Unedifying sights around the world

PompeyPete

Got involved in a thread about Cash in Thailand the other day, and I slightly changed course and mentioned Cash in Vietnam, which then took us onto an unedifying sight in Vietnam...

Though a bit unedifying to see roast dog on a spit

I've witnessed all sorts in the Far East over the years, but one I was unaware of until it was pointed out was while we were in a Tuk Tuk returning to Battambang (Cambodia) after a day in the countryside.

Our Tuk Tuk man stopped by the side of the road, and pointed at a stall selling what looked like skewered kebabs. He said "Them rats, very nice, you want one?" Not my delicacy, and I declined the offer.

Apparently rat kebabs are v.popular with the locals, as it basically costs nothing. Once it's had it's last breath, the fresh dead rat is put through a mangle to extract all [or most!] the nastiness and flatten it out. Then it's skinned, and stuck on a skewer and bbq'd.

So for a bit of fun, what's your most unedifying, stomach churning sight on your travels?

John259

https://youtu.be/-GyzrybDWSg?t=199
At 5:00
Having had similar experiences, I can empathise with the lad.

agrinnall

Roast spiders and cockroaches, both in Cambodia at Skuon during a stop on the route from Phnom Penh, a bowl with live millipedes and insects in it at a market in Hongsa in Laos, and somewhere (probaby also in Laos) where there was a civet cat among other dead wildlife for sale.

pendragon_arther

There's a delicacy the locals like in the Philippines here called Bolut which is a developing duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Not to do with food but unpleasant to see are kittens dying in the sun here and the worst scene I have encountered on my travels was a dog cut in half by a callous driver in Kenya. It was propped up on its stomach, its missing legs nearby and giving out its distressed howls.

Blue264

As I'm vegetarian, I miss out on a lot of the more stomach churning foods on offer, but I still get served food which is completely inedible, and often in some pretty well known restaurants.

I went to a private dinner at Jumbo Kingdom, Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong on a work trip and was served 'boiled tree fungus'. It had the look and texture of bubble wrap and was completely tasteless and inedible.

At another Kowloon restaurant on the same trip, we were served a 'noodle' dish that was still moving. :eek:

martindow

Blue264 wrote: »

At another Kowloon restaurant on the same trip, we were served a 'noodle' dish that was still moving. :eek:

This doesn't sound strictly vegetarian.

benjus

Not food related, but I did see a llama ceremonially sacrificed (and then buried) in Bolivia. I had expected a quicker and more graceful method - it took a while for the yatiri to saw through the poor animal's throat.

PompeyPete

Last year in March/April we were in Nepal for 5 weeks.

My pre-trip planning attracted me to a place called Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, specifically for the Nepalese New Year Festival called Bisket Jatra.

We stayed in Bhaktapur for a week to take in the full celebrations.

The Festival kicked-off like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6oyCmKVM-Q

We were sat crammed-in near the top of the Temple in the rear of the video, and couldn't get out for almost 4 hours. While we were sat there 500 riot police turned up just in case!

Now to the unedifying bit. For the full week we were regularly 'treated' to sights like this [VIEWER CAUTION]...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNjcLTsl6C4

Definitely tested all our senses, and a bit more!

[Deleted User]

Vile as all the above sound and look they are but nothing in comparison to my wife's cooking.

But even after all these years I have't the heart to tell her most of the stuff she dishes up is revolting.

We do have a very overweight dog however ...;)

agrinnall

PompeyPete wrote: »

Now to the unedifying bit. For the full week we were regularly 'treated' to sights like this [VIEWER CAUTION]...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNjcLTsl6C4

Definitely tested all our senses, and a bit more!

Reminds me of when I can out of my guest house (or flea pit hovel) in Freak Street during Diwali to find the gutters full of blood from the animal sacrifices. Fortunately I didn't see anything taking place but I think I may have eaten vegetarian for a day or two.

The other thing that didn't bother me at all but could upset some people was watching the funeral pyres at Pashupatinath where smouldering limbs could clearly be seen.

PompeyPete

agrinnall wrote: »

The other thing that didn't bother me at all but could upset some people was watching the funeral pyres at Pashupatinath where smouldering limbs could clearly be seen.

I thought Pashupatinath was akin to a morbid theme park.
Really weird!
But unless you witness these places...