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Hi!
You must think I am crazy to spend the
last days of my trip to Asia in Phuket. Those "friends" of ours who planned to
join me cancelled their plans at the last minute. Frankly, I am better off without them and having the time of
my life.
Life goes on here and Phuket has
recovered with astonishing speed after so much sadness. To tell you the truth, only about 5% of the
island suffered any damage from the tsunami. (We were all traumatized by this event
whether we were there or not.) The hotel where I am staying in Patong was
nowhere close to the waves. Most hotels were not. All of the after-dark places never missed a beat.
The music in Paradise Complex is still throbbing even though the hotels are
practically empty.
I have spent the past three mornings
basking in the delicious sun and tropical breeze on Patong Beach. Everything
that was built on the sandy side of the beach in the last twenty years is gone
and I have to admit that the beach has never looked so glorious. I read in the
newspaper today that the Thai government wants to keep it that way. I also read
that a lot of people are losing their jobs here because the tourists stopped
coming. :-( I feel terribly sad about that.
Honestly, if you don't jump on a plane
right now and enjoy this sensual sunshine you are missing a terrific holiday.
The weather could not be better, the people could not be friendlier, and the
food could not be more delicious. Please turn off your TV (look what it is doing
to you) and join me here in the real world. You might actually
enjoy yourself for a change!
The photo above was
taken on 1 January 2005 -- five days after the tsunami -- at Patong Beach, Phuket
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