We were in the northeast for three weeks and during that time the sky changed. We left to a city crowned by deep blue skies traversed by the occasional wispy thread of white languidly floating by. Today on my way back from the Foreigners' Regional Registration office (always an ordeal), I stared up at a sky in which grey and white dominated with light blue only taking up about a third of the vista. Although some of the clouds were cotton candy-soft, the majority were crisp outlines of grey and white cumulonimbus and nimbostratus in stark contrast to the blue behind. Today's newspaper reported three rain-related deaths: two by lightning strikes and one by "flying asbestos panels." It also reports that the monsoon should arrive ahead of season, possibly hitting Kerala as early as next week. My laundry still dried in a matter of hours, however, so I guess it's not here yet...
Misty Darjeeling forest
We are just back from a three-week trip to Darjeeling (to visit ATREE fieldsites) and Sikkim (for a family trek). The visit north was fantastic and just what we all needed after so much time in the city. May is peak tourist-season in the hills because it's right before the monsoon rains start and most Indians are on summer holidays. Somewhat unfortunately for us, the rains (tho not the monsoons) came early this year and although we saw a bit of sun we didn't see much while there. No worries. We've been in the sun and heat for months on end now and no Volcano-raised person can be entirely comfortable without feeling the rain every now-and-then. |
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