Here is another quick example of the beauty of living in a kampong (small village) in Bali instead of the congested tourist centers. To read the main post of what to see in Bali, what to do in Bali and where to stay, click here.
Just behind our home is a small river. Many local residents come through and bathe or wash clothing, providing me with a delightful opportunity to interact and get to know the families of the neighborhood.
Enjoying a cup of Bali coffee on our porch, I noticed this scene. Obviously, I had to investigate.
The other day, I was working on the porch overlooking the rice paddies and noticed a young man with a six-meter bamboo pole walk by. My curiosity piqued, I struck up a conversation with him.
Skillfully harvesting red ant larvae from high in the treetops.
He explained to me that the red ants build nests way up high in the top of the trees. The ants produce larvae that are highly nutritious and packed with protein. Cleverly, he not only created an ingenious method to harvest the larvae, but he makes his living doing so (and a good one at that for Bali standards, about US$30/day).
The recycled rice sack attached to the end of the bamboo pole catches the ants and their larvae.
My Balinese friends that keep songbirds have told me the birds love the larvae. They say it tickles the bird’s throat and makes them sing more.
The bounty is emptied into a woven basket.
After providing me with a richer understanding of Bali village life, I offered to share some coconuts with him. Fortunately, he effortlessly ascended the tree to retrieve four or five coconuts as my bule approach takes much more time and exertion. Unable to scale the tree in the customary manner, I must improvise and resort to other tactics. I found that if I tie a rock to a length of rope, endeavor to toss it just right so it wraps around the coconuts, I can pull them down.
The basket teems with angry ants. Banana leaves are placed into the fray and the ants attack. The banana leaf is tossed aside and the technique is repeated until all of the ants are gone and only the shiny white larvae remain.
This enlightening happenstance is one that I would have missed out on, if we didn’t live in this lovely small village. For much more on what to do in Bali and why, just click here.
Coconut time!
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