In the lap of nature — Rishikesh
Our very first morning at Rishikesh began with a trip to the holy Ganges. We decided to walk down to the banks of the river. The holy ganges flowing with all its exuberance and might is an unforgettable sight.
The entire himalayan valley in green blue colour with green mountains, blue & white waters kissed on the horizons by clear blue skies — this place indeed instantly recharged our spirits ! The air of ancient culture, a feel of the more modern version of yogis migrated from the west & the more traditional indian saints, the freshness & alive energy of the air, the smell of monsoon mud, the murmuring sound of the holy ganges as she flows with all her might, the sight of the milky white waters as they splash against the stones/rocky beaches — Rishikesh truly is the abode of Mother nature in her very pristine form. The beautiful himalayan valley is frequented by tourists for adventure sports like rafting, kayaking, trekking, bungee jumping etc.
We would surely have our share of adventure too but decided to spend our first 2 days absorbing the serenity and sanctity around and allowing our creative juices to flow, making work truly a pleasure. The work that seemed a daunting task in Delhi, flowed very naturally through us here.
What we learnt :
- Work & travel can be integrated. You can never travel if you wait to earn enough money, buy all the so called necessities, save some money for your children and then think of traveling.
- It’s always trusting your gut and relying on your instinct that matters and the universe conspires to make things work for you.
- The wholeness of life was felt and we realised that travel is an important part of life rather than viewing it just as a holiday that provides relaxation.
- Its best to travel unplanned rather than having a structured programme in place because then you are open to experiencing everything that life offers you, fully.
- Travel is also a wonderful opportunity to bond with the self, family members, friends and above all with nature.
- Its a place where honest sharing and introspection can happen thus allowing creativity to emerge.
- Travel inspires you to try new things and allows you to experience the unexplored aspects of yourself thus teaching you many life lessons.
Rafting in the Ganges : On our third day at Rishikesh, we decided to go rafting. Rafting is surely one of the most popular sports in the Himalayan valleys and having a splash in the rapids of the Ganges is not worth missing. Our rafting trip started from Brahmapuri which apparently was the first place in India where rafting began.
Though we had been rafting before, rafting in the Ganges is a special feeling each time, the kind that leaves you wanting more. There were around 7 points in our short 10 km rafting stretch, the best being the body swim point, where you are thrown out of the raft and float in the cold waters holding on to the rope tied to the raft. It was pure pleasure floating in the cold waters and basking in the warmth of the sun that was shining brightly. The next interesting point was the cliff jump, where rafters were encouraged to jump off a 16 ft high cliff into the river and a kayak would come to rescue. Rohit jumped off the cliff easily, while for me it was a daunting task. I offered to jump off a lower cliff which was about 9 ft high and still felt the thrill. Also it gave me the confidence to try things I hadn’t ever done before.Overall it was a very fun filled, adventurous rafting experience and has surely left an indelible mark in our hearts.
Camp Panther Experience : This blog cannot be complete without mentioning Camp Panther, the beautiful camp at Shivpuri where we stayed. It was a lovely, cozy camp with very comfortable cottages, well maintained and in the midst of nature, run by Snow Leopard Adventures Pvt. Ltd. The hospitality and warmth of the people there including the managers and waiters was unparalleled. We felt absolutely at home and the camp took extra care to cater to our ‘special’ food arrangements as we do not usually eat cooked food from outside. So they made sure they had enough fruits and milk for us. A team of very experienced and knowledgeable rafters and kayakers accompanied us on our rafting trip and guided us in every way in the sport.
The camp also had a good wifi connection available at their office which is a rare thing to be found in most camps at Rishikesh(Shivpuri). We had carried some work with us and undoubtedly it was the heart touching experience and comfort of our stay at Camp Panther that we could also complete our work on time.
In the end we would like to extend our gratitude to the whole trip and the people involved who made every moment blissful.
