Signs in Tbilisi, Georgia lead you to it from over 5 kilometers away. Security guards watch over the door in Baku, Azerbaijan like it was a posh nightclub. Students in Beijing, China congregate there at 1 am. In Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and even Australia you have the comfort of knowing you can communicate your needs there exactly no matter how severe the language barrier. Just what is it that I love so much? Well it is McDonald’s. That’s right, McDonald’s. I know my triathlon coach Mike Ricci is freaking out right now along with all of the other people who loath the fast food giant, but without a doubt, I am lovin’ it.
Before I left on the expedition, I never really ate that much fast food at all and if I did, McDonald’s definitely was not included. So just what is it that is driving me to become a Big Macaholic on this trip. Actually, it is quite simple… it is easy and familiar. No matter where you are in the world, at McDonald’s you know exactly what you are going to get, you know exactly what it is going to taste like, and you can point to a picture of what you want if you can’t speak the language.
We have been to nearly 20 countries thus far on the expedition, each with their own local delicacies, claims to fame and must tries. The variety of food I have been exposed to is amazing and those who have been there will attest to the fact that I will usually eat, or at least try, anything that is put in front of me. I have come to thoroughly enjoy Thai green curry, Chinese hot pot, Cambodian lok lak, Uzbekistan osh and Central Asian shashlik. Unfortunately, variety can come at a cost. When you are traveling, finding a good restaurant or street stall, even if they specialize in the local delicacy, is a crap shoot. Sometimes you score and well, other times you do not. The consistency, quantity and quality of the same food from place to place in the countries I have been to varies tremendously just like a steak from Morton’s can’t really compare to one from a Flying J truck stop.
We have found good food and when we do, we usually pay the establishment a return visit or three while we are still in the area, but inevitably, it is time to move on… on to a new country, to a new type of cuisine and to new adventures in gastronomics. Often times, we go out in search of food not to try new things and experience new flavors but simply to survive. After a while, this can get kind of old. I took food familiarity completely for granted before this trip but now know full well the power of being able to enjoy a great home cooked meal or have the ability to pop over to my favorite burrito stand. Imagine having to eat at a different house or go out to a different restaurant every night… it might be fun and enjoyable for a while and you get to taste some great new things, but soon you long for the comfort of what you know will be good and for me on the road, this familiarity and comfort comes from my buddy Ronald and his burgers.
Fresh of the boat in Baku and ready for a Big Mac attack
I missed Ronald. The last time I saw him and his 500 calorie Big Macs was in Beijing over 2 months ago. Here in the Caucus, he is back, surprisingly enough in Azerbaijan and Georgia. Some of you might think that this is horrible and that the very presence of McDonald’s is a shame. How dare Ronald export his Type 2 diabetes causing crap and corrupt the local cuisine of more than 119 countries around the globe? Well, people across the world seem to be lovin’ it just as much as I am.
Worldwide, McDonald’s serves over 47 million people each and every day. McDonald’s, Macker’s, the golden arches, etc., is usually packed and packed with people that you might not expect to find at a McDonald’s back in the states. I have yet to see an overweight customer at an overseas McDonald’s and in Baku and Tiblisi, I think there might even be a dress code in effect because everyone is usually wearing designer jeans and fancy leather coats. In Tbilisi, they even have a smartly dressed hostess to help you with your needs and it also appears as if people can actually call in advance to place orders and reserve tables. Forget about Super Size Me, personally, I have yet to stem my expedition weight loss even with the help of numerous Big Macs and "Royal Chizburgers." I guess driving through roadblocks burns more calories than I thought. When I do get back to the states, my love affair with McDonald’s will most likely come to an end, but for the time being, the romance continues and in the absence of a nice turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, a Big Mac is a suitable, savory substitute and represents the sweet taste of familiarity.
