Today’s route takes us from Jodhpur to Kumbhalgarh via the Aravalli Forest. When we received the challenge sheet for the day, I can’t say I wasn’t a little surprised to see that, considering we’re in the desert.
Today’s challenges:

• Drive through the Aravalli Forest and take a photo of monkeys (2 points), deer (2 points), and a leopard (6 points). Sadly, no one spotted a leopard.

• Visit the Fort Kumbhalgarh Wall Walk and document a walk along the longest stretch of the wall.

• Best story of the challenge.

• Best short video of the challenge.

We started the day with a shared understanding that it was a technology reset day, as we’d become a bit too dependent on it, especially considering 99% of us were lost 99% of the time. Today, we were navigating purely on vibes, conversations with locals, and the occasional call-out in the group chat.

We had a rough start leaving town alongside Team MAMO as we somehow ended up heading in the opposite direction down a back-alley sand pit. And by “somehow,” I mean my consistently poor navigation skills. Thank goodness Matt is a patient man.

Our morning was plagued by not one, not two, not even three, but four different breakdowns, all requiring our hardworking mechanics (aka our new best friends, based on how often we’ve called them over the past few days) to come to our rescue.

On our last SOS call, the trip organizer had to phone us just to confirm our location, because it seemed impossible that we were that far behind. We all had a good laugh when we sent our location and realized we hadn’t even made it out of Jodhpur proper after more than an hour of driving.

Because the mechanics had to backtrack so far to reach us, we added just enough pep to our step to limp across the street to a garage, where troubleshooting began. The stand-in mechanics were lovely, and the garage even had a “waiting room” with AC. And by waiting room, I mean a few old truck seats on the ground in the corner and a fan working so hard it kept tripping the power. Matt pulled out another soccer ball from the back, and you could see everyone instantly open up.

They wrapped up whatever the issue was this time and sent us on our way. Thankfully, they stayed close, because we didn’t make it another 500 feet before the tuk tuk died again. This time, new spark plugs did the trick.

To make sure we weren’t the single point of failure, Matt and I were banished to the back seat. We got a good laugh out of being “demoted” from drivers to passengers. At this point, our tuk tuk is basically brand spankin’ new with all the parts we’ve replaced.

Once we were finally good to go, we needed a pick-me-up, so we stopped for roadside chai and filled up our tank while getting directions to Nadol. It’s hilarious that before coming here, I Googled the crap out of “tips for drinking roadside chai without getting sick,” and now it’s my go-to boost at any shop, stand, or restaurant.

By this point, we were a solid two hours behind the rest of the teams but still determined to hit our stops.

Had to pass the time somehow between breakdowns and long highway stretches, so some of my pressing questions included: Do you think cows have friends? And would you rather eat soft or crunchy food for the rest of your life? Thoughts?

On the way, we passed through small towns where the stares remained a mix of shock and awe. Matt spotted an outfit for his son in the window of a small shop, so we pulled over and spent time with one of the sweetest shop owners. It always cracks me up how they pull out 100 different options to show us. Like… who is folding all of those back up?

Naturally, I had another little dress-up session and walked away with a beautiful, flowy outfit that will either serve me well this summer or sit in my closet forever, never to see the light of day. Either way, it’s tied to some pretty cool memories.

We were sharing a laugh over my red hair and Matt’s red head when the shop owner removed his hat to reveal similar stains from yesterday’s Holi celebrations. Bonding at its finest.

Our tuk tuks must have been tired, because it was another day of breakdowns across the teams. Team Jai JoMa had to be towed into town by Team Soe Fast, Aldo Furious after major mechanical issues, along with other critical failures from Rikshaw Ruckus while battling the mountains.

If you’ve been following along, though, you know these moments often turn into incredible memories. For our fellow challengers, their breakdown became a multi-hour tour of town and nearby temples, a homemade lunch in the street, and time spent handing out goodies to the local children. Once the mechanics finished with us and headed their way, we were all back up and running, at least for now.

Passing through Nadol, we headed straight for the Aravalli Forest. All week we’d been on flat desert highways and intricate intercity roads, so the first climb was a change. I turned to my partner and said, “This is really hard,” immediately followed by, “But we can do hard things,” as if reassuring myself under my breath. I dropped into a lower gear and punched it through the dramatic hills with no mechanical meltdowns this time, thank you very much.

Isn’t that what this experience is all about? Training your brain to do hard things until they don’t feel so hard anymore.

One checklist item was to photograph monkeys during our drive through the forest. But what Sinead quickly learned is that the moment you pay them attention, they pay attention back and what started as cautiously moving in for a photo quickly turned into a full retreat to the tuk tuk. Lesson learned: they’re hungry, and they want your ice cream.

Next stop: Kumbhalgarh Fort, home to the second-longest continuous wall in the world, just behind the Great Wall of China. (P.S. Remember when I said Amber Fort in Jaipur was the Great Wall of India? I lied. This is the real one and for that, please accept my sincerest apologies.)

The drive up was another challenge, but seeing the fort come into view left us in wonder. Even from far away, the sheer scale was incredible. We arrived alongside Team Salmon Hunters and headed in together.

Then came our own climb and this time, we couldn’t blame the tuk tuks for the frequent breaks we needed to catch our breath. But the view from the top made it all worth it. Overlooking the mountains at sunset, surrounded by architecture that still baffles me as to how it was built in the 15th century (seriously, who carried all that stone up), it was an unforgettable experience and a true highlight of the trip.

After walking the real Great Wall of India (the real one), we needed to get back down to our hotel before it got too dark. Somehow, the sun set much faster than expected, and I may have flown down the hill in full darkness. Thankfully, our headlight, which is roughly equivalent to a personal headlamp, helped me spot a black cow standing in the middle of the road just in time. Everyone made it back safe and sound.

Midway through the day, it really hit me that tomorrow is our last day of driving, and I felt genuinely sad. Knowing that an experience this unique, and one that’s impossible to truly replicate, is coming to an end has already left a little hole in my soul.

Until then, I’ll keep whipping our tuk tuk around, smiling every time a camera comes out, and waving at innocent bystanders who are probably convinced they’re having a fever dream when they see us roll by.

Check out our Day 6 update to see how we close out the adventure of a lifetime.

Until tomorrow!