Off on an elephant trek

‘Twas early morning and the valley was shrouded in mist.  We all (dogs included) set off to the morning market.  It was quite unlike any market I’ve seen before.  The place was buzzing with colourfully dressed people and an amazing array of goods for sale. 

 
Having bought a selection of interesting foods for our lunch Monika took us back to Jumbo Lodge for breakfast.  She had a special treat in store for the day – she had arranged an elephant trek!  At 8:30 the dogs rushed out into the garden barking, announcing the arrival of our elephant and her mahout, together with a local guide.  I stayed well clear of those enormous jumbo feet while P and B climbed aboard from a platform in the garden.

and off we all went  - with me trotting along behind.

 
I resisted the temptation to have snack from the veggie gardens we passed and on we went through forests and across rivers  to reach a nearby village for lunch.  

I suspected that a donkey would be something of a novelty for the local children and the elephant and I decided to stay on the outskirts of the village so as not to alarm them.  Whilst the others went to visit the school we were invited to enjoy some corn on the cob for lunch 

before setting off back home.