When we left Indore towards a little village named Koyala we were sad. We knew: This was it. The end of the Tuk-Tuk Adventure was on the horizon…

Koyala is a little town in the middle of nowhere – in other words: A village in the desert state of India: Rajasthan. It is the hometown of Amit, a friend of us, who we came to know in Chennai, where he invited us to a wedding. Getting there was an adventure in itself. After all it was our last drive with our beloved rickshaw and therefore everything we saw and experienced was a bit more intense than usual. Dead cows, people riding on the tops of busses, people wanting to take selfies with us and camels hurdling merchant’s carts around on the highway.

We reached Koyala way after sun set in complete darkness… Of course. The last drive on the highway needed to be a hell of a dangerous ride. Without any functioning headlights, holding out our smartphones with their torch apps on and a headlamp strapped to the tuk-tuk mirror. It was simple insanity. I still wonder how we managed to survive. For real now…

A mix of feelings

Filled with adrenaline, we reached the home of Amit. He and his family awaited us, fearing that something might have happened on the way. But when they heard the noise of an old rusty rickshaw engine without seeing the vehicle that created the noise, they knew who it was…

Different feelings boiled inside of us. Immense adrenaline, happiness to be alive and to see our friend Amit again but also this intense sensation of sadness – almost like a stabbing pain, closing around the chest. This was going to be the end of the Tuk-Tuk adventure after all. Koyala. Our last stop.

Our stay in Koyala was nonetheless one of the most beautiful experiences in all of India. First of all Amit’s parents are among the most lovely people, we met throughout our journey and even though they did not speak very much English, we started to love them just like our real parents back at home. Their warm, welcoming and caring characters are just unique. There are those group photos of us, which nearly make me cry every time I see them, because I actually miss all of the people from it way to much.

Wandering through Koyala

The days in Rajasthan were really hot even though the hot season had only just begun. Temperatures soared way above 30 degrees and even in the shade it was unbearably warm. Physical activity or even just being outside was kind of impossible for us. So we mostly waited inside until the evening hours set in and then set out to explore Amit’s hometown.

When we entered the village the news spread like a wildfire and within mere minutes we had gathered a group of children and people following us around. There were even people standing on their roofs, watching us from the distance. We must have been the first white people to wander around this village in years maybe the first white people ever.

Amit knew his way around and showed us the different houses of his ancestors and relatives. He basically introduced us to his family and we met the same warm welcome everywhere. Chatting with all his uncles and aunts, cousins, grandmas- and fathers was wonderful – sipping Chai, exchanging stories about our travels, our rickshaw, Germany, their farm-lives… Seeing the different attitudes and views that all those people had about life. Seeing their struggles, their problems and worries but also seeing their immense happiness and friendliness towards us… It was a mind changing experience.

A promise

Days zapped past us without any notice and before we knew it we needed to leave again. What about the Tuk-Tuk though? Actually the plan had been to sell it together with the help of Amit, during our stay in Koyala. But let me tell you one thing:

We did not want sell it… All those memories and the adventures we experienced with it. All those ups and downs… They somehow would have been lost, if our little Flo(w)mobile would have been sold to an Indian farmer somewhere out of our reach. So instead of selling we asked Amit and his parents if we could leave it on their property and they agreed.

One day. One day we promised to come back. Reliving our dream. Returning to the people we love and the friends we made along our way… One day. 

So this is it… The End of the Tuk-Tuk adventure

Leaving Koyala by motorcycle and then continuing towards Delhi by train was one of the strangest experiences so far. Something was missing somehow. It felt wrong to not be behind the steering wheel when moving throughout India. Luckily we could look forward to a new adventure – our stay in the famous capital, the heart of India: Delhi.