Coconut

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sun 19 Feb 2012 01:08
The  mainstay of the economy of the Kuna Indians is the coconut, and the picture below is not of a tropical island paradise, but rather of a coconut orchard.
 
 
Here it is closer to:
 
 
Every single coconut has an owner and there is a strict prohibition on foreigners taking any. The coconuts are gathered and sold for 15 US cents each to Colombian coastal traders who buy about 25 million coconuts a year in Kuna Yala. Here is a pile awaiting collection:
 
 
Coconuts fall to the ground naturally and germinate if left to themselves - and they float so those falling in the sea may populate another island. Here is a seedling:
 
 
Walking through a coconut orchard can be a risky business. These things weigh several kilos with the husks attached and they fall from a great height - deaths are not unknown.