Lucknow's Lost Lanes & Lukewarm Chai: A Drummer's Detour
okay, so. lucknow. i wasn’t supposed to be in lucknow. touring with the band fell through - some drama with the bassist and a rogue ferret, don’t ask - and i needed somewhere cheap, somewhere with decent coffee (a drummer needs fuel, people), and somewhere… different. i landed here, kinda by accident, after a series of increasingly questionable travel booking decisions.
I just checked and the air feels like a damp hug right now. Not unpleasant, just… persistent. Like a really clingy friend. The temperature’s hovering around sixteen degrees, which is fine, I guess. I’m used to sweaty venues, not this… gentle chill.
My first impression? Chaos. Beautiful, vibrant chaos. Scooters weaving through traffic like caffeinated bees, the smell of spices hanging heavy in the air, and the constant, low hum of a city breathing. I’m staying in a tiny guesthouse near *Aminabad Market. It’s… rustic. Let’s go with rustic. The owner, a lovely woman named Fatima, keeps offering me chai. It’s lukewarm, consistently lukewarm, but I’m not complaining. Hospitality like that is worth a little temperature disappointment.
I spent yesterday wandering. Seriously, just wandering. Got hopelessly lost in the Chowk area - a labyrinth of narrow lanes overflowing with shops selling everything from silk scarves to glittering bangles. I stumbled upon a tiny workshop where a man was hand-carving wooden toys. Incredible. I bought a little elephant for my niece. She’ll probably lose it within five minutes, but still.
Someone told me that the Bara Imambara is a must-see. Apparently, there’s this crazy maze inside. Drunk advice, maybe? But I’m intrigued. I’ll check it out tomorrow. I also heard that the food stalls around Hazratganj are legendary, but watch out for the overly spicy curries. Apparently, they don’t mess around.
My gear list for this impromptu adventure is… minimal. Basically, what I could shove in my backpack before rushing to the airport:
My trusty snare drumsticks (a drummer always travels with sticks)
Noise-canceling headphones (essential for sanity)
A slightly battered copy of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” (comfort reading)
A universal adapter (because, you know, electricity)
A ridiculously oversized scarf (it’s surprisingly versatile)
A small notebook and pen (for jotting down random thoughts and potential song lyrics)
If you get bored, Kanpur and Varanasi* are just a short train ride away. I’m thinking of hopping on a train to Varanasi next week. Need to shake things up a bit.
I’m trying to find some local music venues. Apparently, there’s a thriving underground scene, but it’s hard to find information. I checked TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g297204-Lucknow_Uttar_Pradesh-Vacations.html and Yelp https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=live+music&find_loc=Lucknow%2C+Uttar+Pradesh, but nothing really jumped out. I might try posting on a local forum https://www.citysearch.in/lucknow/ to see if anyone has any recommendations.
“Don’t trust the auto-rickshaw drivers. They’ll charge you double if you look like a tourist.” - overheard from a group of college students near the university.
Honestly, this whole trip has been a beautiful mess. A chaotic, lukewarm chai-fueled mess. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m even starting to appreciate the persistent dampness. Maybe.
Check out some more travel blogs for India here: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/india
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