Day 9, Samode, Rajasthan. 7th February 2015.
After a day of deep study I took our group out on a surprise excursion. No information was shared about where we were going and after an hour drive into what seemed like the middle of nowhere we ended up in a beautiful former camp grounds of a local Rajput family. 14 elephants greeted our group as they squealed in joy at the sight of these loving pachyderms.
The rest of the evening involved bathing the elephants, applying make up on them (painting them really) then taking them for a walk. A delicious dinner was planned for our group including a nice fire under the stars. It was the perfect evening. The whole group gathered around the fire, shared highlights and special moments from the trip and sang songs.
28 very happy spiritual adventurers boarded the bus back to Samode after a most memorable evening.
This elephant was so beautifully decorated by his mahout.
Eleanor and her new pet…
The joy of hugging an elephant is like none other.
Kate and Tom off on an elephant ride.
The trail of elephants in the hills.
It’s a little cold in the desert and our hosts have set up some fires to keep us warm.
An evening under the stars is not complete unless you have fire and songs…Lynda leads us in a few songs with Reena and Laura on drums…
