It's been too long...

Well, we made it… a month ago!

Jakarta and the finishing ceremonies were a great time. After weeks of dirt and smoke filled adventure we needed to relax. So, naturally, we partied as hard as we could. The sense of achievement was immense, and still palpable.

Yes; the race ended a little over a month ago, but we've just reunited in Los Angeles. Adam spent an extra month tooling around SE Asia on a motorbike. He's just gotten back stateside so we can finally start piecing together our tale. It has, however, seemed nearly impossible to communicate just how ridiculous and amazing the ASEAN Rickshaw Run was. The beautiful places, kind-hearted people, the hardships and the rewards of perseverance, the deliciously spicy food and the utter lack of flush toilets. 

After the morale busting night trucking it, we freed our rickshaw and rode her home to Jakarta. We arrived at the finish line, in traditional Batik shirts, just 20 minutes before the precession began!

This MetroTV video isn't in English, and features many our new found friends more than it does us, but it still captures a bit of the feel of the finale (pre-party). We had a few beers, some minor accidents, and stopped traffic for a parade around the headquarters of regional government in inauspiciously decorated and broken rickshaws.

Our team had no shortage of press though. In Palembang, where we left the truck, we met up with a film crew from MetroTV's documentary program Inside. They recorded every detail of the last leg of our journey and aired a two-part biopic docuventure series! I got to be a citizen reporter, and And Jakarta Java Kini magazine met us in a back lot full of broken rickshaws to hear us tell our sordid tale.

We're still trying to get our hands on full copies of those, so check back soon!
Until then, here's me, as a citizen reporter, probing public opinions on governmental change and getting lost in translation!
[Skip to 2:25 to see me utterly confused.]