Food and Drinks in Australia and Pacific

Imagine some greasy chicken and some even greasier pork pieces, served with sloppy oily French fries which come in an unnatural grey hue. All slapped on Styrofoam and handed through a little hole in the protection grid that shields off the shop owner from the occasional robbery. This is a so-called Kai Bar, the average fast food joint in PNG. It's such a miserable experience for your tastebuds that it deserves to be classified as a surreal must-try attraction rather than lunch. But then again, PNG has never been famous for its kitchen.

At first you might wonder why anyone would want to drink Kava. A murky liquid with a strong bitter taste that leaves your lips and tongue numb. But then you feel it, a lightness that flushes to your head. You get mildly stoned, but without losing your mental clarity. And the best bit is you do not get any hangover the next day. Kava is legal throughout the South Pacific and is normally made by grinding the Kava root and adding a bit of water (though old tribe recipes demand it to be chewed by virgin boys). In Vanuatu, you can find Kava everywhere. Bigger villages have Kava bars that are signposted by a single colorful light bulb outside. When the light is turned off, there is no more Kava.