Gross Groceries

Today I have to share my most gross grocery moment here in Mozambique thus far. This to me even ranks about seeing the goat head for sale in the market with flies crawling all over it. And the fried catepillars and termites or even rats. Today we went to the actual grocery store. It is the only grocery store in town, the next one being about a 3 hour drive away. So although it was hot inside the store (because the AC isn't working and hasn't been for about a month) and seems there is no near hope of it being fixed and the store smelled like rotten meat because the coolers aren't freezing and keeping the things that need to be COLD like meat, cheese, yogurt, etc. (which I bypassed by the way). That reminds me have to go to the butcher tomorrow because if I am going to pay an arm and a leg to have meat anyway I might as well get fresh meat rather than rotten. Anyway, that was not the gross part. I'm getting distracted. SO...we got the items we needed at least most since I always seem to forget something. We brought them home along with their lovely nasty smell that seemed to have saturated all the grocery bags. I dutifully began putting them away like usual. It then came time to put the eggs into the egg tray in the fridge. Now, I am not faint hearted, weak stomached or normally a queasy person. I actually loved working in the medical field because I enjoy seeing gross things...they interest me BUT THIS was a different story. I opened up the eggs and there was an awful, rancid smell that hit my nose while I peered down and saw an open, rotten, greenish, grayish slimy mess that used to be an egg CRAWLING with maggots. Blllluuuuhhhh! I honestly almost lost it on the spot. As quickly as I could I ripped that half of the dozen apart and wrapped it up for quick disposal in the trash. Being the good cheap missionary I am I tried to salvage the second 1/2 dozen but after seeing maggots crawling there as well and more cracked eggs I had to let go of my frugal intents and chuck them all. Sorry, just couldn't do it at least not without losing my lunch, quite literally. After the many shopping experiences I have had here in Mozambique this has been my most gross to date. Hopefully it won't be repeated again soon. Did I mention tomorrow on my list of errands to do is to also visit the local farm that sells FRESH EGGS. Oh to spend one shopping day in a clean, non-smelling, non-rotten food selling, non rat-infested, climate controlled grocery store. It's the little things we dream about.