Sure, you would think Bourdain has a gut of steel along with his cool, no nonsense, take it on approach to eating his way across the continents. But after all, he is human. And he had “no reservations” about sharing the truth with me.

“I’ve been really ill twice on the show. Once was after Namibia I was not well after. There was a tribal situation. And then Liberia I was really, really badly poisoned”, says Bourdain.

Yes, it’s one of the on the job hazards for Bourdain, being a cultural and culinary explorer, but it’s a job he loves. And even his video crew has taken on his voracious sense of adventure, at least OVER TIME.
Says Bourdain, “ Everybody on the crew more or less eats and is open to eating what I eat. And over time they’ve become — you know, you don’t work on this show year after year and — you know, if you’ve got a fussy pallet.

Fussy? Not this guy.

It’s one of the things I love about Bourdain—his passion for bringing us adventures in food and travel is inspiring. Yes, if there was a plate of something really exotic (and even somewhat repulsive too) readily available to me as I am writing this article—I would devour it—whole. Luckily for me, I am staring at an ice coffee. Yes, I will continue to live vicariously thru Bourdain instead!

And there will be plenty of opportunity for that with the launch of Bourdain’s new series, The Layover which debuts Monday November 21st at 9pm ET/PT on Travel Channel.

As a “road warrior” throughout my reporting career I’ve faced some pretty scary road food myself—but Anthony Bourdain does it like no one can—voluntarily!

As a traveler I can honestly say that (up until now) the words “the layover” were two of the most dreaded words in the English language. In the past it has meant one thing: staring at the four walls of an airport, watching the clock and eating fast food. Well, no more.

The term “layover” is getting a makeover–compliments of Bourdain.

Yes, the Layover is now re-defined as an action packed adventure—and Anthony Bourdain is your guide.
What can you do, eat and see in 24-48 hours? Well, Bourdain gives us HIS list. As he puts it, after years of being on the road, he will take you to the places you, too, can visit and “cuts right to the good stuff”.

Bourdain explains, “You know, it’s not about the — as with No Reservations, it’s not about the museum or the Eiffel Tower or the major sort of sightseeing spots. We kind of assume that you will know about those things already. They’re more about the local joint, the places that make each individual place different than the other place. You know, I like to use the example of New York. I mean, if you find yourself in New York for a brief period of time, you know, what do we do better in New York than any place else? I mean, I always advise people to go for a, you know, pastrami sandwich.”

Want that pastrami sandwich? and more?

No time for “reservations” here. The Anthony Bourdain “express” is rolling into a city near you… and the clock is ticking. The trip of a lifetime…in no time, literally.

“From dive bars to five stars”… The Layover will take us across the US, Asia, and Europe into cities like New York, Singapore, Hong Kong Montreal, and Rome.

Sure, Rome wasn’t built in day…but when a day is all you’ve got—the adventurous get going! Fast.

“On the entire crew. I mean, these guys were running backwards in just withering, withering 110 degree heat, 100% humidity in Singapore and Hong Kong, running backwards all day, you know, holding cameras, you know, almost no down time, you know, three, four, sometimes five meals a day, you know, as opposed to maybe two on No Reservations”, says Bourdain.

The Layover will feature 10 episodes – but there is no rest for the weary–Bourdain is already busy shooting his new season of No Reservations.

So where does Bourdain chow down, when he’s finally got a little bit of down time?

“Chances are, I mean, on any given day I would much prefer to be eating, you know, having a beer in a late afternoon in a favorite dive bar or, at a family-run place, you know, and not particularly, no tablecloth, not fancy, you know, sleeping dog on the floor.”