Each day in paradise brings new adventures and learning experiences. The palm trees at the Sayulita RV Park are quite tall and full of coconuts. Rather than have the coconuts ripen and drop down on cars or rvs, each year they must remove them and trim the palm fronds that tend to turn brown. You can imagine dropping a bowling ball on top of an rv or parked car from sixty feet in the air. That is the kind of damage that a coconut can inflict.
Today, David, a local that works at the park, trimmed three of the 78 trees on the property. He hooks a rope and a machete to his belt so that he will have them when he reaches the top. Barefoot, and without the use of any climbing gear, he prepares his assent by praying and crossing himself at least four times. He reaches the top in a matter of seconds. I can’t even imaging enough money to get me to try that. Fortunately, I wouldn’t make it more than a few feet from the ground.
Upon reaching the top he scrambles around the top of the tree and goes to work on the coconuts and other trimming.
As the litter drops, it makes quite a mess. If a bunch of coconuts fall, some will explode and shower the area with the juice. Large bundles of the nicer coconuts are lowered to the ground using his rope.
Drop zone
Below are the palm fronds that are being saved to take to somebody that will make brooms out of them. The truck in the picture has a pile of stuff that was cut from the trees last week. We thought that it would take at least three loads to haul the stuff away, but with two guys in the truck hauling stuff up and two lifting from the the ground, they somehow managed to squeeze, chop and weave everything into one load.
We noticed some of the workers drinking from the coconuts. We asked if we might give it a try. David whacked a flat bottom on a coconut and whittled at the other end until, with his last whack, he popped a little hole in the top.
We were amazed to pour out well over a quart of liquid into a bowl. We drank it and survived. It was actually pretty good. I suspect that, with the addition of some rum, it would be fantastic.
Next we asked to have the coconut cut in half so that we could try the meat. We were curious because the coconuts were still green, not the brown, hairy things that you expect to find. I’ll preface this by saying that I really can’t stand coconut. We found the meat to be the consistency of softened cheese and remarkably good tasting. It’s hard to see, but we spooned some of the meat into a bowl.
Having exhausted ourselve watching David work, we decided it was time for the beach.
Tinka stops beside a pile of the keeper coconuts from one tree.
Out to the beach where, yesterday, they had some of the best waves for surfing in a few weeks. Today, not so lucky. The scenery to the north of our location looks pretty much unchanged.
To the south, however, the tide had gone out revealing an enormous rock field. The areas to each side of the center of these rocks are the best areas to surf, depending upon which way you want the wave to break. We were told by a surfing friend of ours that they come dangerously close to the rocks just a short distance from them when they lose their vertical stance.
As we sat there, along comes a guy with five horses trying to drum up riders. We see several horseback riders on the beach. I don’t know how good sea water is for horses.
The scenery is always changing. Today we were treated with the appearance of a sailing yacht. They cruised around in the bay for most of the afternoon. Later in the day, they anchored near the center of town for the evening.
Along comes a gal that may have stolen Tinka’s swim suit. Well, the bottoms anyway.
Others are more comfortable.
Well, living in paradise is anything but boring.