This one is dedicated to all you out there right now, slaves to your computers, wishing that instead you had a powerful beast between your legs and the warm desert wind blowing through your hair. Outside Magazine recently awarded its 2005 Best Trips Award (Asia category) to Alexander Souri, the founder-director of Relief Riders International (RRI). As reported by NewKerala.com:

“Alexander Souri, who has worked on “The Matrix” and “X-Men”, is the founder-director of Relief Riders International (RRI) whose members made the trip in October last year to provide medical and relief supplies to people.

When I created Relief Riders International I never dreamed we would receive such international recognition so soon,” said Souri after winning the Outside Magazine’s Best Trips 2005 award.

“I dreamt of a new way to travel, a chance to see new lands and an opportunity to transform both the visitor and the visited. I am so honoured that Outdoor Magazine appreciated our vision.”

With nearly a million subscribers, New York-based Outside magazine is one of the best-known adventure travel magazines in the world. The magazine recognized RRI for its successful aid component, emphasising the high point of the trip was seeing villagers receive knowledge such as AIDS education plus food and supplies that they desperately need.

RRI is now making final preparations for its second Rajasthan Relief Ride, which begins Feb 25.

The inaugural 15-day ride, created by Souri to establish a living memorial to his Indian father, began at the majestic Imperial Hotel with a bus ride to historic Fort Mukandgarh.

How amazing a trip would this be?

A maximum of 15 riders will embark on a 15-day journey to 5 remote villages in rural Rajasthan. The caravan will be led by our skilled support team, and will include 8 – 10 pack camels, a herd of goats, and our supplies.

With the exception of a night’s stay at The Imperial Hotel in Delhi, 3 nights in forts, and a night in a haveli, a traditional Rajput Villa, our accommodations will consist of tented encampments set up by our support team along the journey route. Riders will average 20 – 25 miles a day, about three to five hours a day of riding at a comfortable pace, stopping for three meals a days. There will, of course, be ample water for all. In addition to our Relief Rider crew, we will have a support vehicle carrying two medics and a doctor who will accompany our ride on a parallel itinerary.

We have designed our 15-day Rajasthan relief adventure to create meaningful interactions between our travelers and local residents. At the beginning of the journey all participants, based on their life experience and skills, will be assigned certain responsibilities including: helping to organize the caravan, volunteering with the medical team, and helping to facilitate the distribution of the supplies.

As we travel to each village, riders will help to set up the medical camps, work with the Red Cross team, distribute books and other educational materials to local school, or help to give goats to families in need.

If there are any independently wealthy “ride or die” chicks out there that would like to go next year and can fund poor student me, holla. I promise that I am the funnest of travel companions. 🙂