Rickshaw Run teams to blaze into Goa this week.

The "rickshaw run" has captured the imagination of Indians all along its route with absolute disbelief written all over the faces of many in the country who have witnessed the white skinned Europeans or some unfamiliar faces riding the 150 cc travel-bounty of many Indians to be in the command of people from various parts of the world and that too on Indian terrains.

Indeed who could ever imagine, that the 150 cc 2 stroke 3 wheeler auto rickshaw to be a vehicle which could inspire a true sense of adventure? That the vehicle essentially meant for travel within the city could take the distance of 4000 km and thereby raise over half a crore for charity besides fostering a cultural interlude between the east and the west?

To the surprise and bewilderment of many however, the Indian rickshaw has done all of the above and much more. The Adventurists , a UK based company who initially rode on this brilliant idea to pioneer the rickshaw run since December 2006 couldn't be more satisfied with the outcome.

The whole adventure of the rickshaw run has caught on the spirit of many all over the world who after being caught by the bug have decided to take the plunge into this unique form of adventure. The next step is simple. Little preparation and even lesser luggage is all you take along with you as you fly down to India and launch yourself into driving the auto-rickshaw over thousands of kilometres of questionable terrain.

The route is continuously changed to keep the adventure a challenge. Daniel Wedgwood of the Adventurists informs that "the routes are changed once we get the odd team surviving one route, which makes them move it to somewhere more tougher and the whole route is planned to be covered in a vague time of two weeks without specific route plans" .

So from the 23rd of April 2009 onwards, there was a warm welcome awaiting the 47 participating teams who were to cross the finish line at Colva in Goa anytime from that day after having left from Shillong on the 12th of April 2009. So a total of 113 participants were keenly awaited by Daniel Wedgwood from the league of adventurists International Ltd and his Indian head of "the adventurists' Mr Neeraj Lama at Colva. Participants hailing from countries such as England, USA, New Zealand, Finland, Belgium, Australia and Sri-lanka were all being awaited for the finale of the Spring edition of the Rickshaw run from Shillong to Goa.