“ No one really believed in us ending this ,”
ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
“ It motivates us more to finish it ,” she said .” We are pretty confident the car can make it .”
There were plenty of obstacles--their car withstood some severe beating on more than one occasion , they lost their way in Mongolia and got stuck in the sand in the Gobi desert , and visa complications in Russia almost forced Pamudurthy out of the rally--but they survived it all .
As the three friends travelled across France , Italy , Austria , Poland , Belarus and several more countries , they found themselves being welcomed into locals ’ houses , eating their food , sharing cultures . “ We packed Maggi and all to ‘ rough it out ’ but they ( the locals ) are doing everything they can , pack food like our moms do back home ,” said Pamudurthy . “ The hospitality of the locals is the highlight .”
Everywhere they travelled , they found people cared about the cause they were raising money for . “ People in the remotest provinces of France concerned about children in India ,” said Kuttaiah . “ Smallest of small villages wanted to donate .” By the end , the team had raised enough money to help 150 children for a year in shelter homes across India .
Yet , the three Bengaluru-based friends--Sunaina Pamudurthy , Binoy John and Bhairav Kuttaiah ended their 48-day trip across 13 countries , five mountain ranges , three river crossings , and a massive desert to reach the finish line in the 2016 Mongol Rally . All this to raise funds and awareness for children in Indian shelters .
“ No one really believed in us ending this ,”
The Route
London to Milan London ( UK ) Paris ( France ) Bordeaux ( France ) Toulouse ( France ) Barcelona ( Spain ) Montpellier ( France ) Marseille ( Spain ) Grenoble ( France ) Geneva ( Switzerland ) Milan ( Italy ) Milan to Chelyabinsk Milan ( Italy ) Bologna ( Italy ) Venice ( Italy ) Salzburg ( Austria ) Munich ( Germany ) Prague ( Czech Republic ) Warsaw ( Poland ) Minsk ( Belarus ) Moscow ( Russia ) Chelyabinsk ( Russia ) Chelyabinsk to Ulan Ude Chelyabinsk ( Russia ) Novosibirsk ( Russia ) Ulgii ( Mongolia ) Ulaanbaatar ( Mongolia ) Ulan-Ude ( Mongolia )
Source : huffingtonpost & rushlane
26 Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Mar - May 2017