Most of you all know I made it back from Thailand a few weeks ago, but I've received a few phone calls and emails of concern. I left Thailand on Dec. 13 for Tokyo. Thanks for asking...
However, among the places you're seeing on TV (Phuket, Patong, Phi Phi Island, Kata Beach, Kao Lok), Terri and I were at ALL of them. We spent 2 1/2 weeks on the southern Thai Beaches, and for me it's quite eerie to watch and hear the stories emerge from the disaster. I can actually recognize some of the places you keep seeing in the video footage that they show over and over...
Initially, when I heard a tsunami came in, like many, I didn't realize it was a big deal. Just a couple of waves, right? Apparently not. From what I'm seeing, the waves came in for 90 minutes, and the "lucky" people clung on to whatever they could for many hours keeping above water.
Although Sri Lanka and Indonesia appears to have suffered much more loss than Thailand, it's those areas I just visited 2 weeks ago that makes me think. Not only were we there, but an article I read on CNN.com stated the specific resort we stayed at on Phi Phi Island (PP Charlie Resort) was completely washed away. For five nights in the islands, we stayed in small bungalows near the water. USAToday.com actually had a picture of the resort right next to ours on Phi Phi, and all the bungalows were piled up in the ocean like they were made of toothpicks. Quite a hair-raising feeling. It kind of makes me wonder about the people who served us breakfast on the beach, begged to tote our luggage around like we were rich, or whisked us off in longtail boats for snorkeling or cliff-jumping. I can remember some of them by name, and I'm certain they would have been working their jobs at 8 AM when it hit.
Obviously, both local Thai's and tourists are suffering in ways we can't imagine in our country. Yes, 9-11 was an unforgettable tragedy for us here. But what's scary is that in raw numbers of total deaths, this tsunami (50,000 and climbing) has already surpassed 10 times more disastrous than both 9-11 and Pearl Harbor combined. In addition, there are so many people there that depend on tourism as a means of life. Seemingly, everyone in the southern islands depend on tourists for income, Thailand's #1 Product. Not only will they be affected directly and immediately, but Southeast Asia as a whole will feel the impact for years.
If you read my travel journals, you might remember how I complained how the locals constantly are trying to sell you something you don't want, take you in their scary taxi, or feed you some crazy fish on-a-stick. These are the people that live on shacks near the water, their children play on the beach all day while they work, and they certainly are far below the poverty level by our standards. Despite this, like many underdeveloped nations, the Thais collectively maintained a happiness and wealth amongst material "poorness" that was refreshing to see.
I'm anxious to share all of my photos on webshots.com. Starting next Monday, I'll be working at a rehab in FL until February. Once my computer is up and running in about 6 weeks, I'll be able to get them all online so you can view at once. I've seen them all at the photo store, and I think you'll find them interesting. If you have a few spare bucks, please head over to: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp If you feel compelled, you can make a tax-deductable donation for direct international disaster assistance. I think it's a pretty good idea.
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