The other rat race: Hunting (and eating) rodents in Indonesia

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 14:25 — Anonymous by Raymond WalshDweller of sewers.
Abandoner of ships. Conduit of the plague. No matter what descriptor you
attach to the lowly rat, one thing is pretty much universal -- it's the
critter everyone loves to hate. Except, that is, in Tomohon in North
Sulawesi, Indonesia. Here the rat takes on a very different role -- that of
delicacy -- and for a fee, you can hunt your own rat and eat it for dinner
that evening.The rat hunters of Tomohon -- Oscar, Wem, Stevi, and Chili.
Mario Ben Gavriel's rat-hunting tour can hardly be called the country's
most popular activity -- I am the first foreigner to sign up for the jaunt
and just his third customer in two years. But for those who do take the
plunge, an eye-opening glimpse of local life awaits.read more