While in the South Pacific, I tried Kava, a legal drink made from the Kava plant and which has mild effects on the nervous system.
Instantly, upon drinking it, my lips began to tingle and then feel numb and a warm calm came over me. The taste is dreadful, sort of like muddy water, and it doesn't help that you drink from a dirty coconut shell that is shared by others.
You get Kava at Kava Bars, which usually open when the sun goes down. They advertise themselves with a single, dim roadside colored lightbulb, usually green or red. Here's a Kava bar in daylight in Vanuatu:
A woman I befriended on the island Efate had a husband who died of liver failure due to his addiction to Kava.
I was reminded of the drink today after reading about Betel Nuts, which I'd never heard of before: This addictive nut is driving record rates of cancer – yet millions continue to chew it. Fascinating.
Here's Drew Binksy on it:
