Wu-Mart

I always love going to grocery stores in foreign countries and finding interesting things to taste. But had I not known this was a grocery store I would have been certain we had mistakenly entered the pet store.

First, we were told not to take photos cuz they might think we were business spies - trying to spy on prices, etc. We obeyed on the first trip but when we went there again I just couldn't resist. Our guide told us if we were quick it would be OK. So here you go...

Notice the first photo - fish tank full of fish - carp I think. Some living and the one upside down, not living. Yesterday Shawn saw two fish jump from the top tank into the bottom one. And there were also 2 dead ones on the floor that missed the tank. Those other tanks are full of other fish and crawdads - lots of really big ones.

The next 2 photos are turtles. Yes, turtles. Turtle soup anyone??

Next we have frogs - can you believe the size of those buggers? Our guide told us - you just pick the one you want and they will kill it for you so you can take it home and eat it. We missed the photo of the eels next to that. Tons of them crammed in a tank with water and their little heads sticking out - I thought they were snakes at first. (Oh yes, they eat those too)

Finally, the preserved meat section. It smelled a lot like bacon actually but you could see all sorts of creatures right there hanging preserved for the next hungry customer. Our guide Linda is in the bottom right - more about her later.

I guess people get creative when they are starving but it makes me very grateful that I haven't been there. I thought I was somewhat adventurous in my cuisine but oh no, not at all. We ate at a neighboring restaurant last night and it took quite a while to find anything at all that I could order - boars feet, chicken fingers (literally), ox stomach, etc. Hunan province is known for their spicy cuisine and we did try a beef dish with sweet potato noodles that was way over my spice limit. We ended up eating some green beans with peppers and some dumplings that were pretty tasty. All in all a mind-boggling gastronomic experience.