Popping out for an Indian...

Posted 9 months ago 1 response

Mills Gee is a KCL’er with a mission. She’s tall, she’s pretty, and she’s a bit of a posh bird. You’d expect to see her swanning around the arcades of Pall Mall or something. But she got in touch to tell us about her latest adventure, a ridiculous tri-wheeled trial across India, organised to raise money for charity by the lovely people at theadventurists.com. And while it seems she has done a fair bit of backpacking, somehow we just couldn’t picture her up to her elbows in axle grease on a hectic Hindi highway. With diahorrea. So, we asked her to explain herself.

So, you’re hurtling across India in a motor-powered rickshaw designed for short journeys. What possessed you to do that then, lady?

It seemed like a good idea at the time. But that’s before I realised that Kathmandu to Pondicherry is about 2,500 miles and I’m crap at map reading. And that summer is monsoon season in India so it will be sticky humidity or torrential rain all the time. And that a rickshaw is no more than a glorified lawnmower. But I reckon as it takes place at the same time as Wimbledon, it’ll be raining here anyway and it beats moaning about the drizzle here, doesn’t it? More importantly it’s about raising cash for two amazing charities: Frank Water and Mercy Corps India, both grassroots organisations that make a real difference to people over there.

How much do you need to raise for this Frank bloke then?

At least £1,000, but I’m hoping to raise more than that.

How did you find out about it?

It’s run by a group of slightly crazy folk who call themselves The Adventurists. They’re the instigators of the Mongol Rally, where teams drive from London to Mongolia. That’s a challenge in itself, but to make it more testing, you’re only allowed to drive a car with an engine size less than a litre. That’s thousands of miles across countries I can’t pronounce in an old banger that’s guaranteed to die on you in bandit territory. One of my mates did it a couple of years ago and I had been contemplating that, but then I read about their second challenge: The Rickshaw Run. [http://rickshawrun.theadventurists.com] I decided a 144cc vehicle with a top speed of 55kph (downhill with the wind behind you) might suit me better.

You know more than I do about rickshaws already. How long will it take?

We’re aiming to do it in two weeks but with my sense of direction, that might be optimistic. Our flights are flexible, so if we do end up in hospital/prison/a ditch for a few days, we can always put them back. Although I’m not sure what work would think of that.

India has lots of shouty hectic people, monkeys that nick stuff off you and roadside food that’s legendary for altering your DNA. But what’s your biggest fear?

I’ve been to India once and the roads left me shaking, and that was travelling as a passenger in a comparatively sturdy car. Rickshaws aren’t renowned for their safety record with brakes liable to snap at any time and nuts and bolts springing free at every pothole. Plus, it’s survival of the fittest on Indian roads with three-wheelers bottom of the food chain. We’ve been advised by survivors to keep off main roads and only drive during the day, as long distance lorry drivers like to drive at night with no lights except for the glow from their opium pipes.

Have you ever done anything else adventurous?

I’ve been adventurous before but not quite so daft. I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro, motorbiked through Vietnam and flown Lao Aviation but nothing to touch this.

Don’t go all MC Hammer on us, now. Do you like Indian food? What about Delhi belly?

I love curries and dhal and fortunately have quite a strong stomach – famous last words – that’s going to come back and bite me on the bum. But my boyfriend who’s being dragged along for the ride doesn’t have such an iron digestive system and will probably be popping Imodium daily.

Have you ever refitted an engine in the dark on a crazy Indian road? What do you know about engines and stuff?

Course I haven’t! And I know absolutely nada about engines. I think I can change a tyre but that’s it. And my two buddies won’t be much use either. Talk about blind leading the blind.

Who’s going with you? Are they mad too?

My boyfriend Marcus and Vinny, a mate I backpacked with a few years ago. I kind of bullied them into it. I’m hoping Vin might be our secret weapon as he claims to speak Punjabi. It’s also his job to ensure Marcus and I are still speaking by the end of it.

If you’d like to keep abreast of Mills’, Marcus’ and Vinny’s great adventure, and find out how to sponsor them, take a look at www.sariwerelate.co.uk

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