Interlude for Tropical Fruit

We're renting a house in the mountains, right in the center of Puerto Rico. We're here until the middle of August, that's when we'll move into our condo by the beach. 

Now we've wanted an ocean view for quite some time, but we love the cooler mountains and scenery where we're staying now. I know we'll mis this place when we move.

One thing we'll miss is the banana trees on the property. Just along the front and back fence are some bananas ready to harvest. Some bunches are just getting started. 

Check out the flowering ones where baby bananas come from! (last pic below)

Our neighbors are great here as well. One let me borrow his machete so that I could cut a huge bunch from the tree. He then told me I have to cut back the leaves on that tree so that it will die and let another banans shoot come up. Wild.

Another neighbor gave us some parcha - passion fruit.  (see pic below) You're supposed to cut it and scoop out the seeds and eat them or drink the juice. Now without sugar, that's almost impossible! Very tart. But very tasty once its sweetened.

Fruit is everywhere here. It's a Caribbean island, after all. When we went to Ponce this past weekend and met some fellow travelers, we saw a bunch mango trees with the fruit just falling off the tree laying by the side of the road. So on our way home we snagged some.

I called our pastor to make sure it was okay to eat and yes, once it turns yellow you can go for it. Mangoes are super messy so I basically just stripped the skin off of them and sucked at the juice. I won't show a picture of that!

There are a few coconut trees here, I've seen. But nothing close by to grab. I think they also grow pineapple here. There are also some fairly exotic fruits that I have yet to try. You'll have to use a search engine to discover the details, but the following are on my list to eat one day: Guanabana, Starfruit, Breadfruit, Rose Apple, and Quenépa.

Anyway, fun times in store on a tropical island. Any favorite tropical fruit for you?