Todos Santos

The rolling hills of the desert of Baja gave way to two weeks I planned to spend on the rolling seas of Todos Santos. Although I had never been before I made the decision months ago to spend more extended time there than anywhere else during this adventure. I heard good things about it, knew there were good surf breaks, and simply had a generally good feeling about it. So yeah, good.

I booked a house on Airbnb in a neighborhood right in town and it ended up being just right. The home was modern, comfortable, and big. There was a rooftop palapa for stringing up my hammock and watching sunsets, an outdoor shower, and a washing machine, among other creature comforts. I was sharing the home with quite a few very large cockroaches and a mouse who had made a nice little bed in the oven using insulation. I lived in Thailand, Hawaii, and Grand Turk in a previous life so I'm not too freaked out by the critter roommates that make themselves comfortable in tropical habitations, but that didn't mean I was against smashing the massive insects if  I found them loitering too long in the kitchen. I eventually began using a Friday reference pretty much whenever I went in to grab a snack or some water. "How come every time I'm in the kitchen, yo ass in the kitchen?"

Thanksgiving fell during my time in Todos Santos so Kerry decided she would come down for a few days to celebrate. It wasn't what you would call a traditional experience full of football and hot toddys. Ours was filled with whale sharks, humpbacks, and dolphins. Off the coast of La Paz, about 45 minutes away by car, there is an opportunity to see whale sharks this time of year. For those of you not familiar, a whale shark is a shark and not a whale, meaning it's a fish. It's actually the world's biggest fish, growing up to 40 feet long. They have no teeth being filter feeders so they're completely harmless to humans. They're pretty rare and are something of a holy grail to scuba divers. I've seen quite a few in my life but Kerry had never seen one. If you're ever in a part of the world at the right time when seeing at least one is more or less guaranteed, take advantage of it. I was excited that Kerry would have the opportunity. We were able to get in the water to snorkel with three or four different whale sharks. The previously mentioned humpbacks and dolphins were bonuses that showed up during the tour.

After we returned from La Paz we decided we would do our best to make a somewhat traditional dinner. Proper Thanksgiving ingredients were hard to come by but we were able to find enough to make it feel legit. We had chicken, boxed stuffing, yams, gravy, potatoes, green beans, and brownies for dessert.

The first problem we encountered was that the oven wouldn't work. Well, actually the first problem was than when I opened the oven I saw a little mouse scurry away and out through the bottom, leaving his cushy little insulation bed in the corner. After removing that the second problem was the non working oven. No worries, we'll make the chicken on the stove. We won't be able to toast marshmallows on top of the yams, but that's not the end of the world. Moving right along.

Problem number three: In the US if we have gas powered appliances there is a magical endless supply. We don't really think about it until the bill comes, and at least for me, I don't really even think about it then because it's on auto pay. In Mexico the homes have propane tanks. When they run out you have to get them filled before you have hot water, a stove top, etc.. So of course during Thanksgiving dinner, for which Kerry and I spent a good amount of time and money at three different stores finding the appropriate ingredients, the gas ran out. Basically, all that food we half way prepared was garbage and we had no other plans for a proper Thanksgiving. I did successfully half cook the yams which I proceeded to mash with a fork and add brown sugar and yogurt to (I had no milk). I then threw some mini marshmallows on top and boom, Thanksgiving yams. They were tasty. Kerry liked them and said they had a "trashy" taste. I told my friend Chloe back home about Kerry's opinion and she informed me that putting marshmallows on anything pretty much makes it trashy. I had no idea.  I guess I'm not as classy as I thought I was.

Mexicans obviously don't give a shit about the third Thursday in Novemeber so luckily my favorite Todos Santos taqueria was open. We had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner of a baked potato loaded with carne asada, cheese, and vegetables and tacos al pastor.

The rest of my time in Todos Santos was pretty relaxed. My days consisted of waking up early, making coffee and a basic breakfast before heading to the beach to surf and hang out. I even bought my first surfboard, shaped right there in Todos Santos. I also met some French Canadians who were on a road trip themselves all the way from Quebec. They had made friends with some of the Mexican guys who worked on the beach renting surfboards and beach umbrellas. We all hung out quite a bit both surfing and apres surf beer drinking and eating.

