Skip to main content

Rickshaw = Sorted

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting my new companion for the next two weeks – a 2007 auto-rickshaw with 7hp and nearly 20k kilometers on the odometer.  I have a hunch this little bugger is going to fall apart on me quite a bit!

pano_rickshawlot I wanted the fun of painting it myself, so I went for a quick ride down to the parts area with my new friend Sabu and got some assorted paint and a brush – then went to work!  I’ve no idea what my inspiration was other than laziness, but I’m happy with the result:

P1080722

P1080746

P1080789 Of course, I also spent some time driving around and getting used to the little beast, finding it considerably easier to drive than expected.  It feels so relaxed and lazy compared to the amount of effort required to drive the mototaxi on the 2009 Mototaxi Junket

Tonight I’ll get a bit of a background on some of the better routes and driving tips for India, then tomorrow I will do a final bit of shopping…  followed by the off on Sunday!  I am considerably less equipped than I was in South America as we expect very little activity in the middle of nowhere (thanks to India’s huge population) and overall am somewhat prepared to “just go with it.”  Feels a bit more adventurous but a lot more lazy.

I’m also in the process of encoding a quick two minute video to get you guys “in the driver’s seat” of the rickshaw, and will hopefully be able to upload it tonight.


I need your help! 

I can’t keep calling it “the rickshaw” or “the little beast” – it needs a name.  Suggestions, quick!

Comments

Karthik said…
We are using "Auto" or "Three wheeler" name

Popular posts from this blog

5 Things that Suck about Traveling Solo

I find it telling that it seems a majority of the interesting travel blogs I run across are written by solo travelers, most often women. I think there’s a reason why we write more than people who travel with friends or in groups and that it’s pretty self evident: it’s an outlet for our loneliness. In the last year and a half, the vast majority of my time has been spent away from home, alone. As I write this, it’s been over a month since I’ve conversed with anyone in my native language, and I can remember every single conversation in English for the month before that. The truth is, I don’t think I could have done this without the internet – without a blog to share my thoughts, without Facebook to see what my friends are up to, without the occasional e-mail to provide a façade of normalcy… without these things I’d likely have driven myself insane with my internal dialogue. Now, I grant, there’s a reason I travel alone and I do love it, but lately it seems all I run across in the blogosp...

Gear Review: Sea to Summit Big River Dry Sacks

In the past couple months on the road I think I’ve spent more time riding my scooter through rain than I have in the dry – this is clearly reflected in the fact that as time has gone by I’ve invested more and more money in things to keep my stuff dry, since wet gear sucks. One of my favorite purchases for this trip is the pair of Sea to Summit Big River Dry Sacks I picked up just before leaving, in 13L and 20L sizes. They cost me around $20 each and are one of the best pieces of gear I’ve purchased in years – extremely durable, effective, and simple to use.

Tiger Muay Thai – Full Review

After spending six weeks training and living at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand, I wanted to write up some of my thoughts on the entire experience, the gym, and the trainers.  This will be a long winded post with a lot of detail – I encourage anyone considering spending time in Thailand training Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and/or Muay Thai give it a read, but anyone else may want to skip it. Background:   I visited Tiger Muay Thai (TMT) from February 22 to March 23, then returned again from April 15 to April 28, 2010.  I had no previous MMA or Muay Thai experience, though I did grow up wrestling.  I came into my visit with above-average fitness but definitely not close to elite level. The Gym Facilities: TMT is amazing, and they finished a big expansion while I was there.  There is TONS of room, with seven+ massive separate training areas of various sizes, tailored for MMA, Muay Thai, weight lifting, and crossfit style workouts (kettlebells/etc.).  ...