This was another trip that had been high on my itinerary. Amazingly, my previous email exchanges have shown that Khajuraho is not as household as I suspected. Well, I hope the pics can do most of the talking. I didn't allow myself much time for this trip. My research said a few days was plenty. This was unfortunate. My trip began with me being attacked by the local pack of dogs on my street. It was super early in the morning and they were up to their usual no good. Luckily the one dog that went as far as to try to bite me only got my pant material and my Bruce Lee spin kicks were sufficient to deter any further bites. It didn't set the right mood though.
I got to my train and was immediately basking in a/c luxury, which was accompanied by thoughts of the hell I was going to endure on the other end. The train was delayed by domestic disturbances in Mathura. Something to do with local trains being made to run late to cater to the VIP train I was on. Shortly the police showed up with their dandas (night sticks). There is nothing more frightening to an Indian than one of their cop
s coming at them with a stick. So we were on our way again. In Jhansi, after the usual run around with the rickshaw drivers and touts I succumbed to a deal with a young guy whose father supposedly owned this nice hotel in Khajuraho. I would pay a little extra on a cab (having missed our bus due to the Socialists!), and he'd discount my hotel room. I decided to take my chances. Not everybody is out to get you here. First they wanted to get something to eat/drink. Being the paranoid ex-shitbag that I am I immediately got the impression that they were out to drug me. All I could think about is how pissed I'd be if they succeed! In the end everything worked out and I had a good room in the hotel.
The temples in Khajuraho were mind-blowing, even if you disregard the R-rated carvings. I was so glad I made the trip. I had began to worry that I had developed too high of a "temple tolerance" and would not be able to appreciate them anymore! It is easy to see, and no exageration to consider these temples some of the finest in the world.
