Did you know that pineapples actually grow on a low bush? As we drive around exploring the island, we pass large fields, like seas of pinapples clinging to the mountainside. Thailand is one of the largest producers and exporters of this golden fruit and much of that comes from the areas South of Bangkok. The varieties here in Krabi are exceptionally sweet. Street vendors and fruit carts everywhere peddle pineapples. They are often sold by size, 5baht for tiny ones and up to 30baht for the largest size. It takes two years for the first crop to appear but one plant can yield up to three generations of pineapples before the field is turned under and let lay fallow. By using crop rotation, Thailand has pineapples year round! The pineapple fields we came across along a dirt road, were nestled between long rows of rubber tree plants. The setup reminded me of maple trees. The trees have a section peeled back and scored to bring the sap to the surface. The white sap drips along the cut lines into a cup or half-coconut hanging on a nail. When it dries in the cup, it is a solid piece of white, raw rubber. Native fauna and flora have been destroyed all over the island to make way for this cash crop. It seems anyone with land, has it seeded with these thin, tall trees. It's amazing what you can learn trying to get lost on backroads!
mandy
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