Heidi and I went to the Kava Kafé (www.kavakafe.com), crowded with locals, most who she knows by now as it doesn't take long in a small community and with everyone so open and friendly. There was a musician playing and a big punch bowl of kava being served at the counter. There is no alcohol served in the café, the focus is on kava and vegetarian food.
The server poured me a cup of kava in a coconut cup, showing me the large root from which it is made. She said the locals say it will root me.
What is kava? Kava is made from the roots of the kava plant and used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes throughout the Pacific. These cultures have a great respect for the plant and place a high importance on it. There are many different names for kava and in Hawaii, they often refer to it as awa.
Just before I was going to drink it, Heidi told me that it will numb the front of my mouth and tongue and will relax me. I was a bit worried at first. Would I enter into altered states that I would never come back from and miss my flight home? I liked the relaxed state part but, call me skeptical, I didn’t really like the sound of part of my face going numb.
What is kava? Kava is made from the roots of the kava plant and used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes throughout the Pacific. These cultures have a great respect for the plant and place a high importance on it. There are many different names for kava and in Hawaii, they often refer to it as awa.
Just before I was going to drink it, Heidi told me that it will numb the front of my mouth and tongue and will relax me. I was a bit worried at first. Would I enter into altered states that I would never come back from and miss my flight home? I liked the relaxed state part but, call me skeptical, I didn’t really like the sound of part of my face going numb.
Of course I joined in, like most things in my life, with gusto, and tried it.
It tastes like you’re drinking root and swamp water. It does make your mouth and tongue go numb. Sort of like that feeling after the dentist's office and you're mouth has been frozen. It seemed relaxing, but heh I was relaxed all ready so it was hard to tell. Actually, with a more relaxed laid back vibe here, how can people tell? Is there graduations of relaxation here like the range of mangos? For us, it's usually the week day or the weekend, day off of work or not, holidays or not, as part of the indication of how relaxed we are.
Some say kava is an acquired taste. I would agree with that! They also say that the more you drink, the more you like it. The seed, or should I say root, has been planted and I will come back for this and much more.
It tastes like you’re drinking root and swamp water. It does make your mouth and tongue go numb. Sort of like that feeling after the dentist's office and you're mouth has been frozen. It seemed relaxing, but heh I was relaxed all ready so it was hard to tell. Actually, with a more relaxed laid back vibe here, how can people tell? Is there graduations of relaxation here like the range of mangos? For us, it's usually the week day or the weekend, day off of work or not, holidays or not, as part of the indication of how relaxed we are.
Some say kava is an acquired taste. I would agree with that! They also say that the more you drink, the more you like it. The seed, or should I say root, has been planted and I will come back for this and much more.
For now, I travel home. I have digested much food and drink for thought here and during my travels, which has taken me in many directions and to places I never knew existed.
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| Lovely ocean park, where you can see remnants of a 600-year-old village that existed. |
But it is the friends and strangers who I encountered along the way that I will never forget. They say, you will forget people, but you will never forget how they made you feel. And during my trip, I was touched deeply by the warmth and kindness of so many, some who I couldn't speak the same language with.
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| I love Mochi! |
