Problem
Green palm trees with a bunch of growing orange coconuts look pretty - but don't sit underneath! Many places such as swimming pools have warning signs.
In Singapore's condos and hotels, tropical Asia, and probably many more places in Florida and the USA, you will see palm trees around swimming pools. It's tempting to sit underneath in the shade.
Think about those coconuts. They fall. Lots of them. Without warning. They are tough. Heavy. Even if they didn't have rock hard outsides, the young ones are full of water like heavy water bottles you carry.
In Singapore at a condo I watched the gardeners pulling down the orange coconuts. A team of gardeners work around the year, sweeping up leaves, doing maintenance.
Four or more of them were working on culling the coconuts. I saw another lady asking for one. The man with the machete sliced around the top, diagonally downwards, revealing the paler inside. He asked, "You want it open to drink?"
"Yes, please."
He sliced off the top and made a hole with eight or more sides using a screwdriver.
I asked for the same and carried it to the kitchen triumphantly.
We washed off the outside first, cut the bottom to make it flat, but it was still rolling, so suspended it over a wide vase or jug.
Using a funnel, we poured the juice into small glasses.
The juice was clear and did not taste of coconut, almost tasteless.
The flesh was also very bland.
However, I was very pleased to have eaten fresh coconut. (Photos will be added later. I just uploaded the latest software from Apple. Now I cannot upload photos to my websites! I have managed to upload one photo already on this site from a previous post.)
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
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