Monsoons in the Himalayas are magical. This photograph is from my first monsoon in Binsar (2014). A ceiling of clouds all the way to the horizon, thick fog rising up from the moist forest floor and a narrow band of clear view into the distance to remind you that you are in the Himalayas. One can easily forget – we have only briefly seen the rolling hills in the past few weeks and are yet to sight the higher Himalayas.

As I look out the window, I can barely see past the periphery of the Retreat. It is foggy and raining. To be sure, the sun has been making appearances; peeping out from behind the clouds every now and then. In minutes, however, the fog rolls in and the air becomes wet, cold and opaque.