I Like This Place

I have to be honest there is absolutely nothing to do here, it is no wonder people walk very slowly. It is funny to be in a place where it is OK to do nothing, it is a great contrast to my home where doing nothing is an insult to the busy ones.



This week-end I went for a walk between Bairiki the city where my hotel is located and Beito the next town. To reach the next city I had the choice between the small buses that up and down the island all day long but as I have nothing to do there was no point in getting quickly to my destination. I walked for almost an hour and half to get to Beito. On the way I saw a few youngsters using the bridge linking the interior lagoon to the exterior lagoon as a jumping ramp, I saw some pretty nice jumps. As you can see below there is at least 16 or 19 feet between the highest part of the bridge and the water, I think I will try one jump before I leave this place.



I later passed the police school and the prison. It was funny to see a prison because I have to admit that in a way the people living here are in prison but I was wondering how crimes could occur in such a place. I then remembered that each time I went on an assignment in an island I saw that the local population had issues with alcohol, I concluded that the cells where used to sober up people. My colleagues confirmed that when I told them what I did during the week-end.



After that walk I needed a drink and stopped in a bar, as I went in I realized that there was no glasses on the table but big plastic bowls. When the waiter brought my drink I asked him what was in those bowls that everyone was drinking from. He explained that the beverage was called kava and it was the local drink; it was made by mixing some powder with water and made the drinker dizzy. He asked me if I wanted to try it but I declined the offer I wanted to be sure to be able to get back to my hotel. I then learned that the beverage was so successful that some people would come everyday to have 5 to 10 bowls, with such success the bar has now a happy hour from 6 PM to 9 PM where one can get as many kava bowls as one may want for the low price of 5$AUS instead of the regular 3$ a bowl price. I may give kava a try before I leave...