When Fred Varnier http://www.teamnbacelticsshop.com/danny-ainge-celtics-jersey/ , General Manager of the Amanpuri Resort and Spa in Phuket, Thailand did his rounds at about 9 a.m., the morning of December 26, 2004, he noticed a strange, large puddle beside the pool. The weather had been dry for days and guests had yet to swim in it that morning. While he was ruminating about it, he received a call from Richie http://www.teamnbacelticsshop.com/bob-cousy-celtics-jersey/ , an Australian lifeguard down at Amanpuri's private beach. "I've never seen the tide this low," he said, "You'd better come take a look." Fred's curiosity was peaked so he made his way down to the beach where 50 guests were already taking in the sun and gazing at the pristine white sands and crystal waters of the bay. What he saw alarmed him. The tide was indeed so low and so far out that local long boats were resting oddly and precariously on their keel. He didn't know where all the water had gone, but he was certain of one thing. It would have to come back.

Calmly, but swiftly, he evacuated the beach. Had he made the observation one day prior, the evacuation would have been incrementally more difficult. On Christmas day the beach was considerably more crowded as the Amanpuri had orchestrated an elaborate party http://www.teamnbacelticsshop.com/bill-russell-celtics-jersey/ , focused on the hotel's younger guests, complete with Santa Claus and elephant entertainment. Guests were told to leave everything and to immediately make their way up the stairs to the hotel, situated elegantly and safely on a cliff overlooking the sea. Moments later, a wall of water surged forward, taking out every beach lounge chair and umbrella on the beach. Minutes after that a second wall from the opposite direction took out the ocean-side gym. Fifty Amanpuri guests owe their lives to a savvy, young lifeguard and a confused, but decisive General Manager. The puddle of water Fred had seen earlier that buttressed his decision to evacuate the beach had been the result of the earthquake http://www.teamnbacelticsshop.com/avery-bradley-celtics-jersey/ , too far away for people to take notice, but strong enough to have moved a significant amount of water from the pool to the surrounding walkway.

For the weeks that followed, Amanpuri sent a convoy of their hotel trucks filled with employees to Khao Lak, formerly an up and coming beach town which had been a tourist departure point for boats to the Similians. It was one of the hardest hit communities, and while the town was spared, most resorts were destroyed and many tourists and Thais were lost to the ocean's fury. Amanpuri employees, many of whom were trained in first-aid and most of whom spoke other languages http://www.teamnbacelticsshop.com/amir-johnson-celtics-jersey/ , were among the first to aid the survivors in their quest to find loved-ones and to seek medical attention and shelter in the days to come.

In visiting the Amanpuri on October 5th this year, one would hardly be able to guess that it had been so close to such destruction. The gym has been rebuilt, beach chairs and umbrella's replaced, and the coral reef which abuts its beach, although probably changed in an ecological and geological sense, remains as beautiful as it was on Christmas day. The spirit of the Thai people, and indeed all employees of every nationality was clear to me http://www.teamnbacelticsshop.com/al-horford-celtics-jersey/ , although directed to more pleasant endeavors, that being spoiling their guests who were back to frequent their favorite hotel and spa so quickly and in such numbers that the hotel was at 93 percent occupancy at the time of my visit.