02 January,2010 07:53 AM IST | | Dhvani Solani
This weekend, make time to register for a Car Treasure Hunt scheduled for next Sunday, that'll have you zip across the city, and hopefully to Thailand too
Between the greenery you have to travel / On the winding gravel / The hostel there you will find / Where people from Kiwi land, stay and dine.
That's clue #1. No idea where it will take you? Maybe scanning the Western suburbs should help. For builder Vijay Mirchandani, it was tough cracking this one even though he had a fair idea of landmarks that dot the suburbs. Tucked away in the verdant bylanes of Aarey Milk Colony at Goregaon, stood the New Zealand Hostel that Mirchandani was lucky enough to chance upon. He went on to win the bumper prize: a trip to Goa. If you share his luck, this time, you might be flying off to Thailand.
The Rotary Club of Mumbai Greencity is back with the annual Car Treasure Hunt that challenges you to mull over complex rhymes and crack clues while you zip from Andheri to Bandra. The hunt that until last year was limited to Rotarians, their friends and relatives, is now open to anyone. All you need is a car and enough petrol to last you three hours.
"The idea is to organise a fun event that will raise money for our projects," says Alok Dayal, President of the club. Starting from Lokhandwala, and covering an unspecified area of the Western suburbs, you will be expected to perform a variety of tasks en route, as you snoop around for hidden clues. Taking photographs, talking to locals and visiting an orphanage are on the list. "The trick is to crack as many clues as possible, rather than focusing on the time taken," advises Dayal. It's a fun rather than taxing mission, and so if your bachcha party wants to tag along, great.
There's more to the feel-good factor than all the fun and goodies to be won (apart from a stay in Thailand, Goa and Mahabaleshwar, there are free movie tickets for the car displaying the best social message). The cash collected from sponsorships and registrations will go towards conducting vocational training courses for women, orphans and underprivileged children and building check dams in Shahpur and Wada.
"The seasonal streams flowing through the villages here run dry during summer. We want to make concrete bunds to mitigate the water problems," says Dayal.
The Treasure Hunt begins at 9 am on January 10. Call on 9867190454 / 9322592310 till January 4 to register. Registration charges per car: Rs 1,500
Tips to hit THE jackpot, from the guys who did it
Vijay Mirchandani, one quarter of last year's winning team, dishes out a plan to bag that Thailand trip this year. The only hitch: he's participating too.
It's best to have more than two people in your group, so that you can divide the chores. If there are just two of you, the driver will have to step out at each location to click a picture; that's a waste of time. Ideal group size: 4
Divide the jobs. Let one person, who knows the roads, be the navigator. Don't waste time arguing with him. Let another organise all the clues. He should remember to take pictures, pick up clues and sort them out, preferably seated in the backseat.
Though we didn't carry one ourselves, a detailed map of Mumbai will come in handy.
You don't have to follow the sequence allocated to you. If there are two clues close to each other (geographically but not sequentially), pick them up anyway; it's the end result that matters.
Though speed is a factor, make sure you don't break traffic signals or rules. You want to win but might end up losing a lot more if you act too brave. Having a bigger, faster car won't help in the Mumbai traffic.
