pune | the smells

Yes...this deserves it's own post. The smells have been...well...unique. When you put a billion people in a small area and bake them with sun and humidity...things get quite interesting. Now combine that with the smell of spices and a bunch of other things and that's what it smells like. Walking down the street, you're olfactory senses are hit with a barrage of various scents...some pleasant, but most are a mixture of some, well, unorthodox ones.

There was one place that was particularly noteworthy for it's smells (in a pleasant way): the old delhi spice market. There was such an aroma in the air from the various spices that were just out in the open. It was an amazing mixture of different kinds of pleasant smells. I could pick out certain ones that were much better than others, such as fresh vanilla or cinnamon, but over all it was definitely a treat for the nose. Of course the minute you step back out on the main road your nose is blitzed by pollution, body odor, and other worse smells; however for the moments I was in that alley, it was amazing.

Other areas I've been around India have been hit-or-miss with scents. Even at work, the smells can get interesting. I know it's air-conditioned and everything, but still...there are smells, and it took me a little while to get used to it. I just learned to ignore the smells and keep on truckin'.

All in all, India has definitely not been easy on the nose. Between the unpleasant smells and the occasional nice ones, your nose is constantly on overdrive trying to ascertain whether to stop breathing through your nose or just try to power through the scent. It was quite the olfactory adventure.