Here’s a little something you should know about riding an elephant.  Having done it three times — in Laos, Thailand, and now India — it’s a meditative, almost soothing experience, balancing on a loveseat strapped to the elephant’s back, lumbering along with the giant beast through the jungle.  Our first two pachyderm rides were essentially just about having the experience of riding an elephant.  But our third time, we rode our elephants to get to a spectacular destination:  The top of the historic Amer Fort situated high in the well-protected mountains outside Jaipur, India.  There, elephant riding was not only an experience but a fabulous practical means to an end.