MOTOTAXI JUNKET PUBLIC HANDBOOK

Mototaxi Junket Public Handbook Contents

Overview of Mototaxi Junket .................................................... 3
What is the Mototaxi Junket?.......................................................3 Rules................................................................................................ 3 The on your own Rule........................................................... 3 The Charity Money Rule.......................................................... 3 The looking after your mototaxi Rule....................................3 The don't run off with our mototaxi Rule............................... 3 Vehicles........................................................................................... 5 Un-route...........................................................................................6 Details.............................................................................................. 7 Where...................................................................................... 7 Costs........................................................................................ 7 Costs................................................................................................ 8 Entry Fee................................................................................. 8 Flights...................................................................................... 8 Petrol........................................................................................ 8 Accommodation....................................................................... 8 Fully Refundable Deposit.........................................................8 Charity Cash............................................................................ 8 Signing up a team.......................................................................... 9 Launch Party, Ceremony, Test Driving and Sports Day ...........10 Finish Line.....................................................................................10 THE WARNING.............................................................................. 11

Charity...................................................................................... 12
How charity works?..................................................................... 12 Official Charity.............................................................................. 12 About Practical Action............................................................ 12

Visas & Paperwork.................................................................. 13

Visas.............................................................................................. 13 Travel Insurance........................................................................... 13 International Driving Permit........................................................ 14

The Adventurists..................................................................... 15
What is The Adventurists............................................................ 15 Other Adventures......................................................................... 15 Other Events................................................................................. 15 Social Media Links....................................................................... 15 Contact Us.....................................................................................15

Overview of Mototaxi Junket

What is the Mototaxi Junket?
Take the smallest, least practical vehicle available in the South American continent, cram up to three Adventurists into it and chuck the lot at some of the most ridiculous and least hospitable terrain on earth. From dry deserts, to dangerous roads and the biggest rainforest in the world, the Mototaxi Junket is rarefied adventuring stupidity in its finest form. There's no guarantee of making it to the finish line and no back-up. It's just you, the worst machine ever invented and thousands of miles of one of the greatest adventures in the world.

Rules
The Mototaxi Junket doesn't have many rules but the following are important to take into account. They are what makes it possible for us to continue running the event so we would urge you to take them on board.

The on your own Rule

You are entirely responsible for yourself. If something goes wrong or you get yourself in a right old pickle, you have to get yourself out of it - there is absolutely no support or back-up once you hit the road. After all, what type of adventure would this be if we were to bail you out every time things got spicy.

The Charity Money Rule

You need to raise at least 500 for the official Junket charity Practical Action and at least a further 500 for a registered charity of your choice. Where possible, funds raised for official charity Practical Action need to be raised online via VirginMoneyGiving.com.

The looking after your mototaxi Rule

Pants as the little beasties are, these mototaxis cost a bit, not only to buy in the first place, but to maintain, service and keep. Every time they zoom from one fair place to the next, the odd mishap along the way means they inevitably have to be patched together again in places. We take a vehicle deposit of 1000 for each mototaxi to try and encourage you not to be too unkind to your already quite rubbish 3-wheeled carriage. In nearly all cases, this money is mostly or wholly refunded. However, if you abandon your mototaxi, or if you break it beyond repair, we will retain the deposit in order to contribute to its replacement. For further info on the deposit, see the Mototaxi Deposit section of this handbook.

The don't run off with our mototaxi Rule

Much as we know that by the end of the event you won't want to part with your trusty steed, we do need them to be at the finish line by 7 days after the finish party, or we have to start charging you extra fees per day. This gives you plenty of time to coax said untrusty steed to the finish, but also gives us time to get them back into shape for the next round of Adventurists to put them through their paces. So, an extra mototaxi hire charge of 50 a day kicks in if you still havent arrived 7 days after the arrival party. This will be deducted from your deposit. No one really knows how long it will take you, but the dates we have set are based on our experiences of driving the mototaxis and similar events we run elsewhere. If while on the road you suspect that you will not make it by that deadline, let us know, as we may be able to make exceptions.

