Since we are staying in the Namena Marine Reserve for a second day, we didn’t travel last night, so the crew threw us a kava part on deck with plenty of songs, laughter and flowing kava. Kava is the national drink of Fiji and is used for recreation as well as in formal ceremonies. A kava ceremony is how Fijians invite any visitors (including other Fijians) into their local villages. Kava is non-alcoholic, however it is mildly sedative. After your first bowl, your lips and tongue will start to tingle. If you continue to drink enough bowls of it, after a while you may begin to feel lethargic. The effects do not last and there isn’t really a “hangover” to speak of.
We had another great day of diving. This grumpy looking fellow is a Leaf Scorpionfish. Like any scorpion fish, it has spines which will inject a painful toxin if you touch them, so don’t touch. This is a good idea for any dive because most SCUBA related injuries occur when divers touch something they shouldn’t. Most things that will hurt you (like this scorpion fish) are easily camouflaged or not obvious that it is dangerous. So as a general diving rule, don’t touch!
Tomorrow we sail south for more adventure…