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Wednesday morning, 10am. Or is it 11am already? Doesn’t matter! You are just about to wake up. Ahhh, another nice holiday in paradise. 
The temperatures hover already steadily above 30 degrees centigrade (in the 100’s Fahrenheit) and the sweat is running down your back. Your tongue is dry and feels like it’s stuck swollen on the palate of your mouth.
What can help to ease this serious situation?
Jump on your bike and find out where the next vendor is selling ‘Es Kelapa’ – Ice Coconut!
It’s like a small stall with lot’s of coconuts attached to their cart. Smack Rp 2.000 for a plastic bag of icy coconut juice and meat on the table. Rp 5.000 (about USD 0.50) will get you a whole coconut for yourself. They are cracked open by a hit of a Machete, just like in the jungle. Just crushed ice or lime juice is added if your prefer, to spice up the taste. A straw ensures that the precious liquid finds its way right into your dry mouth. I admit, the Coconut Juice in a plastic bag, doesn’t look soooo great, but looks are truly deceiving here – just give it a try.
So are you ready? Okay. Now take a slow, but deep sip from your plastic bag or coconut!
Do you feel it???
Forget Coca Cola or Gatorade! And not even the ‘Bacardi feeling’ comes close to fresh coconut juice, running down your throat. Ahhhhhhhhh!
In both cases, don’t neglect the coconut’s meat- it’s truly delicious. Soft, white, smooth and cold and a real thirst quencher par excellence! It’s healthy on top of it and said to wash out toxins and poisons from your body. Even though it may be sweet, it’s all natural fruit sugars. So don’t be afraid about your hips!
(Did you ever try those Bounty Chocolate Bars? They claim to be made of coconut, but eat a few of them every week and you can ‘roll’ yourself home. It’s more like pre-chewed, synthetic coconut meat. Besides adding lots of sugar to your diet; you wouldn’t believe what processed glucose syrup can do to your health in the long run. Thank god they don’t put MSG in candy bars – yet!)
Believe me, those 2 don’t have anything in common. Better stick with a natural dessert; fresh coconut right from the tree! :-)
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January 31st, 2007 at 11:45 pm
ahh fresh coconut. my only claim to having one is right off the tree. in 2001 i was on a trek in Fiji, and our guide, Epi, climbed a coconut tree as easily as walking up the stairs. He tossed a few to the ground, then proceeded to crack them open with one slam on a sharp boulder. He even found some grass stalks that worked as perfect straws. Go figure. As for the taste? Purest liquid I’d even drank.
February 4th, 2007 at 12:03 am
hey, we have that here in Manila, too
February 11th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
wow…this totally reminds me of my honeymoon in phuket, thailand. There were fresh fruit stands every single corner. You’re so lucky living in Bali. Wishing I could just get up and move to another country..and enjoy some fresh coconut
July 9th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
You are so spot on! Luckily I live in a country where this is readily available all year round. There’s nothing quite as refreshing, well maybe iced water but it doesn’t taste as good.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Love it too! =)
August 26th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
One of the best aspects of the coconut is that it is a ready made drink. Just cut the top, insert the straw and what do you get…delicious!
Michael
May 16th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Nothing like a cold fresh coconut after a hard days surfing in the tropics to sort you out. Coconuts are also excellent rehydration if you are suffering stomach bugs which can often happen in the thirda world!
July 24th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
[…] fruits (someone has to eat all those pineapples, bananas, mangos and else) from the market or a coconut over there. Sushi or Dim Sum come in pretty small portions as well and serve you nicely as short […]