Although I enjoyed Todos Santos, two weeks was plenty of time I was excited to first do some camping in a rural national park, then to get over to the mainland.

Kerry releasing a baby sea turtle at the beach near the house in Todos Santos

Da Beach

White Trash Thanksgiving Yams

Carlos "Los" and the sunset

Baja Bound

After leaving San Diego, Charlie the German Shepherd and I took our time getting to Todos Santos, Mexico where I have a home rented for about two weeks until the 7th of December. I gave myself five days to drive the approximately 950 miles because I didn't want to rush. It was more than enough time and I probably could have stayed in San Diego another night. If I'd had a surfboard with me it would have been valuable extra free time as much of the coast of Baja, California is a surf mecca. Unfortunately, I'm still at the dorky, trying to catch waves on a garage door sized board level and driving 1,000 miles with one of those strapped to your roof is a challenge. So I just took it easy, drove a few hours a day and stopped in little towns along the way that looked like they may be interesting.

The first stop was Ensenada. Nothing remarkable here normally but when I arrived Baja 1,000 racers were in town preparing for the race that was due to start in a couple days. There were quite a few "trophy trucks" around getting ready for an epic 1,000 mile off road competition. I had a chat with one of the racers hoping for a podium spot and he got me excited to see a part of the race. I thought he told me it would be starting the next day so if I headed south I would catch it.

I headed down to El Rosario after one night in Ensenada. It's a quaint little town near the Pacific where I had heard of this cool little roadside motel. Sadly, when I arrived all the rooms were taken by Baja 1,000 teams prepping. Luckily right next door there was a perfectly adequate motel called Mama Espinoza's. They even let Charlie stay in the room, which I had been told is rare in Mexican motels. He'd had to sleep in the car quite a few nights due to me sleeping in friend's homes where someone had allergies and a lack of pet friendly hotels. Luckily, Charlie is pretty low maintenance so as long as he gets good exercise in the day he doesn't mind a little car camping. Once settled in at Mama Espinoza's I ran a few miles, showered and went to dinner. The most noteworthy thing that happened in El Rosario is the enchiladas I had at Mama Espinoza's restaurant next door to the motel. They were hands down the best enchiladas I've ever had and of course they only set me back about $3 and were served with rice and beans. If you find yourself driving through this part of the world, don't miss the food from the place.

I left the next morning expecting a stop in Catavina which I was told would be an excellent vantage point to see some Baja racers but before I left, one the racers' support crew told me they wouldn't be reaching that point until late the following evening. I had the day wrong and was actually a day ahead of the race start. When I reached Catavina I momentarily considered staying overnight to catch the action the next day but there is next to nothing to see or do in the miniature town and I would be waiting for close to 36 hours if I wanted to see anything. I decided to keep moving to get to an oasis pueblito I had heard good things about.

Although the town of Catavina has little to keep a traveler leisurely occupied, the terrain surrounding the town is a site to behold. Out of the rolling, stark baja desert, huge boulders begin to appear, between which are some of the biggest cacti I've ever seen. It's quite dramatic and I took advantage of having an SUV with 4wd by going off road for a bit and navigating around some of the boulders on the actual Baja race course.

Next stop was the oasis of San Ignacio. Got in a little late and quickly saw a sign for a B&B with yurts for accommodation. It is run by a kind Canadian couple, and although it seemed overpriced at $65 per night, I was tired and hungry and they were pet friendly so I took it. After a six mile run I sat down for roasted chicken, salad, and other yummies with the B&B owners and the large group of Canadians on a motorcycle tour that were staying there. They were interesting folks and it provided an evening of pleasant and interesting conversation.

I next planned a stopover in Loreto. I think this is a good time to talk about the kindness of others that I've been experiencing. Full disclosure here: I don't have a whole lot of faith in people for the most part. I know it sounds negative, bit I feel like people let you down more than they should. I choose the people in my life very carefully and keep a pretty small number of friends, and don't expect much from most. This trip has helped me getting an ever so slightly sunnier outlook so far. After letting friends know of my plans to drive to Central America and posting about it on Facebook I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and support I've received. I was offered a place to sleep in Northern California by an old friend I barely ever talk to or see, I was offered a place no questioned asked for a couple nights in LA, and I had three places to sleep offered to me by people in San Diego. I've also been offered a bed and local support in both Guadalajara and Mexico City by people I've met on the road.

