A wee adventure: Friends travel from Scotland to Iran

2022-10-09

A wee adventure: Friends travel from Scotland to Iran in 1999 blue Mazda with no air conditioning before trundling through India on a rickshaw powered by a lawn mower engine – and survive deserts, volcanoes and the world’s most dangerous road in Turkey

Friends hoped to travel from Scotland to India to raise money for Ukraine
But floods in Pakistan meant they could go no further than Iran in their Mazda
They then flew to India and completed last leg of journey on a rickshaw
Said they were devastated by Pakistan floods and are raising money for them

Three best friends have travelled through India on a rickshaw, after undertaking an 11,800-mile journey from Scotland to Iran in an old Mazda.

Daniel Patton, 22, and his best friends Joe Fisher and Callum Kitson, both 23, began the intrepid journey in July.

First they drove across Europe to Iran, but then devastating floods in Pakistan meant they could not reach India by car.

They then caught a plane and completed the last 1,700 miles through India in a rickshaw powered by a lawn mower engine.

Day one: The friends set off on their epic trip from this Duncansby Head lighthouse in north-east Scotland in June

Time of their lives: The friends made it to Iran, where they spent three weeks travelling before heading to India by plane

Travelling light: Once in India, the friends travelled in this rickshaw (pictured), which was more basic even than the Mazda

Business graduate Daniel, who was born in Bristol and now lives in Auckland, New Zealand, said: ‘This has been the experience of a lifetime, we have learned about cultures we would have never known about.

‘It’s certainly been inconvenient. We had breakdowns, we had long waits at borders, and then the floods in Pakistan made us change our plans.

‘But it’s been a massive adventure and we’ve seen a side of these countries you wouldn’t see on the tourist trail.’

The trio originally mapped out an epic journey spanning 20 countries, from Duncansby Head lighthouse in north-east Scotland to Kanyakumari, in the very south of India.

Wanting to avoid air travel, in June 2022, they bought a a 1999 blue Mazda with no air conditioning for just £1,050.

Start of the adventure: The three friends in their trusty Mazda park up for the night at a camping spot in John O’Groats

That holiday feeling: Daniel (in a colourful shirt) is pictured here driving through the Scottish Highlands

Hitting the road: The friends (pictured here in Europe) wanted to travel the whole journey by car

Deciding it was ‘completely unsuitable and perfect’, they then budgeted to spend roughly £18,000 over the duration of the trip for the car, fuel, food, accommodation, visas and repairs.

Calling themselves the Kiwis Don’t Fly rally team, all they carried was a GPS, three sleeping bags and seven pairs of boxer shorts each.

But when they got to Shiraz in Iran in August after two months on the road, devastating floods in neighbouring Pakistan meant they could travel no further – and not reach India by car.

Determined not to give up on their dream, however, the men decided to change plans.

They drove back to Turkey, parked their car in Istanbul airport, and flew to Kochi in southern India on September 8.

They then spent two gruelling weeks trundling north through India in a 12-year-old rickshaw powered by the motor of a lawnmower with 55 horsepower.

They then arrived in Jaisalmer, or the Golden City in Rajasthan – their final destination – on September 25.

Taking the high road: The trio toured through Salzburg in Austria (pictured) during their epic adventure

Nice spot to stay for the night: The friends parked up at Cesky Krumlov, a town in the Czech Republic

Road of death: The friends even survived the ‘road of death’ in Turkey – considered one of the world’s most dangerous roads

Scotland to India: Much of their most memorable adventures were when they were driving on dusty roads through Asia

Up up and away: One of the most memorable sights for the adventurers was seeing hot air balloons rise over Cappadocia in central Turkey

Epic adventurer: Daniel (pictured at a market stall) taking a well-earned rest from driving and travelling

Daniel said: ‘When we got to Iran, we realised that we wouldn’t be able to travel through Pakistan to India because of the devastating floods.

‘When you travel the way we have, you become really immersed in the local communities, and seeing what was happening in Pakistan was truly heartbreaking.’

