I have a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts

For those of you who love a good pina colada, coconut milk or water, the truth about harvesting coconuts is rather fascinating. Thought to have originated in Melanesia, the trees bear 30-75 fruit a year. On most tropical islands hosting tourism, resorts and hotels with active bars are the principal customers. Immature coconuts are most desired, as these contain an abundance of liquids. The job of harvesting frequently falls upon the local population of drug and alcohol abusers. These young men (almost exclusively) are paid a small wage for each coconut harvested. Since guests at each of the aforementioned properties consume many thousands of the fruit each year, work is plentiful. The tools for harvesting consist of a tall, sturdy pole with a curved steel hook on the end; also, a machete, bottomless Coke bottle, and a number of plastic gallon jugs. One harvester frees a coconut from the area where the fronds meet the top of the trunk. The second man catches or gathers a fallen fruit, cuts off the top with a machete, then pours the liquid into the bottom of the inverted Coke bottle, where it flows into the waiting jug. Once a number of jugs are filled, they are carried to a nearby resort or hotel. From there, the liquid is on its way to becoming nectar of the gods, per individual taste.