Rafting Trip

Here is the account of my rafting trip to Shivpuri (30 kms from Rishikesh) a couple of months ago:-

11th Arpil 7:30 pm
Assembled in front of our office in Gurgaon and started mingling with the other people who would be the joining us for the trip. Slowly and in a very time-consuming fashion, so very typical of us, we got started for the trip. Since we had to pick some people from different places en route I was sure it would be a good amount of time before we actually hit the road. A wait for the toll tax at Ghaziabad ensured further delay. To add to the woes the AC in the bus started behaving erratic. No cooling. Not an ideal start to the journey I would say.

A quick dinner at one of the numerous road side dhabas and then off we were in the bus towards Rishikesh. By now we had left the city far behind and the breeze was cooler than before so people didn’t face much discomfort due to the non functioning AC. Songs, Dumb Charades and games going on in the bus. Special mention about this guy Puneet who had kinda memorized Altaf Raja songs and sang them one after the other. Who bhi poore… Beat that!!!

We finally reach the place in the morning. Sleepy faced people scampering out of the bus with disheveled hair, bags on shoulders and sand in the feet. The camp looks good. The river Ganges surrounded by thick forests and mountains, clean white sandy beach with a long row of 2 person tents and a volley ball net thrown in.
My tent was named ‘Three Blind Mice’. Dropped bags in our respective tents, freshned up and gathered to have some tea n snacks. Started with some volleyball and worked up a huge appetite for breakfast which consisted of bread, butter, jam, scrambled, eggs, cornflakes, milk and upma. Post breakfast it was time to go for the rafting.
Around 10 we left for this place upstream from where the rafting trip would begin. After reaching the place we wore the life jackets, helmets and got the paddles. All decked up n waiting for the boats to be inflated. Each of these boats is imported and costs about 3.5 lac rupees. Gosh!! Even the paddles cost Rs.1700 apiece. WHOA!!
Our instructor gave us a brief ing about few things to keep in mind while rafting. This included basics to follow in case the boat capsized or someone fell off the boat. Weird expressions on people’s faces when this was being discussed. I occupied the first seat on the raft and took the position of one of the main paddlers. The raft had in all 9 occupants excluding the guide. So we had 4 rowers on each side and one non-rowing person as the official cheerleader of the group. At first we practised the basic instruictions like forward padle, back paddle etc, learn to keep our feet dug in under the air cylinders in the boat and then we set for something which can only be described as - adventure of a lifetime.
Rapids form at places where the river isnt too deep hence causing a lot of turbulence in the water. Some of the rapids are level 3 and we had our first brush with adventure when we came across "Three Blind Mice". This is also the name of the tent in which I am camping. Prabhjyot, who had been on a rafting trip last year didnt fail to mention that this was the point where their raft capsized. When we entered this rapid the water hit us hard. Straight in the face, relentless and unforgiving. The water is chilled and the great splash renders everyone immobile for two seconds. The raft rose to a height where the paddle couldnt reach the water. After braving through this rapid we managed through the rest of them all too. Soemtimes easy sometimes scary and sometimes we just ducked in the raft holding on to the lifeline for our loves. During the calmer sections of the river we did bodysurfing. basically u just let urself float in the river, thanx to the life jackets. The water was so cold that we had a hard time to stay in the water for long durations. We body surfed at two three places in the river.
Towards the end of the rafting trip is a point from where u jump off a cliff. The height must not be more than 12-15 mtr or so. Ive jumped that kinda height from the diving board a number of times in the swimming pool but out here my limbs kina froze for a moment and I took a moment to make that plunge. All of us did the jump atleast once. Some even 3 times. Post this there was a very small stretch of river which we had to make before the rafting came to an end. In the mid u could see numerous sandy beaches. On many of these beaches one could see firangis meditating. Most of the beaches had tents pitched up for the people visiting.

After this trip we came back to our camp in the bus. Everyone was feeling hungry and signs of sunburn and the wear & tear sustained in rafting had begin to show. Post lunch we went to a shady part of the beach and just relaxed on some rocks with feet hanging in the water. In the evening we again gathered to play volleyball and some cricket. Playing volleyball in sand is much better than playing on ground as the sand is much more absorbant and lesser bruises etc.
As soon as the sun went down the camp people came out with some snacks , veg and non veg some cold drinks and ice. Rest had to be managed on our own for which almost everyone was prepared, if u know what I mean. So me and a couple of frnds took some snacks and some glasses and ice and headed for a spot in the sandy beach and did a lot of bakar over drinks. After a couple of drinks we joined the rest around the bon fire and had a great time. The hot topic of discussion being ghosts, spirts and the world of paranormal. Post dinner we went for a night trek to some village enarby and then again continued with the chatting around the bonfire.

