Brushed by Catastrophe: an Eye-witness Account of the Tsunami
situated in a way that you see the ocean off its far side. To each side of that pool, are the main restaurants, with another seafood restaurant out to one side of the pool overlooking the area going out to the ocean.
The swimming pool is maybe 100 meters or longer long, parallel with the ocean front, and 8 to 20 meters wide in various areas. There's a relatively shallow side towards the right facing the ocean with a concrete waterslide between. Our suite another 50 meters further to the right over a lawn with several slower and shrub areas. The deep side of the pool doesn't have the "protection" of the waterslide and is also surrounded by deck chairs, tables and umbrellas.
The wave, the Tsunami, that hit Phuket didn't reach the ground floor below the lobby. probably our suite was the only one that was touched, but to give an idea of the force of the wave, the water came up and over the 30 meter 45 degree incline from the shore crossed the 60 to 70 meter stretch of underbrush and light thickets and splashed muck and debris up and over the waterslide leaving that side of the swimming pool murky, but the side of the pool that didn't have the waterside's protections was over half filled with mud and debris and all the deck chars, tables and umbrellas, like a mudbath. But that's as far as it reached.
At the lobby, eventually, we were told to go back to our room and quickly pack as they expected another larger wave to come. So we went back and quickly packed, then parked ourselves on one of the many very spacious couches around the lobby, while the children took naps. I guess time flies when you're stunned, or too numb to really know what has happened. The Marriot opened the 2 2nd floor restaurants for free lunch and otherwise were so well organized, that, it seemed as though it was just another day at a resort. Nevertheless, those who had their wits better about them, made decisions, where possible. The airport was flooded, so all flights were cancelled with a promise for an update by 6 pm. Many of the people staying at the hotel, arranged to cancel the balance of their stay and return to Bangkok or some of the other resort areas in Thailand and Asia not hit,
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