CNN
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A tour of the Pacific region took an incredible turn Australian politician after he dropped a mug of a traditional drink in a blow.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack is visiting the island nation Pohnpei in the Federation Federated States of Micronesia to celebrate the 35th anniversary of bilateral relations while touring the Pacific on a delegation, when he was offered sakau – a type of Micronesian kava – as a ceremonial drink.
Kava is a traditional non-alcoholic drink made from the kava kava plant, which promotes relaxation.
“To show my respect for the local tradition, I drank the entire bowl of sakau,” McCormack tweeted Thursday.
In some parts of the Pacific Ocean, a bowl of kava is usually drunk once. But McCormack soon realized that Pohnpei’s powerful, signature kava was an entirely different monster.
in one video During the ceremony shared by local media, the lawmaker was seen sitting down with his head in his hands and being fanned, after appearing to vomit into a black garbage bag.
He was later treated at the hospital for dehydration, according to CNN affiliate 7News.
McCormack said to guardian that he “crossed his eyes” after taking it and slept for 14 hours after arriving at the hospital.
“I have never slept like that in all my congressional career. I don’t think I’ve slept like that since I was a teenager,” he told the outlet on Friday.
McCormack added in his tweet that he is feeling much better now and sees the trip as “a great opportunity to connect with our Pacific family”.
CNN has reached out to McCormack for further comment.
According to Pohnpeian legend, sakau bestowed by the gods and historically consumed only by the elite and men. Now, it’s more widely available, but it’s still made by pounding the root on a special rock and mixing it with water and hibiscus resin, before being placed in a coconut shell.
