From Bhubaneswar we took the overnight train to Chennai (Madras). There were no direct flights available and a “three tier a/c sleeper” train was the best our travel agent could do for us. In the spirit of adventure, we looked forward to our 20 hours on the exotic-sounding Coromandel Express!

Andhra Pradesh rolls by

We wrestled our suitcases onto the train and found our berths, shoved our bags under the lower bunk and looked around...there were three men sitting in the facing bunk and one on “my” berth, leaving hardly any room for the two of us and our backpacks. This did not look good, nor was it the cozy and romantic train ride we had been looking forward to, but yes, an adventure it was turning out to be: communal sleeping arrangements, no privacy, no curtains, no room to do more than sit up straight with our backpacks on our laps all night!

The three tiers

After almost an hour of brooding over our poor choice, the train stopped and several people in our berth area got off, leaving just one other man and plenty of room. We each got a sheet, pillow and blanket from the conductor, popped up the middle berth to make it “three tier” and settled in for the night. The other passengers eventually calmed down and we got some sleep.

Feet hanging out into the aisle

We were woken the next morning by vendors going up and down the aisles hawking chai, water, coffee, miscellaneous breakfast foods and snacks in the nasal sing-song of Indian vendors.

"Schnakks, cheeeps"

With daylight came the opportunity for Ted to photograph other (sleeping) passengers and to lean out the doorway between cars to film the rice paddies, palm trees and villages passing by on our way south. Unfortunately, from this vantage point, Ted also saw what happens to garbage on Indian trains: out the door and onto the tracks.

Sleeping late

Tier mates

Trash ready to hit the tracks

Now that we were rested, looking out the window at the beautiful scenery and chatting with our fellow passengers, we both felt a lot better about this adventure.

Rice paddies from the train window

The Coromandel Express got into Chennai after dark. Early the next morning, we left the construction delays, heavy traffic and pollution of Chennai by car. We drove through interesting and traditional countryside - working rice paddies, colorful villages, busy farms - to Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)

Classic Ambassador car, our driver Sam, Ted and a guard

Working in the fields

Country smile

The Mamallapuram area is famous for its many rock carvings. These images are not the usual complex depictions of gods and goddesses, but are of ordinary people and animals, in a simple folk-art style.

Arjuna's Penance, bas-relief depicting animals, deities and characters from Hindu fables

Precariously perched boulder known as Krishna's Butterball

Shiva sculpture at the Panch Pandava Ratha

Shrine at the Panch Pandava Ratha, carved out of a single piece of rock

Mamallapuram is best known for its Shore Temple, which stands near the beach facing the Bay of Bengal. This small Hindu temple is covered in beautiful carvings weathered by sea winds.

Shore temple dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu

We continued on to Kanchipuram, renowned for its silk saris and Hindu temples. The Sri Ekambaranathar Shiva Temple covers almost 30 acres and has a tall, ornately carved, pyramid-like tower and massive stone walls. Inside is a large hall with alcoves housing sanctums and priests, chariots depicting brightly colored animals and demons parked between the pillars, as well as seemingly endless rows of lingams (phallic symbol and symbol of Shiva.)

Carvings at Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram

Tower of Sri Ekambaranathar temple

Demon chariot inside the temple

Parrot chariot inside Sri Ekambaranathar temple

Ted and priest at Sri Ekambaranathar temple

Temple devotee

The drive back to Chennai was long and filled with the exhaust of the endless parade of diesel trucks heading for the city. We had dinner at the Woodlands Hotel restaurant about which Ted had very fond memories from earlier visits of their very spicy south Indian thalis (a sampler of several dishes) - very tasty and not too hot! We left Chennai late the next morning without having seen much of the city.

On the trip back to Chennai