In which we follow Bob’s lead and get out of town after a chemical spill gives us a headache. December 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2012
PERMANENT NERVE DAMAGE – NO THANKS
Wednesday night, December 5th, we got into bed and smelled a new smell. “Are there skunks around here?” I asked and Bob said it smelled like agro-chemicals. The next morning we woke with headaches. Jeremy also had a headache and said it smelled like “broccoli farts.”
Bob had errands to run and Camille, a horse shopping rendezvous with Elodie. When Eric picked us up at 8am he was wearing a surgical mask. He’d brought some for us, too and tied one onto Camille’s head before we got into the cab. Camille spent most of the day in Obuasi, about 30 miles south of Kumasi and her headache disappeared until her return to Kumasi while Bob’s did not.
By dinner time the three of us were wearing the masks constantly and still suffering with headaches. Bob kept his eye on the news and soon learned that the spilled chemical, Dimethoate was capable of causing permanent nerve damage. That was all it took to put us into self-imposed evacuation mode. Bob booked us a couple of rooms at Cocoa Village and called on Eric to drive us to Lake Bosumtwi.
BREATHABLE AIR
The next morning we woke to a beautiful sunrise over the lake and found ourselves without headaches. On the internets, we found that the American Embassy was suggesting evacuation.”Sigh”, we thought, sipping our coffee and cocoa, “we’re already here…”
IDYLLIC SETTING FOR AN EVACUATION
A taboo against metal in the lake is behind the innovative use of planks for travel, transport and fishing.
WRITER’S HAVEN
All three project employees, Bob, Jeremy and Justin had a writing assignment requiring a quiet place with lots of time to think.
CHILLAXIN’
Cocoa Village was a chill spot. No meetings, errands, cooking, cleaning, laundry, animal husbandry or gardening required.
COCONUT COWBOY
It was the thirsty part of the day, noon thirty or so, and we noticed the approach of a guy in a Holstein hat paddling a plank with a basket of green coconuts. Just the thing to quench our thirst! He deftly cut them open so we could drink the milk and after a laugh or two, paddled on to the next hot spot.
A PERFECT SNACK
Justin and Cookie broke open their coconuts and ate the tasty, custard innards. Justin also rubbed the pulp on his hands to soften his skin.
WE SAVED ONE FOR JEREMY
To eat later, perhaps sitting on the cell phone bench or maybe wear on his head.
JUSTIN GAVE IT A TRY
Even though it was beginning to rain, Justin couldn’t resist an invitation to get out on the lake and try his hand at a little fishing.
PALM WINE
Bob noticed a man working close by the lodge and found out from Richard that he was making palm wine. Richard was kind enough to purchase some for us and we found it to be refreshingly good. Meanwhile, a flurry of gnats descended like a snowstorm. Justin, sipping the sweet wine in a cloud of gnats looked as if he were in a snowstorm. Meanwhile friends and family in the States were getting snowed on for real.
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