Khajuraho

The night train from Varnasi takes 9 hours. I wake up 6am, my bare-arm sticking to the blue plastic seat-covering. The landscape is noticeably greener outside as we roll past farm-land easing into Satna railway station. We arrive 6.30am and catch an auto-rickshaw to the depot just in time to get on the late-running 6.30bus departing to Khajuraho and saving a 3 hour wait. Although the journey is less then 100km it takes 4 hours due to the road condition and stops. Three people crammed on a two-seat bench it is a knee-jarring bowel-bouncing experience made infinitely more testing by overhead speakers blaring unrequested high-pitched Indian pop music at decibels to prevent rational thought. We're dropped off 11km away and make the final stage in a landcruiser-style truck made to seat 8-9 but which holds 21 (I am convinced they are competing with Cairo cabbies for some world record, 'how many passengers in a...') Tired, aching, with slightly worse hearing, we arrive at Surya hotel, Khajuraho. Sitting down for a late breakfast in the hotel garden I notice we're joined by a distant cousin of Zebedee who is obviously curious about our choice of food but opts instead for the insects crawling about lower down the tree-trunk.

Athletic animal lovers

The 10th and 11th Century temples at Khajuraho are unique across India and the world. Incredibly intricate carvings and sculptures adorn all the walls and steeples. Lying within a compound that has been cultivated and preened to create a feel of well-kept public gardens, the vast monuments depict armies of warriors, elephants, gods and goddesses.

However, the Western Group is probably most famed for the very sexually explicit figures and scenes, including the south-facing wall of the Lakshman temple, over 1100 years old, which has a embossed frieze 1-2 feet high and 3-4 feet wide, 6 foot above the ground illustrating a man getting personal with his horse to the shock of onlooking women. This is alongside some truly athletic 'mithuna' scenes that suggest the Chandellas were committed to exploring possibilities from all angles.

The sheer volume of carvings is at times too much to take in. Just looking at one face of a building in full detail would take hours. Inside the temples are more statue sculptures and shrines for worshipping that catch the late afternoon sun and seem to come to life.

Whilst walking between temples I hear a rustling overhead and a very large monkey is chewy on some leaves. As I raise my camera to take a photograph the monkey bares its teeth and hisses loudly. Apparently home-sapiens share something like 98% same DNA as monkeys, which I can believe as I got that message clearly 'feck off!'.

It's almost sundown and perhaps a chance for a ambient photo of temples bathed in orange-red light. Unfortunately a stubborn gray cloud blocks the light and is joined by some equally moody friends. We consider staying for the sound and light show but it means paying the entrance fee again so instead we look for a restaurant for tea. For a while I'm distracted by a gecko stalking insects in the corner of the room when I notice that outside we're getting a show for free. A sharp crack not of thunder but lightening fills the air. For the next 30 minutes and electric storm rages above us, sheets and bolts streaking across a crumpled a crumpled indigo-violet canvas.