MissTtravels

We started out a bit later today. We are leaving Lucknow on a night flight so had to pack and check out.

We visited another of Lucknow’s architectural marvels, the Bara Imambara. It is a huge complex of buildings built in 1784 as a famine relief project. The local Nawab of the time kept the project going over time by paying the poorer workers to build during the day, and paying the richer ones to tear it down at night.

Quite magnificent. The meeting hall, built as a memorial to the assassinated grandsons of the Prophet Mohammed, contains the grave of the Nawab. It is also the largest room in an ancient monument in Asia.

The style of architecture is called Indo Saracen because it contains elements of local and Persian design.

There were thousands of tourists.

We had a picnic lunch in a park, sitting on the steps of another mausoleum. Sunita decided we needed to try the best local biryani, so she got us takeaway. It comes from a little stall called Idree’s. It was good, but I am beginning to understand the difference between mutton and lamb.

We were running out of time, because we thought our flight was at 7.30.

We did a quick raid on a shop in the Chowk section of Lucknow to buy some examples of Chikan Kari embroidery. As usual, we trashed the place. This is the local way: sit on the floor and bring out piece after piece to show.

This is what it looks like:

We then got back in the Spice Bus, and started our trip to the airport. Total chaos. We arrived very late, having been delayed by traffic and the bus overheating, to find that our flight to Jaipur was delayed anyway!

I have wanted to come to Jaipur ever since seeing “The Best Exotic Mangold Hotel“ years ago.

We arrived at a normal modern airport, and drove through a clean and modern city centre. Spice Bus number three.

I was about to be very disappointed (hoping for faded grandeur of Old India) when we arrived at our hotel in the old quarter: a restored mansion every bit as pretty as the Marigold. Absolutely gorgeous. My room is on the ground floor and is certainly the prettiest hotel room I have ever had.