One of the most heartwarming events was a message I got from a Portland friend shortly after I left home. It said that one of his wife's previous employers had seen that he "liked" my post about driving down Baja. They told him that they had recently purchased a home in Loreto and that if I needed anything at all, including a place to stay, that I should contact them directly. The morning I left for Loreto, despite my tendency to do everything in my power not to put people out in any way, I did just that. Tim and Sherrie met me in the town of Loreto where they were attending a party at a local microbrewery. After the party died down they had me follow them to their beautiful home in an expat community called Loreto Bay. I hadn't had dinner and it was late and nothing was open so Tim made me tacos and gave me a beer. After staying up and talking for a while I was led to my comfortable guest room where they even let Charlie stay. When I woke we had coffee under their rooftop palapa looking over the ocean. They had some previous plans so they told me to stay as long as I liked and allowed me to do my laundry before I left.

The kindness from these complete strangers really felt amazing. They were friendly and fun and didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all in accepting their help. I knew they were just good people happy to do something good for someone else.

Okay, this post is starting to feel a little rambly to me so I'm going to wrap it up here. After Loreto I went to La Paz where I spent two uneventful nights. I watched the Cotto VS. Alvarez fight at a local bar and tried to practice a little Spanish with some of the rabid Alvarez fans (He's kind of a national hero at the moment). Other than that I went to a beach, and ate tacos at least twice per day while waiting for the 23rd to arrive when I would pick up Kerry at the airport and get my first glimpse of my home for two weeks in Todos Santos. I'll try to get a post up about all that in the next few days.

Route from San Diego to La Paz

A Baja 1,000 racer in El Rosario

Catavina Boulders and Cacti

Charlie on a Beach Near La Paz

San Diago "A Whale's Vagina"

Okay, so it turns out I'm not so good at this blogging thing. The truth is that between pursuing my strict diet of chilaquiles, tacos, and tequila, surfing in the mornings, and spending time with friends in the evenings, well, I know where my priorities lie. Of course this blog is a journal to my older self just as much, if not more than it is a way for friends and family to stay updated on my travels, so I'll keep trying. I'm up relatively early today due to the cacophony of the local pack of street dogs in my neighborhood. They're a rowdy, rag tag bunch who get their kicks barking at pretty much any passing car going under 35 mph (especially when I'm sleeping), and chasing other dogs off their turf. It's a good time to throw some words down.

Okay so I'll back up a bit. When I wrote my last post I had been in San Diego for about a day. I ended up staying almost four full days and wanted to stay more, Every time I'm in San Diego I consider moving there. It's the surfer town vibe of the smaller areas like Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach, It's the consistently warm but very infrequently hot weather. Of course it's the ocean, something I have felt at home in and near since I can remember.

San Diego is just a generally fun city as well. While there I went to a couple great restaurants, went out and heard some okay music that was just fine because I was smashed when I heard it, tasted some shitty tequila that George Clooney promotes (If a bartender at a gay bar tries to sell you a tequila based on an endorsement by George Clooney, pass and just shell out the extra few bucks for the Don Julio Reposado. George Clooney has shitty taste in tequila.), and saw Point Break Live.

Point Break Live is a show I've been trying to see for a couple years now. It's a satirical stage play based on Point Break, a movie that has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. The show is quite interactive. Keanu Reeves's character is chosen from the audience, when people are shot blood splatters around the theater, the audience is made to get down during bank robberies. It's absurd but an absolute riot. If you're ever in a city where you can see the show I highly recommend it. Check out the YouTube video I linked to above.

But most of all it's the group of friends I have there. It seems to me that although there are so many people moving to Portland, those that were born there leave in droves as adults. Sure I still have some good old friends around but they're all a bit scattered among different groups of people and so busy with their own lives we don't see each other as much as we should. I love my new friends as well but the comfort one gains after knowing someone for one or two plus decades is difficult to match.

