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A jumbo adventure

K. Balakrishnan discovers Elephant Junction gives visitors many a cherished memory and Kodak moments

TUG OF WAR Elephant Junction offers a variety of games and adventure sports

Heading to the likes of hill stations, backwaters, resorts and amusement parks for a break are so passé. However, this summer it was a different experience at Thekkady. Noticing a poster extolling visitors to visit Elephant Junction, we decided to venture.

Located at Murukkidy, just two kilometres from Kumily town, Elephant Junction is situated in the environs of a lush green cardamom plantation. At the entrance Bhadra, a cow elephant greeted us. Bhadra has the distinction of being the last elephant to be trained and sold from the elephant kraal at Konni. On returning, we fed both Unnikrishnan and Bhadra. It was time for Bhadra's bath and we joined her mahout in bathing her. After her bath Bhadra was ready for games. We had a tug of war with her, which obviously she won. The next game was `pin the tail on the elephant,' the difference being it was a live elephant. However, instead of pinning the tail, one had to touch the tail.

Treasure hunt

Then we had a treasure hunt in the cardamom plantation. Unnikrishnan was guarding the treasure and foxing him to reach the treasure proved impossible.

For the more adventurous and athletically inclined there are adventure sports on offer. The first activity that we undertook was crossing a water body using a rope slung across the pond. Although safety precautions like harnesses and belay ropes are used, the activity does send one's adrenalin racing.

An abandoned quarry was our next activity destination. Here we experienced the adventure sports of jummerring, rappelling and rock climbing. Jummerring is a sport where you do a rope assisted climb. Although exhilarating, the activity is a strain on your arms and shoulders.

But rappelling, which is a rope-assisted descent, is an enjoyable and challenging experience. The attention to safety and the equipment used are truly the best. The instructors are patient and meticulous in explaining how to go about doing these activities. Elephant Junction is definitely a different experience. There is nothing conventional about it. A visit is definitely going to leave many cherished memories.

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