Finding Balance

It seems we have struck a nice balance in our travel route, balancing the traveler-laden destinations with a real dose of India. After a stretch of the more 'real' India--congested, polluted cities, blatant poverty, and little to no personal space,we seek out some more westernized destination. We dine on other types of food and relax with a calmer pace to the area we find ourselves in. Inevitably, we tire of the traveler scene and crave returning to 'India'. This has happened time and again...creating a cycle in our travels such that we don't tire of either aspect that we are experiencing here. After several days in Pondicherry, a French colonial town, and Mamallapuram, a small village crawling with tourists coming to see the ancient rock carvings...we traveled on to Chennai, a crowded, busy, overwhelming city....and we welcomed the change.