Falling in love
Thursday, April 13, 2006 at 08:42AM Well it is official. I am in love. Who would have thought, I would need to travel to Sri Lanka for it to happen. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. Doesn't seem to matter that it was with an elephant.
We went to an elephant orphanage a couple of days ago. There are about 80 elephants in the orphanage and I have never seen anything like it before. I have never been on safari and seen elephants in the wild. The most I have ever seen is when there are 5 or 6 of them in the zoo. Well this was like seeing them in the wild. All 80 of them (babies and all) were washing, drinking and playing in a gorgeous river. Some of them were close to the shore, so with the handler present, you could touch one of them. So I jumped to it immediately. I got to touch a 7 year old male...and a little baby. But it was the 7 year old that stole my heart. I put my hand on his trunk and started talking to him. I leaned forward and put my forehead on his and I kept talking...and I could hear his breathing change. I swear he was listening to me. I just kept talking...no idea what I was saying really. But I pushed my forehead into his, kind of nudging him...and he pushed back. I laughed and kept talking...and before I knew it he took his trunk, wrapped it around me like he was giving me a hug. It was wonderful. A completely thrilling experience. I felt so lucky to be able to have a moment like that with such a beautiful and powerful animal.
So now, I am totally in love with him. I will probably never see him again...but he stole my heart. sigh...
We are back in Colombo. Mom leaves day after next...and the city is nothing at all like it was when we were here 3 weeks ago. It is a huge holiday in Sri Lanka...similar to New Years for us. So many people have left the city (seems like all people to be honest) and have travelled home to their villages to be with their families. So there is little for us to do over the next day or so. It doesn't help that Colombo is as hot as the surface of the sun right now, so walking outside is a slow torture. I am sure mom is sad to be leaving, but looking forward to cooking herself a meal that doesn't consist of rice and curry, driving on a smooth road without bumps, bends and where people actually stay in 'lanes', something that does not exist here at all.
Reader Comments (2)
Big elephants spashing in the river--you can't get anymore exotic than that. Your house is fine-Mark/Bronwyn's house sold for 322,000, there's a "crack house" down the street and Toronto is Toronto--keep those pics coming.
Well I must say I couldn't bring myself to try a fatty but reading all this has inspired me to try it again.
You know there is an Indian parade down Yonge St. each year, white elephants and all. You may find your love again when you're back in town!