Vehicles
Imagine a motorbike. Then imagine a smaller one. Then cut it in half and stick a not terribly comfy sofa on the back. Your steed has three wheels, a throbbing heart of 125cc, steering that works faultlessly in straight lines, and brakes that slow you down gently. Such attributes make the Mototaxi the perfect vehicle for thundering across some of the most remote terrain on the South American continent, crossing the Andes and driving along the most dangerous road in the world. Based on a 125cc sort of bike, and then pimped out with enough room for your mum and her pet donkey, the Mototaxi re-defines modern travel in the 21st century. Feel the luxury of the plastic seats. Experience the thrill of driving slightly faster than you can walk. In fact, experience the thrill of walking along side the Mototaxi on any slight incline. They can uncomfortably fit anything from 1 to 3 people so you can all squeeze in together should you desire. We have a fleet of Mototaxis waiting for you to get your greasy adventure mitts on. We use the same beasties each time but have an army of mechanics to repair and service them fully. Remember , these vehicles are genuinely rubbish and will definitely break down a lot. They do this when brand new slightly more than they do once they are worn in. Gears will mangle, chains will snap, engines will melt, tyres will burst, bits will fall off, electrics will go pop; if you can imagine it there is a fair chance it will happen. Especially when you are in the middle of the jungle on a dirt road with foot deep mud, miles from civilisation. This is what makes the Mototaxi the most refined piece of Latin American adventuring machinery. Engine Size: 125ish cc Engine Type: Single cylinder, 4 stroke, air cooled Horse Power: Equivalent of 7 family dogs Load: Perfect for you, a lightweight team mate and very little luggage

Drive Chain: 3 x 1 chain driven Brakes: Top Speed: Rubbish drum brakes 1 kmph (up hill) 70ish kmph (downhill)

Un-route
We're not in the business of wiping your posterior region so we've un-invented the un-route. We won't tell you how to avoid the bandits or which roads will collapse underneath you, that's your job to fathom. Winding back and forth between Cusco & Piura and squeezing in all that the wilds Peru can throw at you, from the deepest darkest jungle to the driest desert in the world and a small obstacle called the Andes mountains, this promises to be adventure on a massive lama flavoured stick.

Details
Now you have realised your life is not complete without spending two weeks of the year shoehorned into a totally impractical vehicle fearing for your life, you might have the odd question. So here are the very basics and a link to find out everything you need to know.

Where
Spring 2011 - Cusco to Piura 7th May - 21st May Summer 2011 Ayabaca to Cusco 3rd September - 17th September Winter 2012 - Cusco to Ayabaca 31st December 2011 - 14th January 2012

Costs
895 per team (up to three people with a bit of pushing)

Costs
Costs on any of our adventures are rather hard to gauge. A lot depends on how you tackle the adventure. For example, accommodation is free if you sleep under the Mototaxi or in a tent. Food is free if you hunt it or eat your co-pilot and fuel, well you probably have to pay for that, it's pretty cheap though. However, there are some costs you should think about.

Entry Fee
895 per team. To see what splendid adventuring goodness you get for your entry fee check out the breakdown on the 'What you get for your entry fee' page.

Flights
This really depends from where you are flying from. Have a browse of the interweb thingy to find out how much it will cost to get from your corner of the world to the mighty South American continent.

Petrol
They do around 180km to the gallon, on a slight downward incline and with a tail wind.

Accommodation
Really depends on your taste and needs, from free to $5 to $500 a night!

Fully Refundable Deposit

1000 Because we will go bankrupt if we lose all our mototaxis, we need you guys to give them back at the end of the adventure. This deposit is FULLY refundable once we get the mototaxi back in good condition. If you've done some major damage and don't repair it yourselves we will have to charge you for the repairs. We do repairs at cost price and as cheaply as possible so it shouldn't be much.

