b/c I need a title

Two days ago we traveled. All day, all night—and it was surprisingly enjoyable. We took an incredible journey down through the mountains surrounded by tropical forest just as you would imagine is the home of the Bengal tiger and tapir. Then we got on the overnight sleeper train. The back of the seat folds down such that eight people may sleep in a single compartment. We shared the compartment with a young, obviously middle class, Indian couple and I found myself surreptitiously and wondering if they had an arranged marriage (most still are here) and what htat must be like.
It was a fascinating to ride the train, famous ‘infastructure’ created by the British. These particular lines were built for the transport of tea grown in the mountains, as a museum and factory of tea informed us. We arrived in Chennai and immediately left the big ugly city for the small tourist town of Mamallapuram.
This is hour second night in the town and we have spent our time enjoying the beach off the Bengal, visiting the temples here and shopping for the exquisite carved granite sculptures that the town is known for. My dad bought two incredible worked stone elephants that are hollow with another elephant inside. I can’t possibly carry such a heavy thing with me the whole semester but I bought a beautiful lamp cover for rp 70 or about $1.50.
I can’t decide if I enjoy more the small hippy town with every other person a westerner (a hippie one) and thus the subject of all Indian sales attention or not.

b/c I need a title

Chennai, India