Weathering It

Have I mentioned that it is the monsoon season here?  It rains everyday, and it rains a lot everyday.  Sometimes it is for the whole day.  Sometimes it is for a little bit every hour.  Sometimes it only comes at night.  This rain is a glorious phenomenon.  For the past several years it has been too weak, causing drought conditions in various parts of the country.  This year, however, it has come in full force!  As can be imagined, the rain significantly affects how we get around, what we are able to see, and what we are able to do.  Some might say rain would put a damper on our trip.  While it does dampen our bodies, clothes, and paper, I simply cannot say that it puts a damper on our experience.  Who would we be if we were to complain about this life-giving water?  I am not belittling the pure natural force of a monsoon in full swing--it batters trees, people, and buildings.  As with most phenomena--natural and synthetic--it hurts the poor the most.  In Mumbai it makes living in slums especially difficult, as structures are shaken and sewage flows.  Yet, the water provides sustenance throughout the country for a year.  Again, how could we complain?  It is truly a privilege to experience a force of nature that we do not get in the continental U.S.

Yesterday we made the decision to go to a nearby hill station to experience some natural beauty beyond the city.  I know some of my readers have experienced Munnar, a hill station in Kerala, during the rains.  It is cold, wet, foggy, and beautiful.  Multiply that by three, and you have our (short) time in Lonavala, Maharashtra.  Due to the cold, rain, and fog, I think we missed every breathtaking view that is advertised online.  Yet again, though, I cannot complain.  For, it was beautiful!  I leave you with this photo-journey into monsoon-soaked beauty.

 

  

In closing, a video for your viewing pleasure: