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Hey
all,
Feeling abit better now...emotionally, and
felt it was time to tell you my account of
events...really more of a reflection to help
me come to terms. Feel free not to read, its
not exactly jolly, but very mild compared to
the horror others experienced, being here in
Bangkok now hearing others stories really
brings it home how lucky we were. For those
who dont know, Koh Jum is just behind Phi
Phi, so they got the brunt of it, I think we
got the bit that came through the gap
inbetween Phi PHi Don and Leh, Bamboo and
Chicken island. Si and I had only visited
these islands a day before.
In contrast, Christmas day was the best
ever, we had been avidly plannig many
activities to keep us amused...beach
olympics, secret santa..including a suprise
visit to santas grotto (Bec and sara did
thenmselves proud), treasure hunt involving
leggin it and swimming the beach...obviously
our team won!!! In the evening Gao, the
amazing, lovely, happy, kind man who let us
reserve almost all his bungalows, (-we
needed seven out of nine of them, not right
on the beach as we usually would go, about
150m inland) had arranged a free Christmas
buffet and disco for us, what a cool
night...loads of party games and fun, then,
'Fubar',where we had made friends with Wud
the Thai owner, we called it 'The Ship'
cause it was right on the beach and made out
of an old boat, great night all round and
lots of merriness.
Woke up just about to have brekkie, there
was some commotion outside, sarah and
everyone were pointing to the beach, thought
the trees it was clear loads of waves had
suddenly broken. Not big ones but really
weird as our beach was usually like a
millpond, then another wave came in and
filled the storm drain going up to bex and
Bazzers bungalow, Si's and I were 3rd in
line closest.
A little more concerned, as I watched this
almighty wave on its way in, everyone was
screaming, "mudge run", I wasnt dressed,
just in my towel not even time to put on
shoes, I legged it.
People were looking back in amazment,
running from the water some waist deep, it
stopped about 300m inland. Locals were
giving lifts where they could, a man was
screaming that there was an injured lady, so
Baz and Si ran back to get my first aid kit.
When they went back found nothing left of
Barry and Beckys bungalow, half our door was
missing and the inpacting wall was in,
everything was think in silt and rubbish,
bed thrown against the wall and the sink had
been ripped off, somehow lots of our
belongings had been swept into the concrete
toilet.
We got driven to the hill where everyone was
congrigating, I was attending to minor cuts
and stuff when someone called the injured
lady was up o the hill in the woods, still
shaking and in just my towel we clambered up
there. The lady had her husband and children
with her, she was in agony, had severe
lacerations to both lower limbs, she had
lost a lot of blood but the bleeding had
already been controlled with some dirty
looking sorongs, it was clear she was
shocked, I said we should elevate her limbs,
but it was so difficult on a hill with loads
of logs and branches everywhere. At ths
point her husband told me he was an
anaethatist, which was a major relief, I
gave her some really strong analgesia, Matt
had given me them for my headaches
(thanks!!), I also had various cannulas and
IV antibiotics, I always carry them in Asia
but never thought I'd ever use them, maybe
for a dog bite or something but not this!!
In seconds her husband had a line in while I
was drawing up the antibiotics...still in my
towel and shaking, on a hill, ...very
surreal, while I was giving the IV's Si and
Baz and the boys had Knocked up a stretcher
made of branches, T-shirts and a towels to
try and transfer her down. We had no ideas
of the scale of things and no news, all we
knew was the locals seems worried about
another wave and we need to get to safe
ground....but we really needed more medical
supplies. Si was there with me all the time
supporting and encouraging me. Trying to
discuss evacuation and what we needed and
finding a phone was very difficult as much
of it was lost in translation with the
locals, I was just looking after the lady,
deep breathing and giving her sips as it was
boiling hot in the sun...another worry. We
finally persuaded them to take us to the
clinic, they were reluctant as it was near
the sea.
