The Breakfast of Manas

Here at Supara Chunkurchak, breakfast is served at 9:30, which seemed a little bit late to me, but hey, l am usually a pretty flexible person. I was a little bit worried when I arrived at the dining room at the appointed time to find it completely empty and abandoned.

Finally, though, a man wearing a Kalpak served me, bringing me a plate fruit and a cup of tea. A little sparse, I thought to myself, but I am always happy in the land of endless meat, to ...receive a bounty of fresh fruit. Then he brought me another plate of food. Then another. Then five more. And then more. And three other beverages.

Did someone mistakenly tell the kitchen that I was about to embark on a 50 kilometer hike and that I required 10000 calories to start my day? Did they see my last name was Krauss and think I was from Germany and would insist upon this gigantic meal? Was it the Yale cap I was wearing? Maybe the wait staff had knowledge of the high standards Yale alums expect from a meal and served me this feast, not realizing the hat was only a gift and I'm not from Yale?

Then I realized what had happened. In this Kyrgyz-themed restaurant I was simply receiving a historical re-enactment of the massive breakfasts the great mythical figure Manas would receive before he would go about the strenuous business of uniting the 40 Kyrgyz tribes. Glad I got that figured out.

By the way, the picture in the post is my Breakfast of Manas AFTER I had finished eating it.