A Family Affair: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, and Lucknow in 10 Days (Part III)

Summary: Agra and Lucknow were relatively uneventful. Taj Mahal was, of course, incredible, and Lucknow was, well, Lucknow.

Day 7, Agra: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, rest, Sadar Bazaar (Panchhi Petha), dinner at Park Restaurant. We spent a few hours at the Taj Mahal complex (sneaking in a nap on the actual Taj structure), basking in all its splendor. Migrate over to Agra Fort, where we see not one, but two Chinese tours (Taiwan and Hong Kong)! We return to the hotel mid-day and make the most of our late checkout. Visit Sadar Bazaar to buy Panchi Petha (as I promised my landlord’s son), and an early dinner. Return to the hotel, kill 2 hours vegetating in front of the TV in the hotel lobby, and catch our overnight train to Lucknow.

Day 8, Lucknow: Visits to Sahara School and Mavaiya, lunch at Royal Café, Janpath Market, Saharaganj (the mall), dinner at Elizabeth’s. My parents got to see the office and how DSH works in a school setting! My plan for them in Lucknow was mostly a culinary one, and Royal Café never fails. (I lucked out; because they were “touristed out” by this point, claiming they’ve already seen the best of India with the Taj, the parentals decided to forego Bara Imambara and the Residency.) To retreat into AC after lunch, we head to Saharaganj, the ever-popular air-conditioned mall nearby. They search for “Indian” clothes to buy, and both score in Big Bazaar (the Walmart of India). And no trip to Lucknow would be complete without a taste of Deepmala’s cooking (our diet).

Day 9, Lucknow: Lunch at Tundey Kebab, Aminibad, Barista (café), dinner at Urvashi’s. Thanks to a 4-hour power outage and the heat in the dead of night, my parents and I sleep in. I take them to Tundey Kebab, a famous, hole-in-the-wall establishment in Aminibad to taste the Lucknow mutton kebab. After doing some focused shopping in Aminibad, we retreat back into AC at Barista, where we meet Elizabeth before heading to Urvashi’s for dinner. Over dinner, Urvashi not only gives us the quintessential linguistic Hindi lesson, but also shares personal stories about the dangers and perils of India.

Day 10, Lucknow: House visits, lunch at McDonald’s, airport. My parents’ visit comes with formalities and expectations. (We are, after all, in India.) I meant for them to visit both my current and former landlords, but there just wasn’t enough time. My parents decided skipping the former landlords was a minor offence compared to not meeting the current ones, so we spent our morning upstairs. My plans for a nice farewell lunch were ruined because the taxi showed up an hour late, and we ended up at McDonald’s (fast and safe!). (Luckily, my parents have, by this point, learned the meaning of “Indian time.”) I send them off, but not before a final layer of bureaucracy at the airport (“No, visitors can’t enter check-in.”).

Throughout the trip, my parents couldn’t stop talking about how India reminded them of Hong Kong / China in the olden days. And the fact that they ate more Indian food those past 10 days than they’ve eaten in their entire lives.