We have many rafting enthusiasts aboard One97. But the suddenness of this rafting trip beat all impulsive plans we have made so far. One quick informal announcement, and in days’time I found myself asleep in the back of a car in the early morning of the last November-weekend.

I could hear faint voices as I suddenly wake up to find the car parked near a shiva statue thats several feet high from the ground. “This is Rishikesh,” said someone. The earlier night, myself and other rafting aspirants congregated at One97 Noida office and departed toward the foothills in three cars. Three cars with each of them defining their own world of fun. Car1 had people who had different interests, car2-the other, and car3 , the rest of the interests.

So we people of different interests, had a singular motive, which was fun. And fun was what this Rishikesh rafting trip turned out to be. With friends surrounding, the dawn mist glowing, the water flowing, the endless river forever and ever… a line from a song that I had heard a week before, could never be so alive and true for me.

The morning breakfast was over and this seemed like an entire world altogether. Aldous Huxley would have rephrased his thought about doors of perception had he been to the Ganges. We wore our life jackets and helmets and were ready for rafting in two rubber bumpers. A quick instruction class later, we were on our way on the Ganges. To begin with, we had to jump into the water to get confidence that the life jacket is really a life saver.

There were three to four adventure filled spots while rafting, starting with a slow current rapids, to the relatively higher current ones. Man! you wouldn’t believe, words would just be an understatement. Next came the cliff jumping, perceptions can be so deceptive. I thought it’s a 5 feet cliff, only to find that it was more than 20 feet after climbing it.

All seemed to happen in a flash of second but around 4 hours had passed travelling 25 kms in water. Amazing, isnt it?

We had literally become amphibious! So now was the time to explore the next part, yeah, the land. So after drying ourselves up, in the evening, we roamed around the Rishikesh town. Many sights like roaming foreigners, a lazy religious town evening and much more awaited us. Call it the best of paradox , Goa and Rishikesh seemed the same, except that the bars are replaced here by good restaurants, not to mention the “Baba Massage parlor”!!

We walked up and down the Laxman Jhoolah, had snacks at a German confectionary. Man! life is just awesome at the Ganges! Back at the camp, bon-fire during the night and a miraculous dinner (I mean, anything edible you get to eat near the Ganges would beat every other food hands down), Wine and music, what more do you want? The next day , after breakfast and stopping at the “On the way Dhabas”, the joy of travelling & happiness got fulfilled (Not to forget the Shikanji that we had, this won us all!!!).

And if you are impressed (oh yeah , high hopes) with my writing here & feel to thank me , you can do so by buying me a place at the banks of the Ganges (winks!).

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