all coming together... apart from not knowing exactly what we are doing through India the week before starting the challenge, the most important details have been organised. Yes, you know it!! Priority - Team T-shirts and pimping our Rickshaw!! 

In the spirit of the whole event we came up with a team mascot - Little Miss Rickshaw. She was inspired by the Little Miss Series. I must say it was a laugh coming up with the design. We thought safety equipment was a necessity (elbow and knee pads) Perhaps that's is mainly due to  one team member being known for being more accident prone than the others. 

With our powers combined we came up with main T-shirt design. The phrase actually came about when we were sitting around the breakfast table one early February morning in Petra, Jordan. A fellow hotel guest had a slogan on his T-shirt which got our creative thought process going. It had nothing to do with the copious amounts of hummus and falafels we had been eating. 

Over the next 3 weeks each of us will be traveling to respective parts of the world, but shall rendezvous on the 21st July to start an experience of a lifetime.

Flea Market Mayhem

After many months of talking we finally got around to organising a fundraiser. Thanks to Ruth’s ingenious idea we decided to ask people to donate old clothes, books… anything really. From there we set up a table at Safa Park Flea Market to sell all the goodies we had collected and sell on the cheap. Little did we know we would get more donations then we expected, especially from a kind friend who donated 5 massive boxes, three quarters our size. An amazing donation, but never the best fun carrying and lifting them in 90% humidity.

Finally on market day we filled our three cars with what you could say… 'One mans trash is another ones treasure - and headed out to make some money for the ‘Round Table’ Organisation.  http://roundtableindia.org/

By midday the mercury had risen to 40 degrees and inside the hall it felt like a sauna. We actually had to leave the hall and head outside during the afternoon to feel a sense of refreshment.

Before the doors had even opened regular flea market hagglers bombarded us! Trying to set up a mass of stuff in 4 square metres and barter with 4 people at one go is a stressful experience. Once the doors opened all mayhem broke loose. Us girls were very grateful to 3 very kind friends – Yahia, Adel and Jimmy who came down and helped us… in reality it would have been beyond chaotic trying to do it ourselves.

There were a few highlights of the day… One being setting up the clothes racks in desert heat temperatures – A good laugh for the spectators as we read, more than once, the always helpful IKEA instructions. Next would be when the basketball hoop on display fell and nearly gave Pia concussion!  (Unfortunately we only made 15dhs on the thing !) The other being when Adel tried selling Alisha’s Canon camera – with 8Gs of photos. “AHHHH!” Then there was Ruth telling Alisha off for selling the clothes way to cheaply. “That top is designer!” “Those shirts and trousers are tailored made and you sold it for how much!?!?!?!” … “Oops!”

Overall the day was a great success and we walked away quietly satisfied with the final result. Mission accomplished - 4000AED raised for the kids in India!!!

A big thank you to all those who made donations!!!

On reflection - this experience was certainly an induction into what we can expect in India. Chaotic crowds of people, avoiding near miss collisions and sweaty goodness in monsoon temperatures.

I have a dream...

It all began on the 12th January 2012. 

Three girls got together and made a decision to endeavour on an adventure across a country and not any country... but one filled with an astounding array of culture, ancient tradition, history, vibrant colour and chaos... India!

Thankfully we have the time and opportunity to participate in a such an event that allows us to drive 2000 kilometres from Mumbai to Chennai through 4 states in an auto rickshaw, changing our perspective on the world! 

I think all three of us agree there comes a time that you have to put back into the community and step out from under the security blanket of familiarity and experience something that can be life changing. During our time on the road and the weeks before the big day - you can follow our adventure across the unknown through this blog, where there is guaranteed to be challenges beyond our control, eye opening experiences and an abundance of laughs!

FYI - http://www.rickshawchallenge.com/

Meet the team - Pia, Alisha and Ruth!

Time has begun to officially get planning, big time! With only 53 days left until departure date... 

Team name: Little Miss Rickshaws - Check!

Team mascot: Design complete - Check!

Permission to drive a Tuk Tuk: International driving licences - Check!

Indian Visas: Triple check!

Flights: Check!

Immunization updates:  Check!

Rabies immunization: Ruth - Check! Alisha and Pia plan to throw Ruth into the 'lions den' if the situation arises. 

Fundraiser: Safa park Flea Market - Check! (Update coming soon)

Sponsorship: In progress...

Hmmmm... and the list keeps going!