Rafting the Ganges

I can hardly believe just a month ago we were packing up our things and moving onto Rishikesh. Its a big change from the over crowded New Delhi, but it sure haven't taken long to fall in love with our newly found camping home in Shivpuri, Rishikesh.

The place itself is some kind of a mixture of nature and peaceful soul or unequivocally it wont be a misnomer to say that it was a soulful place for all of us.
We spent one night and two days and still a night before rafting is living in our eyes as a scintillating Bon Fire night where everybody was shouting, dancing and singing in joy to the victory of our Indian Cricket Team as they won the World Cup. Alongside, a great special emphasis was given even to the even the minute details in order to add upto our expectations. The Staff who cooked food was courteous and hospitable and the cooked food was delicious. Camping was a time for us to share stories, to make up a conversation and to share great laughters with our glass of wines. In this way I and my team have made lots of new friends and they thouroughly enjoyed their trip amongst the gorgeous Shivalik mountains.

After embracing the morning glory we headed towards our starting point of Rafting. It did not take long to reach Marine Drive (a place where we started our rafting in Rishikesh). After getting some instructions before rafting we jumped over to our rafts and first slowly started paddling on the clean and clear stream of water. So with our life jackets and helmets on, we spent the quality time in rafting and the best part when we were whizzing down the stream to come across eight rapids pretty faster than our expectations on the river Ganges which kept flowing and flowing. We had a chance to Body surf and swam in the river wherever we wanted. We all were thrilled to showcase our individual skills in the water and excited about the fact it was new to us. We did it with our highest unbelivable adernalin rush.
With great vigour, strength and loud noices we hit some of the most enjoyable rapids on the river Ganga which is Black Money, hilton and Double and Trouble. Apart from that, with the exhuberance of youth we faced the most exciting rapids on the river Ganga which is Roller Coaster, Return to Sender, Three Blind Mice, Crossfire and Golf Course.

As Rafting is a team sport so we truly felt ourselves as one great team going together facing challenges together and cooperating in following the instructions given by the guide, it was divine. We also tried Cliff Jumping under strict supervision of highly trained staff. It was great fun. Nevertheless , the support and knowledge received from 'Harda' our raft guide and 'Surbhit' Director of Hindustan Motorcycling Company will never be forgotton by our whole team.
Finally we finished just before Lakshman Jhula and with our bags packed, we came back to Delhi but also taken with us the golden memories that i am sure all of us will cherish in future. Nevertheless, a great deal of happiness was made possible only after thorough planning and organising it nicely for which the credit should go to Hnidustan Motorcycling company. All in all it was a trip of our life time and all of us loved it.

Sandeep Khatri
Operations Analyst
IBM

(Participant - Rafting the Ganges!)

The Highland Himalayas Motorcycle Ride

What would someone who has just been back from a Himalayan motorcycle ride talk about? - Mountains, cold weather, rains, zigzag roads, tiring drives, mountain sickness, tourist spot etc.
Well, when we were back from The Highland Himalayas Motorcycle Ride, we were talking about the black pea grains, white pea grains, enthusiasm, belief in oneself, teamwork and how to make impossible possible.

Lights a bulb in your brain? Well, here you go!

Most people go on with their lives, never taking a pause to think of what all they had planned to do when they were kids or teenagers. Most people go on doing what their daily chores require them to do. Any pauses that come are probably cigarette breaks where colleagues whine about not being able to take a pause.

The above situation changes when your motorcycle leaves the asphalt road and dives into a slippery mud path and does not stop at any of those sharp turns you thought it will not be able to negotiate and it climbs and climbs and climbs and slowly, the feeling of danger gives way to a numbness that makes you think – What if it ends at this moment! The result is a pause and the process of thought. Entire life runs like a film in your mind and you wonder how much more there is to life than you currently are doing.
I will never be able to look at Hindustan Motorcycling as a company that takes me to these tours. If anything, I look at it as if it is my alma mater. Most important thing that these companions in the journey of self-exploration have done is made me think about my life, my personality and why do I behave in a particular way.

In the beginning, continental food at 6000 ft sounds like a bliss and a discussion that analyses your behaviour thread by thread seems a little too much. Post two camping-experiences with Hindustan Motorcycling; I look forward to it every day.

It is just not possible to explain what Hindustan Motorcycling does to your thinking and your way of looking at things. The most important part is not that they do it – the way they do it with all the freedom and leisure is amazing.

However, on coming back to Delhi, one has to be ready to listen to a complaining girlfriend or a boyfriend say, “Next time, you are not going anywhere where your mobile does not work.”

Cheers to HMC Team!

Guy Jones

Participant – The Highland Himalayas Motorcycle Ride
Malaysia