The Classic Run 2020 is over already and the teams had a blast. After many adventures on the road they arrived in Thiruvananthapuram, just a bit past India's most southern point (back up north, not staight into the sea...). Check out some of the trip's highlights below! Kick-off Day Our teams from Hungary, Turkey, New Zealand, the USA and China were very excited to finally start their 1000 km adventure from Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai all the way south to Thiruvanantapuram (Trivandrum for short). They still seem quite relaxed, but that only lasted till they hit the Indian traffic for the first time! Colorful India Colors, colors, colors everywhere! And South Indian temple architecture can be especially colorful. Add to it seeing the often bright houses and the women's beautiful saris for a few weeks, and your next shopping trip to H&M will seem like an awefully bland affair. Ancient Temples Not all temples are that colorful, but they are often ancient and have been in the same place for more than a thousand years. If you take some time, you'll see amazing details in the fassade. And if you are smart, you'll grab our head organizer Princely, who knows quite a bunch about their origin and meaning. Selfies, Selfies, Selfies By the end of the Rickshaw Challenge Classci Run 2020 is was quite clear who had the longest arms - especially important for group-selfies with rickshaw and temple background! Refreshing Breaks Our teams love to take every chance they get to stop for some fresh coconut water directly from the coconut. Nothing else is as refreshing and reviving in India's heat! Random Roadside Breakdowns And what would a Rickshaw Challenge be without countless breakdowns! Those make the best stories and offer our teams
The Classic Run 2020 is over already and the teams had a blast. After many adventures on the road they arrived in Thiruvananthapuram, just a bit past India’s most southern point (back up north, not staight into the sea…). Check out some of the trip’s highlights below! Kick-off Day Our teams from Hungary, Turkey,
What we learnt on the India's Cup 2018. The India's Cup rally is one of the most exciting events on the Travel Scientists' calendar. We love rickshaws (and bulls!) but as we continually discover in our many other exciting events, sometimes you can't beat a car! This event is designed to test our cars, and participants, to the maximum, in order to experience as much of South India's diversity as we can possibly fit in a couple of weeks. We think we (and our brave teams) did a good job. Here are some of the highlights: Fantastic Cars Any vehicle is accepted the India's Cup. However: the more classic, and the less suitable, the better. This time though, the field were all in Hindustan ambassadors; a real classic of Indian roads, this made for an interesting blend of fitting in and (as a group) standing out. Most importantly, they took teams 2700 kilometers, from Chennai to Goa (with a lot of detours in between). Most of the Time... One thing about these cars: they are... temperamental. Especially on hot, long days, with drivers who aren't used to this unique vehicle. It took some getting used to, and quite a few pit-stops along the way, but by the end of the trip our teams had learned to love them like family (fault air-con included...). Amazing Scenery We saw some of South India's most remarkable places, like the 'Venice of the East', Alleppey, pictured above. Other highlights included the tea fields of Ooty and, of course, the beaches of Goa. So Much History Being India, of course, there were also many historic sights to see. We even had an excellent guide Deepa, pictured here showing participants around the incredible ruined city of Hampi. The Sea Temple at Mamallapuram and the Chinese fishing nets of Kochin will
What we learnt on the India’s Cup 2018. The India’s Cup rally is one of the most exciting events on the Travel Scientists‘ calendar. We love rickshaws (and bulls!) but as we continually discover in our many other exciting events, sometimes you can’t beat a car! This event is designed to test our cars, and participants, to the maximum, in order
Let's look back at the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017. Julia Krohmer was a participant on the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017, along with her team: the Frankfurt Samurai Tigers. We asked her what she thought about the challenge and for her to recount some of her favorite moments were. Here are our questions, her answers, plus her wonderful photos from the event! She provides great insights for anyone considering signing up for a Rickshaw Challenge. Why did you decide to sign up for the Rickshaw Challenge Malabar Rampage 2017? A friend of ours (Uwe Harmening) had participated in the Classic Run three years ago and was so happy and excited about this experience that he quickly convinced us to join in as well. What did you expect and what did you get? We expected an adventurous (without stress) and funny travel experience off the beaten path in a beautiful country – and that’s exactly what we got! But we got even more: The great exchange with the many other teams, the international atmosphere among all participants, and the easy and enriching contact with the population all along the trip. What was your scariest experience on the road? There was not one – we found the traffic in fact amazingly organized, based on a lot of mutual communication and attention and some common rules respected by all traffic participants – which made driving often more enjoyable than on many crowded European streets, where all drivers insist on their rights and rules. Driving in India was somehow smoother, way more flexible! I was only really shocked by the horrible health condition of some of the stray dogs we saw. What was your most positive experience during the Malabar Rampage? The warm and welcoming reactions of the
Let’s look back at the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017. Julia Krohmer was a participant on the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017, along with her team: the Frankfurt Samurai Tigers. We asked her what she thought about the challenge and for her to recount some of her favorite moments were. Here are our questions, her answers,