river rafting ( Manali Files)

We had gone to Kullu for the summer holidays. On the second day of stay we decided to go for river rafting. We all were excited as we had never had the experience of the particular activity before. Alongside instructions we were given our lifejackets and helmets.
We started with enthusiasm after listening carefully to the instructions given by the professionals who organized our ride. They told us how to hold the rescue boat in case any one of us tumbled over. We were told not to climb over the rescue boat if it had turned turtle because in that case the rescuer would be himself under the water. They also told us not to worry as it was normal to tumble over and there would be a rescuer at hand to put you back on the raft.
We got wet right in the beginning itself. After about after two hundred meters of peaceful and calm rafting came the rough rapids. We had two trained professionals with us as well. One of them was on a kiekie.
A kiekie is a special mini boat which travels along the raft and rushes to people who had fallen off the raft. SPLASH!! Up went the water and right on us! And this repeated again and again. After a few minutes the water calmed down again. The scene was beautiful. Only water and greenery wherever you cast your eyes. And then the rapids started again. SPLASH, SPLASH , SPLASH and then the biggest splash of all accompanied with a yell. My eldest brother had fallen into the water! In a split second he vanished and all we could see was his two feet above the water with just one slipper. My mother was stunned and scared whereas the others were looking at the slippers which had slid of my brothers feet and into the water. We were not the least scared about my brother because we were confident that the kiekie would rescue him. My father was shouting “Stop bothering about the slippers and start looking for him”.
It is really difficult to swim with a lifejacket and doubly difficult if you are in fast flowing water. The rescuer caught my brother and sent him on the raft. We all felt very relieved. Then the water calmed down again and then rapids again and so on. This went on for about thirteen more kilometers. But with (thankfully) no more people thrown overboard!!
.I am looking forward to more difficult river rafting experiences in the future.