The truth is I only have a couple of those long time friends in San Diego, but they've been there so long that they now have old friends that are like family, and now they're getting so old ;) that they have actual families and the whole bunch really makes me feel like family. Phew, that was quite the convoluted sentence. On my final night in town dinner plans my pal Chloe was arranging for her family organically turned into a dinner party of about eight people. We had a great time just talking, laughing, drinking wine, and eating good food. It was run of the mill for them and maybe even taken for granted, which I think is a positive thing in this case. It was a really nice feeling and something I don't really get often back home anymore.

Someday I could really see myself committing to a move but for now I'll simply treasure the people and moments the city blesses me with.

Adrian getting his head humped at Point Break Live

Point Break Live

 

Family Dinner. Sorry guys, I wanted it candid.

Portland to Panama - US West Coast

A road trip from Portland, Oregon to Panama with a dog, crossing multiple international borders is probably the kind of thing one would want to extensively plan for. Fact is though I've never been much of a planner. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants making decisions as I go. So far so good. My life works pretty well. I like to think this can be attributed to having a "feel" for things, an intuition if you will that helps me know which path will deliver the optimal outcome. In reality there's probably a lot of luck involved. But that's neither here nor there. I'm not going to go messing with a winning formula. I will drive to Panama and figure it out along the way.

It's not like I didn't do any planning or preparation. I booked a home for two weeks in Todos Santos, Mexico. I looked at a map of Central America at least seven times. I saved some money. And that's about it up until two weeks before my target date to leave. So after I returned from Cabo San Lucas where I was competing in an Ironman I got cracking on the minimum necessary to get on the road. I prepared my home to host Airbnb guests to reduce the financial burden during my two months away, got Charlie the German Shepherd caught up on his vaccinations, tied up a bunch of work loose ends, and went to REI. I FUCKING LOVE REI. I'm not even much of an outdoorsy guy. I don't camp, hike, or backpack much, but all those genius tools to make those activities work more smoothly and comfortably fascinate the shit out of me. I now own bear mace.

I knew I wanted to fly back home from Panama which meant that I needed a temporary car so I figured I would buy something in Portland then sell it when I reach Panama. It had to be big enough for my dog, gear, and possible car camping, and it couldn't be too nice because I didn't want to draw attention. It also needed to be inexpensive so if I had to sell it for less than I bought it for it wouldn't be too big of a deal. Finding an inexpensive vehicle  that is also likely to actually make it to Panama safely proved to be difficult. I looked at four or five cars and by November 8th I still hadn't found anything. I was scheduled to leave on the 10th. I finally looked at an '04 Chevy Trailblazer on the 8th that was in great shape and was reasonably priced. Sold. Brought cash the next day and I was ready to roll.

And we're off. The effect of a lack of planning made an early appearance in the journey. A quick look at Google maps told me that Ashland, Oregon was about six hours from home, and that Redwood National Forest is in northern California near the coast. I figured six hours was good for the first day of driving due to my late start so I would stop in Ashland to sleep, cross the border into California in the morning, and hop right over to the redwoods. I found a lovely Best Western (You had me at "free breakfast with a waffle station") and slept soundly, happy to be on my way for the adventure of a lifetime.

In the morning after three waffles and two cups of shitty coffee I checked Google Maps for the travel time and route to the redwoods. North on I-5 for 45 miles? Huh? I need to go south. The redwoods are in California. Nope. Apparently there's no road to the coast until you get well south of the forest in California. The only way to get there from southern Oregon in a reasonable time is to get on Hwy. 199 in Grants Pass, Oregon heading west. This highway crosses into California before linking up with Hwy. 101 going through the forest. After some cussing and hemming and hawing about how much I hate the idea of backtracking I decided that the opportunity to see some of the largest trees on the planet was worth the effort. You can see my roundabout route on the map in this post.

The backtrack was worth the time. The redwood forest was beautiful. Being from Oregon I've grown up around trees and thick beautiful forests. Redwood National Forest looks a lot like the forests back home, but on steroids. They're simply massive. There's no other way to put it. Not just thick in the trunk but incredibly tall as well. I found myself thinking about the amazement pioneers felt when first encountering them.

