By Vivek B.
Traveling solo was a dream since a long time. After taking several suggestions on twitter together with also from @shivya & @rakheeghelani to watch a house inward due north India, I go settled for camping ground together with river rafting at the banks of the river Ganga, nigh Rishikesh inward Uttarakhand. The trip was planned amongst a mix of develop together with air go to sense fifty-fifty the carry systems inward India.
The trip started from Mumbai, via the Rajdhani Express till Delhi, together with and thence a flying to the Jolly Grant aerodrome inward Dehra Dun. Google maps had confirmed the distance of the army camp equally thirty kms from the airport, together with estimated the go fourth dimension to live one-half an hour. However, piffling did Google know that the thirty kms distance was to live covered on a hilly road, together with it go took an hr to achieve Shivpuri inward Uttarakhand.
 |
| Arriving yesteryear the Ganga. |
The Explore Himalayan Adventure camp was located on the reverse side of the river, at latitude 30.136937 North together with Longitude 78.402774 East, and the solely means to access it was through a boat. Though I had planned a solo trip, I was surprised that the army camp amongst 32 tents was indeed all empty together with I was the solely someone position upwardly at that topographic point along amongst the camping ground staff!
 |
| First glimpse of my camp. |
Staying lonely at a remote house within Rajaji national common together with woods surface area was both exciting together with adventurous. The starting fourth dimension affair I asked the staff was most wildlife together with if they ever approach the camp. They assured me that though the woods did receive got animals similar wild elephants, monkeys together with deer, solely the deer ever approached the depository fiscal establishment of the river to potable water. The army camp was total of dissimilar birds, the names of which fifty-fifty the staff didn’t know.
 |
| Look who came to visit? |
 |
| Spotted! |
The nighttime was pleasant together with cool. Two to a greater extent than people arrived from Delhi looking for white H2O rafting. The nighttime passed yesteryear the army camp fire, along amongst a sumptuous dinner.
 |
| Keeping the nights warm. |
We started river rafting from the marine drive betoken - 10 kms away from the camp. We were excited most hitting about plane III & plane IV rapids inward the Ganges. The Three blind mice rapid (grade III) managed to receive got our breath away (literally!), whereas the rapids Roller coaster (grade III) together with Golf course of pedagogy (grade IV) tested the mightiness of our take away to manoeuvre the raft without letting it topple. We did bound into the Ganges amongst the back upwardly of our raft; nonetheless our take away was reluctant to allow us float due to the unsafe H2O plane together with H2O currents inward the river. White H2O rafting was indeed an opportunity to live experienced at to the lowest degree once.
 |
| Setting out for river rafting. |
 |
| The river rafting team! |
During the latter one-half of the day, nosotros visited Laxman Jhula together with Ram Jhula – they are referred to equally such because the bridges hang on pillars on the banks of the Ganga together with receive got no back upwardly inward between. My hypothesis is that the bridges were thence named to forestall people from fearing walking on the bridge; it swings when you lot walk on it!
 |
| The Ram Jhula inward Rishikesh. |
 |
| The river Ganga inward Rishikesh |
I had also hired a Honda Activa inward Rishikesh together with dared to watch the Neelkanth mahadev temple which was xx kms upwardly on the colina from Laxman Jhula. Though I managed to climb xviii kms, the Activa broke downwardly inward the middle of road. The solely selection left was to ride dorsum to Rishikesh together with 10 kms was an slow climb downwardly on the neutral gear. Luckily, I constitute a tempo which agreed to escort the cycle till Rishikesh. The mechanic at nowadays confirmed that the cycle didn’t receive got sufficient engine crude together with was non maintained properly. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 adept lesson learnt was that i should thoroughly acquire the vehicle technically checked if i is planning to rent at tourist places. I together with thence managed to achieve the army camp yesteryear nighttime together with slumber similar a log.
The tertiary solar daytime started amongst kayaking inward the Ganges against the H2O currents. Thanks to the guide, nosotros managed to command our kayak fifty-fifty inward the toughest currents upstream together with returned rubber at the depository fiscal establishment without having to acquire moisture inward the water! It was fourth dimension to state goodbye to the army camp staff together with operate on amongst the onward journeying to Delhi.
Author Bio: The writer is a consultant together with fiscal advisor, together with is ever craving to travel. He is a vegetarian foodie ever on the hunt for local dishes. He tin remain at whatever habitable house together with go yesteryear whatever fashion of transport, but can’t alive long without technology; a gizmo traveller, who likes to bear all possible gadgets along. Follow him on Twitter at @vlvek.
For to a greater extent than ideas most travelling inward India, visit www.indiauntravelled.com or join on Facebook and Twitter. To contribute invitee posts / photograph essays to this blog, delight send your even out ideas to shivya@indiauntravelled.com.