armed only with my passport, extensive toiletry kit and dream of seeing more of the world...

The midmorning heat greets me as I step off the van and into the pier. We join other travelers, faces and shoulders tanned and red from too much sun exposure. A stocky man in a sleeveless shirt ran to meet our group and hastily distributed round green stickers which we stick on our tops.
We are ushered into the shade and our guide, Britney, steps onto a plastic stool. She is slender and graceful with a pixie-cut hairstyle, almond shaped eyes, golden brown skin and a laughing smile made more obvious by the braces meant to realign her teeth. Clad in tiny denim shorts, a faded striped blue and white bateau-neck shirt with three-fourth sleeves and a soft faded red scarf hanging loosely around her neck, she quickly gave the audience an orientation to the day’s island-hopping activities, her high but pitchy voice belying her true sex. Tips on swimming and staying hydrated drew in laughter from the tourists as we set off for the day.
By midday Britney has donned a headband with a mug-sized plastic pineapple on top, nimbly walking in the hot powdery sand with a parasol in one hand while navigating around the gamut of tourists spread out on the beach. Later in another island, she has ditched the parasol for a tray of sliced watermelons and pineapples, lithely sashaying between beach umbrellas like a dancer, stopping by our reclined chairs and insisting on placing the slices of fruit in our mouth.
On the way back to the port, she dons a blue flight attendant’s costume as she and another host performed a dance number. As the tour came to a close, they said, “We’re happy that you’re happy.” The smiles of our hosts never wavered. Their eyes spoke genuine joy.
Only a day before the island of Phuket was shook by earthquakes and a tsunami warning sending a vast number of people to higher ground. Today it was business as usual with yesterday’s worries forgotten for now. Tomorrow would be the start of Songkran and I smile as I walk lazily towards the waiting van.