Day 5 - Self-suffiency isn't a goal when staying here. However, if one has a little land near a house in this place, it's definitely possible to supplement one's diet year-round with things raised VERY locally.
This morning, Jay and his sisters dug up a 'manyok' tree. The tuber-type roots often known as cassava are popular in parts of Africa and Asia. It's a staple like potatoes or rice. The tree was about seven feet high before being cut and the roots were then dug up. The picture above shows the pile next to my foot for an idea of size. They will be cleared and cut. Long sections were saved for replanting and in about a half year, a larger 'crop' will be ready.
Right before lunch, everyone focused on things higher in the sky. Sri Lanka is famous for its unique variety of coconuts. As well as regular Asian ones, some are known as king coconuts and locally called Thæmbili (Sinhala තැඹිලි). They're great for their coconut water and are exported as such. The colour is not green but bright orange. In many languages, the colour orange has the same name as the fruit. However, in Jay's language, the colour orange is the same as the name for these special coconuts.
The manyok required cutting and digging. Getting a few coconuts, however, required a very long pole with a knife at the end. As this tree was quite high, a 20-foot pole needed to be extended with extra bamboo and string to tie it all together. It was an arduous process but gratifying, I suppose, living off things grown in the backyard.
