A lunch worth forgetting

I just finished 30 of the grossest minutes of my life.

I love Indian food and there is a dirty little restaurant that serves something close to it in the Muslim part of the market.

Today I should have known it was going to be gross when I walked up and there was a dog outside eating what appeared to be an aborted doggy fetus. Yummy! I sat down at a table next to a skinny old man wearing white hat and gown with a white beard growing just from his chin (as is normal with many Muslims here). The lady behind the counter, who seems to snarl a little bit every time I sit down, came over and wiped the table with a dark grey cloth that at some point in its life was white. The skinny old man closed one eye and aimed his glass to pour some of his hot tea into a tiny ceramic cup.

The pots of food at the restaurant are prepared mid day and left on the counter the rest of the day (which explains why I was sick for 4 days after I ate here the first time...and I still returned). The lady took a dish, rinsed it in the dirty water where they wash the dishes, wiped it with her hand then she pointed at my usual. I shook my head, "yes" and she put a small amount of food and sauce in a dish along with some pita like bread on my plate. I begin eating and looking around at how filthy everything is. I can not I believe I eat there but the food is delicious. I looked at the skinny old man and he had just finished sipping tea from his little ceramic cup and was holding it a few inches from his face. Then, I saw the capper...he has an incredibly thick string of snot extending from his nose to the tip of his little cup of tea. I had to leave....but I will return for that delicious psuedo Indian food.

I was still shaking my head when I got back to my motorbike and someone had put all their groceries in my basket and next to my tire. 5 minutes of trying to explain to a clerk that I have no idea whose food it was and I was off. Two minutes later while thinking that this was almost a dream, I nearly hit a 2 meter long snake. What a lunch!