July 30, 2007 - New Delhi, India

"Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need to know of hell."
~Emily Dickinson

The booming sound of footsteps, mixed with the jingling of bells - it had to be an elephant! I turned to my right to see a beautiful, bindi-flower adorned elephant coming in my direction. I asked the mahavat (elephant rider) if I could pet her. As I rubbed her cheek, she took her trunk and wrapped it tightly around my hand. I let out a little yelp, but soon realized she was playing with me, as she swung my hand forward, and then side to side.

There is currently a movement in India to educate mahavats to care for their elephants. They go on weekend retreats, funded by NGO's such as the World Wildlife Fund, to learn how to clean, treat, and when to retire their elephants. Elephants have been considered work animals for 1000's of years. There are now elephant retirement lands and money for mahavats to purchase a new elephant when the elderly need to rest.

With only a week left in our journey, I have began to fantasize about summer food missed. Here are a few that are on my mind:
+ Sweet corn on the cob
+ Portobello Mushroom marinated overnight in balsamic vinaigrette and worshire sauce, then grilled with melted chevre cheese
+ My special homemade pesto
+ Fresh salsa & chips
+ My fathers secret hamburger receipt
+ My mothers marionberry pie with crumb topping and vanilla ice cream
+ Fresh cut asparagus, marinated overnight in honey mustard bar-b-que sauce, then grilled
+ Fresh tomatoes from my parents garden & mozzarella cheese