Today we did some elephant riding. Even though I was expecting full package (riding, washing them, etc), that lasts 2-3 hours, all we got was 20min ride, that cost us 1000rs each (even though they wanted 2000 for each).
Note about our location: for the past week we have been living in Amer, near Jaipur with the people from couchsurfing. Here streets are filled with elephants, going from "elephant village" to Amer fort and back. We live in a store (yes =]) which is a 4 storey building (highest in town) in the very middle of this town with roof that privides spectacular view of everything, including fortress wall surrounding whole area. Our host himself owns about 30 elephants (per his info, each costs about 40 000 LVL).
Not much else to say about ride itself - we got to enclosure, got "introduced" to elephant, climbed on an back and went on a walk for about 20 minutes. We sat in a box, even though I imagined riding one on bare back - this was my main dissapointment. Our rider was working with this elephant for 15 years and told some generic facts (did you know that one animal eats 300kg of sugarcane every day?).
Hah, my walkaround with elephant for me and my wife cost me 350'- rupees for each :) And we sat on it's back without box and at end we also washed it :D Win!