Homelessness, deformities and sewage!

9th December 2010

Life is tough here for many people. Homelessness is hidden unless you look closely. The biggest dangers for someone without a roof is getting wet through and catching a chill or being beaten up.

Jacko is a bit wacko - a skinny man with a deformed back, he either limps around or rides his donkey everywhere. The donkey currently has a 25 day old baby which when allowed follows her mother or is the bate to get mum home fast, depending on Jacko’s intentions for the day. On Sunday he came to the beach for a swim and to see if he could beg some food and beer from the bar-b-quers so left baby at home. He stripped down to his underpants which were - to say the least - sparse. Kate was talking to him totally unaware of his attire until he turned round to walk away. Her mouth dropped and then she started to laugh. His pants had no back to them.

There were plenty of Sunday beach goers. Families, crew, locals enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Earlier I had seen Kerbooci around - a very tall, gangly man- walking the beach with a handful of bags with white powder. Andy told me that this same guy had offered him a random “sniff” in the toilet of a bar a couple of nights earlier. He had seen others accept but made a big point of saying “no way. I don‘t take that stuff .” Suddenly and out of the blue it seemed Kerbooci came at Jacko with a big stick - pushing him to the ground, grinding his face into the sand then standing over him shouting with the stick poised over his head.

Kate, Jed and the rest of our party very pointedly turned away. They warned me I should stay out of the way too but I found myself pulled towards Jacko. I was very scared for Jacko but felt totally powerless to intervene as that stick looked very dangerous. After much shouting (for gods sake Jacko just be quiet, do you want to get hit?) it turned out it was all posturing but Kerbooci was definitely spoiling for a fight. Kate told me that he wanted us to intervene so he had an excuse to hit a white man. Apparently he has been in and out of prison most of his life for GBH and drugs. He is the scariest man I have ever come across (and I have been known to stop fights by wading into the middle and yelling) and I can assure you that I will always give him a very wide berth.

After Kerbooci had left I went to Jacko with a bottle of juice and from that moment I was his saviour. The guy needs looking after - bare footed, about four rotten teeth left, practically no clothes, almost a skeleton. No one is able to tell me why his body is so deformed - he looks like he has been in an accident or perhaps he has the bends. The guys here fish for Conch by free diving and, if they are anything like the sponge divers in Greece, a good dive is when you come up with bleeding ears. Fay has seen Kerbooci come up after a free dive with five large conch shells in each hand. He must be able to stay down a very long time to be able to carry out that feat. Perhaps the lack of oxygen combined with drugs is the reason for his horribly erratic behaviour.

There are other deformities I see - young men with bowed legs and after a bit of research I wonder if it is caused by a form of rickets, apparently there is a gene that prevents Vitamin D being metabolised correctly which causes bowing of the legs. If caught early enough they can be given Vitamin D in a form that can be used correctly by the body and the bowing corrects itself.

The island is filling up with tourists. December to April is when the tourists and boats visit here. It is amazing how the place has changed in the short time we have been here. Apart from the noise levels, number of people and increased traffic the other noticeable difference is the smell. Unfortunately many of the hotels and bars do not have adequate sewage processing power. Most have either a small septic tank or simply a pipe straight to the sea or the nearest ditch. Planning permission is supposedly contingent on proper sewage treatment but it seems that no one ensures it happens. Sewage treatment is expensive and everyone seems to be prepared to turn a blind eye (and a bunged up nose I assume) so the businesses (many run by a white person who should know better) continue to discharge.

As well as raw toilet sewage spilling from the land, grey water is not considered sewage and so both boats and all buildings (including ours) discharge this straight from the source. Unfortunately this water is generally full of chemicals which, if not removed and because of their high oxygen demand, cause anaerobic bacteria activity which in turn causes smelly, slim and stagnant water. Well the rest is left to your imagination.

I attended the Yacht Club AGM and it turns out that parents are withdrawing their children from sailing lessons because of their fears about sewage in the sailing waters. The yacht club has decided to do something about it and guess who volunteered to be on the action group!!

Things happen very slowly on this island. In a way it is not surprising given the heat and humidity. It is difficult to work when the heat is turned to high. Andy is being amazing - out early, touting for business or actually working on a boat and then out again in the evening to have a drink and a chat with crew he has previously made contact with. Me however, I do very little by comparison. Observe, write, study a very little bit, shop at the food markets, cook, read, swim and sail twice a week. I have started a tiny vegetable garden - lettuce and courgettes to start with. This weekend I am helping amazing Elizabeth to raise funds for her sailing academy for the local kids. She is the 67 year old commodore of AYC who looks, behaves and moves like a lady half her age. She is rehearsing for a show at the moment where she dances the can-can (and she does it very well).

So another Bea view of Antiguan life!