I didn’t even know what a betel nut was before all of this started. By about the middle of our trip, I knew something was up about betel nuts—whatever they were. I kept hearing Jim Allen, another student in our group, talking with Nick about finding them. I eventually found out all about them, and I got to participate in an experimentation with them—which was not only hilarious, but a bonding experience as well. Basically, a betel nut is a nut that grows in Southeast Asia. The nut, when prepared properly—considered to only be done so by a woman—is said to have mild stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. I can’t recall how it’s made, but it involves the leaves of the areca tree and a little of the white mineral lime also. After it’s made, the chewer
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