Elephants

I’m a military logistician so I’m fascinated by elephants.  Ever since I first heard the story of Hannibal and his war elephants crossing the Alps I’ve been hooked.

Last week I was bouncing around India – honest, it really was business – and we drove past the Amer Palace in Jaipur.  While my associates were oohing and aahing over the fortress, I was looking at something else.

I saw the elephants carrying the tourists up the side of the mountain to the entrance. 

The scene at the Amer Palace made my day, but on the highway to Mirzapur I saw something better.

We were waiting line at a toll booth, and it was a true developing world vignette.  Tuk-tuks, taxis, private cars, busses, trucks, all sharing a divided highway . . . and then the elephant walked up.

I’m not kidding.

Two passengers on the elephants back, the elephant walked up to the toll booth.  He curled is trunk up to one of his riders, who handed him the toll, and the elephant then passed it off to the toll collector.

And the elephant ambled on down the highway.