Goa February 2008 - Bondli Park and the Elephant

We expected to have our elephant rides in Bondli Sanctuary on the first afternoon of the 'Go Wild ' trip.

We were up early next morning and went back to the elephant before breakfast. I had envisaged six people at once sitting on seats slung over the elephants back as had happened on a previous trip to Northern India so I was taken aback when I realised I was expected to climb up a ladder onto a tree and clamber alone onto the elephant's shoulders. To my amazement I managed it

There was no saddle, nothing but a circle of rope round the elephant's neck to hold onto. To my further amazement I managed not to fall off, which was just as well as there was a long way down to the ground. I don't know who looked the more frightened - the elephant or myself

I put on a brave face during my quarter mile ride, all the time wondering how I was going to climb off the huge animal when it stopped.

Luckily the tree had a most convenient projecting branch which I used to to help me haul myself upright.

After breakfast we left camp for the visit to the waterfall. On our return to camp we had another rendezvous with the elephant. This time, wearing a swimming costume and with considerable help from the guide I climbed onto its back while it sat in the river. It then proceeded to shower me three times with river water it had drawn up on its trunk. Unfortunately the person photographing me didn't manage to catch the trunk while it was in the act of showering.

When everyone in the group had been given their shower, we joined together to wash the elephant with coconut shells.