Around 1 am the last of us, who still were awake after the back breaking day, finally went to their tents. Waking up the next morning was the most painful experience of the entire trip. Almost the entire body complained of pain and getting out of the bed required a Herculean effort. Finally after breakfast we left the camp and went to the Neer Garh waterfall.

The return to delhi was marked by a stop at Muzaffarnagar where we had chaat, aloo tikki, bhalle papdi etc at Gupta Chaat Bhandaar. The trp finally ended when we reached good ol' Delhi. Took an auto from Sarai Kale Khan to home.

Rafting was the main purpose of the trip but apart from that a lot of other things that happened were bonding between the various people in the trip, the extended talk sessions over food and drinks. One thing that I would really like to stress is that carry ample sun screen and dont forget to apply it to all the parts of your body which could be exposed to sunlight. I forgot to do the same and got severe burns on my thighs. Another thing worth mentioning would be the food at the camp. Right from breakfast to lunch and dinner the food was awesome. not the usual heavy oily greasy stuff,which we love to have anyway, but food which was much simpler. Maybe the hunger worked wonders. But overall the food was awesome.

Total cost of the trip 3200/- was inclusive of travel, stay, rafting, trek and entry to a waterpark. A true wilderness adventure taking one through the rapids, the jungles and camping overnight alongside the river by an open camp fire under the stars.

Skagen

It was my last weekend in Denmark and I was hell bent upon visiting Skagen - something which had been put away for a long time. How could I be in Denmark and not visit Skagen all this while? Thankfully the weather was kind and we did have some sunshine. So we gathered at the Aalborg Train Station and we got a discounted pass to travel to Skagen. The first train would take us to Fredrickshavn. From there we took another train to Skagen. The journey was fun with little talks, leg pulling etc.

Skagen station is an old but well maintained yellow building. Right outside the train station is the bus stop. We saw that the next bus to go to the beach was about 2 hrs away so we unanimously decided to hire bicycles. One of us didn’t know how to ride so we got a double bike for him and another guy. Got 11 bikes and pedaled off; in the wrong direction. It was not before 10 minutes when we realized we weren’t any closer to the beach. Change of direction.
The town of Skagen is beautiful. It is a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. Most buildings in the old town are distinguished as low yellow houses with red tiled roofs providing a perfect backdrop to this charming place. Like most Danish towns this is a quaint little place with well preserved medieval buildings, cyclists, people chatting at the café tables. The town of Skagen has been the abode of many a Danish artists, especially painters, writers and even music composers. The picturesque locales makes this place really inspiring for these artists. The 60 km long coastline of Skagen is incomparable. The sea, the light, the air, the sand - Skagen and the elements seem to be inseparable.
En route we had to take a stop as two of our cyclists apparently got lost and had a lot of ground to cover. We took a break near this lighthouse (above) which we used as a landmark for signaling our location to those two guys. So while they cycled to this point we snacked on cakes, biscuits and namkeens. Soon we were joined by the lost cyclists and they took a short break. Meanwhile the rest of the guys tried their hand at the double bicycle which had caught everyone’s fantasy.
There is another lighthouse at Skagen which was constructed in 1850. Resumed our journey towards Grenen (The Branch), which is the base point and parked the cycles. From here you can either walk or take a ‘Sandmobile’, which is nothing but a tractor pulling a trailer, to the beach. We decided to walk. Popped up a few beers and started walking towards the beach. The flags of the four Nordic countries Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway (Missing - Iceland) Just outside a cafeteria at Grenen.

From Grenen it would take about 15 mins till the ‘point’, which is the northernmost part of Denmark. It is also the meeting point of North Sea (Skagerrak – the strair that separates Denmark from Norway) and Baltic Sea (Kattegat – The strait that separates Denamrk from Sweden), which is what makes Skagen so remarkable.

You can stand at this ‘point’ and notice the oceancurrents and waves coming from your left clashing with the ones from you right and creating a sort of sand carrying mist.

Walked a little in the waves and then we found a good spot and had lunch. Lazed around for a while and then we started a game of football. It soon dawned that no one of us was in good shape and stamina. Still we managed to play for about 45 mins after which there was just enough energy left to get back to the rest of the gang and lie down and have some beer.

Although the water was cold, we noticed that the temp in the North sea was marginally warmer. So it was decided that we take a plunge in the North sea. The temp was such that only 3 people finally decided to venture inside water. The water was cold and with each step it seemed to be getting colder. We reached a point where there was a kind of sand bank. We sat there and soaked some more sun. Finally we decided to get all wet and swim. Surprisingly, after this the water didn’t feel so cold and we stayed in it for about 15 mins.

