It’s hard to deny the power certain scents have to swiftly transport us to past places.  Whether it’s to the bougainvillea-walled streets in the South of Spain or to the bully-decked halls of the south wing of your old high school, smells can cast us anywhere – fast.  Take, for instance, the sweet subtle fragrance rising from a bowl of mango sticky rice.  Instantly I’m transported to Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

The lush air and cosmopolitan streets are vivid in my mind, and shops like Ginger beckon me back.  If you’ve ever been to this mountain bound city then you’ll agree that it is truly a sensory playground.  Not only is the air fragrant with delicious smells, but the sights excite the eyes and one can imagine what 700 years feels like by simply placing a hand on a temple wall. 

Here, on the rainy West Coast, we lack a certain intensity and history. Here it will soon be difficult to get mangoes as they begin to creep out of season elsewhere but I don’t feel bereft long.

I just slide a few of my favorite mango wood bangles onto my wrist and soon feel as if, in a way,  I’m holding hands with that distant paradise, Chiang Mai.