The midnight train

So, on Sunday night, after a final meal at the Hotel Park Plaza's rooftop restaurant, of Chettinad mutton and chicken, we checked out and went to the train station.  A little word before that, about the Park Plaza and other hotels. It's a nice place.  we paid about $75 total a night including a dinner, and 3 breakfasts, for a very comfy room with AC overlooking (well, blocks and blocks away) the temple complex, as well as the local communist party office (that's actually a good thing, in India) and a rooftop under construction where the work crew actually slept, in blankets, every night under our gaze.  It had those nice things that are so helpful... a sewing kit, a little collection of paper clips, every convenience you need including a nailfile, qtips, and of course, hair oil. I've learned that many Indian men seem to have a preoccupation with avoiding dandruff, thus there are lots and lots of ayurvedic potions on sale to prevent that. anyway, first time I've thought about hair oil since the Victorian era.

Anyway. The train.  it was so fun.  We spent lots of time worrying, trying to figure out where our car would be, whether we'd get the bedding I'd just requested from the Station bedding supervisor who wouldn't let me pay for it, said pay some name I couldn't figure out, so I could not figure out if we'd get sheets, or not. Why we needed sheets:  Most Indian air conditioned sleeper cars have sheets, but this was an unusual class, First Class non Air conditioned.  these are old cars, each window is perfectly open with 3 horizontal bars just like the general second class, but you can seal it with a metal grill. each room has 4 very roomy bunks. We shared with a retired MD and his wife, he's from the capital of Kerala and she's from Madurai, and we communicated kinda sorta barely because obviously she doesn't use her english a lot.  but we got joined briefly before we got rolling by a fascinating egomaniac, a guy who is apparently a well known movie or tv star from Kerala. "Everyone knows me, I have such a lucky life."
anyway luckily he soon left and we slept quietly ovrnighton our rocking little train and when we awoke, our fellow passetners left at their station and wehad 3 more really fun beautiful hours rolling through the delightful palm filled Kerala countryside.  lots of tiny towns, we stopped at every one.  Lots of variety now, instead of just women in saris and salwar kameez there were muslim women in headscarfs, christian women in 'nighties', these very victorian mumu dresses. which being soft and flowing are definitely what I'd ilke to wear when it's hot!  we loved our train ride in our historical little car.