Couchsurfing* was something we had wanted to do for a long time, but since the average standard of an Indian home can be quite different than we are used to, we were a little bit skeptical to try it here. We had earlier been contacted by a couchsurfer in Khajuraho who seemed genuinely nice. His name was Yogi and really wanted us to stay with him so he could show us his hometown. After a little consideration, we decided to make a stop on our way to Varanasi to meet him.
We were positively surprised when he took us to his home and showed us his family as we felt very welcome right away. It also seemed like he had put a lot of thoughts and planning into our visit, as he had a full program of sightseeing and other activities ready for us to do. He drove us around on his motorcycle to see the erotic temples among others (as it was the city of Kamasutra) and together with his friend we also spent a moment sitting in the wheat field of his uncles farm discussing our travel experiences and the cultural differences between Norway and India.
Before the day was over he had cooked lunch for us, and his family had taught us how to make egg curry and chapatti (Indian bread), which we had for dinner. It was an emotional moment when we had to say goodbye to him and his lovely family, but we were also ready to get some sleep on our night train to Varanasi.
* Couchsurfing: a webpage where one can look up people who are willing to offer their couch to travelers in exchange of friendships and cultural experiences.
Did you mean to say “erotic” temples?
Yes, at least that is what the locals call them. If you look closely at the wall decorations, you can see hundreds of kamasutra positions, and that’s probably where their nickname comes from;)