The India - Of Elephants & Snake Charmers

 

The things we get into at times!

In the early days of my first job, as a young executive, I was often assigned the "special task" of receiving colleagues and dignitaries arriving from Europe, mostly at unearthly hours well past midnight.

This seemingly tiresome task had its fringe benefits.

Yes, you guessed it. I not only got introduced to some of the most remarkable international travellers from our enterprise, but also got to hear about their remarkable experiences from around the world, in what was a often a "short trip", in what "little time" we got from their arrival at the airport up to their hotel check-ins.

In an odd instance or two, I also had the, quite unique, privilege to give them a special experience to carry back with them.

One such was for a colleague from Sweden, Mats Widen. 

Mats used to be a nurse in his previous career, and had joined our enterprise as an applications specialist & trainer - to help customers make best use of the ventilators we sold in critical care units across the country.

This story is about his first visit to India.

As was the protocol, I had the brief to pick him up at 2am from the International Airport & ensure his safe passage to the hotel and a smooth check-in.
This was from the times when there were no emails & mobile phones. We communicated with our international teams by FAX! and if you lost track of an arriving guest at the airport for whatever reason, the only way to find out was the next morning at the hotel.

That particular morning, the arriving flight was a bit delayed and Bombay was at its humid best. But I managed to locate him in the arriving crowd because of his height and the french beard.
Quick mutual introductions later, two tired people we were off to the hotel. The ride from the airport to Hotel Sea Rock at Bandra - was not more than half an hour during those days,

To keep myself awake I did the customary common talk...

"So Mats, I hear this is your first time into India, is that right?
What are you looking forward to while you are here with us?
and what have you heard about my country?"

Mats, who was significantly taller than the ambassador car was designed for, turned to me shuffling his legs, and with his charming smile and an unmistakable Swedish accent replied petting his french beard..

"Achim (the last time we met he was still calling me that),
I am really looking forward to my first trip to India...I have heard so many stories.."

That got me curious. " What kind of stories do you get to hear about us in Sweden I wonder!" 

"Ya, well you see, my friend told me to look out for snakes and elephants"

I was like saying to myself
"What crazy things do these guys think about India?
and WHO THE HELL tells them all these cock-n-bull stories about snakes & elephants".

But keeping my thoughts to myself, I replied with bewildered amusement...

" Hahaha...those stories might be from the time of the British Raj and all that Mats!
We are a very progressive developing nation...you dont see those things in the city. 
Yes for sure, if you want to see elephants and snakes we could fix a visit to a wildlife sanctuary if you have the time"  

"Achim, are you sure?"...so saying he pointed at the window behind me.

Now imagine, two people sitting in the back seat of an ambassador car having a conversation.
Both looking at each other, obviously with their backs to the car window on their side of the car.

Mats was saying "...are you sure?" point behind me...

Well, THERE WAS AN ELEPHANT being walked on side of the highway, with a mahout sitting on him and another person walking alongside.

There have been a few instances in my life - being tongue-tied!
This one was elephant sized!!!

Apparently, going by the decoration on the elephant, it must have been one of those Temple Elephants that are part of religious ceremonies on special occasions. And I presume it was being taken from one Temple to another at night to avoid creating a traffic situation.

Unfortunately, it was not the time of mobile phones, not to speak of smart ones with cameras, so I don't have evidence to show of, but the below picture is representative enough of the realities of those times.