Kollengode: An autorickshaw filling fuel at a petrol station is no rare sight in India, but the chances of seeing an overseas woman driving it with two other riders from her part of the world is indeed rare.
French women Vergine, Geraldine, and Emmanuelle arrived at Kollengode in Palakkad district on their way to Pollachi in Tamil Nadu as part of their trip named the India Rickshaw Challenge.
This is the third team in the tour launched by the tour organiser, named Large Minority, to convey the message of nature protection. The three women on the trip will also feel the pulse of the land as they also cover important tourist hubs and villages. It is also an attempt to show to the world the beauty and variety of the country.
The women set off from Kochi and will cover 1,100 km in Kerala and Tamil Nadu before they end their journey at the originating point. They will travel for 10 days and nine nights through Cheruthuruthi, Pollachi, Kodaikanal, Bodimettu, Kumali, and Alappuzha before hitting Kochi again.
They shoot pictures, taste local food and interact with local people as they enjoy the Rickshaw Challenge across two south India states.
Vergine said the team is only one of many.