I’VE worked in some interesting places and had some unique experiences. At a conference in India, a friend and I arrived at an evening function in a suburb of Delhi. On either side of the entrance were two elephants with mahouts on top. As we left, it was clear one mahout had decided it was time to go home. He jogged his elephant down a dark street to a dual carriageway, paused, looked left and right then gunned the elephant across four lanes of traffic. On the other side, he settled the elephant into a fast lope and off he went - as easy as you like.

Staying with an animal theme, I was on a field trip in Colombia in the Andes, deep in a valley. My right boot, one of a much-loved pair I’d had for years, fell apart, the sole flapping around so I was walking like Coco the clown. I struggled on for a bit until the local guys insisted I ride a mule out. Eventually, I hopped on - there was just a sack and a rope to hang onto. It was a bit scary as we traversed steep hillsides with a huge drop on one side. The mule was amazing, and I was fine till I turned to heckle my mate, a couple of zigzags below, and nearly slipped off.

On the same trip, I was being entertained in a small village by the local mayor. We arrived at the venue, a small wooden house, to find it in complete darkness. A Land Cruiser or two eventually turned up with our hosts. One of the entourage rummaged in his pocket, produced a lightbulb and screwed it in. The lady host produced an enormous platter of what we were told was a special dish but which was boiled chicken and spuds, nothing else. The spoon I’d been given didn’t make a dent in it, so I stuck to the spuds and the mercifully cold beer. On leaving, we said our goodbyes and the mayor’s guy took his lightbulb back, leaving the lady in darkness. It was certainly memorable if nothing else.