villages. We first stopped for chai at a home in the village. As before the children all stared and played around us. A few followed us a little ways down the road, dwarfed by the towering trees and very healthy chickens. Nearer the main road (read mostly paved), we stopped at a roadside stall where we enjoyed yet more chai, and our two guides caught up on all the local gossip. A Tharu breakfast seems to be many cups of chai, a bit of chewing tobacco, perhaps mixed with a pinch of ground dates or other sweet, and plenty of gossip.
We spent the rest of the morning puttering around the lodge. I rode 'my' bike into town for few small errands, but mostly we puttered and read, and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.Then the elephant arrived. Today was my turn to 'help' with the elephant bathing. She lay down, and patiently allowed a Dutch girl and me to climb our way (even lying down she was very tall) onto her bare back. Then she slowly got to her feet and began strolling towards the river. I was in front, the Dutch girl in the middle, and her handler in the back. After a few steps, he passed his bamboo rod up, and told me I was in charge. A little nervous (OK a lot nervous and a little scared), I followed his directions. Luckily Badukali (a girl elephant - note the 'kali' on the end of her name) was very mellow and responded to light taps on the sides of her head (tap the side opposite the direction you want to go - sort of like neck-reining a horse) and nudges from my heels behind her ears. We forded a narrow stream, and then waded belly-deep into the river proper. Where Badukali lay down, and Dutch girl and I promptly fell off. At the handlers urging we sat on her belly and massaged her with smooth stones from the river bed, splashing water over her sides, and paying special attention to her head and ears.
When it was time for her to roll over to have her other side scrubbed, her handler had us sit on her and try to stay onboard as she rotated up and over. After several tries I managed to keep my perch as she slowly rolled herself up from lying on her side in the water to sitting up like a big dog. After a minute of celebration, her handler had me slide down her shoulder and stand square in front of her face, grasping an ear in both hands and with a knee high on her trunk. At a word from him she slowly raised her trunk, and lifted me up onto her head, where it was just a little scramble back onto her back. Which I promptly fell off of again as she lay down to have her second side scrubbed. It was all great, soggy fun, made more so because Badukali seemed to be enjoying herself as much as we were.
Out of the water we rode back up to lodge and the Dutch girl had a turn steering. We took many more photos with 'our' elephant, and rewarded her with tickles on her trunk and lips and by feeding her raw potatoes, which she cheerfully crunched whole.I had no idea that I liked elephants so much. From a distance they are just big and a little strange. Up close though, they each have distinct personalities, likes, and dislikes. We have been lucky in that the elephants we have been around have been especially friendly ones, but they really do seem to epitomise the term 'gentle giant'.
After puttering about in Sauraha, we headed back to the lodge where we were informed that there was a "Tharu Cultural Programme" happening in town where local Tharu would be demonstrating a few traditional dances. We headed out to the local hall, where 90% of the audience consisted of tourists with their cameras and camcorders ready. There were harvest dances, stick dances, and even a man in a peacock puppet costume (complete with unfurling peacock feathers in the end). There was also an audience participation section where local Tharu and the tourists danced as the final section of the program.Tomorrow we leave for Pokhara. We are going to miss this little hamlet.
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