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What Was I Thinking?Stories submitted by Gaycationers about crazy experiences that left them scratching their heads and opining, “What was I thinking?”

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Wait - What’s in My Taco?!by Aaron Drake

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: city of beautiful beaches, tropical weather, caliente latin papis—and exotic cuisine? I have visited Puerto Vallarta a few times in the past and it’s always a fun time, filled with lots of time in the sun, getting spoiled at all-inclusive resorts, taking part in any number of beach activities, and of course delicious food.

During my first visit to the city, I was surprised to find out that Puerto Vallarta served up more than just great Mexican food—which one would probably be disappointed not to find during a trip to Mexico—but it is really a hub for gourmet cuisine from around the world: European, Mediterranean, American (if you must), Asian and South American. So needless to say, mealtimes in Puerto Vallarta can transport your taste buds anywhere in the world. This particular visit I found myself at El Arrayán, an authentic Mexican restaurant nestled in the city’s Old Town neighborhood that borrows dishes from the surrounding regions, made with locally grown ingredients and even pulls from owner Carmen Porras’ original family recipes. I was prepared for amazing cuisine, but maybe not quite prepared for the options.

This dinner I was joined by several other travel journalists from around the globe and we all had our expectations set pretty high, as we had heard it was a delicious restaurant. And of course it was, with traditional dishes like plantain empanadas, corn sopes, enchiladas, house made guacamole, spicy salsas, and margaritas made with arrayán, a sweet fruit—it was everything we could have expected. The surprise of the night came when the owner came to our table and insisted we don’t leave without trying one of the restaurant’s

specialty dishes: cricket tacos.Now, when she told us about the roasted crispy

cricket tacos, I didn’t think she meant they were made with actual crickets. Sometimes in Mexico—and it’s true in many different countries—things have odd nicknames, or don’t translate completely into English so they can end up sounding funny. This was not one of those times. Yes, she meant crickets as in insects. And yes, that’s what was in the tacos.

I’m not going to lie, it did sound intriguing—I mean, carpe diem, right? Though all that was playing over and over again in my mind was an episode of Survivor, where the contestants were faced with eating live insects. Well, lucky for me (if you can call it lucky), these ones were already dead. Carmen explained to us that the dish was actually a delicacy in Southern Mexico, chock-full of protein. The crickets were collected, dehydrated, and roasted in sesame seed oil until most of their legs had fallen off. Oh joy, I thought to myself. I can’t wait to try them.

Everyone at the table agreed to give them a try and she went back to the kitchen to prepare us a dish. This is one of those times that it wouldn’t have been awful to stand up against peer pressure, but I must admit this ended up being a highlight of my trip to Puerto Vallarta. And when/where else would I have the opportunity to eat crickets?

The plate arrived and shockingly it looked edible. Maybe even a little appetizing—and at a quick glance it looked like it could be shredded beef or pork. But make no mistake, a closer look gave away that it definitely wasn’t beef or pork. It was indeed crickets.

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After talking myself into turning off the repeating clip of Survivor still looping in my brain, I concentrated on the task at hand. I picked up a taco and put it on my plate. Now I just needed to gather the courage to actually put it in my mouth and take a bite. Everyone else at the table slowly picked up their tacos and began to nibble. No one started convulsing, or even making faces of disgust. I guess it couldn’t be too terrible then. Reminding myself these crickets were, in fact, dead, I quickly picked up the taco and took a bite before I could talk myself out of it. The warm tortilla surrounded a rather crunchy filling that, because it was cooked in sesame seed oil, it really just felt like I was eating sesame seeds.

But one bite was enough for me. Some of my colleagues were able to finish them off but I was pretty proud of myself for taking a bite. It wasn’t about to become my new favorite dish, but it was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’d recommend to anyone who’s feeling a little adventurous.

Bon appétit!

Aaron Drake is freelance travel writer based in Los Angeles. He frequently contributes to ManAboutWorld.com, Out Traveler, Amtrak Ride With Pride, and is the former editor of Frontiers magazine. When he’s not writing and traveling the globe, you can find him at the beach, at the movies, or playing with his two mischievous dogs. Follow his travels and travails on Twitter and Instagram at @theaarondrake.