After driving around with my head on a swivel for a while I eventually I pulled off the to the side of the road at a trailhead. I brought running shoes on the trip so I did what any self respecting runner would do and went for a trail run. This adventure of mine is all about experiences and running through the redwoods is something to remember.

After I'd seen enough big trees I was back on the road. I drove for a few hours and ended up at a Holiday Inn just outside of Santa Cruz. It looks like I'll be coming quite familiar with three star hotels with free breakfasts and waffle machines. Winning!

I stopped in Santa Cruz for the afternoon and had lunch with an old friend before driving to Hermosa where another friend offered me a place to stay for a couple nights. On the 14th I made it to San Diego where I have a good group of old friends. I'm here now and will stay around for another couple nights before crossing the border into Mexico.

I'll try to check in here with updates regularly so stay tuned.

Below is a picture of a sign letting me know I was about to enter an area with some big ass trees, a picture of me with a big ass tree (Pictured is the tree known as the "Boy Scout Tree"), and a couple pictures with San Diego friends.

The map below is taken from Google's location services. Looks like it went a little haywire in northern California, probably where my phone lost signal.

Vanuatu Kava Journey: Part One

I finally got around to putting down some of the happenings during my recent journey to Vanuatu. Here is part one of that story:

“What kind of kava bar owner has never been to the motherland of kava use and cultivation?” I asked myself in January of 2012. This simple question set in motion the planning for a late spring trip to Vanuatu, which was recently voted as “The Happiest Country on Earth” by one of the periodicals that attempts to quantify those things. Was this “business trip” partially an excuse for me to spend some days in a less developed tropical nation, an environment which over the years has proven to be where I feel most at peace? Does a bear do his business in the woods?

Of course just as importantly, a trip to Vanuatu would give me a chance to see firsthand the supply chain of most of the kava we serve and sell at Bula Kava House. From the farmers that plant it to the exporter, I was excited to develop a personal connection with those involved with kava cultivation and sale. The plan also involved making new kava connections, and of course chugging copious amounts of the famous Vanuatu fresh root kava.

Before the journey began I contacted my Vanuatu kava supplier to let him know I was coming. I told him that I'd like to spend time with the kava farmers and if possible stay in their villages. I also gave him the names of other people involved with kava production in Vanuatu that I was hoping to talk to, and asked him to set up meetings. Of course no self respecting scuba instructor like myself goes to the South Pacific without logging some bottom time, so I also told him that I hoped to get to Espritu Santo Island, to dive the world famous President Coolidge shipwreck.

Within 24 hours my supplier had gotten back to me informing me that he had purchased all plane and boat tickets for my wife and me. I stopped him when he attempted to book all accommodation in country as I'm somewhat picky about where I stay. He was so excited that I would be coming that he offered to be our personal guide for most of the trip. That is the type of service and kindness we would come to expect from the people of Vanuatu.

So in May, after a flight cancellation due to weather caused an unexpected overnight layover in San Francisco, and over 20 hours in the air my wife and I arrived in the capital city of Port Vila, Vanuatu. We were picked up by my supplier at the airport and taken to our hotel where we would stay  for a single night before traveling to Pentecost Island to spend three days in a traditional village where some of the kava that we import is grown. The villagers would also be performing a Nangol which is a tradition in which boys and young men hurl themselves from a wooden trellis from up to 60 feet high with vines tied around their ankles, which apparently helps ensure a healthy yam crop. The Nangol is very literally the original bungee jump, and I was super excited to see it in person.

Very early in the morning my wife, supplier, his son, and I headed to the airport for the flight to Pentecost Island. After landing we were told there would be a “speed boat” ride of one and a half to two hours to Santari Village on the other side of the island. Three hours later as the small fiberglass outboard boat was tossed around the mighty pacific ocean in 15 foot swells with my wife puking and crying I found myself scanning the coastline looking for the right direction to swim when we capsized. Unfortunately the options were nil, for every direction I looked giant waves slammed into the rocky coastline. If the boat failed us we would be in serious trouble.

