Tui Tai Diaries: Wiwi Village Update

No trip to Fiji should be without a kava welcome ceremony, and we've had some great fun in Wiwi village over the last few weeks. The actual ceremony is traditionally formal, and we are fortunate to witness use of the original methods, but the following meke dance is exciting and involving! The following are some highlights from the last few weeks:

High tide?

Chief may have had too much kava

Liga shows off his moves

A few kava facts:

- The name 'kava' is more Polynesian and many Fijians refer to the drink as yaqona.
- Traditionally women don't drink kava, although this is not really the case today in Fiji.
- It comes from the root of a pepper plant that is dried and ground up into a fine powder.
- The taste is quite earthy and the sedative effects are generally mild and short-lasting.
- It is used formally in all kinds of ceremonies, but many will just drink socially at weekends.