Lucknow?

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Okay, Friday saw Wendy and I saying ourgood byes in Agra. She got Air Canadato change her ticket and believe it or not) is traveling home tonignt! She hoped to see the Taj Mahal early this morning before she took a taxi all the way to the Delhi International Airport.

Oh then, speaking of taxis, you won't believe what happened to me last night. I had a train ticket from Tundla Junction to Lucknow. Based on the tourbook, I thought Tundla Junction was about 5 km from Agra. But I decided that wasn't the case. It is 45 km! Thus, I had to get a taxi as opposed to a rickshaw. Unfortunately, I used bad judgement in how I booked it. I let a bickcyle rickshaw driver guide me to a friend. This friend spoke a good deal of english and he showed me the car that he would be driving. So I gave him half of the $9.00 fare up-front and he promised to pick me up at the hotel at 4 pm for a 6:53 pm departure. He claimed he knew where my hotel was located. Any way, 4 pm came and no taxi. My hotel called and was told he was about 1 minutes late. At about 4:30, my hotel called agin. Seems he couldn't locate the hotel so he returned back to his place. Finally, at 4:45 pm a "car" came. This car was a beat-up old vehicle that sounded like a truck. It was driven my a guy who couldn't speak but 4 or 5 words of english. So much for my plans.

Still, we had plently of time - over 2 hours to go 45 km. But it turned out that trffic for the first 25 km was unbelievable. You hven't lived until you go over a very narrow two lane bridge with traffic of ox carts, bicylces with huge loads, hand carts and most any type of other vehicle you can imagine. To top off the traafic, the car stalled out constantly. Each time it was harder and harder to start. Finannly, about 6:05 pm, the car stopped for good. I was a bit mad at this point and wanted my luggage as I was going to try to flag someone down on busy road on a pitch black night. Well, the truck wouldn't open! The driver tried everything. Finally, he got out a big screwdriver and tried to pry it open. I first broke off the handle on the truck and then took the screwdriver and punched out the lock. The driver then retrieved my luggage as I frantically flaaged vehicles. Two stopped...a truck and a packed minibus (a gloried autorickshaw). The taxi driver told them where I wanted to go. The minibus told two guys to get off (I hope they were near there stop) and make room for me and my luggage. Off we went as the taxi driver was trying to xcollect more money from me...fat chance of that! No one on the minibus seemed to speak english. t the first major market everyone in the back got off, At that point, one of the three guys in the driver seat spoke enough english to tell me unless I want to wait, I could paid $1.10 for the whole bus and go immediately. Of course, I paid as fast as I could. Then, I would out this minibus wasn't going to the railroad station - only the town of Tundra. The guy told me I could get a taxi from there. We made it to Tundra in record time - getting there about 6:45 pm. Then this same guy, walked me around a traffic jam with me pulling my luggage to get an autorickshaw taxi. This made record time up to the railroad station where I ran with my luggage and got a luggage "coolie." He put my luggage on his head (the way they always carry it) and directed me as I ran to the train. I got to the platform ahead of the coolie while a train was still there. The bad news is that it wasn't my train. The good news is my train was late - way late! It didn't show up until 9:10 pm but this allowed me to tell my taxi story to a group of American photographers on tour, some backpackers and an Indian man.

I got into Lucknow about 2:30 am without reservations. Wouldn't you know the decent hotels by the train station were full due to marriage ceremonies! I had a bicycle rickshaw driver take me to all the hotel nearby. All to no avail. Finally, in despartion, I took an autorickshaw downtown where my first pick hotel was available (Hotel Gomti - owned by the tourist bureau! For some reason, their phone number doesn't work!

Today, I thought I would take it easy and see the limited sights of Lucknow. Again, I got a bicycle rickshaw driver to take me out to Bara Imambara. This is a job creation project from 1775. However, at 50 m X 15 m, it hasl one of the largest unsupported roofs (no pillars) in existance! The guidebook said you could go inside for about 25 cents but India decided to raise it to foreigns to about $7. Since I really didn't expected to see much inside, I didn't partake. Also, I saw (again only from the outside) the Hussainabad Imambara. It has a golden dome with ellaboate calligraphy. It was nice but not compared to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Finally after a short break at an Internet cafe, I had the bicycle rickshaw driver take me to the "Residency." This is the fasticiating compound built by the Brits about 1800 that came under seiged in 1857. Only 1,00 of the 2,004 men, women and children made it through the battle. Now days, the place is maintained just as it was in 1920. The interesting massive consruction makes for interesting viewing - along with the underground passage to the plaace, secret room, and false doors! It was while I will here thatr I discovered I no longer had my guide book. I figures I must have left it at the Internet place. So I thought I would just have the rickshaw driver (they wait for you at each place) retun so I can check. However that was another adventure. This driver spoke very little english (notice the pattern here) but he seem to think I was accusing hime of stealing the book! I finally found a yound Indie guy with his girlfriend who tried to help me in the interpretaion. This is where I discover the driver was afraid I would go to the police. There seemed little I or "my interpreter" could say to counter this. We got a group of about 12 (all Hindu speaking guys) listening in to this conversation - seemig to side on the driver's side. Finally, my young interpretor has enough - who could blame him. But still the driver wouldn't return (I had no idea wherethis cafe was). He then could me to a guy he claims spoke english. This guy spoke very little english but I could tell that he had turned the tide and was telling the driver to do as I requested. Again, a crowd grew - this time in my flavor! Relucantly, the driver took me back! Surprise, surpise, as I entered the cafe, the guy there was going through my book! I was delighted to get it back and the driver aplogized to me! So all is well for now. I plan to go to bed early and take the morning train to Varanasi tommorow. More adventures are bound to happen...

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