Friday, March 24th, Lucknow, India

Greetings!

Lucknow is the capital of the largest state in India.  It's only about as big as California, but it has as many people in it as we have in the nation.  We spent most of the day driving across it on the new (and empty) highway.   About every two hours, we stopped at a new large rest stop, complete with great restrooms and groceries/snack shops.  

We were even given a lesson in how the world gets along without toilet paper, but the highlight of the day was clearly the TajLucknow Hotel.  Our lunch there was probably the best of the trip so far, as was the nap afterwards in a luxurious room. 

We took a walk before the group headed out at 4pm, and were very impressed by the garden and pool.  I had plans to do some long backstrokes in it if we returned from our evening activities early enough before dinner.

Girish planned for us to see a local afternoon dance group operating just off one of the very crowded sidestreets, and he led us through a half-mile of barely safe traffic chicken in the heart of the four million residents.  Tutored by a popular instructor, a multi-year after-school program inspires children from 5 to 22 to gain the discipline to perform at an extremely high level.  We were all enthralled at the chance to watch them perform.

Our walk home back through the streets to our hotel was equally informative as it put us once again into the life of Lucknow.  We're amazed at the dexterity of ourselves and the residents as we negotiate movement and interaction.  There is something attractive about the smells, sounds, and feel of a Friday night amidst the pace and depth of a big city in India.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, March 24th, Lucknow, India