Sometimes I swear I can smell it still
A few months ago, I wrote a Real Travel column on the way that the sense of smell shapes our travel memories. It got me thinking about another essay I wrote some years ago, also for National Geographic Traveler, about the aromatic power of India's herbal medicine, ayurveda. The article isn't available online, so I've put it up here for your reading (if not smelling) pleasure.
"..I didn't need to explore Kerala, for it had come to me. Its herbs were on my palate, its plants and leaves lived in my pores. My scalp, after days of sirodhara, was so greasy with ayurvedic oil that even the strongest shampoo could not clean it and finally I gave up trying. The exotic aroma lingered in my hair for weeks after I left Kerala. Sometimes I swear I can smell it still."
"..I didn't need to explore Kerala, for it had come to me. Its herbs were on my palate, its plants and leaves lived in my pores. My scalp, after days of sirodhara, was so greasy with ayurvedic oil that even the strongest shampoo could not clean it and finally I gave up trying. The exotic aroma lingered in my hair for weeks after I left Kerala. Sometimes I swear I can smell it still."
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