At a break in the session the kava leader lights the cigarette he has just rolled with leaf tobacco and newspaper. The older gentleman is Mika who did our sevusevu and welcomed us as villagers with freedom to roam. The wooden objects are new kava bowls in their first stage of carving, they sit below the high water mark for a few weeks so the salt water cures the red dye out of the vesi wood.

 

Mere had arranged a basket of produce for us which included breadfruit, coconuts, papayas and bananas, all freshly picked.