There are many things in India that used to be very common 10 years ago but now are seen infrequently. One is the sight of men climbing coconut trees (see left) to bring down coconuts or 'ready to drop' branches (so that they don't fall unexpectedly and hurt someone/something). The men wrap a circle of rope around their ankles and shinny up the tree quickly and expertly.
Another disappearing sight is that of the tea man. This tea seller would come by Kovalam Beach most afternoons but you certainly don't see 'mobile' tea sellers as often as you used to. And another unfortunate change (for the environment) is the replacement of the old recyclable clay cups with plastic ones and the use of individual teabags rather than readymade tea (so the tea seller has hot, heavily sugared milk and water in the urn and he just adds it to a teabag in a plastic cup when he serves it to you - YUCK!)