We tranferred into the back of a truck to go
to the clinic, she was screaming in agony
whenever she was moved, people lifted me
into the truck too, holding my towel on,
but really keeping my dignity seemed trival,
and rather a role reversal!! The truck was
steel and had been in the sun, was too hot
to touch with bare feet or hands but we had
to endure the burning. When we got there
they told us not open till 2pm!!!! An hour
and a half!! The boys went with her husband
to break in....came out with as much as poss
but it was very limited, fluids and giving
sets at least, next they took us to safe
ground, a local had given me the shirt off
his back an someone found me some shorts!!
The truck driver, obviously shaken too, was
caining it on the dirt road, over bumps, so
the lady was screaming and very stressed, so
just tried to keep her breathing slow and
talk to her, she said she had lost feeling
in all her limbs. I'd managed to put a drip
up while was were in transit, until we
finally arrived at what seemed to be the
island meeting point, where all the farangs
were taken...I was happy to be reunited with
all my friends.
Only then did it begin to sink in. We were
taken on a trek through the jungle to a hut
at the botton of a hill, this would become
our make shift camp where we would spend the
night. The lady was stable feeling and
colour returned and her pulse was fine, so I
left her with her family to wait.It was just
a worry how long we'd have to wait as all we
knew from a radio was that Phi Phi was
really bad and choppers were going there
first, a night with no more IV anti biotics
would not keep infection at bay. Luckily
they managed to get an army chopper to the
school before dark, the boys helped tranfer
the family to the school where an army
helicopter was waiting.
We all just hugged each other in disbelief,
realising how lucky we all were to have not
a scatch..all the 'what if's' emereged, and
was the main source of conversation around
the camfire.The locals were amazing, they'd
brought water supplies and knocked up food
for everyone in an hour! It was a very long,
cold and scary old night.
Just after dawn we made our way back to the
resort to see what we could salvage. On the
way back locals were giving out free food
and water as we passed by shops, Si was
barefoot, he'd given me his shoes, couple on
a bike stopped and the lady took off her
shoes for us!!!
Couldnt believe our eyes when we got to the
beach road, all huts on the front were
completely destroyed, longtailboats and
their motors had been lifted out of the sea
and smashed 50ms away from sea on cocconut
trees, tops of the cocconut trees had been
taken off!!! The whole of the resort that we
were behind was demolished, Fubar, where we
had spent such a great christmas night was
just gone without a trace. We heard on the
grapevine that 5 locals were dead, and the
Phi Phi ferry had sunk with 400 tourists on,
this is when we feared for Gao, he touted
for custom on the ferry everyday....the
scene of our party the night before, Gao's
resturant was wiped out, along with most of
the resort, Bex and Baz and the swedish
couple lost everthing, Si and I found some
stuff, salvaged clothes from the mud, but
just relieved to be together and alive,
realising it was the fact we went to a quiet
undeveloped island with less to be
destroyed, that saved us from a much more
horrific time, nothing really compared to
Phi Phi. We then found Gao, so relieved to
see him, still smiling and all hugged him,
then he just mentioned (thai way..still with
a smile)"yesterday was a bad day....I lost
my brother on PhiPhi". We then were put on a
boat to the main land and taken to Krabi. It
was mad ambulances everywhere, walking
wounded,helicopters, the scale of
destruction began to unfold.
We are now in Bangkok, the atmos is sombre,
we are still coming to terms with the scale
of it, its everywhere, they are appealing
for blood, so we all went and donated
yesterday, unfortunatedly I passed out on
them and didnt give enough for them to use
which im gutted about as im Rh neg, even
more rare in Asia apparently, still i was a
good source of amusment for the nurses and
doctors when they found out I was a nurse,
and i got a courtesy tour of the childrens
unit for the pleasure!!! Simon has changed
his flight to stay with me till the 4th, he
has looked after me immaculately and we are
closer than ever.
We are going out tonight to try and forget,
but it seems totally wrong to be celebrating
New Year, all 11 of us will be happy just
being together.
Love you all dearly,
Andie
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