Every time we asked  the boat captain how much further we were from the village we were told it was around the next corner. You see, in Vanuatu time and distance truly is relative. “Around the corner” can really mean something like, “on this island” and “one or two hours” really just means “more than five or ten minutes, less than all day.”

Over four literal hours after we stepped onto the boat near the Pentecost Airport, we stepped onto the shores of Santari Village and were greeted with the smiling, inquisitive faces of its residents. The chief would later say at a welcome ceremony that pulling up we reminded him of the missionaries that used to come. He explained that no other white people were ever willing to make the long journey. Surprise, surprise.

The setting was amazing in Santari. A sprawling grass field with a few grazing cows and chickens began after the shoreline and ended at small stream that ran the length of the village, parallel to the coast. Beyond the stream were most of the 30 or so simple village residences which were built in between palm trees on a large grassy hill.

After being poked and prodded by the children of the village who had most likely only heard of the existence of white people, we were taken to Ben's house where we would be resting our heads during our stay. Ben worked as a kava buyer; his job was to collect and buy kava from the farmers of Santari Village and other villages around the island to bring to my exporter. The ridiculously scary and dangerous journey we had just taken, Ben did on a weekly basis. Knowing this it no longer seemed appropriate for me to ask for a lower price at which to purchase my kava, which is something I had planned on doing before the trip.

Because of his work, Ben was considered rich compared to other local villagers. This meant that his house was built of concrete instead of the local timbers and palm fronds. The room that Ben and his wife prepared for my wife and me was very nice, most likely nicer than their own. The walls were decorated with flowers and colorful tapestries and there were relatively soft pads on the floor with clean sheets for sleeping.

Santari Village has no plumbing so bathroom breaks were done either in nature or in what is called in the local Bislama language, the “small house”. The two or three small houses in Santari are simply built, wooden, four walled structures erected around a deep hole in the ground covered by two by fours in all but a slit in the middle. A steady aim is the key.

Showers are taken and clothes are washed in the crystal clear stream on the outskirts of the village. There are spots deep enough to swim and bath time is also an opportunity to play for the children. Some men bring down mini rubber band loaded spear guns to hunt for fresh water shrimp to be snacked on later. Bathing in this beautiful stream more than once made me envious of this simpler way of life.

Also of note, and something my wife and I talk about to this day, is the food served in the village. There were two or three types of taro that all tasted a lot like, well, taro. These were prepared in various ways such as grilling, steaming, or pounding into a paste to be mixed with coconut milk and baked in the ground wrapped in leaves, which is a dish called laplap. Into the second day my wife and I started to joke that there was a special taro for every meal and snack. Yams were served regularly too, but these were not the bright orange yams we were used to. These also seemed to taste a lot like taro. Along with the taro and yams we would often be served boiled chicken and sometimes bread. The south pacific staple of canned corned beef was on the menu for breakfast one day and oranges and bananas were readily available.

Pigs, the possession of pigs, and the killing and eating of pigs is a big deal in Vanuatu. I was absolutely mortified when I was asked to bludgeon the pig that would be eaten for a ceremony one night in the village. You see, I love to eat meat but I'd prefer not do the dirty work. Killing a pig is an honor given to a male visitor, but I just couldn't do it. Luckily, my kava exporter who was also a revered guest bailed me out and did the honors.

The night of the pig feast and every other night involved lots of kava drinking at the village nakamal. A nakamal is a meeting place where villagers come on a nightly basis to drink kava and talk about anything and everything. The kava was made in the traditional way using root that had been pulled from the ground that same day. Young villagers would use a long piece of coral to grind the root into a paste which would then be mixed with water and strained. Being the guest, kava shells were constantly passed my way.

This kava was serious. I often tell first timers at my kava bar in Portland to expect a less intense intoxication than what alcohol provides. After a couple shells at the nakamal though, it became apparent that the difference between high quality dry root kava and high quality Vanuatu kava straight from the ground is like night and day. There isn't an alcohol out there that you could take a shot of that would compare in potency to a single shell of this stuff. After about five shells, when I could barely stand, and my mouth simply couldn't form the very clear thoughts in my head, I had to start turning them down.

