like no place ever

This morning we came upon a group of men, at first I thought they were angry, arguing about a car accident perhaps, they had a sullen look on their faces and were gathered in a tight group in the middle of the road.  Then the driver pointed out the body.  I turned my head to see the body, believing  the accident had been deadly. They had been carrying a body laid out on a wooden stretcher. The body was covered in a bright red cloth with gold embroidery around the edges, she trailed rose petals. The procession of men were delivering her to the spot where they would cremate her and then her family would take the ashes to the Ganges River.  As I sat in the backseat of the car pondering the passing of this unknown woman, watching the procession of men proceeding off down the road, the talk turned to elephants.