KHAJURAHO’S (HIGHLY) EROTIC TEMPLES

It takes a lot to make me blush; but, Khajuraho’s erotically embellished temples certainly raised my eyebrows. Beyond the infamous kama sutra carvings, the sheer skill and craftsmanship on display were awesomely astonishing. I’d go as far as saying this World Heritage site houses the most beautiful temple art in the world. The diversity and level of detail would certainly give Angkor Wat a run for its money. Yet, it’s relatively “off the beaten track” and unknown outside of India.

Indeed, during the long drive from Varanasi to Goa, Ben and I decided to take a temple detour merely on a whim. Man, were we glad we did! At first glance, Khajuraho seemed like a small dusty town in the middle of nowhere. But, as soon as we stepped into the ancient grounds, we were surprised and delighted. What lay before us were the most immaculately manicured lawns we’d ever seen, with proudly preserved temples peppered around the place. It was like a mystical oasis.

Before long, a quirky elder was petitioning to be our guide. We’d heard local knowledge was worth its weight on gold, so we settled on a price and started the grand tour. Our trusty sidekick, Anante Khare, turned out to be incredibly well-versed in Indo-Aryan architecture. We soon discovered he’d been telling the temple’s tales since 1972! It was obvious he’d spent a lot of time around tourists – he took digital photos like a young pro. But, back to his stories…

Legend has it that Khajuraho was founded by Chandravarman, the son of the moon god Chandra, who descended on a beautiful maiden as she bathed in a stream. There were 85 temples in the compound originally, while only 25 remain today, revealing the burst of creative genius which took place from AD 950 to 1050. Khajuraho’s isolation helped preserve the temples from the desecration Muslim invaders inflicted on temples everywhere else; but, perhaps for the same reason, the area was slowly abandoned and many temples eventually fell into ruin.

Having said that, the ones that remain are spectacular. Around the outside of the temples are bands of exceedingly artistic stonework showing a storyboard of life from a millennium ago, including: deities, warriors, dancers, musicians, farmers, animals and mythological creatures. Throughout the compound, two elements appear repeatedly: women and sex.

The sensuous female figures have been carved with a half twist, making them swirl and dance playfully out from the flat stone. According to our guide, the “pure” women could be distinguished by their hands, which were placed tantalisingly over their breasts to reveal their unmet urges. The women who’d already enjoyed sexual pleasure were portrayed with a “dishevelled undercarriage” and open sari, as though they were still caught up in the afterglow and had forgotten themselves. Our guide could also decipher the age of the women by comparing their boobs to fruit. “Young girl have the breast like lemon, young woman have the breast like ripe mango.” They looked more like bolt-on melons to me!

Next we moved on to the liberally embellished kama sutra carvings, which have put Khajuraho on the map. Beyond the obvious religious and community purposes the temples served, they also provided an educational function – sex education to be more precise. Our straight-faced guide shared some lessons with us, as if he was describing how to cook samosa. Lesson #1: If you want to have sex with someone who’s not your wife without getting her pregnant, opt for oral sex or “butt fun”. Lesson #2: if your husband has a skin disease, prescribe him a high dose of sulphur in the form of sexual relations with a horse. I can’t recall being taught these things in sex-ed!

While the erotic carvings of Khajuraho are certainly eye-opening, the graphic content shouldn’t detract from the meticulous and masterful stonework. It’s also important to approach the temples with an open mind, as they are open to interpretation. As one of my Insta followers put it, “They are a delight for the eclectic traveller seeking truth about love as a form of worship”. That comment made me see things a whole lot differently.

TEMPLE TIPS

• Stay at the Radisson Hotel and scour Agoda for cheap deals. It’s a true sanctuary, located just around the corner from the temples and away from the chaotic tout ‘n’ tourist zone.
• Eat at the Mediterraneo Restaurant. It’s officially one of my favourite places to feast in India. Mouth-watering Italian meals in the middle of India, who’d of thought? The thin-crust pizzas are to die for and they’re cooked in a wood-fired oven. The whole menu is made with love and attention to detail. It’s a must-try.
• If you want to see Khajuraho in its moment of glory, visit during the week-long Festival of Dances (Feb/March), when the Western Group of temples becomes a stage of fun-filled action.
• Opt for a tour guide. For a decent price, they offer a library of information which can’t be beaten. Plus, it’s entertaining listening to their stories about the kama sutra carvings. You’ll find them milling around the main entrance gate.
• Head to the temples for mid-afternoon so you can capture them with a golden glow. Finish your tour by taking epic sunset pics.

CHERRAPUNJI & THE LIVING ROOT BRIDGES

Sometimes, it’s good to live on the edge and throw your plans out the window. A few days ago, we did just that. The result? We encountered the type of travel we’d been dreaming about: raw, challenging, and unforgettable.