On our last full day in the village we were treated to the spectacle that is the Nangol. This ceremony is as exciting as it is terrifying. Men dance and chant wearing nothing but nambas, which are sheaths made of leaves and wrapped around their penises. Women sing and dance bare breasted just behind the large trellis built on the hill overlooking the village and ocean. And the boys and young men psyche themselves up to jump from the various platforms built progressively higher on the structure. The more experienced and older jump from the higher platforms.

Before jumping the daring youngsters dance and sing on the platform, some definitely hamming it up for the crowd, others clearly nervous. After a few minutes of this the jumper goes for it. When the vines around his ankles lose slack near the ground the platform that the vines are attached to at the other end cracks and gives just enough to slow the fall and the jumper lands softly on the loosened dirt below.  Don't worry mom, I did not attempt a leap myself.

After the Nangol we were led to the village kava farm. I was showed about 500 plants, mostly of Borogu and Melo Melo kava strains. At one point one of the farmers pulled out a machete and a shovel and began uprooting a four year old kava plant. He showed me the root explaining that we would be drinking it that night. He also took a stem cutting which he replanted and told me that I would have to return in four years and we would drink kava from that plant. What an experience! 'You've got a deal' I thought.

The following morning after it was decided that we could not trek through the jungle to reach the airport, we drugged and blindfolded my wife (no, not really) for the boat ride back. We were sad to leave all the lovely people of Santari Village, but excited to meet others in the Vanuatu kava industry, see more of the country, and drink kava at the many kava bars in the larger towns. See you in four years, Santari.

Part two coming soon.

BKH News Round Up

Wow! It has been way too long between blog entries. My web people would be very disappointed. It's a double edged sword that with so much really amazing stuff happening with Bula Kava House there are so many things deserving of blog posts, but much less time to do them. I'll go ahead now and do my best to cover some of the news worthy events over the last couple months.

A couple months ago our beloved manager, Lucie Hogan left us for a position helping developmentally challenged people live their lives to the fullest. Social work has been an interest of Lucie's for a long time. We were very sad to see her go, but happy for her and we know that the folks she's working with are gaining an awesome person in their lives. Luckily for the success of Bula Kava House, Jamie, who has been with us since early on, quickly offered to take on day to day management of the kava bar. Jamie has experience in management, knows kava, and has always been super helpful and fabulous with our kava swilling guests. The transition has been almost seamless.

With the loss of Lucie, there were a few more hours to be filled and Mariama was an easy choice to fill them. Mariama had been a happy customer at Bula Kava House since soon after we opened. Already being a kava lover and being super friendly and smart made her a natural fit. Mariama has fit in beautifully and we're happy to have her as part of the family.

Regular kava bar visitors may have noticed that after some lean months of exposing Portland to kava, we've gotten quite a bit busier. We expect to be even busier in the coming summer months which will likely require us to hire another employee to ensure everybody gets their shells in a timely fashion. Keep an eye out for a new face and say "hi."

The week beginning March 18th kicked off our one year anniversary celebration. We had a nice private party for some of our regulars that we were able to round up. They were treated to food by Noho's Hawaiian Cafe, a kava ceremony with fresh root Hawaiian Isa kava, and Bula Kava House t-shirts. We had a blast. Don't feel bad if you're a regular and didn't get an invite. We probably just didn't see you in the days leading up to the party when we collected contact information. We'll try again next year. Besides, you probably got to try the special kava as we made it twice over the next few days.

Monday, the 19th was "Melo Monday" where we had a special price on Melo Melo. Tuesday was "$2 Tuesday" with $2 off sandwiches. Wednesday was "Waka Wednesday" so we prepared a special Fijian kava known as Waka. Thursday the 22nd was the big anniversary party in which we sold punch cards for $5 that were good for five shells of kava. Two of our favorite performers did their thing, Dino Gipaya with his classic island sound, and The Secret Whistle with their chill electronic beats. If you were there you know that both are perfect sounds for a kava bar. We finished off the week with "Fu'u Friday" when we had discounted Fu'u kava.

For the entire week we donated a portion of our sales to "Waves for Water" which is an organization that provides sources of fresh drinking water to communities that don't have it. They're known for avoiding red tape and governmental restrictions to bring in help "under the radar" for a quicker response. We were happy to send them $280 after our five days of celebration.

