A Little Adventure to do Some Good

"Wait you are going to be driving that thing???" My wife's reaction to my plan. Most everyone particularly Indians I spoke to on my plans would have similar reactions.

More than a year ago Greg a friend and fellow photographer came up with an idea. Lets drive the length of India in an auto rickshaw, and we can fund raise for charities that we support. (An auto rickshaw is a three wheeled under powered vehicle used in India and other countries as an inexpensive way to get around cities. Totally not meant to do what we were going to be doing to it.) So after more than a year in the planning we departed Shillong along with 70 other rickshaw teams with similar insane ideas on a 2,400 mile journey to Kochi in a vehicle that went no faster than 30 miles and hour, has no windows, and broke down on a regular basis. Along the way we faced terrible roads, monsoon, flat tires, beyond insane traffic, sweated profusely, poor food, burned out pistons, lack of sleep, the hunt for spare parts, mosquitoes, suicidal bus drivers, roadside chai, and an amazing journey through India's magnificent landscapes. The best part, meeting people all along the way. Indians who would drop whatever they were doing to say hello, ask questions, shake our hand, take selfies with us, help load our rickshaw on a truck, bring us chai, help us find a mechanic, and treat us like celebrities. All of this with a huge smile on their faces with genuine amazement and happiness to see us.

Our fundraiser is still open until 9/1/2016. Every little bit goes a long way in helping orphans in India and Nepal. The main reason I did this was to fund raise for orphans. As cool as the trip was it was about doing what I can to help on making these kids lives a little better.

Please help me help them.

https://www.crowdrise.com/the-rickshaw-run---india---august-2016/fundraiser/williamvazquez

Families for Children

An orphanage that takes in mentally and physically disabled children. Amazing well run place in India.

Families for Children

An orphanage that takes in mentally and physically disabled children. Amazing well run place in India.

Kids of Kathmandu

An orphanage in Bhakatpur, Nepal. A well run place where the kids are really loved. I have a soft spot for them. I have seen them grow up.

Kids of Kathmandu

An orphanage in Bhakatpur, Nepal. A well run place where the kids are really loved. I have a soft spot for them. I have seen them grow up.

Here are some photos of our Adventure.

Our final 2,490 mile route....I know crazy

Day 1, a bad start. Gettiing stuck on a dead end road on a steep hill with 10 other Rickshaws.

Selfies everywhere with everyone we met

First day out...we get stuck in the mud.

The view from the back seat

where is that noise coming from??

Insane traffic

Everytime we stopped we had an audience

First piston burnout. Took us 24 hours to get resolved

Carberator needed regular dissasembly and cleaning. Usually on a bridge or by the side of the road with traffic screaming by

It took us a while to convince the mechanic what the problem was. Once he took it apart. He announces "This is your problem!".....yeah

If we can't bring the part to us. We will go to the part.

It was much nicer to be outside than crammed in the cab with the driver and three other people. We couldnt figure out why they were coming along

Rule number 1,2, and 3. Do not hit any animals, you will be made to pay. If you hit a cow........ just don't hit a cow they are sacred in India.

Traffic jams

Do not hit the pipe....I hit the pipe

Making friends

Crashing an Indian wedding

We were having our photo taken more than the bride and groom

A bit of perspective. Big truck and if you look closely.....our ride.

Different traffic jam, different animal

Chai by the side of the road. The best kind of chai!

We will probably be in an advertisement for the chai stand.

Piston #2. This time only half an hour to repair. Next one we do oursleves. Although we didnt have any more pistons.

Wise words

Having a deep conversation about my waist pack.

Helping with numbers

We were able to visit one of our charities. Families for Children near Kochi. An amazing visit.

More carb issues and many opinions on what is the issue.

Beautiful places

The back seat with our gasoline cans

Another flat tire.

Grandmother is an amazing cook

The kids loved our rickshaw

An amazing welcome at Families for Children. Of course we were 1/2 an hour early and messed up their plan.

Hmmmm...Maybe a new career path. Driving a truck in India. The driver lived in the truck with his mather and father.

Spices and more spices

In general Indian food is amazing. Except when it wasn't.

Making friends even while waiting in traffic.

Beautiful scenes that you just have to stop and photograph.

Visitors in the night.

Making children laugh. Actually they were probably lauging at us. We were in the wrong place by 200 miles.

A sheep and goat stampede.

Getting pulled over for selfies

People encouraged us along the way

Can never have too much chai

Looking for a mechanic and spare piston.

Some accomodations were very rustic. I am being generous.

Amazing things along the road

The morning ritual of getting gasoline all over us.

Always being observed

Our first tow

Chai while you wait to see if the bridge is washed out....It was

Waiting in the rain

Greg and me....sweating

Cars, people, bikes, people, rickshaws, and buffalo all coming at you at once.

Gas station attendant creating beauty

Girls on their way to school

Beautiful vistas

One last ferry into Kochi

Getting our coordniates for our last push

we have arrived! Celebrated with a complimenatry cold one.

Another selfie with our finish certificate. He was prouder than me!

15 days after we started....We have arrived in one piece!

A big thank you to Ian and Sam. I met them in Guwhati airport getting a taxi to Shillong. We ended up traveling together during the whole adventure. They stuck by us when our Rickshaw was sick, towed us a few times, snapped photos of us, and Ian just loved to get on the ground to take apart our engine when it needed fixing. They made the trip even more awesome. Great people.