A chaotic but memorable train journey to Lucknow, a comfortable stay at the Fortune Park BBD, and an afternoon of cancelled plans, beggars, broken ATMs, and a tuk‑tuk adventure through the city’s backstreets.
Agra to Lucknow.
Today, we left Agra for Lucknow by train. After breakfast at the hotel, the coach picked us up for a short drive to a different train station than the one next to the hotel, something I quickly deduced when the journey took longer than expected.
Train Journey.
When we arrived at the station, our coach was met by an army of baggage handlers who descended on us to transport our luggage to the train. The organisation was haphazard, with different people grabbing different bags and piling them onto wooden carts. I was worried my case wouldn’t make it onto the train with me, but our guide seemed perfectly relaxed, so we followed him across a muddy road and into the station.
The station itself looked very old, and many people were sleeping on the platforms. Our guide collected everyone’s train tickets and handed them out. We had to weave around the sleeping bodies and cross the tracks using a large iron bridge. With only minutes to spare before departure, I wondered whether we would make it.
We were shepherded aboard, and baggage was hauled in and stashed on the overhead shelves. I didn’t see my case anywhere and hoped it had made it onto the train, hidden from view.
As I approached my seat with a tour group member, we found an Indian man stretched out asleep across our seats. She looked at me questioningly, so I shook him awake and moved him along. He relocated to someone else’s seat until a train guard eventually removed him.
The train wasn’t what I had expected after seeing Indian trains on television documentaries. Our carriage wasn’t packed, and everyone had their own seat. No one was hanging out of windows or sitting on the roof. However, the carriage looked as old as I was and didn’t appear to have been cleaned or serviced since the day it was built. It looked, and may well have been, an old British Rail carriage from the early 1970s or earlier.
Once we were underway, the journey was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. My seat was semi‑reclined and wouldn't budge in either direction. Several times during the trip, the staff brought us food, drinks, and snacks, all of which were surprisingly good.
Lucknow.
When we arrived in Lucknow, another army of baggage handlers appeared and removed all the luggage from the train. I still hadn’t seen my case and hoped it would reappear. We were led out of the station to a waiting coach, and once the baggage arrived, we had to identify our own cases before they were loaded. Soon after, we were travelling through Lucknow’s heavy traffic on our way to the hotel.
Fortune Park BBD Hotel.
Our hotel for the night was the Fortune Park BBD. After checking in, we had a short break to refresh ourselves and get a drink. I joined some of my travelling companions in the bar and ordered a Mai Tai, the best I’ve ever had. After drinks, we went to the hotel restaurant for another buffet lunch.
We were supposed to go on an organised afternoon trip, but our guide told us the company had cancelled it because of a transport issue. Michael asked where the nearest ATM was, and I walked with him to one a short distance down the road. On the way, we were approached by beggars and by women offering me their babies and calling me “daddy.” It was all very humorous. Our guide, originally from Lucknow, had warned us that many beggars were actually well off, with homes, cars, and incomes better than his own.
When we reached the bank, Michael went inside but quickly returned; the ATM wasn’t working. We walked back to the hotel, dodging cars, bikes, and persistent beggars.
Lucknow Shopping Trip.
Our guide, Digamber, arranged a fleet of tuk‑tuks for those who wanted to visit the Lucknow shopping district. The tuk‑tuk I shared with Michael soon became separated from the others in the heavy traffic, but our driver claimed to know a shortcut. It was slightly disconcerting when he took us down trash‑filled alleys barely wide enough for the tuk‑tuk and around the backs of derelict buildings.
Eventually, he pulled onto a main road, told us to get out, and pointed up the street, assuring us the others were nearby. Another tuk‑tuk arrived behind us, and we all got out and began walking to where the drivers insisted we should have been dropped off.
We couldn’t find anyone, so we crossed the road to a small shopping area. It wasn’t the large shops that a couple of the ladies had hoped for, but we sat in the sun and had a drink. Eventually, we found the correct location on Google Maps and walked there. There were a few larger shops, but nothing like the shopping centre the ladies had wanted.
Soon, a line of tuk‑tuks formed, and our original driver waved to us. We climbed aboard, and although he once again took a different route from everyone else, he did get us safely back to the hotel.
We had dinner in the hotel. By now, we were all craving anything that didn’t taste of curry and had become very used to checking for bones in whatever we were served.
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