We did the temples, west and east, in Khajuraho this morning. In terms of age (10th century, some), size, preservation, extensiveness, depiction of everyday life, religious symbolism, they're pretty impressive. We are glad we came here. We had a guide, George, a born-again Christian (he said), who seemed quite knowledgeable, answered all our questions, and discussed the erotic stuff pretty straightforwardly. He also had a working sense of humor, unusual for guides in our experience (except Mingma). Even the motel, the Greenwood, in Khajuraho, was superb.
Personally, I thought the sex thing at the temples was overrated. Only two per cent of the figures in the 22 extant temples are sex scenes, and not all these directly concern human/human sex. Oh well. Concerning the depictions, as George said, not all that much has changed, really.
We're off this afternoon by car and then train to Agra, the Taj Mahal, and who knows what else.
Update: the 145km car trip from Khajuraho to Jhansi took 4 hours. 4 hours of dodging other vehicles, goats, packs of dogs, feral cattle (some in herds). Mostly pastoral squalor but some interesting sites and scenes. Jhansi is a town of 2-3 million. I missed the one great photo opp of the afternoon: a cow on the track in the middle of the Jhansi train station. The train ride from Jhansi to Agra was relatively uneventful. We sat across from a nice family with a cute toddler Vicki entertained for most of the trip. For $17.50 the two of us got the transportation, with cushion seats, in AC comfort, with high tea and dinner. We even arrived more or less on time, were picked up by our guide, and have checked into another "traditional" hotel (I think) in Agra. We're sleeping in our silk sleeping bag liners. Tomorrow: Agraculture, including the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort.
Personally, I thought the sex thing at the temples was overrated. Only two per cent of the figures in the 22 extant temples are sex scenes, and not all these directly concern human/human sex. Oh well. Concerning the depictions, as George said, not all that much has changed, really.
We're off this afternoon by car and then train to Agra, the Taj Mahal, and who knows what else.
Update: the 145km car trip from Khajuraho to Jhansi took 4 hours. 4 hours of dodging other vehicles, goats, packs of dogs, feral cattle (some in herds). Mostly pastoral squalor but some interesting sites and scenes. Jhansi is a town of 2-3 million. I missed the one great photo opp of the afternoon: a cow on the track in the middle of the Jhansi train station. The train ride from Jhansi to Agra was relatively uneventful. We sat across from a nice family with a cute toddler Vicki entertained for most of the trip. For $17.50 the two of us got the transportation, with cushion seats, in AC comfort, with high tea and dinner. We even arrived more or less on time, were picked up by our guide, and have checked into another "traditional" hotel (I think) in Agra. We're sleeping in our silk sleeping bag liners. Tomorrow: Agraculture, including the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort.
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