And officially going stir crazy. I feel like I’m under house arrest. Gotta get me some income, tutte suite.
Today’s Trinidad Impression: I got get my first real taste of coconut water tonight. Right from the source. My drum instructor’s wife took me to downtown Port of Spain, where we found a vendor in the main square. An Indian man with a cart full of yellow and green coconuts … and a machete. When asked if I wanted one with “plenty water”, or “jelly”, I said “plenty water”, not having any idea what I was talking about. Asked if I wanted it cold, I said yes (that one was easy). Then he pulled a coconut out of a bucket full of ice and took a couple of terrifying swipes with his machete until he exposed the hole in the nut, and the water inside.
Sadly, this fascinating moment reminded me of watching a hip-replacement surgeon grind down a bone until the now-exposed marrow started to leak.
Yup. That’s where my brain went.
Anyhoo, before I could drink it I had one more choice to make – straw or no straw. I wimped out and chose straw. And then I did one of the cooler things I’ve ever done: drunk directly from a coconut. In the middle of the street. It wasn’t very sweet, but it was very refreshing. Apparently coconut water is chock full of minerals and an excellent way to keep oneself hydrated. When we were done, my friend tossed her empty husk back onto the cart with all the other castoffs, but I took mine home, thinking I could cut up the meat, or ‘jelly’, and save it for later. Unfortunately, I discovered that what I thought was meat was actually the inedible husk. That was embarrassing.
Next time? Jelly, no straw.
No comments:
Post a Comment