Streets of Hyderabad

With the protection of a bus on our semi-annual activity day, I snapped these pictures just to get an idea of what the streets of Hyderabad look like. We have a few more modern buildings in the area we live but I usually limit my picture taking to animals when we are in an open auto. Actually, you'll see a nice modern building right in the middle of some that look more like what is pictured here. The statues on the right are the beginning of the elephant idols they use for Ganesh in September. They are getting ready early. They will be painted and adorned with jewels and flowers before being dunked in the Tank Bund Lake which was one of our destinations on activity day.

I am ever amazed at the scaffolding they use for buildings under construction (see below). The workers on these make about 3000 Rs a month or $60.

Hindu temples look mostly like this one with every color in the rainbow. We see them often. A large one is just a block from our church building.

Medical stores are common and you can get whatever you want without a prescription. If they don't have it in stock, they usually send a runner to the next store to get it for you. To the left is a flyover.

This and That in Sri Lanka

We flew to Sri Lanka February 16 for a five day couples conference. The conference was only on two days and the rest of the time was just time off to relax and get re-energized. Looking out our window on the Hilton's 11th floor, we could see the ocean, ships and boats coming into dock and industrial work. We also watched the mini war outside this window and one of the Tamil Tiger planes flew by us about three stories up.

The two towers are right next to the Hilton hotel and called the World Trade Centers.

Buddhism is the main religion and various statues of Buddha in different poses, all of which mean something different, are throughout the city. Some kind of international memorial is below and in the picture we took of those of us touring that afternoon, the three shortest women in front are all named Karen. What's the chance of that? Don't think I've met two other Karens in one place anywhere else. This was our first day and Dad was still a little weak so he stayed in the air conditioned bus.

We walked down to the beach at sunset, just a block from the hotel.

Here's the only LDS church in Sri Lanka. It was a stop during a bit of a shopping spree during which I got my usual nothing.

Jonah and the Whale

We went to a museum in Colombo which was more attractive on the outside with its banyan tree than most anything inside with the exception of a chest with a gorgeous potential quilt design and the skeleton of a whale in the last room we visited. Though you probably can't tell from the pictures there was plenty of room for a good sized man, such as Jonah, to stand up inside the whale with room to spare. I was simply amazed at how huge, in height, width and length, it was. We all were.

Elephants Galore

At the government owned elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka, we mingled a little and paid 100 Rs for the privilege of taking the picture. The hair on the baby's back was as stiff and prickly as bristles on an old fashioned hairbrush. The elephants were so dirty I didn't really want to touch them and thought I certainly wouldn't want to ride one. Later, we found the elephants we rode to be quite cleaned up.

After a while in the dirt and heat, we learned they were going to the river which seemed like a great idea. We tried to get ahead of the parade and eventually stopped in front of a store to watch them go by.

Here they come on their way to the water. The one below seemed to have a mind of his own as he headed right toward us, turning at the last minute but not before I got behind something.

I took the picture on the right from a safe haven even though he was very close. In the pictures below, I was not quite so safe. The big bull was late coming and exerting his muscle. I was on the little road or path he was on but had no idea that the elephants weren't all down to the water. I looked up to see this huge creature headed right toward me, ignoring the trainer's prods. There was a small post, kind of like a gate post, signaling the path for the elephants which I stepped behind and held onto because one step to the right was a fall down a small cliff to the river.

My camera was in my hands, so while I held onto the post with my left hand, I clicked the pictures with my right. I guess you can get the idea of how close he was. I don't know where Dad was and why I seemed to be the only one in any danger. Sister Kasper was to the side and able to move out of the way. She said she was holding her breath for me.

These elephants were on the right side of the river from where we were standing and the elephants below with the big black bull were on the left. We watched for a couple of hours and these on the right mostly stood in the water. A few walked to the opposite side and rolled in the dirt.

It was with some trepidation that I stood this close for a picture but others were doing it and the elephants were interested in being in the water. I'm standing on rock between the two groups.

From what we could tell, most elephants here with the black male were female and he was having his way with them. They were making lots of noise and one of the natives said it was a happy noise. It was rather loud trumpeting and a little alarming to us. Maybe you can spot the baby submerged in the water near the top of the picture with just two elephants beyond and to the left.

Once In A Lifetime

Crossing this wobbly footbridge to the elephants increased my nerve to get on one. I figured it couldn't be a lot worse. (Sorry about how the text turned out. I made the pictures larger and didn't know it would affect the text so much.)

On the 2 1/2 hour ride from the hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka, President Nichols said, "Everyone has to ride an elephant once while you're here and once is enough!" I quite agree. I told him I was trying to psyche myself up to do it for the grandchildren and he said, "Oh yes, if you don't ride I'll tell them personally that you wouldn't do it for them." Dad was more reluctant than I because of having seen on TVelephants break loose from their trainers. But here we go!

The front seat person hangs on to a chain and the back seat person hangs on to the front seat person (for dear life). Supposedly the front feels the shifting of the shoulders more as each step is a side to side motion that I felt plenty. In fact, I kept slipping the entire ride--just a little scary as it was a long way to the ground. Elephants have a very protruding back bone that I'm still feeling the effects from--much worse than an hour on a horse.

The local taking the pictures kept asking us if we were OK and comfortable. We lied and said, "Yes." There wasn't any way to get down that I could see until we got back to the starting place where we climb on and off, from and to a raised area. That wasn't so easy either. I had to help Dad lift his leg up high enough to slide up and the natives helped me.

They asked if we wanted to go down to the water but we declined. I was just worried about staying on as it was. I couldn't imagine stepping down into the water. The Eichelbergers did that and got pretty wet.

So here you have it! The first and last elephant ride (about 10 minutes) for Grandma and Papa, Mom and Dad, Karen and Bill