The title says it all. A big group of us all went whitewater rafting on the Ganges!
It was a cold day and I'd been having poor circulation in my feet but decided to go anyway. We had a rather bumpy ride up the foothills to the spot, but I survived. We got on our life vests and hoisted the giant water raft above our heads to the edge of the river. Boy, it was chilly! Our instructor gave us some instructions and directions to follow...which we mostly understood but not everything. Ah well. Adventure, right?
The Ganges on a good day in Rishikesh is a bright blue. Ours was a cold and muddy brown. But man...it was a blast. I've never been rafting before. The rapids look gentle from a distance but when you're up in them it's quite intense. I sat front for most of the harrowing journey down the river and loved it. It was a rush to experience those rapids!
I peeked my iPhone out of my waterproof container to snap some photos.
The water was really cold and it was windy with no sunlight, but that didn't stop two of my friends from going overboard and swimming in the river for a bit. I was feeling adventurous enough just being on the raft. We saw some beautiful scenery, waved hello to people on the sides of the river, and just soaked it all in. But...by the time we got back to shore some of my fingers and toes had lost circulation. This condition had started during my homestay in Korea last year when I was in a cold house (55ºF) almost all day for weeks at a time. I might have Reynaud's Syndrome?
In whatever case, it was a new experience walking back to our school on almost numb, squishy marshmallows wrapped in a space blanket and spending 10-15 minutes trying re-awaken 80% of my feet and 4 fingers in a warm shower. I am stronger now!
Overall I enjoyed the chance to raft on the Ganges and would love to do it again, but perhaps in warmer weather. :-)
Tyler
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