Mumbai Xpress Sweeping Across India

Mumbai Xpress, a crazy two-week rickshaw adventure across southern India, has kicked off last Monday. From Mumbai to Chennai, teams race in their rickshaws about 2000 km across India’s streets, but not without stops for sightseeing, recreation and to support local schools.

Photo: Rickshaw Challenge

Always competing for the first place, which is not only linked to being the fastest, the teams are collecting points, be it with extraordinarily many breakdowns or with special costumes, that probably make the locals seriously question western fashion styles and culture.

After a first getting to know the rickshaws and a general how-not-to-kill-yourself-driving-in-India preparation, the teams were released into the wilderness of Mumbai, taking their rickshaws back to the hotel themselves.

Photo: Min Chai from team N2 Extreme TukTuk.

After one more day of preparation, sightseeing and of course of partying, the adventurous trip finally started. On the first day, the teams were mainly busy with getting through Mumbai’s traffic alive, but in the end, all of them reached Alibag safely, with just a minor number of breakdowns.

On the next day, the first rickshaw had to visit a local garage for a couple of hours, but it’s all part of the big adventure and the team still managed to get to the hotel. Day 3 of the rally offered the possibility to dive into local culture, making chai at a local stall after visiting the Aga Khan Palace in Pune.

Photo: Liane Wicks from team Ice Ice Bhaji.

Till now, all teams are putting up a good fight and they are holding their ground against monsoon, heat, humidity and the notoriously spicy Indian kitchen. The race is almost finished and we can’t wait for the latest updates of this crazy rickshaw adventure!

If you always wanted to cross India in a rickshaw during monsoon season, your next chance to participate in the Mumbai Xpress will be in August 2016. But fear not, if you can’t wait that long! Just join the Travel Scientists for one of their other rickshaw adventures: the Tamilnadu Run, the Classic Run, the Malabar Rampage or the Deccan Odyssey, which all follow different routes across fascinating India.

Header Photo: Rickshaw Challenge