In possibly the slowest form of transportation known to man, backpackers Rich Sears and Nick Gough have recently set out on an interesting journey. Their goal is to break the world record for longest ride in a tuk tuk (shown above).
Beginning in France, they’re making their way to Rio de Janeiro. According to news.com.au, the men will be catching a ferry from Turkey to Egypt then traveling across India and Singapore, to the west coast of the United States. They’ll also be going through Central and South America.
The challenge isn’t so much the distance, but the speed. With a top velocity of 34 miles per hour going downhill with a breeze, they aren’t able to move very fast.
“It’s slow. Again something you think might be obvious but the average speed is a lot slower than the speedometer has been pumping our egos with,” it says on their blog. “Uphill and it starts to get embarrassing. The dizzy heights of 5-6 mph have been hit on some of the steeper hills.”
Other concerns are extreme noise, disease and weather conditions. We wish them luck, as the journey is raising money for The Tuk Tuk Educational Trust, a registered UK charity that aims to “promote and advance education worldwide.”
Sears and Gough hope to complete the journey by the end of next year. You can check out their website or follow them on Twitter to keep up with their travels or get involved.