We get up early for a nature walk in the Tiger preserve which also has elephants and other wild beasts. We don't see to many ferocious animals, however. We start by crossing the lake on a raft of bamboo sticks thrashed together into a mostly floating "boat". The most easily sighted were the tadpoles who were so prevalent that they formed a visible dark line all along the edge of the lake. 2 hours later we had seen various birds, a wild boar, black monkeys and butterflies. Somone saw a mongoose and some others saw an elephant with her baby back in the bushes.We went ovely excited by this adventure and asked at the desk if they could get the 2 of us transportation to the elephant village so we could go for a ride. We were sent a tuk-tuk, which we learned is not a tuk-tuk but an "auto", and a personal escort and off we went on a real adventure. 
Wewere taken on a bumpy ride down dirt cratered roads to find just one elephant as the rest were gone for a festival, but that's all we needed. So to add to our growing goup we get the mahout with his elephant, the tour guid and the assistant.They put us up on the elephant who is clad in a heavy blanket and a wire frame which holds a footrest on either side for us to put our feet on and which has small metal handles and I am istructed to hang on right behind mom. This doesn't work though as I want to lean around to see and take some photos. Nobody falls off and we have a woderful ride for about 40 minutes. We don't really know what's next as we did pay our $20.00 for an hour. So we are then excorted to the hose where we are instructed on bathing the elephant and we give him a hard brushing down. Then the mahout gets the elephant to lay down and tells me to jump up when I am then soaked with water! Fun times. We also met a new friend on this trip- our escort Manu took all the bathing with the elephant shots- not available onthis posting- and gave us his e-mail. He and all the others here are so friendly and helpful.
Then we go on a spice tour to a spice plantation and a guided tour by the"spiceologist". We saw growing cardemon, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg,vanilla, pepper, tumeric and others. Then we go to the organic spice market- on the bus.
Then we get to see another dance performance,different dancer but just as good. She is the daughter of the dance master and is an aspiring "dancing cardiologist". We went out as a group for a nice dinner.
Wewere taken on a bumpy ride down dirt cratered roads to find just one elephant as the rest were gone for a festival, but that's all we needed. So to add to our growing goup we get the mahout with his elephant, the tour guid and the assistant.They put us up on the elephant who is clad in a heavy blanket and a wire frame which holds a footrest on either side for us to put our feet on and which has small metal handles and I am istructed to hang on right behind mom. This doesn't work though as I want to lean around to see and take some photos. Nobody falls off and we have a woderful ride for about 40 minutes. We don't really know what's next as we did pay our $20.00 for an hour. So we are then excorted to the hose where we are instructed on bathing the elephant and we give him a hard brushing down. Then the mahout gets the elephant to lay down and tells me to jump up when I am then soaked with water! Fun times. We also met a new friend on this trip- our escort Manu took all the bathing with the elephant shots- not available onthis posting- and gave us his e-mail. He and all the others here are so friendly and helpful.Then we go on a spice tour to a spice plantation and a guided tour by the"spiceologist". We saw growing cardemon, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg,vanilla, pepper, tumeric and others. Then we go to the organic spice market- on the bus.
Then we get to see another dance performance,different dancer but just as good. She is the daughter of the dance master and is an aspiring "dancing cardiologist". We went out as a group for a nice dinner.
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