Out of the water and finally soaked some sun, chatted with friends, drank beer and watched the ships at a distance. I remember spending a lot of time quiet on this trip as this was my last weekend in Denmark and I was kind of capturing the impressions in my mind. Something like soaking the feeling of being in Denmark for the last few days.

Enjoyed a Café au Lait at one of the cafes in the old town of Skagen and finally took the train back to Aalborg.

I *heart* Denmark !!

Egeskov Slot, Odense

This weekend I was off to visit the Egeskov Slot (castle) near Odense, which is about 400 Kms from Aalborg. The journey of 3 1/2 hrs was filled with fun and masti in the bus with the typical games like antakshari, Dumb , a small breakfast and lots of beer.

Egeskov estate is spread over 1131 hectares, with the castle n parks amounting to 20 hectares, and is located in the south of the island of Funen in Denmark. The castle is Europe's best preserved Renaissance water castle. Egeskov's history dates to the 14th century.

Through his marriage to Anne Trihuus in 1545, Frands Brockenhuus took over a large farm in the village of egeskov. Acquiring large areas inside and outside the parish through inheritance n purchase and in 1554 the manor was replaced by the existing castle.

The castle is a genuine moated castle built directly on the lake. According to the popular legend the oak piles on which the castle stands gave rise to the name. Egeskov in Danish means oak wood. The Count's War during which many of the manors were attcked by the peasants was probably the reason why Frands Brockenhuus wanted to build a castle which was, to all intents and purposes, inpenetrable. Egeskov reflects a time of unrest. In 1986 Count Claus Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille opened the castle itself to the public.
There are about 8 rooms open to the public of which The Hunting Room is the most popular. It was used as Count gregers Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille's study and shows his great passion for hunting. Many of the game trophies are rare as the Impala below which has remarkably long horns (90 cms, while the normal is 50 cms). The room contains trophies brought back from British East Africa and the Congo - Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya of today.
From his jouneys in Africa, the Count brought back many souvenirs like these plus objects of ethnogrpahical interest like head dresses, jewellery and weapons. In The Hunting Gallery, many of the Count's trophies are displayed along with weapons from many countries. The Count was one of the most famous hunters in Denmark and one of the very few who were granted permission to hunt with bow n arrow. The trophies are displayed with the arrow that brought them down. In one corner is one of Egeskov's 'privies'. The castle was extremely luxurious for its time, with 17 lavotories.
The Victorian Room was furnished with typical items of furniture, brick-a-brac, curtains, carpets, upholstery from the Victorian period which were in the family's possession. The paintings and photographs show members of the family.
Titania's Palace is a palace made by English painter and officer Sir Nevile Wilkinson for his daughter. This palace took 15 years to build and has 3000 components collected from all over the world.

Egeskov's wooden man lies under the spire. Its is said that if he is to be removed from the cushion , Egeskov will sink in the moat on Christmas night. Because of this legend the family never used to celebrate Christmas at the castle. Traditonal Danish rice pudding is served to the wooden man so that he can share it with the castle elves and the human occupants can celebrate Christmas in the other rooms.

The Vintage Motorcycle Museum carries a collection of old bikes. A must see for any auto enthusiast.

The gardens around the castle are to enjoy the warm sunny afternoons with a picnic spread and to marvel such beautiful surroundings.

The picnic also had people from our comapny spread across Denmark. About 150 in all. A delicious Indian lunch followed by not so delicicious sweets and finally a group of 25 people returned back to Aalborg.

New 7 Wonders

Thank God all the hoopla around the "New 7 Wonders" thing is about to get over and we can all put down the swadeshi topi and get back to normal life. If u r in US, start making plan to visit the Statue of Liberty on the next long weekend if u haven’t been there yet or start planning a vacation to Europe or to South America. By all standards, The monuments in the New 7 Wonders list are some of the most amazing places on the face of the earth and fabulous tourist destinations. Though there may be nothing official about it, the amount of patriotism people are associating with it is simply astounding. Chain mails are being forwarded, people back home in India admit to receiving SMS from long lost contacts urging them to vote for Taj. Anyway, let’s not get into this more.

Peepal, I am introducing a tag. Heres what u need to do?

Pick the Top 3 destinations from the list of New Seven Wonders that you would want to visit and write down a few lines about why u want to visit. Don't forget to tag more people and inform them about it.

Simple in'it? (Sorry, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom movie has left some lasting scars in my mind).

So here is my list of top 3 destinations:-

1) Machu Picchu, Peru (Img: http://www.new7wonders.com/)
Machu Picchu is a symbol of Community & Dedication!

