In Hampi I was talking to an intrepid British gentleman at breakfast, trying to remember the word ‘ferret’. I don’t recall how we got to talk about that particular topic, but somehow I blanked and could not remember the proper term, so I began describing it. A small, furry, grey animal…
“AN ELEPHANT!” proclaimed the Englishman. “No, no, much smaller, like a rodent…”
It took me a bit till I realized that right behind me, an actual elephant was being guided down the street to the temple of hampi. A holy temple elephant, colored with paint and trained to accept donations; followed by blessing the people with a bump to the head with its snout.





