Elephants

I don't know why it has taken me until now to get round to posting some pictures about Elephants.  They have always been my favourite animal and have kept me smiling since I was a very little girl.

 I grew up with pictures from Africa in my dad's albums and then have a very vivid memory of the Blue Peter team, especially Valerie Singleton going to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka as one of their expeditions in 1969.  It was still Ceylon then.

I started to collect elephants and now have a lots.  On our last long travels I bought a new elephant in every country that we visited and I intend to do the same when we set off this time too.

In 2010 we were lucky enough to go to Sri Lanka ourselves and we got to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.  I got to feed a baby elephant milk and we got prime seats on the edge of the river to watch as they all came down to bathe.

But not only did we do that.  We hapened to be in the ancient capital, Kandy, at the same time as the start of the Perahra.  This is a Festival which lasts for several days linked to the display of the Tooth of the Buddha which is normally housed in the Temple of the Tooth in the city.  Elephants come from every corner of the country to take part in this prestigious event.  As do dancers and families and travellers.   It was like a dream to sit and watch as the elephants paraded with dancers and drums and fabulous howdahs, their beautiful costumes all lit with electric lighting.  An amazing sight.

You can watch a video of the Perahara here.