Sensations of Chile

*Cold hands wrapped around a mug of steaming hot tea.
*Soft prayer shawl comforting burdened shoulders.
*Crisp, light pages of an altar Bible.
*Dry, hot sun beating on bare heads and cracked parched earth.
*Counting colorful, slick, plastic bills to pay the toll.
*Every inch of skin soaking in mineral rich water heated deep in volcanic boilers and bubbling up in thermal pools.
*Neat, clean scalp tingling after a massage and haircut.
*Cold, chrome bar on a bus, cling around the sharp curves, swing with the rythm of stop and start.
*Smooth, ceramic tile freezing feet in the winter, cooling relief in the summer.
*Firm handshake, soft breath, as cheek touches cheek, heart beat to heart beat greeting after church.