We were all excited, this was the moment we were waiting for, from the day we heard about this 1500 kilometers long rafting expedition in the river Ganga from Haridwar till Patna.

We all were ready at 8 in the morning for the big journey with all gears and preparation done. The sparking river was calling us for a ride with some rapids adding to the thrill. The team of mountaineers and adventure enthusiasts were ready to conquer river Ganga after successfully climbing the Everest.

With some teamwork and coordination we were paddling our way to Bijnor. The journey was not smooth though, the shallow waters and heat from the sun, tried to slow us down but the strong arms worked tirelessly, paddling and pushing the raft forward.

5 hours of continuous rafting made us hungry and we decided to take a halt at some place between the two cities which was clean, green and peaceful, perfectly suited for a Maggi party.

The two-minutes noodle worked it’s magic, yet again and we were again charged up to reach our destination. People cheering us at the banks of river Ganga at different villages when were crossing during the journey made us realize that we must have been doing something right.

Sun was setting with cool breeze running through our faces, we are not to far from Bijnor, said a farmer. Oops, their is a technical fault at one of the rafts, we need to go slow,

It’s dark now, we can still see the skyline of Bijnor on one side and at the other side, a piece of land surrounded by water and some huts.

The adventurous minds in the team realized that it’s a perfect set for camping. We all must have thought of something like this happening but on the first day was a big surprise.

The cold weather and wet clothes called for a campfire under the sky full of stars. Our team of exuberants were happy to be a part of this camp night leaving all the luxuries of a comfy bed and gourmet dinner back at the hotel. It’s was a perfect time to celebrate the successful Haridwar chapter and first day of rafting.

The warmth of fire which showed just the faces telling stories and soft music playing at the background is the memory that we are taking from this night. Lack of food, cold weather and two huts for 40 people to accommodate gave us a real taste of this expedition.

I blinked and hear someone saying, tea is ready please wake up…