Our original schedule had us sprinting to Darjeeling so we could munch on scones and wander amongst the tea fields for a few days. As we shared our intentions with a curious Guwahati resident, he suggested we divert our attention to Cherrapunji. Loved by locals, this unique township and epic natural playground was rarely explored by international tourists. It sounded like North East India’s best-kept secret. We were sold!

Jumping in our Landy, we made our way up towards the Khasi Hills (a hop, skip and jump away from Bangladesh). During our ascent, we became increasingly aware of the strong military presence. It was a little intimidating, so we smiled our way through it and carried on as quickly as possible.

Before long, the surrounding landscape took on a different aesthetic, one which was reminiscent of the Scottish countryside or New Zealand’s south Island. Having climbed 1900m, we’d finally reached the top of the v-shaped mountain plateau. New air started to filter through our lungs. It was crisp, fresh and invigorating, especially compared to sea level India.

As we continued our journey along the top of the plateau, the towns flying past our windows became simpler – more tribal. So it seemed, we were now in the land of the Khasi people…and boy were they tiny. Most of the villagers had to be less than 5ft tall and their faces were strikingly intense. The elderly seemed to hide their stories in the deep, leathery creases around their eyes. They were hypnotising.

From what we could tell, most of the villagers (men, women, seniors and many children) spent their days working on subsistence farms. Considering the Khasi Hills were literally the wettest place on earth, it must have been a tough existence. Their miniature homes looked well-and-truly battle worn, as though they hadn’t quite withstood the wild thunderstorms and relentless rain.

As our stomachs started to protest their hunger, we came across a well-kept country cottage which stood out like a royal palace. Much to our delight, it was called “Café Cherrapunjee” and it was open (everything else up the mountain had been closed due to a community strike). Not only was this café a top-rating restaurant on Trip Advisor, it also offered a hearty menu, spotless toilets and brilliantly absurd ambient music (I’m talking ABBA, country and easy-listening saxophone). We were happy.

Too soon, it was time to jump back in the Landy and tackle the last stretch of road leading to the centre of Cherrapunji. The sky suddenly awoke from its rare slumber, swirling threateningly above our heads and getting darker by the minute. The dusty blue clouds drifted towards the heavens from the depths of the valley, making it look like a steaming witch’s cauldron. It was an eerie sight.

To make things just that little bit creepier, hundreds of crosses and gravestones decorated the hills around us. The weathered shops and rickety homes brought little warmth to the situation, as they were locked up tight due to the strike. It felt like ghost town…or a mad set for a zombie film.

Finally, we caught sight of our accommodation, the Kutmadan Resort. A beacon of comfort, respite and a little luxury, it also had front row seats to the vast plains of Bangladesh. Surely this was the best panoramic view in town, perfect for a brag-worthy sunrise shot. But, for now, it was time to hide under a cuddly blanket and fall asleep as the storm took hold of the night. Ground-shaking thunder, sky-splitting lightening bolts, pounding rain…it was actually kind of magical.

As we woke up to a beautiful day, blue skies and all, we were ready to complete our journey with a visit to the Living Root Bridges. While they’re the star attraction of Cherrapunji, a plethora of experiences await the curious traveller, including: caves, zip-line challenges and countless waterfalls.

Due to time constraints, we chose to stick with the big ticket item. Descending into the depths of the valley, we eventually reached the startline of our walk. Did I mention the track was made completely of stairs? There were thousands of them, to be exact, and they’d obviously been designed for the locals’ petite feet. Indeed, a number of villagers’ passed us at breakneck speed, despite having serious cargo on their backs.

As we completed the last few steps and caught our first glimpse of the Living Root Bridges, we quickly bumbled about for our cameras. They were more spectacular than we’d imagined. Over hundreds of years, their spaghetti-like roots and branches had been trained into a natural, everlasting masterpiece. We couldn’t wait to take a closer look and then wash the sweat and grime away with a dip in the freshwater stream below. This place was heaven and, in that moment, it was ours.

What goes down, must come up. While the journey to Cherrapunji and the Living Root Bridges was just as riveting as our final destination, we had a feeling the trip back was going to be a little more strenuous. Oh well, it was totally worth it.

HAPPY DAY 13 // EXPLORING THE MARKETS, MEKONG AND THE MYSTICAL

Visiting the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek was a gut-wrenching experience. It was hard to believe that around 25% of Cambodians were killed during the brutal reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and the mass genocide commenced merely a month after my husband was born. Bones and fragments of clothing were still visible in the soil, giving us a sharp glimpse of the indescribable horror. It all seemed too fresh.

After our tour of the Killing Fields, we hurried back to the vibrancy of central Phnom Penh to remind ourselves how far the country and its people had come. We hit up the highly regarded Central Market, which is located in and around an epic dome structure that’s hard to miss. Here, we found everything from technicolour wigs and glitzy bling to fru fru frocks and fake watches. But the best part was undoubtedly the food market.

