By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
The crystal blue water rises into another wave before it crashes against us. The next wave hits even harder and our blue rafting boat tips over into the raging river named the Ganges. The water rushes over my head, splashes against my face and I gasp for air while another wave hits me. Earlier that same day I was walking through the sleepy city of Rishikesh in India. The Yoga capital of the World first gained popularity when the popular band ‘The Beatles’ spent some time here in 1968. Everything is running a little slower here, cows and stray dogs are dominating the narrow streets while chai and coffee are served on every corner. Colourful markets and street art follow you through the city in vibrant reds and yellows while the aroma of fresh fruit and spicy curries lingers in the air. In the spur of the moment I sign up for a Ganges White Water Rafting Adventure, not knowing what I would get myself into. Just like many others I associated the Ganges with being tainted grey by the ashes and the remains of people that were burnt and sent off into the afterlife. A place where life and death live so close to each other and represent the infinite circle of life. Never would I have imagined the pristine clear water and lush green trees lining the shore of which I encountered in Rishikesh. Especially after the hustle and bustle in Delhi, Rishikesh was the breath of fresh air I needed. Now back under the water, it is the very same air I was missing! My heart is racing, my mouth filling with water until I manage to grab onto a big rock and emerge from the endless blue around me. When the current calms, I locate the rafting boat. Before the river could swallow me another time, I make my way to the safety of the little blue boat. The group continues the journey and all of us begin to work together to navigate through all the dangerously approaching rapids. Rapid after rapid we are gaining trust in each other. I began to trust the very same people that were strangers to me a few hours ago with my life. Finally, the shore is near and I feel I can inhale the fresh air once I feel stable ground beneath my feet. I drop my helmet and life vest onto the small pebbles. With the relief, a memory crosses my mind. In an earlier conversation with one of the holy men known as Sadhus, he said ‘Our river Ganges is sacred and personifies the goddess Ganga. She takes and gives life. If you survive her, you are reborn and purified of all your sins. You have been given a second chance in life.’ After experiencing the Ganges and all its power, his words now have so much more meaning to me more than ever before.