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A seemingly half-witted idea spawned what was to become one of the great adventures without having to do too much yourself . That was eighteen years ago when Aravind Bremanandam decided that the adventure he was on could be transferred to his native India using the local transport .
With that in mind , we took to India , arriving in the coastal region of Goa , a former Portuguese colony , that smacks of European influence . An almost South American feel eases the participants in as they prepare for what many will see as a harsh reality check into how they deal with the unknown and unfamiliar . This is the Deccan Odyssey , a Rickshaw Challenge organised by Bremanandam ’ s organisation , the Travel Scientists .
The Travel Scientists have a number of Rickshaw Challenges each year , ours is mid-level , around 1500 kilometres traversing the main roads between Goa and the sprawling metropolis that is Mumbai , a little further up the west coast .
Although different in length and location , the concept of the Rickshaw Challenge is the same , get in a tiny , often ageing auto rickshaw , and race from one destination to the next whilst collecting as many points through clues , encounters , and opportunities as possible . Essentially a bastardised marriage between ‘ reality ’
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