where in the world: Lucknow

Another train ride and we landed in Lucknow. Lucknow is not a common destination for tourists, but it just so happens that we have a number of Woodstock friends from the city. It also just so happened that our visit was scheduled for a time when not one of them would be there. We still planned to stay with our friend Ady's parents, wondering what it would be like to be there without him.

Luck(now) was on our side though: Ady's motorcycle trip from Mussoorie to Bhutan took fewer days than planned. The next morning, we awoke to Ady, Suman (a Woodstock coworker and Ady's travel companion), and both of Ady's sisters (visiting from Delhi) in the house. Ady's father is a retired military officer. He told us to call him Santa Claus (white beard) and then claimed his wife was Chinese (she's not). He likes to fly paper airplanes by himself while sitting at the dinner table. We got along well. Ady's mother is giggly and ridiculously cute, as are his two sisters. Needless to say, the house was full of energy.

Ady, as always, was a fantastic host and took us to see the sights. We ate delicious Lucknowi food, known to be some of the best Mughal food in the world, got lost in a maze-like palace, celebrated New Years on the roof of his house with a bonfire, and accompanied his sisters on a sari shopping trip for an upcoming wedding. We also spent a good chunk of time lounging around the house and drinking absurd amounts of chai. After celebrating Christmas in a hotel room, we were thankful to be in a home.