On the bus in China, you get to know people on a chemical level. The sweat is pervasive and the odd mixture of cologne (and lack of) makes for a veritable pheromone stew. You can sense who brushes their teeth, who had onions and chili for dinner, who drank too much baijo the night before.
It's more primal than you might imagine, the ability to know at least a little about the people you are packed in with just by their smell... Or in some cases, stench.
The streets are the same, but it's really more the olfactory imprint of the city as opposed to an individual. Urine and feces drift up from rusting grates in the street and the smog lends a subtle infected sort of smell.
However, parallel to that are the sweet, savory, and more often than not, spicy smells of the street vendors and restaurants. This reminds you that you are no longer in Kansas (or New Hampshire in my case).
One might get the sense they are standing in an open gutter, and within ten feet are welcomingly greeted by the aromas of roasting meats and steaming vegetables. It can be delighting, but ultimately exhausting to your sense of smell.
The nose certainly gets a work out here in China.
I've traveled extensively, and I'm no stranger to new places, so as a country boy I guess I can just chalk it up to city living. I've found the food is delicious and the people are warm. It's interesting how certain senses can dominate though.
I remind myself that the culture, the history, and the land are 4,000 years older than anything I've ever experienced, and this is all part of my journey. I look forward to challenging all of my other senses.