The pungent aroma of unrefrigerated meat mixed with local spices hit us before the wild visual. Mountains of exotic fruit, fresh seafood, colourful grains and unrecognisable proteins – I couldn’t decide what to inspect first! After an hour of being laughed at by the stall holders (“Haha! Why lady take fifty photo of my shrimp? Crazy tourist-lady!”), we sat down for a quick bite to eat. Unsure of the meat products contained within our dumplings and soups, we decided not to think about it and simply tuck in. They were delicious.

To end the day, we made our way to the esplanade and hopped on a sunset cruise along the Mekong River. It only set the three of us back $20 USD in total and we had the boat all to ourselves for an hour. It was a perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh and see the city from another perspective.

The next morning, it was time to pack our bags and make the journey to Siem Reap. The 8-hour road trip was bumpy, dusty and eye-opening. My brain was ticking the entire way, as I watched the hard-working men, women, children and animals along the highway. I found myself wishing I had time to stay with a rural family for a while, so I could understand their lives better. It looked like a tough gig.

As the sun set on another day we sluggishly rolled into Siem Reap, sweaty and coated in Cambodian dirt. The place was lit up like a Christmas tree and seemed to host a hotel for every tourist…and there were a lot of tourists. If this was anything to go by, Angkor Wat was going to be heaving in the morning!

HAPPY DAY 11 // THE ROAD TO PHNOM PENH

This morning, my backyard was a precious beach off the North Eastern Coast of Thailand. We’d left Bangkok late the day before and decided to pitch a tent around sun down. That call placed us in this unknown destination, which turned out to be our favourite pseudo camping spot yet.

As we wearily rolled our Rover onto the sand, the unexpected sound of singing filled the air. It appeared a jovial group of Thais were engaged in a drunken karaoke session. They were belting out the lyrics to “My Heart Will Go On” in their Thai-English accents. It was enough to send us over the edge and into fits of laughter. It’d been a long day.

The next morning, we woke to the soothing sound of the waves. We had a quick bath in the warm ocean, as the local kids curiously watched on. After a lazy start to the day, we finally hit the road again and made our way towards the Cambodian border followed by Phnom Penh. 

Over the course of the day, we whizzed past a some spectacular sites. I was like a kid on her first road trip – glued to the car window, eyes wide open. Floating fishing villages were proudly on display, with vibrant colours giving their communities a beautiful energy. Entire families were working the land alongside water buffalos. It was all new to me. Exciting to watch.

I wondered what Phnom Penh was going to be like. Let’s just say it was a shock to the system. I’ll explain why in my next blog.

HAPPY DAY 10 // FROM LUXURY TO LAND ROVER

As the sun took to the sky for another day, I enjoyed my last moment of bliss in a boudoir fit for a Queen. In my semi-awake state, I could feel myself wandering halfway between dreamland and the real world. My body was entangled in a decadent doona, relishing the soft embrace…I wanted the moment to last forever.

Unfortunately, my conscious mind was taking over and the knowledge it was my last day at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok was starting to sink in…“Time to hit the road and live out of a Land Rover again!”

But, before I got my camper girl on again, I was going to stay in the land of luxury for as long as possible…until 12:30 to be precise. Breakfast became a 3-hour affair, which eventually ebbed into lunch. They offered savoury options for every possible ethnic preference after all, and I hated the thought of the leftovers going to waste!

Before I knew it, the time had come to pack up my makeshift office at the breakfast bar and prepare to leave Bangkok. As I waved goodbye to the impeccably dressed Shangri-La staff, they gave me a parting gift of beautiful smiles. I’m convinced Thai people have the best in the world. They smile from the heart and through their eyes.

I’m sure the Cambodians will be just as delightful. Now it’s time to find out and make the 800km journey to Phnom Penh. But first, I need to tackle the inner city madness of Bangkok!

HAPPY DAY 7 // ROAD TRIP TO BANGKOK

The past 24 hours have seen us tackle one of our longest drives to date. We made the 1200km journey from Khao Lak to Bangkok and had a quick sleep at a random beach along the way. Beyond driving, we didn’t get up to much; but, that wasn’t a bad thing. It was relaxing to think the most productive thing we’d achieve was getting from Point A to Point B. Plus, the journey gave my mind a chance to dream, wander, play and ponder life’s possibilities – things it didn’t get much time to do back home in Oz.

GRATITUDE…
It’s days like this that make me feel so lucky to be living out of a Land Rover and enjoying a life of travel. Waking up on a secluded beach, starting the day with an outdoor shower and feasting on brekky by the water. It’s not a bad way to exist! Check out my pics below to see some of my favourite moments from the today.

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