Aparna and Usha

For those who do not know, Aparna was the person responsible for inviting me to Dhangadhi last year (after I made the initial move via the Workaway scheme), and was, therefore, largely responsible for me coming to Lucknow in the first place.  She was also my friend and co-ordinator at SPA College, and it was with her and Usha that Val and I made the (for me, gruelling) trek to Api base camp.  They arrived on Friday, the last day of the performance, to see the play and spend a couple of days with us, staying in the huge apartment here.  They are both a lot of fun, though, as with any guest, their presence can be a little wearing.  But it provided a most welcome distraction from the downside which can accompany the end of a production, and of a broader project.

The following day, we went to see the Bara Imambara, the large building in the centre of Lucknow.  Val and I had been once before, but it had been far too hot, we had not engaged a guide, and we had come away somewhat dissatisfied with the place and the day.  We hoped that this time it would be better, and the trip was certainly fuller, including a short tour in a horse-drawn buggy around the nearby area, including an obligatory visit to a clothes store (which took up some time but resulted in no sale, when they first charged Val too much for a possible purchase, and then tried to inflate the price further at the till).

Aparna promised that this time we would get more out of a visit to the Bara Imambara complex, where we would hire a guide, who would conduct us on a tour through the maze that was a major attraction there.  I am no fan of mazes, but hoped that the guide would be able to furnish us with stories about the building that would bring it alive for me.  So it was disappointing when we discovered that, as foreigners, we would each be charged ten times the price for a local.  Val and I might have paid anyway, but Aparna was horrified at what she saw as extortion, so the four of us explored it alone.  I would happily have sat it out and waited for them, all the more so when it began with a climb up a huge stairway, but Val persuaded me to give it a go, so I pulled myself up to the top; if it had not been for the banisters installed as a modern addition, I would never have made it.  It was all too reminiscent of the Api trail all over again, only without the assistance of Bharat, our guide.

I cannot say I felt it was worth the effort, as the maze which it led to was dark and very hard work, up and down more crumbling, uneven steps (without any banister this time), and, of course, as any maze is designed to be, confusing without a guide to lead the way.  And barefoot, to boot (!) Though I was pleased we had not engaged a guide, as they did not seem equipped to supply the history and life we wanted.  The one consolation, for me, was a long colonnaded corridor, with the perspective making it disappear to a point, making for a great photo.

After that, our tour pretty much replicated our previous experience, as we wandered through the same large and admittedly impressive rooms, guessing at their previous existence.  Eventually, the other three left me to sit and rest while they explored a little more, visiting one of the other buildings.

Actually, this was to be something of a pattern for the rest of their stay with us, Val accompanying them on various shopping outings, walks, etc, while I stayed behind, enjoying the peace and quiet.  We ate at home, where I was the cook, generally chasing them out of the kitchen area; like most cooks, I prefer to get on with my task undisturbed, and find that far more enjoyable. 

The other tourist highlight was an evening walk that the three of them took to Ambedkar Park (another place that Val and I had already been to.)  I had thought that they were going to the Governors Walk, a private park open in the evenings, which has been much recommended to us, so was surprised when they showed me their photos.  But it seemed they had had a good time, and the place is very different in the evening.  When we had gone it had been bakingly hot, and we had had the place largely to ourselves.  In the evenings, when it was far cooler, it was attractively lit, and the crowds came out.  It gave Aparna in particular lots of photo opportunities, something for which she is constantly on the look out.

It was good to be able to see them again, and to offer some hospitality.  They are both good friends, and we expect to be able to maintain some contact with them.  But when they left on their long bus journey back to Dhangadhi, it was also most welcome to be on our own once again.