I am sure everyone has heard about this place, or read about it . The 'Lost City' of the Incans was discovered and brought to light by Americam archaeologist Hiram Bingham. I remember, when I was small, reading a novel - Hardy Boys & the Inca Treasure or something similar and then I became curious and read up a little about it. It was the pre-google-and-internet-not-quite-there time when people actually went to library to find out more about things. I found only a couple of pages in some encyclopedia but the name registered somewhere in my mind. With so much available at the touch of a button you can practically know and see all thats to it in the comfort of your couch. But to see a monument in person is an alltogether different feeling.

2) Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Img http://www.new7wonders.com/)
Christ Redeemer stands for Welcoming & Openness!

Now who doesn't want to go to Brazil. :) It's the first place that comes in mind when u talk about South America or football or beaches or supermodels (Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio). I think the first time I saw the statue in the video of the song Brazil by VengaBoys. This country is a sure shot fav among people from all over the world and no wonder Rio de Janeiro is the most visited city in the world.

3) The Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia (Img: http://www.answers.com)The Kremlin/St. Basil’s Cathedral represents Fortitude & Symbolism!

God bless Russia for inventing Vodka! Russia has always been the friendly country from where we bought arms. The cathedral is def one of the cutest, if I may say so, ones in the world. It was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and built on the edge of Red Square between 1555 and 1561. Legend has it that on completion of the church the Tsar ordered the architect, Postnik Yakovlev, to be blinded to prevent him from ever creating anything to rival its beauty again, much like our own lore about Taj's architect. Anyway, Russia and the other eastern european countries have caught my fascination for some time now. And it would be great to be there and have a quick peek at what lies behind the Iron Curtain.

What the heck... I would absolutely love to be able to visit ANY one of the sites. And as a traveller I realise that you don't need a reason to travel. You travel coz u want to.

I tag:-

Arpz, Confused, Deepti, Delphic, If-she-tells-ya, Kusum, Marlee, Prashant, Priyanka, Sakshi, Sayesha, Shek, Silverine.

Here are my pics, of the 3 sites from the list of New 7 Wonders, where I have been to:-

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France.

Neuscwanstein, Bavaria, Germany.

Colosseum, Rome, Italy.

Bruges

About an hour away from Brussels is the small, quaint town of Bruges. Known as the 'Venice of the North', Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and has a long history of two thousand years. In 2000, UNESCO included the entire historical center of the city as a World Heritage Site. The city treats its visitors to some spectacular architectural beauties, cobbled streets, romantic canals and gastronomical delights.

The old town lies opposite the railway station at a stone throw distance. Just need to buy a map at the tourist office at the station and you are all set. Walking is my fav mode of transport and one of the best ways to enjoy the sights. At first you are greeted by the lovely canal Minnewater. Minne in Dutch means Love and the name of the canalized lake can be roughly translated to "The Lake of Love". It is because of these beautiful canals that Bruges got the sobriquet 'Venice of the North'.

Swan is a symbol of Bruges and you can see plenty of them in the Minnewater. Legend says that in 1488 the folks of Bruges executed one of their town administrators Pieter Lanchals from the court of Maximillian of Austria. Lanchals’ family coat of arms featured a white swan. Maximillian punished Bruges by obliging the whole population to keep swans on their lakes and canals till eternity. Well, I don't think they mind.

Notre Dame

Sint-Salvator Cathedral

From a distance the old buildings allure the traveler and smother a cloud of calm and tranquility, which is shortlived in the hustle ad bustle of the tourists. This town is packed with them. A boat ride in these canals is something which u must indulge in. There are various places from where the canal tours originate and the cost is €5/- only. The ride is an easy way to see most of the cities many historic treasures in the form of buildings churches bridges and statues. Its also a good excuse to rest those tired feet. :)

Town Hall

Chapel of the Holy Blood

The Burg Square, which is the administrative heart of the city, has the Town Hall and to the right of it is the Chapel of the Holy Blood. The Town Hall contains some beautiful portraits of earler Dukes/Counts and Duchesses/Countesses. The Chapel of Holy Blood is actually a double chapel. The lower part is called the Basilius Chapel and the church on the first floor is the actual Chapel of the Holy Blood. The chapel contains a fragment of cloth stained with what is said to be the coagulated blood of Christ, wiped from his body after the crucifixion. Tradition has it that Count Diederik van den Elzas brought the relic containing the blood of Christ from Jerusalem to Bruges after the second crusade.

Pic - www.brugge.be

The adoration of the relic is at the origin of the internationally famous 'Procession of the Holy Blood' which passes every year on Asuncion day during the month of May through the streets of Bruges (17th May 2007).

