First Sixteen Teams Hobble Round the Himalayan Mountains to Cross the Finish Line!

Yes they’re coming round the Himalayan mountains and into Shillong as we very speak! As the finish line celebrations are quietly prepared by the party elves that are Mr Tom and Mr Vikash, teams are sneaking up slower than a one legged baboon. An impressive sixteen intrepid teams have already made it to the heights of Shillong where ice cold beverages and rather hotter curries have welcomed their arrival. Meanwhile, those taking a touch longer, ailing yet loyal rickshaw steeds beneath them, are struggling across the impossible terrain of the Orissan “road” network, nursing their rather sore bottoms, and crawling carefully up mountain paths. Team Cumin Or Goan bravely attempted to cross the border into Bangladesh. Painful and dangerous though their 12 hour journey to the border was, they found the impenetrable wall of bureaucracy slightly too high to jump over in a 2-stroke rickshaw. Sadly, they turned back along the painful and dangerous road they had travelled along to go around the long way through the Himalayan mountains. “Currently doing pot-hole slalom in thick fog, visibility around 3m” they said. Oh deary deary – we very much hope they maketh it!! An inspiration for all we think you’ll agree. Slightly closer to the finishing line are team Canada WHOA who are battling on despite warnings about all sorts of towns and villages beyond Guwahati : “Reasons for the warnings vary -- with rumours of bandits and/or terrorists.” Blimey! And Madcap Blunderbus appear to be having their own rather shocking experiences: “This morning” they write after their finger-shaking stopped “I was awoken by a vigorous beating on my bungalow (shack)'s door. As it was 5am I groggily wondered if something was wrong and hurried to escape my mosquito net, unlock the padlock, slide back the bolt, run down the crappy hallway, slide back the bolt again and find out what was happening. Turns out, it was time for morning tea before our 6:30am elephant ride.” Oh the terrible trials of the Rickshaw Run! More to come soon chaps – we are most excited about the finish line party this weekend which we will write all sorts of funny things about soon!