The Melanesian feast was ... Interesting. Not exactly sure what I ate, and not sure if I want to know. Shiann didn't eat a thing! Great use of 1,250 vatu there, although considering the week she's had, I really can't blame her for not wanting to try it. Chase tried a bit of everything, his favorite dish was the sea cucumber.

We had a shell of kava before the feast, and asked about local kava bars. Keep in mind we've been wanting to try some authentic kava since we got here. We were shocked and amused to find that there is a kava bar literally at the back of the hotel. I'm talking 3 minute walk! And to think we were going to flag down a minibus to take us to a kava bar.

So we arrive at this kava bar, which is advertised by a green bucket hanging on a street light, acting as a light shade. There are people everywhere! We sheepishly walk into this backyard with groups of people spotted all over and walk towards what looks like a bar. Suddenly people from two directions say, "halo?"

We get the feeling we're being challenged, so we reply "kava bar"? We're pointed in the opposite direction to where we are headed and proceed into a quite well equipped area with an enclosed 'bar', adjoining ?'chill out room', adjoining 'movie area' (where totally wild is playing on the big screen!). One of the 'halo'-ers escorted us over there and asked if this was our first time tasting kava. We told him that we'd tried some with the feast. He asked us if we wanted 50 or 100, we said we didn't know. He got us 50's and even paid for us! What a nice chap!

The kava at the kava bar was much more potent than the kava we'd had at the feast and the effects were felt almost instantly. Firstly your tongue goes numb, then the back of your throat. You get sort of a 'warm, fuzzy feeling' and (if you're me) get a big grin on your face. The world becomes surreal and you're content to just sit back and watch the world go by. We chilled there for about 10-15 minutes, then went back to the bar for another shell. David assured me he knew how to order...he didn't.

So we get in there David orders two 100's, which is two double scoops. It's like twice as much, and considering you have to skull it, and considering it tastes like river water, I doubted my ability to do it. So we walked to the edge of the room, near a window and cheers big ears-ed, and -down the hatch. We both managed to get it down, but it fairly f&$@ed me!

We left the bar almost immediately and headed back to the hotel. On the walk up the road my entire mouth and throat became numb and that grin become transfixed. We walked into the hotel and I felt like at any moment a cop would jump out and bust me for illegal activity, except, it's perfectly legal!

So that was our kava bar experience. I'd love to take photos to post, but not sure if it's tabu.