The journey itself was unremarkable, so that is fine. An overnight trip in Economy is never going to be much fun, but it passed, and we had to kill just a couple of hours in Delhi airport before travelling on to Lucknow. A repeat journey for me, being the way I had come to Lucknow last year, but this time they had not mislaid our bags, and we were soon picked up and on our way to our apartment, being met by Vijay, who works in Head Office, and driver Arvind, who is apparently our driver throughout our stay.
It was a long drive through Lucknow – it is a very large city – but we paused briefly to collect our dinner from someone waiting outside one of CMS’s many campuses, and then taken to our apartment, in a gated community.
The apartment is huge, with vast expanses of marble floor. And, in comparison with Air b’n b, rather spartanly furnished, with nothing on the walls. But it is very comfortable, with everything one might need: wifi, air-con, a full kitchen, a telly – not that we watch same.
But rather curiously, there is an internal staircase leading to another complete apartment, this one even bigger, with an extra bedroom. But much, much hotter (and somewhat smelly as a result.) We shall discover in time, no doubt, which one we are supposed/expected to be using. And whether anyone else will be using the other one.
It is, of course, as we knew it would be, bakingly hot. But at least indoors, we have the means to counter this, and as a result we both slept well. All the more so, since both of us are exhausted. Can’t think why.
To clarify – the apartments are in the “Empire Estate Residency” rather than in some “East State in the Empire (the sign painter seems to have worked ‘around’ the hole in the concrete.