Elephant Walla

I had to pinch myself last Wednesday night as I placed a call to an elephant walla (this translates to elephant guy) to arrange an elephant ride in Delhi for the seven expats/visitors who were going to be in town on Sunday.

The experience ranked high on the bizarre scale as I rode atop an elephant that mingled with traffic on a side street in Delhi. However, when it was over, my feelings about the morning were mixed. It may sound strange but I could not connect with the animal (as a reference point, I now connect with cows and dogs on the street, sometimes within a single look) and spent a fair amount of time trying to decide if the animal was better off carting people around in Delhi but not knowing what alternatives the elephant had. I became frustrated because I couldn’t communicate with the elephant owner or even determine how old the elephant was (somewhere between 35 and 75 years old). And then there was the haggling over the price with the elephant walla and the realization that bait and switch tactics have become too common. Even as I write this post I am still not sure if the whole experience was enjoyable and bizarre or just bizarre.

I finished the day with 5 hour brunch at the Oberoi. All the lobster, sushi, salad and dessert I could eat with complementary pour of Moet. That part was enjoyable.