Only TWO Weeks to go!

Welcome to:

http://livekarmaenduro.blogspot.com/


We do hope you will follow our adventure which takes place

15th to 30th of October.


Please save this address in your 'Favourites' to ease your access to our blog



Ready for the off!

We are well prepared now, with fingers crossed that nothing fails in the arrangements at this last stage as the airline world seems to be nearing crisis!

We are certainly mentally prepared having had many months to get used to the idea of two weeks in each others company!

The event , though not initially planned to be, is something of a swansong for me, due to my impending (early) retirement at the end of the year. Recent sessions in the gym and on my bike round the North Warwickshire cycleway, have convinced me that I shall be fit enough.

Steve, after his accident, has come through his physio well and is also raring to go.

We have both now completed our courses of 'jabs' in preparation.

We have accumulated essential items for car and drivers - everything from rubber gloves and a mini compressor through to maps,a comprehensive medical kit, including 'quick setting cement' to 'phone chargers and a 'dongle' for the mini-laptop so that we can blog to keep families, friends and sponsors abreast of our trip as it unfolds.

We have renewed passports which now sport the appropriate visas.

Steve has sourced T shirts and reflective jackets for us to wear during the trip, nicely printed with the Karma motif.

Our car is in India, decorated with our sponsors logos for the duration - we'll supply quality photos featuring these to each sponsor, on our return.


'On event' pics will be posted, whenever we can, hopefully each day, on this blog.


Why are we doing this?

Simply, a fifth of the worlds children live in India.


My wife Gill and I visited Northern India a couple of years ago and were overwhelmed by the beauty of the country, its scenery, architecture, culture and people.



We were taken aback by the simplicity of the lifestyles of so many.

Education is highly valued


yet the schools we saw had very few amenities, poor physical conditions and were almost devoid of equipment.

In July last year Gill saw the Karma Enduro advertisement in the weekend Telegraph offering the opportunity to drive 2000km through the back roads of southern India using the classic Hindustan Motors 'Ambassador' which features 37hp and uses 1950s technology - based on the old Austin Cowley - whilst raising funds for two worthwhile charities.

I applied immediately and during the following week Steve Durban and I, both being motorsport practitioners, albeit from different disciplines, decided to do the event together (to Gill's chagrin for she had rather assumed she had booked her seat!)

With support from Fraikin's John Ball and a carefully crafted mailshot (thanks to James Keeler and Debbie Sheldon) to which a number of generous sponsors responded, we rapidly exceeded the minimum £8500 required.

After paying our own costs and with some donations still to arrive, we have almost doubled this amount. (We will publish a full account after the event)

This should help to ensure that the contribution to the charities from the event well exceeds the £150,000 which the KarmaEnduro event initially targeted. (Previous similar events have raised around £250.000)



Who Benefits?


Of course Steve and I will of course do by having this great experience to dine out on, but the funds raised are to be split in two.

The Rainbow Trust a well established children's charity operating in UK

Please follow the link to see in some detail what they are about:


http://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/.


Alan Titchmarsh broadcast an appeal in support of this charity on BBC Radio 4 on 21st September repeated on Thursday 25th September.


The other charity is Adventure Ashram which seeks to address the inter-linked problems of lack of education, poverty, disregard for the environment and ignorance which are rife among the villagers of the Upper Palani Hill range and in many wider poor rural areas in India.




Please go to http://www.adventureashram.org/home.htm for more details




Where are we going?

The map shows the route in outline, which goes from southern Goa, through Karnakata and the ghats to Kerala. For those geographically challenged or unfamiliar with India , that is from about half way down on the West ( left ) side to just a short distance from the tip.

Itinerary


We leave from Heathrow on the evening of 15th October and fly via Colombo (where we have a 17 hour stopover!) before flying on and arriving in Goa.


After a short warm up to get used to the car, we start from Palolem then drive on each day to Gokarna, Shimoga and down to Mangalore.



From there to Mysore and Masingudi where we spend a couple of days.
(we may need a rest by then!)

Then back in the car and on again to Kodai and Munnar before reaching our destination at Kumarakom in the Kerala backwaters.

After a couple of days at our final destination, we will fly home on an early flight from Cochin on 30th October, again flying via Colombo ( thankfully only a short connection this time!) back at LHR in the evening accommodating the time shift - so a very long day's travel to get home!



Wow, we can't wait!

A big THANK YOU to all those who have helped so far and made this trip possible.

George & Steve

Those interested can see details of the KarmaEnduro 2009 event on http://karmaenduro.com/