Day 043 > Monday 14 October

Having travelled all through the previous day and most of the night, and following the activities of South Africa we decided to treat ourselves to a lay in today. In fact, when we eventually got up we all just pottered. Haircuts, washing, a blast in the gym and massages for the girls were as much as we could do. Miles spent nearly the whole day sleeping and working on his e-mails but I spent most of the time trying to get my I.T. to work, finally giving up.

We eventually ventured out of the hotel in the evening to get some food, our first authentic Indian cuisine together. Mike met up with Veejay, a double amputee with a great smile. They started comparing wheelchair tricks in the street and gathered a small crowd. I must say, Veejay had the edge but he wasn't eleven stone, paralysed from the chest down and hadn't been doing all the things Mike had been doing over the last six weeks.

Day 044 > Tuesday 15 October

Mumbai (was called Bombay) is both the gateway to India and also the home of Bollywood, the Indian film industry. Our day started with a tour of some of the Bollywood editing studios where we witnessed the latest music video and film promotional videos taking shape. The film industry here is huge but it was interesting that most of the films were being produced using the most basic of "home use" technology and programmes.

Today was also the culmination of a nine day Hindu festival known as Desshara of India’s national holidays, Desshara - a festival which celebrates victory over evil or bad and is related to the Hindu book of Ramayan. This festival day is traditionally proceeded by a nine day fast and at sunset on the final day Hindus burn the effigy of Ravana – the king of Shri Lanka, who kidnapped the wife of Ram the major character of the holy book.

We watched the celebration on Juhu one of Mumbai’s famous beeches. Here we lost ourselves amongst the teeming crowds of colour and excitement. Mike was aghast as he looked on as everyone danced to the rhythm of the beating drums. Flowers, incense, tikka, some mad pink powder, smoke, henna, colourful saris, wide eyed children, trance like beats, fairground madness, luminous pink candy floss, coconuts, balloons, kites, candles – the place was alive as the immersion of the idols of Durga and Kali were danced into the sea. Amongst it all Mike sat in his wheelchair on the sand. Since we began this trip it has always been touch and go whether Mike should go to India – whether it would be safe enough. Being determined we were insistent he came and as I watched him take it all in, be fascinated as so many people are by the cacophony of senses this country offers I am thrilled we were so stubborn. I really do believe that this team and Mike anywhere he wants to go – it’s all about finding the right way.

Day 045 > Wednesday 16 October

The journey to Bharatpur was going to take us about 22 hours on the train. We shivered as we remembered our journey to Rome from Monaco a few weeks ago and wondered whether the Indian trains would provide an experience in any way comparable to the misery we had endured in Europe.

The station was crowded and noisy but we quickly found the carriage and seats allocated to us. Like on the Italian train, it was not possible to use the wheelchair on board, but we are getting pretty good at lifting now and Mike was quickly comfortable on his bed. Although basic and dated the train was roomy and fairly clean. Trains are still a popular and subsidised form of transport in India and this one quickly filled as it passed through one station after another.

Food looked and tasted great and the Chai was piping hot which is always an encouraging sign. The best part of the journey was at sunset. Sitting on the floor between the carriages with the door open, the air and noise flooding in as we made our way across rural India. This felt like we were really travelling.

Day 046 > Thursday 17 October

Arriving at Bharatpur at dawn was a joy. We had travelled about 20 hours through India on the train, feeling warm and safe and excited by the smells and sounds of this exotic country.

We were collected at the station in Ambassador cars, the classic car of India produced by Hindustan Motors, and taken to a beautiful old hotel, owned by the the local Maharaja, for breakfast.

Bharatpur is famous for its bird sanctuary and we mounted the back of a bullock cart to travel through town to the sanctuary. It seemed that everybody we passed cheered and waved to see such a strange sight as us Europeans travelling on such a basic form of transport. We loved the whole experience, sitting on the cart in the sunshine and travelling at such a leisurely pace through the busy streets.

We transferred to pedal rickshaws for the visit to the sanctuary, relying on the leg power of our skinny drivers for the two hour ride. We didn't see a great number of birds but enjoyed being in the quiet countryside for a while.

One thing we were all looking forward to was the scheduled visit to the Taj Mahal at sunset. Five hours of battling through the traffic brought us to Agra, just in time to see the most famous sight in total darkness. Returning to the hotel by auto rickshaw we resolved to return to the Taj Mahal before leaving India at any cost, despite the fact that, first thing in the morning, we were to take another five hour drive in the Ambassadors to Delhi.

Day 047 > Friday 18 October

We left the hotel in Agra on one of the most bizarre forms of transport yet. Basically it was an agricultural truck made up of a generator, lots of wood, four wheels and decorated in garlands. The vehicle was un-licensed for the road and was driven by two young boys. For an hour we drove through the streets from Agra towards Delhi before transferring to the Ambassadors for the remaining four hours to Delhi. We were followed by huge crowds of cyclists and rickshaws, all amazed to see the vehicle and its unusual payload.