Provincial Court

Southern side cafes

The Grote Markt (Market Square) is surrounded by the Belfry on the north, Provincial Court on the west, on the south by lotsa cafes which have a distinctive medieval appearance. In the center is the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck from the 'Battle of the Golden Spurs'.

While in Bruge, do try some of the many beers named after the city - Brugse Tripel, Brugs Blond, Brugs Witbier and Straffe Hendrik and the exquisite chocolates. Well that goes for the entire country I guess. Another speciality is the Lace that you can find in many shops. Its been practiced here for centuries and you can find people working on it. It’s also horribly expensive.

The train journey from Brussels to Bruges has a stop midway at Ghent, which is also a beautiful town like Bruges, no canals though. Train journey from Brussels to Bruges costs €12.5/- for a return journey, with trains plying every hour.

With that ladies and gentlemen, the Wanderer signs off, with a smile and a promise to take you to yet another destination sometime soon. Adios!!

Brussels

From Luxembourg we started for Brussels in a train. At Luxembourg station we bought the tickets at 9:27 am for a train leaving at 9:29 am and ran like hell. Made it just in time. A Belgian friend in Aalborg had already warned us that trains are not so regular in his country and true to his word the train journey of hours took a good 45 mins extra. Welcome to the city of Eurocrats, plenty of chocolate fountains, an array of waffles and more than 200 kinds of beers – Brussels.

A walk of 25 mins from the Nord station and we dumped out stuff at the hostel. Decided to hit the Grand Place Square. The square is one of the most important tourist attractions in the city and has hundreds of tourists looking in awe at all the buildings around it. You have the towering Town Hall, the King’s House, the Guild Houses and a lot of cafes. There also a shop tucked in a corner called Gautam Diamond. Apna Gautambhai che ne aiyaan!!

Click here for a 360 degree panoramic view of the square. Trust me it’s worth it.

The square has something or the other happening at all times. Perfomers, pianists, violinists, puppeteers, dancers etc and the likes. The atmosphere is charged and it’s a joy to sit in one of the cafes around the square and enjoy a coffee or a beer.

A bylane just left of the Town Hall leads you to Manneken Pis, the symbol of Belgium to much extent. Having a prior experience with such symbols (The Little Mermaid), I was prepared for the worst and my dear friend Mr Murphy's Law never fails me. The 2 feet bronze statue of a naked boy urinating in a fountain is hardly impressive. Cute but not impressive. There are several legends behind the statue. The version which I heard is that a certain Duke wanted a statue to be erected and he wanted it to be of some comman man so he went out one day and swore to build the statue of the first commoner he saw. He saw this small boy taking a leak and we got Manneken Pis.

Belgium is reported to the first in covered shopping malls and you can go through the St. Hubert Gallery in the city center. A shopper’s mecca if u r looking for Belgian chocolates, leather goods, ornaments, designer net cloth etc. The gallery has the famous Neuhaus Chocolate. And speaking of chocolate, Brussels is a chocoholic’s paradise. Chocolate for breakfast, some more for lunch and yet some more for dinner. There is always a chocolate shop just round the corner. The bigger ones will have a chocolate fountain on display. Just watching it is a delight in itself, conjuring thoughts and images of all the mentionable and unmentionable things you could do in that fountain. The possibilities are endless ;)

The area near the Hubert gallery is a very popular restaurant area in Belgium and I particularly recall some very good sea food on display in most establishments. Another Belgian specialty is the Waffles and in Brussels the list of toppings will definitely surpass your imagination. You can’t return from Brussels without having these. Trust me you don’t want to. While we are still discussing food, lemme also recommend you the Fries which are usually served in a plastic tub or a cone along with mayonnaise and sauce. Not extraordinarily better than the regular stuff but it’s popular here to stroll through the market place while having some.

The next day we went to visit Atomium and Mini Europe. Mini Europe houses replicas of the famous buildings n monuments from all countries in the European Union. The incomparable chimes of Big Ben welcome you to the heart of London. The gondolas and mandolins will invite you to discover the charms of Venice. Follow the T.G.V. from Paris to the other end of France. You can make the models work yourself : the eruption of Vesuvius, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the bullfight in Seville and many more… In total 300 models and sites in a quite unequalled craftsmanship. The ticket is €12.

At stone throw distance away from Mini Europe is the Atomium, which was built for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, the 103-metre tall monument represents a unit cell of an iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times, with vertical body diagonal, with tubes along the 12 edges of the cube and from all 8 vertices to the centre.

Coming up – The 1 day trip to from Brussels to Bruges.