Day 2 -- Pondicherry to Thanjavur (180 km)
Trip Start
Oct 24, 2007
1
21
26
Trip End
Jan 13, 2008
Thanjavur,
India
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
well, TODAY was a good day.
we left pondicherry late though - about 1/2 hr and as soon as we left the hotel ramp, the rickshaw died! so we had to call a mechanic right away and he made a small adjustment and we were off. First stop was the school as we made it a priority yo get there. we got there at 1:30PM and it was incredible. the organizing team was not there (they were running behind) so we asked the media team to explain in Tamil and organize the kids into a line so that they could receive the stationery that we bought for them. the day before in Pondicherry, we bought 50 pieces each of a school bag, red pen, blue pen, 2 books each, geometry box, 10-pack pencil, pencil box, fancy pencil, ruler, fancy colorful erasers. it was a joy to give them out. you can see pics at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=78878&l=cccdd& id=690225651
Before we got to the school, 20 km away, the rickshaw broke down! we inspected the engine and noticed that one of the main axles was dislodged. luckily there was a mechanic nearby and we pushed the rickshaw there. when we pointed out the dislodged axle, he pointed out two other points on the engine that were dislodged!!! so he fixed it for us in 20 min and "made" a spare parts and charged us 75 rupees ($2)!! we gave him 100. that is a far cry from the organizers price of $200 plus spare parts and a minimum 45 min wait for a dispatcher!
after that we visited a temple to answer some challenge questions and then carried on to Thanjavur. we were speeding at 40 km/hr and ppl were eating our dust! unfortunately, at one of the towns we passed by a very sad scene. a child had been hit by some vehicle (not present at the spot) and died on the spot. his head was covered with a piece of cardboard but the blood and crushed head were evident. it was very sad.
we made it to the hotel by 6:30 PM which and 10 out of 28 rickshaws made it before us. some teams are not interested in stopping for the challenges or the schools and make it to the destinations earlier.
well, that was another day and it was the longest leg of the journey. so i suppose subsequent legs will be easier. as there are 200 students in the school tomorrow, we may buy large ticket items like fans and get a smaller number of stationery items.
the hotel reception today was amazing. a photo, valet parking, a garland, sweets, hot towel and a drink. and now free Internet. felt like i was participating in the "amazing race".
best wishes,
sameer
