Peru...Briefly

I was on my way home from grocery shopping this evening and had the windows rolled down enjoying the cool air when I drove into Peru. Not literally of course, but a dense-smelling cloud of wood burning smoke. It was the smell of all of the linens in Peru when I was there 17 years ago. I was transported back to a group of 6, cows, hotel rooms with very thin walls, a rousing bout of gastrointestinal upset - no, I didn't drink the water, thank you very much - food that would interest me for the next 17 years, a cute boy and an eternal change of heart and an undying respect for public restrooms with toilet paper. It brought back Denise and I rearranging furniture to sleep closer to one another, laughing into the small hours of the night, being threatened with all manner of punishment if we didn't go to sleep and a night spent playing games by a fire.

It never occurred to me until tonight that what I think of as the smell of Peru was actually wood smoke.