This is from the friend in Phuket Harbor that rode out the tsunami. Not quite so dark a picture as the news...
"We are still fine and still anchored in about 50' of water off Nai Han (or
Harn depending on which sign, map, chart, etc you are reading).
The Thai locals have been amazing. The beach here is almost cleaned of
debris and looks as it did before the tidal wave except for the now missing
long and orderly row of umbrellas and plastic chaises with foam pads which
we had rented for $1.25 per day, each. (And, alas, the topless girls seem to
have gone.)
The restaurant where so many of us celebrated Christmas Eve has new framing
in place and the new roof is going on today. We'll dine there again in a few
days, I am sure. The debris from the former row of shops at the main beach
has mostly been removed and we expect those folks will be back in business
shortly.
We went into Ao Chalong, the closest town, yesterday and all seemed normal.
We bought many bags of fresh fruit and vegetables and had a good lunch at
Flintstones. That owner must be a real Barney & Wilma fan as he also owns
the Bedrock Restaurant at another beach.
We have received many comments that maybe now is the time for us to give up
this odyssey and return to the US. That notion is the furthest from our
minds. In time of crisis we are all trained to "head for home". Home means
two things to us. It is where we live, and where our families are. We live
on this boat and have done so for almost 8 years. It has been eons since I
lived in one "house" for such a long duration. Sure there are risks to our
life style but look at the trade-offs. And there is no more danger in living
on our boat than there has ever been. As for the family part that is where
our hearts are but we can't be in both places at the same time. We will be
back for a visit shortly, and are thinking about just when we can do that,
and where we will leave (Boat Name) while we are gone. Our first choice for
the boat, Telaga Marina in Langkawi, is gone.
Many cruisers, both ones who arrived here this year and many more who came
in 2003, were planning on going on toward the Mediterranean in a few weeks.
Most cruisers going west make their first stop at Sri Lanka. As you know
from the news that seems like a bad idea right now. Another choice for a
stop was the Maldives, islands in the Indian Ocean. They have been pretty
much destroyed also. Some are considering loading on enough fuel, food, and
water to head non-stop for the Red Sea. Others are in a "wait and see" mode.
The pressure for available slips in Phuket and Langkawi is tremendous,
especially with 2 out of 5 of the previous marinas destroyed, and with the
number of new arrivals (including us) added to the "wait and see" boats. We
have a Brit friend who arrived here a year ago and got a job at a boat yard
in Phuket. We may lean on him a bit for help.
Sam asked me to tell a vignette. Yesterday in town we saw a large old truck
stacked high with large and small containers of water. The engine and
battery had died and a few Thai men were trying to push it. I ran over
wearing my big Aussie hat and "purse" and helped push. After many tries we,
big me plus many small Thais, pushed it fast enough to get it started. I
walked away to rejoin Sam but turned back when I heard shouting. The driver
had stopped, climbed into the back of the truck and was frantically waving
me back. He wanted to give me a large bundle of shrink wrapped 600 ml
bottles of drinking water. I smiled and indicated it was not necessary but
he would have none of that. I finally accepted 3 bottles and did the little
bow at the waist with hands together in prayer thing Thai people all do ass
a sign of thanks.
We love the Thai people. They all seem genuinely happy and have infectious
grins. The make play out of work with smiles, jokes, subtle flirting, all in
fun.
Enough for now . . . . more to follow.
Bill |
