De Lekkerbek is our family’s hobby horse, a future house/resto overlooking three hectares of (recently planted) durian estate. Well away from the main road connecting Cijeruk and Cipelang (just south of Bogor City, West-Java), De Lekkerbek is located on Gunung Salak (Snakefruit Mountain) with majestic views of Gunung Pangrango‘s foothills. The sunrises from the top terrace are worth an early morning visit, and various one-hour hikes get visitors to many scenic sites ranging from 450 to 1,000 masl.
The new ponds are coming out very well, mainly due to the diligent work of our trusted foreman Pak Endad. It’s mesmerizing to see him handle his pacul (hoe) like a scalpel, creating alternating layers of soil and mud to ensure sufficient strength and cohesion of each dike.
The outer dikes of the ponds have now all been planted with akar wangi grass (Vetiveria zizanioides), chosen for its dense and deep roots and sturdy nature. Once they have settled sufficiently, we plan to add daun kelor trees (Moringa oleifera) to further strengthen the dikes.
The avid fisherman he is, Pak Endad of course could not wait for Pond B (the first pond built) to fully settle. He has already released the very first fish to it: five adult pomfrets (Brama brama). But we’ll soon get our revenge and release a few dozen young tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) that have multiplied beyond expectation in our tarpaulin ponds.
