DEC
14
I must say, I have learned an immeasurable quantum of life lessons to treasure for my entire life. �is memo will now undergo a metamorphosis from a travelogue to a tenet. Firstly, punctuality is of utmost importance. It sets our decided Bourne( targets for the day ' rafting ') into the right direction for proper action. So for full enjoyment and relishing any journey, �rst start in time. Few delays are man-made but most are accidental, so buck up and be ready to do your part. �e second lesson which I have learned from today: never believe any person as they pretend to be helpful. Believe on your instinct or inner voice, they know you and your best the best. In our case, the rafting Ma�a deluded us at a price of ₹ 1400 after giving 50 % off. At another place, the rates were just ₹ 400. Saving 1000 per person and a loss of 60000 is a big deal for anyone. �e Ma�a gathered all their strength to crack the deal. Bus drivers, Jeep drivers and all other“ responsible” people were involved with them. �e third lesson: our decisions should be driven by rationale and not by sheer emotions or motivation. �ree hours of rafting in nearly freezing water and frosty �urry with no relief by sun ' s warmth, the only sources of light being that from a house on a distant mountain and a star, no helmets as protective gear, no �rst aid kit and least possible brie�ng for rafting- all of this could’ ve been avoided. �e fourth and the last lesson, live each moment as if it was your last. It ' s important to have gratitude and realize the importance of this most beautiful gift, life. As the magni�cent Charlie Chaplin once said, " I have many problems in my life. But my lips do not know that. �ey always smile!" So let ' s continue our rafting journey. Cold, wet and exhausted both mentally and physically, it was indeed tough to row in the still river waters with no sight of the destination. We �nished by 8:30 pm and started the back journey from Tattapani by 10 reaching our guesthouse urf Manorville at 12:30 am. We just had a late night dinner and went to bed.
DEC
15
DEC
16
I won ' t say this is the last day of our journey. It is rather the beginning of our everlasting friendship. Yeah, that sounds better! It was a relaxing day. Most of us woke up at around 11. We walked towards Potter ' s hill where the golden autumn leaves capped the earth and shimmering sky enveloped the roof. We played fun games like standing Kho Kho and cricket with a local team. �e amusing thing was that we lost awfully making only 5 runs and in the other game we toppled on each other while catching one another. We again visited mall road in the evening and later in the night played �shing pond with a bon�re. Lots of stupid as well as funny comments about one another were read aloud by our CR Saab. With lots of pleasurable moments to cherish later, we packed up by 1:30 am. �en it was the time to play overnight Ma�a wars. It was such a delight to play the entire night till 7 am. Some survived the game, others fell asleep! After the game, �nishing our �nal packing, we few people went for a morning walk and were fortunate enough to behold the beauty of the sunrise across hills. It was a sight of immense tranquility and we will never forget it.
So the time had come for us to bid farewell to Manorville, Summer hill, Shimla. This trip has given us a golden opportunity to strengthen our bonds together and to get to know each other better. There should now be no room for hesitancy, for seeking any help amongst us. Organizing a batch trip of about 60 people is not a joke, it demands a sense of responsibility, maturity, and feeling of oneness between each other. Three cheers for CR Saab, Organising team and all members!
Aditya Agarwal 3226, Batch 2016