White water rafting - Kennebec river

Summer is almost coming to an end. Temperatures already started droping down in Boston. I guess there are only few weeks left for outdoor enthusiasts like me. This is one of the shortest summers I have ever experienced. It rained almost 75% of the summer, including this weekend and I started to wonder If I am in Boston or Seatle.

We recently went for white water rafting in the Kennebec river, located in Maine. I wanted to go for technically more challenging Penobscot river, but it was fully booked. Maine has three rivers for whitewater rafting and these rafting trips offer challenging rapids amidst the beautiful scenery of the Northeast. They offer all classes of rafting from class I (the easiest and safest) to class VI (the most difficult and most dangerous). Kennebec is a class II-IV river. The Upper Gorge has Class II-IV rapids, while the Lower Gorge is much calmer with rapids only reaching Class II.

We got up very early last sunday and took the 4 hr drive to our rafting company base near the river. It was raining and so we were asked to wear the wet suits. Each person was given a life jacket, a paddle and a helmet. We boarded the bus for the Harris station dam from where the excitment begins. A guide is assigned for a group of eight. We carried our boat to the river and our guide gave a brief class about paddling and safety rules. Good paddling is paramount to running any river successfully. Rafting boats go in a group and we waited on our boat for our turn.

After a quick warm-up through Class II Taster Rapids, the action begins almost immediately with a set of Class III waves known as "Rock Garden". Next up is "Big Momma", the biggest wave in the Upper Gorge. As your raft approaches "Big Momma", it’s hard to do anything but stare at the awesome amount of water that is about to consume your raft. "Magic Falls" comes after sometime and it is one of biggest set of rapids on the river and the last big rapid in the Upper Gorge. As you wait in line, boat after boat heads down the river one at a time and then disappears! Well, they don’t actually disappear. The boats are dropping into "Magic Falls". The upper gorge is full of exciting rapids like these and you barely get a chance to catch your breath.

After rafting the upper gorge, we pulled the boat to the river side for a wonderful BBQ lunch in the woods. Later, we started rafting the lower gorge. The lower gorge is relatively very mild with just class II rapids. But, it provides an opportunity to swim for sometime or to just sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful scenary. This is a great chance to soak in the sun(rain, in our case) and beauty, talk with your guide and fellow paddlers, or engage in a water fight. Finally we reached "The Forks" where the Dead river meets the Kennebec and it is our take out point.

From mild to wild, Kennebec River has exciting rapids and it offers something for beginners and experienced paddlers alike. It's the thrill of wild rapids, the smell of fresh Maine pine and the spray of the cool river waters that makes Whitewater Rafting such a popular sport in Maine. I guess I am ready for the Penobscot river now.

On the whole, we all had a thrilling time rafting the Kennebec. It's an experience like no other. Whitewater rafting is a sheer adrenaline rush!!!

Malgudi Days and My Nostalgia

I recently started watching Malgudi days on DVD and it brought back many fond memories of my childhood. I just realized how much I love 'Malgudi Days'. I read this book when I was in school. I used to love watching the series on tv too. How can I ever forget the title track..

There are many great Indian writers like Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdie, Arundati Roy and Jumpa Lahri. Each one has their unique style and they have written some excellent books. That said, R.K.Narayan remains my favourite Indian author. Malgudi Days is R.K.Narayan's literary masterpiece. What makes this book unique is the simple, yet artistic narrative style, used by the author. The tales in the book come with sprinkling of gentle irony along with a humour. The endings are rather abrupt, which leave an indelible impression on the mind. R.K.Narayan paints the picture for you. The book just transports you into the world of Malgudi.

I am not a big fan of watching movies or tv series based on good books, as they mostly disappoint me. But, Malgudi days is an exception. It is one of the best serials to grace Indian television. Everything about Malgudi Days was exemplary -- the amazing stories, the sketches, direction, performances and mind-blowing music. I bet, even today, those who have read the books and seen the serial remember every nuance fondly. So deep is the description of locale of 'Malgudi' , the characters and the writing of R.K. Narayan; Malgudi days is universally acceptable even though the theme is very Indian.

Now a days, it's hard to come across TV series like 'Malgudi Days'. But, thanks to DVD, revisit the classics and enjoy!!