Paola Reports from Phuket

The following email comes from Paola in Phuket, Thailand:

Luckily somebody woke me up!
The girl who works in the kitchen knocked at my door she was gasping for breath
she almost could not speak
she said - my friend phoned me tsunami may be coming -
I thought that maybe I should check on the net, so she said ok I ll wait

then I thought again, no, first I go somewhere safe then I check
- I was half asleep but still capable of a self preserving reaction obviously -

so i grabbed the laptop, the phone, the bag with the passport and money which has been on standby
since the disaster, and I jumped on the motorbike, this guy rode me uphill

here there were already a few dozen people and families waiting

we are in a house with a small shop on top of a hill near the airport in phuket, this area was badly hit last time

people are watching television but its in thai, so i dont know what is being said

there are rolf and kerstin karlsson from aland in finland, they are the only other foreigners
we dont know where the others have gone but we think everyody has been warned
i have phoned a friend who lives also opposite the beach but she did not reply the phone

some people kept on drinking at the bars as we ran away uphill

let s hope nothing is going to happen
I am due to go back to Europe on Thursday
if god so wishes
and I dont think I ll stay on the beach when I come back

I guess I ll stay here for three hours then I go back home to finish packing
and thats it for beach life