Yet another reason why I love Anthony Bourdain: he throws all caution to the wind, given the slightest chance of a great travel and food experience.
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Deep in the bowels (pun intended) of India finds Bourdain filming No Reservations at a roadside food stand. Without regard for the inevitable gastrointestinal consequence of devouring several bowls of tasty, unknown Indian cuisine, Tony riffs:
… the rest of the meal is pretty good … Yet my experience with roadside meals has often painfully taught me what looks good on the plate may have less appeal in the morning. I’ll almost certainly be spending some quality time on the thunder bucket tomorrow.
[a quick word between Tony and a young Indian man are followed by the man and a dozen of his friends gathering around Tony, laughing and quipping at one another]As happens so often in India, a casual word, smile, or nod and you have ten new friends. And though tomorrow may be spent on an even longer journey, this time riding the porcelain bus, for now I’m in good company.
That’s what real travel is about. Maybe a little of the runs in the morning, but judging by the ear-to-ear smile on his face in the scene, I doubt he cares much. Besides, when the hell else are you going to be six thousand miles from home, eating roadside Indian food, surrounded by a dozen generous locals who barely understand you, but open their hearts and lives to you all the same?