Charity Cash
1000 This is paid directly to the charities and most teams get this together through a bit of fundraising. This is the part where you get to help save the world so it's pretty rewarding. So there it is, a largely un-exhaustive list of what you need to have in the bank. As with any adventure it is impossible to put an exact figure as much of it depends on your sneakyness.

Launch Party, Ceremony, Test Driving and Sports Day

The Mototaxi Junket begins several days before you actually wobble off into the jungle. Thursday & Friday: Test Driving The Mototaxi is not the best machine in the world. You've probably gathered that by now. But there's still nothing like feeling this incredible marvel between your legs for the first time, and realising they really don't go round corners, speed up, slow down, go in straight lines or cope with altitude... In order to break you in to the engineering un-genius of the Mototaxi, we give you a few days before the launch to get acquainted with your steed. During this Test Driving we'll be on hand to show you which is the front and where to kick it when you are really angry. Saturday Afternoon: Sportsday A chance to pit your sporting prowess against a local team. Usually either football or cricket, it's traditional for The Adventurists team to get a good shoe-ing and lose miserably. A marvellous opportunity to meet people who live in the launch city. Saturday Night: Launch Party A launch party to celebrate the dawn of a new adventuring era will await you. Sunday: Launch Day A high profile location is arranged with local dignitaries and usually a police escort and huge crowds of people and media to send you off in a glorious cloud of pomp, ceremony and minor celebrity.

Finish Line
About two weeks after the launch a survivors finish party is held where much back slapping and regaling of tall tales from the road accompany enthusiastic dance floor shenanigans and Gin & Tonic. Early arrivals and latecomers will all have somewhere to meet at the finish line and find other teams for their own night of back slapping and merriment.

THE WARNING
The Mototaxi Junket is a highly dangerous adventure. You risk both your health and your life by participating in it. The website is written in a light-hearted manner, but you must not underestimate the risks involved in undertaking this kind of adventure. Your chance of dying is significantly increased for the duration of your time partaking in the adventure. These adventures are not glorified holidays, they are adventures and so by their very nature extremely risky. Many of the risks are unknown to anyone. Parts of South America can be very unsafe, amongst any number of other things there may be a risk from political instability, muggings, armed robbery, kidnappings, animals, deadly insects, traffic accidents, tropical disease, adverse climate or just simply getting lost. On the Mototaxi Junket you will be completely responsible for your own safety. If you get into a difficult situation, you will have to get yourself out of it. Examples of previous incidents have involved broken bones, serious traffic accidents and more. The vehicle you are going to use for your adventure is entirely unsuited for the task. It is not designed for the terrain you are likely to face and it is very likely the vehicle will break down and you will have to fix it along the way. This, while part of the adventure, is important to understand because driving a Mototaxi on many of the roads you will encounter on the Mototaxi Junket increases the level of danger you are exposing yourself to, when compared to other vehicles. There is no guarantee of reaching the finish line, and definitely no guarantee that you will reach the finish line on any specific date. A party is scheduled at a time when most teams are expected to be present based on previous adventures but there is no obligation to reach the finish line by this point. The pace and route you choose is entirely down to you and your team. If you have any questions about the dangers involved when taking on the Mototaxi Junket please email mototaxijunket@theadventurists.com

Charity
How charity works?
One of our main principles is that we don't blur the line between giving money to charity and having a bloody good adventure. So we don't touch a single penny of the money that is donated, it goes direct to the charity. When you give some of your hard earned cash to a team you can be sure it all goes to the right place. Teams that sign up for adventures are asked to raise 500 for their adventure's Official Charity, and 500 for a charity of their very own choice. Each event has an Official Charity that our teams raise money for. This means that each organisation gets a meaningful sum of money to benefit their projects. It also means we can support projects in the areas our adventures thunder through.

Official Charity
This is not just more adventure than you could throw a healthy male capibara at, this is all about raising vast sums of cash for a charity that has a positive impact on the countries on the un-route. Each team taking part endeavours to raise a minimum of 1000 for the charity below and many raise much more find out more about how this actually works and why it's such a splendid way of doing things here. Have a look here to find out more about 2011's marvellous official charity, Practical Action.