Caroline had an appointment with an elephant today and, as we all arrived at the outskirts of Delhi and met up with Bulbul, Caroline was full of emotion and nostalgia for her epic elephant journey in India two years ago.

Getting Mike into the howdah on top of the 8 foot elephant looked pretty daunting at first but, thanks to Bulbul's calm co-operation it yet again proved to be easy. The adventurers made their way slowly but surely to the centre of Delhi and rode triumphantly into the residence of Philip McDonagh, the Irish Ambassador to India.

It was very odd to sit on the finely manicured garden, eating cucumber sandwiches, drinking Guinness with a huge elephant sitting peacefully beside us. Philip and his family knew Caroline well from Caroline's famous elephant journey and we were all made to feel very welcome.

Day 048 > Saturday 19 October

Today was probably the most emotional day of highs and lows that we had experienced since leaving home. Two days ago we had arrived at the Taj Mahal just after dark and had missed the visual beauty of this place. Today we set off from Delhi at midnight to make the five hour journey to Agra in a little cramped van, our aim being to get to the Taj Mahal before dawn. We made it, and sat almost in silence waiting for the sunlight to hit the white and pink marble of the structure.

It was hard not to think of our loved ones back home when one is at a place which has such romantic associations, and we sat in our own little worlds for a while reflecting on the past, present, future and eternity. Dawn hit the mausoleum and it was as beautiful as we had expected. Pictures fail to do justice to the scene, especially as we then had just half an hour before we needed to be heading on our five hour return to Delhi.

Just as a quick aside, Neeraj had arranged for us to transfer To the Taj Mahal from our van by Camel cart and back again by auto rickshaw. Another two "ways" we think.

Back in Delhi we had some work to do. Aoife had been feeling progressively unwell and her tummy had now swollen so much she was unable to wear her own clothes. Feeling continually tired and also hungry, something was obviously not right. An appointment with a specialist had been arranged and the outcome was recommendation that Aoife should undertake a week of tests either at Delhi, Singapore or home in Ireland. Home was really the only acceptable option.

We had been invited for tea and drinks with Philip, the Irish Ambassador to India and while enjoying his fellowship and hospitality I managed to organise air tickets for Aoife to return home that night. A travel agent agreed to stay open after hours to allow time to get cash and pick up the tickets, suddenly it was all arranged, Aoife was going home, hopefully for tests, rest and then to re-join us in a couple of weeks.

The rest of us were flying to Bangkok that night so we all made our way to the airport. For us, saying goodbye to someone we had shared so much with over the last seven weeks was really hard. For Aoife.., we can't imagine how she must have been feeling inside. Come back soon Aoife, we miss you!

Day 049 > Sunday 20 October

Leaving India and leaving Aoife was a real wrench to our emotions, but anticipation of arriving in exotic Bangkok was mouth watering. Thai Airlines were fantastic and we arrived at the Amari Hotel for breakfast fresh(ish) and ready for a fun packed day.

Henk, our Bangkok based project manager, had arranged complimentary hotels, continuous bottles of water, cold towels and service of every kind to help us cope with the humidity and the heat. Within just a short time we all became so aware of the natural, humble desire to serve that seemed to be within all the Thai people. We could not move without seemingly hundreds of hands stretched out to help.

We started the day with various press and TV interviews. The advance PR had obviously been well managed and we were surrounded by cameras, photographers and microphones. 80 Ways flags, logos, T-Shirts and signs were everywhere as we took part in the public opening ceremony. We set off in TucTucs, three wheeled motorised taxis. Robin was driving and was surrounded by probably twenty other TucTucs loaded with cameras, all fighting for position. Robin drove for half an hour through the busy streets with the police trying unsuccessfully to
control the traffic and keep people, cars, bikes and cameramen out of his way.

We then transferred to Semola Tsis, tricycle type rickshaws with the weirdest of braking mechanisms imaginable. It was Caroline and Mile's turn to do the driving and the team set off, driven by the blind guys through the Bangkok chaos. Both must have sweated about ten pints of water by the time they reached the river half an hour later.

Now we transferred onto a Long Tailed Speed Boat, or James Bond Boat as the tourists call them. Used in the film The Man with the Golden Gun, these boats tear up and down the river, driven by a large lorry engine and with a rotor on the end of a very long shaft. They really kick some speed. Getting in was fun , lifting
Mike off a floating pontoon onto a violently bobbing boat but we were soon all on board, with Mike driving and racing the accompanying boats filled with journalists, much to the displeasure of the river police who were trying to keep up with us.

After a cruise of nearly an hour we landed by the Temple of Dawn for the closing ceremony and press interviews, filled with smiles and new experiences and (almost) oblivious of the fact that we had not been to bed for over 60 hours.

Before crashing out, however, we had some more to do; It was Caroline's birthday (never ask a girl her age) and so we celebrated together with cake and champagne arranged by Coman, Yvonne and Fergal from back home in Dublin. What a memorable way to spend a birthday!