Claire: Elephant Riding

Riding on an elephant was a surprise for mom. Me and my dad booked it when mom was at the hotel and didn't tell her until we got to the elephants. Then she found out. In order to ride on the elephant you have to take off your shoes and climb about seven steps up high to get onto the elephant because it's so tall. They put blankets and towels on the elephant so we wouldn't get its pokey hair on our legs. And we held onto ropes and the ropes are made of coconut coir (which they weave in this part of India). Then the elephant keeper told the other elephant keeper to put us on the elephant so we could start the ride. And we started to go, and the elephant keeper came with the elephant, walking along beside it with his stick and kept tapping the elephant and talking to it in the Malayalam language. The elephant was very bumpy because I could feel its shoulders and hips moving while it walked. We were very very far off the ground. The elephant is 26 years old and his name is Baladevan. We rode on the elephant across a river bridge and to the Arabian sea. It was very very fun!! Love Claire