Occasionally asked questions

When is the Mototaxi Junket?
The second edition of the mighty Junket launches on 1st August 2010 from Cuzco, Peru and ends in Asuncion, Paraguay if you make it.

The third installment launches on January 1st 2011 from Asuncion, Paraguay and ends in Cuzco, Peru, hopefully if you are a team. Check out the Dates page for more. 

When can I sign up?
The August 2010 Junket still has some spaces on so you can sign up right now here. The sign up for the January 1st 2011 launch will be on Friday 7th May at 2pm UK time on this very website also in the Join the Junket department. The best way to find out about details of future Junkets is to sign up to the monthly newsletter called The Jibber.

Are the places limited?
Yes, they are limited each time because you'll probably want a sofa-bike and we have between 50 and 60 depending on which adventure you want to sign up to.

How many people can there be in a team?
1, 2 or 3. A team of 3 people has been done before - it involves more pushing and probably couldn't be classed as technically 'comfortable' but it's do-able. Sort of. And it's funny. 

No but seriously, how many can you fit in a Mototaxi? 
3 is the legal limit unfortunately, although if its stationary you are welcome to try and break the world record for number of people in one sofa bike. Be sure to video it and let us know your score.

What is this Un-route?
See the un-route page

Is it safe?
No. Such is the way with adventure. People have been seriously injured taking part in the Mototaxi Junket. See the Warning. 

Will I definitely make it?
No, this is an adventure not a guided tour. What would be the point if you knew you could make it.

How much is everything gonna cost?
See the costs page for details.

How do I donate money to the charities?
Money you raise should be donated through an online fundraising website. Usually the charities ask you to use Justgiving or Firstgiving but sometimes they have a different preference. All the info is in your Adventure Handbook when you sign up. 

What are the charities and what do they do?
The Official Charity for the 2010 Junket is Operation Smile UK - check out the charity section for more. We'll be announcing the official charity for the 2011 Mototaxi Junket soon. 

Where do the Mototaxis come from?
We own a fleet of these marvelously crap and impractical vehicles which you will effectively be hiring from us for the duration of the event. We repair these bad boys extensivly each time so they are actually better than when they came new from the factory. Don't forget that these are RUBBISH machines and they were breaking down imediately when brand new. This is the whole reason for using them.

What happens if I break down?
You tie your Rickshaw back together with your only pair of spare pants and carry on. Knowing anything about mechanics is of little advantage as there are people everywhere to bolt your wheels back on.

Do I need travel insurance?
Yes you definitely need comprehensive travel insurance.

What vaccines do I need?
These things can change all the time but check here for the latest advice. www.masta.org

What about visas?
Depending on where you come from and what flavour passport you have you may need a visa for each country you plan to visit. UK citizens generally dont in this region but you must check with the embassy of each country you want to visit and leave enough time to get the visas sorted! 

What other paperwork do I need?
We will sort out the paper work for your Mototaxi. You will also need to bring an International Driving Permit with category A stamped. For some countries (currently including the UK) this can be got with a standard car licence.

Where do we sleep?
Wherever you like. The Mototaxi Junket is an adventure not a flowery driving tour for ninnies. You don't want us to tell you where to sleep every night or you won't end up in the sort of situation that makes an adventure worthwhile. Waking up in an ants nest, spending the night with accommodating locals, sleeping upright in your Mototaxi, nestled up to the alpha male of a troop of monkeys - ahhh the stuff of bliss.

What are the roads like?
Average, bad, terrible and non-existent depending on where you go. The best part about the un-route is that is entirely in your hands. Then you can tailor your adventure to suit your particular pallet and so you can choose how bad you make the roads. On the subject of highways, not only are they going to be boring and smelly, you might get flattened. In addition its probably illegal to drive a Mototaxi on them, which means you'll pretty much definitely find yourself on some of the worst roads in the world, or roads that aren't really roads. 

How long will it take?
Well this being an adventure it's not entirely possible to say. On average though, it takes two weeks but some teams may choose to take a little longer and some may finish earlier. The finish party is about two weeks after the launch.