December 27th & 28th - Phuket is calm and peaceful. There are groups of people on the beach talking quietly, people walking around taking pictures, people laying out on the beach and swimming, people in the bars drinking beer, playing pool listening to music. The roads are relatively traffic free, in fact I'd say less traffic than usual. Resorts up off the beach are running as usual, buffet dinners, lounging out at the pool. We drive around the whole south west coast looking at the damage and seeing how we can help. It's deserted, calm and quiet everywhere. We visit various travel agencies tryign to getting Konrad's flight re-routed, plan to drive to Koh Samui and put him on a direct flight from there back to Bangkok. 

Dec 29th - I'm at Cord's house watching CNN for the first time since, the hotel rooms I was at the the past 2 nights only had Thai stations. I have of course picked up news bits from others all the time, but for the first time am seeing the reports. I get my first night of real sleep.

The first day was surreal, just couldn't comprehend the magnitude of devistation, continual state of fear and anger that the news stations didn't report warnings in the 1 hour it took for the wave to reach Phuket. Day 2 was trying to provide help and volunteering but found no urgent needs, contacted all friends, what can we do? How can we help? We drove around the entire West Coast beach areas in the South... nothing. Just tons of debris and people casually going about their lives, sweeping up their little sidewalk area and the like. Aside the few people at hospitals being treated, it seems one either parished or survived like the roll of dice in the first few minutes. Nearing the end of day 2, I filled with tremendous guilt for having survived, for having my house and all my possessions intact. I also felt frustration for not being able to help out or do much, but I keep coming to grips that the only thing that really matters is saving lifes, and the outcome of that was pretty much decided on within the first couple of hours. I'll have the rest of the year to do my part in cleaning and rebuilding. Day 4 having had my first real night of sleep, I feel back to normal. I don't have any more extreme feelings, panic, fear, anger, guilt, sorrow, remorse... I understand all these feelings more than before, but they are not weighting on me. However, just as writing this... it occures to me a nightmare I had last night, I awoke standing on the bed, clawing at the wall trying to get up it. I dreamt the room was filling with water and was urgently trying to get out, my eyes were wide open but it was so dark I could only make out 4 walls. It was about a 15 second ordeal, transitioning from nightmare into a lucid state of being awake into accepting it was just a dream, I didn't remember this until just now.

Konrad on Kata - I can't bear to look at the walls without thinking of how many people were held up against them under water.

The most beautiful beach in Phuket - I took Long Kong to Nai Harn beach almost every day. If not Nai Harn, then Ya Nui. We did the beach easily 5 times a week. In the past few week, I was trying to fix a "problem" with Long Kong... I'd get to Nai Harn around 3pm, get a chair, a beer then a tear, when I'd take a run down the beach and back to burn off the beer calories... Long Kong was most excited with the run, and without failure, halfway down the beach, she'd stop to pinch off a big steamer. I'd then have to run up to the garbage can, get the plastic baggie, run back down, scoop it, back up, etc... To think... before the Tsunmi's hit, trying to break her from her mid beach growler was one of my biggest concerns. 

Dismayed Officer - While walking around photographing, this police officer walked over to me. He had this look of complete dismay. I thought he was angry at me and going to make me leave, as I'm used to this type of stuff in America. He just stands by me and shakes his head, We say some words and I give him a soft pat on the back, he gives me a hug. My sorrow is trumped by the most tangible of reminders of the beauty of Thai people and culture.

Konrad at Naiharn - The position I was standing at taking this photo was the top of the parking lot at Nai Harn Beach.  The water came well up and over this point, well over a 30 foot vertical height from the water. Those who were pushed over this line were pushed down the hill inland.. others were sucked back down into the sea.

Note the Log Up the Road - If you blow this picture up, you'll see a tree log of about 5 feet in diameter resting on the road showing the high water mark. Just like wind passing in between mountains or buildings, when it passes in between 2 structures on either side, it gets funneled into the center with increasing speed and pressure, this condition, I think called a "ventura" also exists with water... This little beach of Ya Nui didn't have a chance, it faced head on in the direction of the wave with steep mountain slopes on either side funneling it down into an area of about 60 meters in width. Laem Sing Beach, in between Kamala and Surin in the north is another small beach, bowl shaped exactly like this. My guess is that while the greatest number of Phuket casualties come from Patong, just because of sheer population, Ya Nui and Laem Sing will have had the highest mortality rate per number of people there. 

Restaurant and House Gone - This is just too unbearable to comment on. All of the Ya Nui beach photos are. I used to go snorkeling with Long Kong here. Now all the coral is washed up on shore, huge tonnage of coral. 2 houses, a restaurant and about 20 bungalows were all wiped clean. They were searching for the missing still. I know the thai family of the restaurant very well, and many vendors at Nai Harn beach who I've developed a close aquaintance with, practicing my new Thai phrases. Khun Boo with his Canadian girlfriend, Khun Nom the Muay Thai kickboxer who jogged the beach with the ease of playing a video game, loved by everyone, I used to joke that he was the Mayor of Nai Harn Beach, so many others, It'll be a while before I know of their whereabouts.

Ripped Up Coral - The signifiance of all these shots with chunks of coral is in that it used to be a beautiful light fluffy sandy beach with the beautiful coral reefs and fish in the water.

If I hear from survivors and have any other updates, stories or information to post over the next few weeks, I'll do so. Thailand and Thai people are amongst the most resilient in the world, their positive outlook on life and sense of humanity continues to inspire me, it's mostly the reason I enjoy it here so much. These waves won't come close to breaking the spirit of Phuket or the people, it will give us more purpose and meaning in being so forunate to call the island our home. And our hearts will forever go out to the families of those who lost loved ones. 

More information at: http://www.phuketgazette.net/.
 

Konrad, LK and I are now with Cord and Brian at
Seascape Beach Resort in  Koh Samui.