Thanks for Kunda Dixit's powerful hymn to the monsoon ("Cloudy", #97). The only discordant note in the piece is sounded by the mention of a Smetana symphony. I believe that Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's soul rendition of Raga Megha Malhaar does a far better job of capturing the mood of the monsoon. As for trekking the Himalayas in monsoon, I myself suffer from a morbid fear of leeches. If only there were no leeches!

Anupama Ghale,
Darjeeling