About Practical Action

The simplest ideas can have the most profound, life-changing effect on people living in poverty across the world. This is why, for over 40 years, Practical Action have been working closely with some of the worlds poorest people using simple technology to fight poverty and transform lives for the better. "Practical Action has a unique approach to development we don't start with technology, but with people. The tools may be simple or sophisticated but to provide long-term, appropriate and practical answers, they must be firmly in the hands of local people: people who shape technology and control it for themselves." About Practical Action. Registered Charity Number: 247257

Visas & Paperwork

Visas
Visas are an expensive pain in the arse. But they are essential. Incase you're not up to speed with the world of visas, these are basically your permission to enter a country. Requirements and details about visas change every year - in fact the requirements for some countries change by the day. South America is like a visary wet dream for most nationalities. In short there are none needed for most people. For UK citizens you can travel from country to country getting the visas on the border. For Junketeers from South America there are usually no visa requirements. For citizens of USA, you unfortunately do have to get visas for Peru. Its worth checking up the prices of getting the visas before you leave and finding out how much of a ballache/cost it is if you get them at the border - you might find its easier to get them before you leave, depending on your situation.

Travel Insurance
One of the main things to consider once you have been offered a place on an event is Travel Insurance. Many teams have this down as something to sort out closer to the start of the event, however it is worth noting that some travel insurance policies will cover you for valid withdrawal from the event should you become ill, lose your job etc. As we cannot refund your entry fee once the withdrawal period has passed (this is detailed in your Team Entry Agreement when you sign up) it is well worth sourcing Travel Insurance as a priority after sign up, as should you need to withdraw from the event and you are not eligible for a refund from us, you will not be able to recoup your entry fee costs without insurance. There are plenty of travel insurance policies available, however many companies will snort their tea when you explain what it is you are doing, shortly before giving you a rather hefty looking quote. However the guys at Campbell Irvine know all about the events we run, and offer a competitive rate that includes cover of your entry fee should you have to withdraw for valid reasons (please read their information carefully as to what this entails, full details on how to apply for insurance through Campbell Irvine is available on their website or click the picture above). Getting yourself travel insurance early on can save you a lot of problems later on should you have to withdraw.

Campbell Irvine can provide cover for your Mototaxi Junket without charging you a big pile of notes, click the logo for more info. Anyone who is a resident in the UK or European Union can apply for cover... If you live outside the UK or European Union it is still vital to get the right travel insurance for your journey! When your arm falls off in the desert you'll be grateful for it. Its important to get the right insurance for your exact needs and tell your insurers exactly what you intend to get up to so that youre not caught out if the unexpected happens. Be sure to check the dates of your policy too. Dont forget to check all the details and get the policy you need. Campbell Irvine are a completely separate organisation so if you have any questions about the cover or any aspect of the policy you need to contact them directly. Telephone: +44(0) 20 7937 6981 Email: info@campbellirvine.com

International Driving Permit

To drive in Peru, bizarrely enough, you need a driving licence. However, depending on where you got your licence, you will also need an International Driving Permit (IDP). This is a small booklet which explains in multiple languages that someone somewhere deemed you capable of driving on public roads. More about the ins and outs of acquiring this permit are in the Team Handbook available after you've signed up.

The Adventurists
Social Media Links
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MongolRally Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/theadventurists YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/theadventurists Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adventurists

Contact Us
To fill our e-mail inboxes with thrilling tales: Mototaxi Junket: mototaxijunket@theadventurists.com General: info@theadventurists.com Charity: charities@theadventurists.com Media: media@theadventurists.com To scribe to us in old fashioned scribble: The Adventurists, The Independent Republic of Adventurism, Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QY United Kingdom To sound our telephonic devices for the possibility of one-way, perhaps even two-way speech transmission: 0117 329 0884