Find out how the recovery effort is going. "After The Disaster: The NewMusic in South Asia" on Monday, February 14 @ 9:30pm ET.

Finding a way to best describe the aftermath of the tsunami has been difficult. I've been at a lost for words. The destruction is unlike anything I've ever seen before. The only thing that I can compare it to is the concept of hell, except no one did anything bad or wrong.

The global tsunami death tolll is up above 226,000! Indonesia's Health Ministry just confirmed the deaths of tens of thousands of people previously listed as missing. Indonesia has lost the most people - 166,320 is the last number I read. That is larger than the population my hometown of St. Catharines - gone. Plus the hundreds of thousands of tsunami survivors, who don't have basics like clean drinking water.

While in Jakarta, I met up with the Red Cross and Care Canada. Care is the group I travelled to Afghanistan with a few years back, and I am always most impressed with their work. Care Canada's Aly-Khan Rajani took us to a bottling facility where locals were putting together water purification bottles. Get this - 27 cents can provide clean drinking water to a family in need, for one month! 27 cents.

Many reasons prevented us from travelling into the worst hit region of Banda Aceh. But Care Canada sent over some photos from the disaster (the ones you see here). I received the pictures via e-mail. Some of them are gruesome. An emotional punch to the stomach. Also in my inbox, were e-mails from my family who were checking in to make sure I was well. Knowing hundreds of thousands of families have lost loved ones to the killer waves, I was ready to cry.

I am on my way back to Canada. At the end of my journey, I am now able to start reflecting. I am feeling tired. Sad. Inspired. Silly. Confused. But most of all - lucky.

It's a hard life in Sri Lanka. And that was before the tsunami.

Sri Lanka, which is a small island, is a developing nation. It lacks infrastructure, and contaminated drinking water and the threat of disease are serious concerns for victims of the tsunami. The killer waves took the lives of 35,000, and left 850,000 people homeless.

Our crew visited three refugee camps in Batticaloa. These living conditions are basic. Families have lost the little they had to begin with. Yet, despite the hard times, we were greeted with warm smiles! I was mobbed by a group of children who saw my video camera, and wanted to see themselves on the viewfinder. One girl grabbed my hand. Their enthusiasm and strength was heart warming.

At two of the camps, we shadowed Canadian paramedics volunteering their services, on their own dime. With a group called Global Medic, they set up medical clinics for the homeless. From there, we visited a danger zone of dislodged landmines. The tsunami waves covered the mines and moved them. We watched as mine experts explained how they plan to clear the area so a well could be accessed.

Prime Minister Paul Martin stopped by Kalmunai during our time in Sri Lanka. We followed his visit. He said that you'd have to be a stone not to react and feel the emotion of the people who have lost everything here. I also had a chance to see Canada's DART in action.

The postcard from the beaches of Kalmunai is one of contrast. The shoreline is still paradise. But as the tide comes in, it meets rubble and ruin. It mirrors the demolition already left in Sri Lanka from years of civil war.

Count your blessings.

Website to visit - lankapage.com
Next stop – Jakarta, Indonesia.

After 2 days of travel from Toronto, we flew from Bangkok to Phuket on Wednesday. I've never been to Thailand before, so I expected to see the disaster left by the tsunmai as soon as we landed in Phuket, but that wasn't the case. Most of Thailand remains beautiful and breathtaking.

Our first stop was the info/press centre in Phuket city. This is the hub for everything related to the tsunami. The walls are lined with posters of missing people from around the world. It's very sad to see, and reminded me of September 11th.

Then we drove an hour and a half to take a look at areas hit hard by the tsunami. We stopped at what was once the Khao Lak resort and spa. Our access was unbelievable. As construction workers were cleaning up the rubble and debris, we wandered around with our cameras. It looked like a bomb went off. Cars crushed, walls blown out, pieces of people's lives everywhere: suitcases, clothes, CDs. Anything one would bring on what was suppose to be a dream vacation.

Thursday, we befriended a Thai journalist from Bangkok and drove out to the Bangtao Beach resort, another area destroyed. We met many nice folks, from all over, who travelled there to volunteer. As we were taping an interview with a man whose house was destroyed by the waves, a car of three doctors pulled over. They flew in from England, and were dressed in scrubs, ready to help!

I am typing these notes from the press centre. Just outside, hours ago, Ricky Martin stopped by. He's the talk of the town. He is touring tsunami hit areas and assisting orphaned survivors with his organization the Ricky Martin Foundation.

Tomorrow we leave for Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tonight, we rest at a gorgeous resort that is empty. This time of year is usually high season, and everything is fully booked. Hopefully tourism will boom again in this country, so things can get back to some type of normal.

Clean Water In Indonesia

Jenn meets with aid workers to discuss the importance of clean drinking water for those affected by the tsunami disaster.

Watch [dur: 2:14]

Medical Aid In Sri Lanka

Jenn visits makeshift medical treatment centers in Sri Lanka and bumps into Prime Minister Paul Martin who was also in the area.

Watch [dur: 2:22]

Tourism In Thailand

Tourists have dropped their beach towels and picked up shovels to help those affected by the tsunami. Jenn finds out how their help gives others hope.

Watch [dur: 2:15]