The Banana

The ever present banana. Small, yellow, tasty. Its protective wrapping appealing to a lazy traveller in Asia as you don’t have to wash it. If only it was as easy to buy as to eat. In my first attempt fresh off the plane in Hanoi, my contribution to Asia’s inflation problem was probably as big as my contribution to the seller’s pocket, when I was too confused to barter down from the requested 15,000 Dong (about 50p) per banana. The bemused banana seller found it hard to hide her joy at selling 5! Much to Sarah’s amusement. Four weeks later in Pokhara, Nepal, my cool-headed, hard-nosed bargaining skills were proudly put on display to deny a Nepali man the same windfall. Out came my best “I’m completely prepared to walk away from this transaction, and I mean it” face when I was quoted a shocking 25 Rupees for 5 bananas. I instantly recognised £2.50 for 5 bananas was a rip-off in this country. But keeping my cool I cleverly reduced the transaction down to a single banana and walked away, to the amusment of the onlooking local Tourist Policeman. By the time I realised my currency mistake - the poor man was only asking 5p per banana - it was too late and he’d gone. Very embarrassed I was.

Perhaps peeling a banana is less controversial. Are monkeys more intelligent than humans? An Australian named Adam we met in Laos (who talked knowledgably, having seen a documentary about most things we talked about) pointed out that monkeys peel a banana from the “wrong” end. The one without the stem. Try it. You’ll like it and you won’t ever go back.