Elephant Polo – Cas De Stoppelaar

Oscar Oomen is a biologist. During his studies he travelled throughout Nepal to do field research and was quickly captivated by the country’s charms. When in the seventies his marriage ended in heartbreak, he decides to leave the Netherlands and build a hotel in Kathmandu. Initially he has a hard time finding his feet. Getting this ambitious project off the ground appears to be no easy task, but after some time there is a tall building and even a manager to take care of day to day affairs. Oscar starts living the life of a young colonial master, surrounded by servitude. Invisible hands prepare his meals, shine his shoes and press his trousers to a razor-sharp crease. Meanwhile he goes trekking through the Himalaya and plays elephant polo in the southern Terai plains with Asian businessmen and Western ambassadors.
He seems successful in the destiny he chose for himself – until his indolent life style intersects with political reality. When the Nepali crown prince massacres the royal family and the Maoists kidnap a number of his tourists, decline sets in.
Oscar falls from Sahib to Sucker.

Elephant Polo – Cas De Stoppelaar