After completing my Kollad adventure, I never fathomed that I will plunge myself back into the depths of water in such a short period of time. And why you may ask? I blame it on immigration and Indians!! Immigration offices in Bhutan have recently decided to change the rules by closing their main office on the weekends. But derailments need not always lead to disappointments, especially when you have 10 more people in the group contributing new ideas, a twist is bound to happen. And, that’s how the idea of Teesta River Rafting was conceived.

Having studied Geography during my high school, I was surprised by the very existence of this river. Originating in the Himalayas, Teesta River, also known as the lifeline of Sikkim, flows through the Indian States of Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh where it joins with Brahmaputra. 

Moving past my initial and very dominant hydrophobe personality, the view surrounding Teesta is like a living poetry – while one side of the bank is covered in lush canopy, the other side is dotted with beautifully symmetrical houses, highlighting how intricately linked human lives are with natural resources, irrespective of the fact how far we have come in terms of technological advancements. But with a command like ‘Get into the inflatable tubes!” you are back to the familiar footing of paranoia.

There is a vast difference between rafting in a reservoir water body and a river that has been accoladed with the title of “one of the best rafting spots in India”. Unlike Kollad where you actually are paddling along with your other team members, Teesta instructors ensure that the physically strongest are seated at the forward position of the raft, while the rest are seated in the middle to counterbalance. 

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