A big thank you to all the customers over the last year who have helped us stay in business by spending time with us and bringing in friends. We consider many of you our own friends and part of a special Bula Kava House community. With all you do for us there will surely be many more anniversaries to come.

To the folks that buy kava online out there, we appreciate your business just as much. You too have been instrumental in our success with repeat business, referrals, and excellent online reviews. We started selling kava online knowing that we have some of the best kava out there, and that many online vendors simply charge a little too much. We figured if we took care of you with fair prices and fast shipping, you would take care of us, and we were right. Check back on the site regularly because we're always looking for new kava products we think you'll like.

Owning a kava bar is like owning many other businesses in that we sometimes need to take business trips. It's just that my trips take me to tropical paradises to spend time studying an intoxicating root beverage and learning a little bit about an exotic culture (I know you feel bad for me, but it comes with the territory). I, Judd Rench, am happy to say that I am scheduled to be in the islands of Vanuatu from May 17th until the 27th, but after looking at all the possibilities of things to do and see I am already considering extending for a few more days. I will be spending the first couple days in the capital city of Port Vila where I will meet our main supplier and see his facilities. Also while there I look forward to enjoying the local nakamal (kava bar) circuit. I will leave Port Vila to go to a neighboring island to view kava plantations, meet farmers, and drink kava in some of the villages. Much to the chagrin of many friends and loved ones, I fully hope and plan to drink kava made from chewed kava root. For now, the trip is planned to end with a couple relaxing days on Espiritu Santo where there is meant to be some of the best scuba diving in the area. A dive fanatic like me doesn't go to a south pacific nation without submerging a few times. If I am able to extend the trip I will likely spend a few days on Tanna which is home to the world's most accessible volcano and possibly the world's strongest kava. I'll be happy to judge for myself. Blogs and pictures will definitely be coming.

Well I suppose that's all for now. Thanks for your time. I'll try to keep posts more frequent in the future to avoid throwing so much info into one entry.

Happy chugging.

Exciting Happenings

I Posted this on the Bula Kava House website recently, figured I'd throw it up here since I haven't posted in a while. Remember that if anything here appeals to your kava loving soul and you're not able to make it in to the kava bar you can buy kava products at our online store.


It is an exciting time at Bula Kava House. I don’t think there has ever been a more necessary blog entry. We have new menu items, new retail products, and an awesome new to go option. This of course is all in addition to the much stronger kava mentioned in the last entry which has been getting rave reviews.

Right around Thanksgiving we added kava jars for folks wanting to drink kava outside of the bar but don’t feel like making it themselves. Think of them as kava growlers. These half gallon jars are a one time $5 cost for the jar itself and the first fill is either $24.50 or $27.50 depending on your kava choice. Every time you refill the jar the cost goes down to either $22.50 or $25.50. That’s quite the savings compared to the cost of that amount of kava bought at our regular prices ($28 or $30). A big hand to Lucie for this fantastic idea and for getting it done.

We also last week got our first shipment of concentrated instant “green” kava powder. We’ve been waiting for the right supplier to come along to provide some of this stuff and it looks like we finally found him. Green kava is super potent kava made using the juice of fresh kava root. It is made concentrated and instant by dehydrating that juice into a powder. This is in no way replacing the excellent kava choices we already have, just enhancing them. Now you can order your shell of kava and for $2 we’ll add a serving of Vanuatu Instant Green Kava to super charge it. This makes for an extremely strong shell. You can also buy Vanuatu Instant Green Kava in the kava bar or online in 50 or 100 gram tins.

We are also adding Vanuatu Instant Green Kava to our Kava Juice Blends. This allows us to make these drinks super potent without adding a ton of kava liquid volume. The apple ginger blend is on point!
Finally, for the holiday season Ohana has replaced the mac nut pie they normally make for us with a pumpkin haupia pie. The shortbread crust topped with haupia coconut custard and whipped cream is just right for this time of year.

If you haven’t been in for a while, now is a great time to come say hi, and try some of the new offerings. We’d love to see you. If you’ve been in recently you’ve already tried this stuff and know how good it is, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again soon.