Fijian night

Laura didn't want to go kayaking and there was only two available so me and Jan the German boy went. It was so difficult! But got the hang of it when got into a rhythm. Went out quite far, past the shipping lane to where the water got shallow again. Couldn't see any fish but coral. Kayaked to the point of Mana island and Jan sat on the beach for a bit coz he felt sick, think he'd got heat stroke really. Paddled back after about an hour and went and showered ready for Fijian night! This was our shack!

And there school. We walked through it to get to the beach and restaurant. They are all so cute saying Bula to everyone.

Me and Laura had a coconut souvenir from Castaway island an asked for them to crack it and put a straw in it. The guy took us to the village kitchen and opened peeled it on a sharp metal stick stuck in the ground. It wasn't very nice. Apparently you only drink and eat the green ones and cook with the brown. 

I didn't like much of the Fijian meal. The fish and chicken was good but the two types of potatoes were strange and there was a pile of wet spinach. We shared a chocolate fudge cake after. Had a few drinks and kept putting in the tab haha. Then after eating it was kava time! All the workers were in their own clothes so I felt this is what they do at night anyway, not much for them to do except sleep when they weren't working. 

Everyone sat in a circle on a grass mat around the kava bowl. They filled with water and then put the kava root in a fabri bag and washed and squeezed it until the water looked muddy. 

The cup is half a coconut and you say high tide or low tide for how full a cup you want. Then the cup gets passed around the circle. You have to clap your hands once take the cup, say Bula and they all say it back then drink all in one with out stopping and then clap three times. It was disgusting!!! Tasted like muddy water. Laura wasn't gonna finish but I told her it would be rude not to so she downed it and looked like she would be sick! I tried it twice, made your tongue tingle for a bit. The staff are all so happy, fun and laughing all the time. They turned into a house band singing us songs and playing instruments for ages and getting us to conga. There was a song where we all had to be an animal. And the 'monkey' he cried for me, and then we had to insert a noise or action. Me and Laura were a giraffe. 

After this, and a second bowl of kava, the villagers wouldn't stop drinking it even though a few didn't seem to enjoy it, all the English and Germans went to play cards. Spoons - which was a bit like chance the ace but when someone had collect four matching cards they had to pick up a spoon and then everyone to follow. There was one less spoon than people so someone would be out. Aggressive game! Me and Laura went to bed at 10ish while everyone stayed up til about 1. One of the English girls had gone missing after the kava and her friends had been looking for her. It turned out she'd been taken to a Fijian wedding reception by one of the guys and met all his family. He'd told her we'd all be coming so she was waiting for us! Apparently she returned quite disturbed looking ha.