After changing their plans and reaching India by plane, the friends then set off in their rickshaw from Kochi on September 11, and reached Jaisalmer, in northern India, by September 25.

The friends added: ‘It’s an amazing way to see India and we’re so glad we did it.

‘We were constantly bouncing around, it was like a rollercoaster, and somehow even more ridiculous than the Mazda.’

Daniel, Joe, an English teacher born in Croydon, south London, and Callum, a law student born in Poole, Dorset, who both live in Auckland, had decided to go on the adventure during lockdown.

Daniel added: ‘We just wanted to do something completely crazy and we wanted to do something beyond just backpacking around Europe.

The team took part in the Indian leg of the rally with The Adventurists, an organisation which organises rallies, with those taking part raising money for charity

Cramped quarters: The rickshaw was several notches smaller and more uncomfortable than the trusty 1999 blue Mazda

Last leg: The rickshaw powered by a lawn mower engine took them the last 1,700 miles through India

‘It’s slightly stupid but something we will always remember.’

In total, the friends have clocked up more than 11,800 miles on the road and travelled through 19 countries.

These include the UK, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and finally India.

Incredibly, their Mazda survived sweltering temperatures in the desert in Iran as well as gruelling mountain roads up nearly 5,000m in Mount Kazbegi, a dormant volcano in Georgia.

Daniel said: ‘We were very surprised by how well the car worked. From high altitudes to deserts in Iran.

Nice spot with a view: Like the Mazda, the rickshaw was also put through its paces on the ambitious journey

How now brown cow: This cow no doubt wondered what was going on when it came across the three in their rickshaw

‘It’s a 1999 Mazda which was past its expiry date but it was just brilliant.

‘Having no air-conditioning in Iran was definitely an experience, but it was better than we could have ever hoped for.

‘We wanted to do a ridiculous challenge and it was, but it’s been amazing.’

The friends also managed to stick roughly to their budget.

In total they spent £18,000 – which includes roughly £2,500 for fuel, £2,600 on food, £800 on car servicing, £780 on visas, and £4,000 spending money to cover laundry, data and, most importantly, fun and beer.

Countries travelled through

France

Belgium

Luxemburg

Germany

Czech Republic

Austria

Slovenia

Croatia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Montenegro

Albania

Greece

Macedonia

Turkey

Georgia

Azerbaijan

Iran

India

They saved most on accommodation, as they slept beneath the stars in sleeping bags on any soft patch of land they could find near their parked car.

And they documented their trip and fundraising efforts on TikTik at @kiwisdontfly.

For Daniel, the highlight of the trip was traversing the treacherous ‘death road’ in north-east Turkey, dubbed the world’s most dangerous road, which spans roughly 111 miles from the Black Sea to Askale in eastern Turkey.

‘It was just fantastic, a road just made of gravel, it was extreme and not something you should be driving an old Mazda on. But that’s exactly why we took on this challenge,’ he said.

‘It was nothing like driving on the M5, and the views were just breathtaking.’

When their plans to drive through Pakistan were dashed, they decided to spend three weeks touring around Iran, which Callum said was the friendliest country they had been in.

He said: ‘Meeting people in Iran and Turkey was the highlight for me. Everyone was so hospitable, and we got invited to have tea from strangers.

‘People wanted to show us their cities. It was really quite eye-opening.’

Joe, who quit his job as an English teacher to join the trip, loved seeing the hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey.

He said: ‘We woke up at around 4am to see it, but it was just spectacular. It’s really surreal to see hundreds and hundreds of hot air balloons floating through this beautiful backdrop.

‘It’s something you almost need to see to believe.’

The Kiwis Don’t Fly rally team have also been fundraising for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and hope to continue to raise awareness for that cause as well as the victims of the Pakistan floods.

They said: ‘When you see the world this way, you can’t help but feel connected with everyone. We hope to continue to raise money and awareness, because what is happening in Ukraine and in Pakistan is just devastating.’

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