Creosote is Flammable

So we figured out what the constant smell of burning things is…. It’s creosote. They are burning huge, vast quantities of creosote. Massive, black clouds rising up towards the heavens of noxious, hazardous creosote. Large oil drums burning…not with oil, but with a chemical now deemed to be toxic waste by Environment Canada. Why? …. Well, that’s anyone’s guess. Tragically, I think that because it is winter here, they are trying to stay warm ( even though it’s 23degrees here).

According to Wikipedia :
“Brief direct contact with large amounts of coal tar creosote may result in a rash or severe irritation of the skin, chemical burns of the surfaces of the eyes, convulsions and mental confusion, kidney or liver problems, unconsciousness, and even death. Longer direct skin contact with low levels of creosote mixtures or their vapors can result in increased light sensitivity, damage to the cornea, and skin damage. Longer exposure to creosote vapors can cause irritation of the respiratory tract.”
“Studies in animals have shown birth defects in the young of mothers exposed to high levels of creosote during pregnancy, but no similar studies have been performed on humans. Some animal studies indicate that creosotes may cross the placenta and reach the fetus. Because chemical components (PAHs, cresol, phenols) of coal tar creosote may be stored in body fat, they may be found in breast milk and could pass to nursing infants.”

So you will have to forgive us upon our return to Canada, should we be having persistent coughing fits, difficulty walking up stairs or spontaneous kidney failure. Or perhaps we will have some kind of unreported addiction to creosote fumes…

I think a chest x-ray may be in order upon our return.

We have been busy getting ready to wrap things up here. Our last visit to the New Hope Orphanage was a few days ago, and the place was inundated with foreigners all clambering to help. There were 45 visitors at the centre that day… more than the total number of orphans there (32).
However, I have found a group that is in more dire straights, and I think the money donated would be put to better use.
www.moya.co.sz
this is a group that does community work assisting orphaned children who are either in child-run homes or homes run by elderly relative ( read: soon to be child-run homes) with a more integrated approach, and – quite frankly – they seem to be in much greater need.

I will be transferring the funds from Canada – as it would involve passwords liked to my personal bank account and I do not trust the networks here ( Big Brother is always watching here)

Our eminent departure is tomorrow. Swaziland has been both wonderful and heart-breaking, eye-opening and terrifying… I can’t wait to get out of here, and I’m already thinking of our next trip back. Swaziland seems to induce this bipolar-nature in most foreigners that visit – the desire to leave and the drive to return. I have commented extensively on the medical system here and on the hospital itself, but perhaps I have not gone to great lengths to mention the people of Swaziland. They are caring, genuine, and wonderfully giving. They have made cakes for the 2 people in our group who had birthdays here. We have been invited over to their houses, and tonight we have been invited to a graduation celebration for the student nurses. And they have the most wonderful names : Fortunate, Precious, Joyful, Gladness, Lucky – original yet memorable. These are just some of the reasons why it is so heartbreaking to know that so many Swazis are HIV positive – such a wonderful culture filled with such good people, torn asunder and decimated by a plague.

We are off to take a few more deep breaths of creosote fumes before we leave – hopefully we can ingest enough to ward off any type of withdrawal symptoms for the next few days, and I’ve heard that ingested-creosote keeps ones hair nice and shiny!( I’ve heard it keeps EVERYTHING it comes in contact with nice and shiny… for decades !!)

Cheers
Us