A breeze soothes my face as I drift into another sun drenched dream, I can hear the chatter, chatter of some locals above the waves that caress the shore and then she prods me in the rib. ‘Let’s go out tomorrow.’ This is Sri Lanka, there are no island tours where you all sing Gin Gan Goolie and drink copious amounts of alcohol whilst a hairstylist from Scunthorpe tells you how she once saved three wild cats from a dustbin and then nearly miscarried because she caught Toxoplasmosis from their faeces.
In Sri Lanka you book a taxi. That evening we invited ‘Elvis’ the taxi driver into the hotel (and you thought he worked in the chip shop) to discuss our trip the next day. Elvis informed me that we would need to depart the hotel at 05:00 in order to see the baby elephants being fed. Now no one would call me an animal lover, nor indeed and animal hater. I guess I’m an abstainer, I’m like that with a lot of things. Take Homosexuality for instance, I don’t have a problem with it, if that’s who you are, fine, best of luck to you. I just don’t need to participate. So I explain to Elvis that we are on holiday and 4:30 only exists once a day. He tells me what a beautiful sight it is and I tell him that I’m sure David Attenborough has it covered, we agree on 06:00, reluctantly. The morning doesn’t start well when believing I need to pass a little wind and pooh my pants. Fifteen minutes later we are in Elvis’s taxi and heading out to the Elephant orphanage. If you’ve never ridden an Elephant its fairly easy once you get on it and surprisingly they purr? I managed not to pooh on the elephant, but I did get mugged by the children, but that’s another story 🙂
Love the honest retelling here. I loved Sri Lanka and the Elephant orphanage. Did you get to Kandy? That’s lovely too.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you Pete. Yes we made Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth, ha that’s another story 😜
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on Dream Big, Dream Often.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you Danny 😀😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
I got hooked to your writing after I read ” First love, first fall”..I still go back and Re read it. You are amazing
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you so much, I love your style too, I’m afraid I’m guilty of not commenting though, which I shall endeavour to put right 💐
LikeLiked by 3 people
Very nice CB!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
So, guessing your feelings regarding homosexual animals would be doubly ambiguous, then…?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Haha, you crack me up, (he said, reaching for the thesaurus) Yes they probably would be xx
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thesau- what, now?
LikeLiked by 4 people
Hahahah, you know some weird hairstylists! For the elephant’s sake, I’m glad you didn’t poop. But I’m surprised they purr. Really? Am I going to have to Google that for verification? And you do have to tell us now about the mugging-by-child incident. I hope you didn’t poop on them either, though perhaps you should have.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you 😀😀 yeah they really purr, well the one I sat on did, there again it might have been passing wind? 😜
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’d say maybe the wind, in anticipation of something awful happening to it he thought he’d prepare himself to beat you to it! I’m not sure whether I’d want to ride on an elephant, they always seem quite sad to me.x
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s because they can’t jump ☹️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Always good not to poo on an elephant. David Attenborough probably covered that, too.
LikeLiked by 4 people
😂😂😂😂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Rode an elephant at the zoo in Sydney many years past… I think they were probably African elephants; they were huge! But then, I was small.. !! And, I don’t think it purred. David Attenborough would know, for sure! Maybe only Asian elephants purr.. 😂😂😂
Did he sing? Elvis? Or was he just a morning killjoy?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think they are generally big, Carolyn 😂 Elvis was about as far removed from Elvis as you could get 😂😂 He was a skinny little bloke with a moustache, looked like the guy on the organ in Sparks 😂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I had to google Ron Mael, Charlie (the organ player) I see what you mean. I also watched a bit of the first episode of Sparks; we didn’t get it here in Oz – funny! Hahah! 🙂
LikeLike
Yes Ron was a character haha. I don’t know Sparks as TV show though?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Crossed wires, Charlie… Somehow I thought you also meant Sparks the TV show!!!!!
My bad.. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
“This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us” 😂😂😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahah… Okay big boy; I’m getting outta town! 😂😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😘😘💐
LikeLike
I took an elephant ride in Kerala and had fun while trying not to fall off with all the swaying! And I thought their hair was as soft but they weren’t. Enjoyed the ride anyway 😊
LikeLiked by 3 people
Haha yes swaying is a good description and no I don’t think they enjoy too much 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks charlie! Reblogging this on SIWO International.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hey thank you so much 😀😀😀
LikeLike
You are welcome, dear friend!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on Success Inspirers' World.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey! I nominated you for the sunshine blogger award!! A thank you to your awesome posts.
Go check it out
https://sovernoverseas.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/my-first-nomination-for-the-sunshine-blogger-award-and-im-excited/?preview=true
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a fun story. 🙂 Your words create strong images and the honesty is wonderfully refreshing!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you Frances, I really appreciate your comment. My mam used to say tell the truth and shame the devil 😘
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re welcome! Smart words to live by ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
Pingback: It Weren’t Half Hot Mum (2) | Charliecountryboy's Blog
Pingback: It Weren’t Half Hot Mum (2) | Charliecountryboy's Blog
Great memories:) been there too in 2014! Love the tea – best!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes the tea was pretty special 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice share. Lucky you didn’t have to take a rickshaw.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 😂😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL I love the homsexuality analogy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 😀😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Elephants purr!!!! I’d never have thought that – they seem like such gentle giants in a lot of ways 😊🐘
LikeLiked by 2 people
It was strange, not sure if they call it purring, but that’s what it felt like 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person