Mughal tombs, tourists, touts and bombs

The closing ceremony at Pakistan border has become a major attraction and consequently large banks of concrete seating have been erected. We are crammed in with thousands of party mood Indians. The guys next to me had come from Delhi for the day and were returning that night.
The Pakistani contingent numbered 11 that I saw. However, I think the Pak guards won the high leg and wobble shake thrust moves. A fun spectacle followed by big chats with scores of people.

Next morning we are up at 4.10am and on the train to New Delhi. At Delhi Station and with predictable difficulty, Jac manages to get train tickets to Agra, back to Delhi and then to Varanasi just in time for Diwali. In the afternoon we take in the incredibly elaborate Mughal Humayan's tomb and surrounding buildings which have us all agape. The site is one of India's 22 world heritage sites and a lot of money has been used to carefully rebuild a lot and very well. But the architects mausoleum, one of few not renewed, was more intruiging, small patches of original paint clinging to cracking domes and sandstone corners eroded into more organic shapes.

That night we stumbled around Chandni Chowk market, travel weary and bleary brained before sleeping .

Next day and back on the train to Agra and a promise of the Taj Mahal to Tevo and Roisin.
The station has "tourist money" written all over it. The high pressure rickshaw/taxi drivers' battle to get you commences and we opt for a green (emissions tested) rickshaw. Our hotel is good and we set out on two cycle rickshaws to Taj Gang. The thing in Agra now is to get you by hook or by crook or by constant jibbering at you, even to the extent of crashing together going the wrong way around a roundabout with a squashed finger for Tevo (he's ok) to go to into a shop. Carpet, jewellry and marble shops pay a commission to any driver bringing a wallet, sale or no sale.
Next day we visit Agra Fort, an outstanding Mughal site with decades of differing styles from early pre-dominant sandstone to later marble creations. We opt for sunset at the Taj Mahal which is pointless as the smog here obliterates any sun set or rise spectacle. The security check is worse than an airport with an outrageous amount of tourists and touts, oh and also it costs a relative fortune. It does take your breath away but at the same time conjers up images of power crazed Emperors and the slave artisans who's fingers were removed so another creation so perfect could not be reproduced. And all for the love of a dead wife. I cant help thinking the fort is a lot more architecturally and historically interesting.

Fighting our way back through hawkers and sellers we have a delay at Agra train station. The permanent station beggar population with varying degrees of necessity and the sorry soul with bad elephantitus guage our Indian experience, we are well accustomed to these situations now.
After a quick two hour sprinter train and rather good on board thali we're back in New Delhi train station late at night wondering why we seem to have come down the rear (non Parhar Gang) exit...

Next morning the newspaper headlines reveal the atrocity and horror of the market bombs yesterday evening. We are appalled and incredibly upset.