18 October 2010
I wake up around 5.30 and hearing Michael stirring cajoled him out of bed so that I could attend to a call of nature which we cleverly managed with me remaining in bed lying down -without the self elevating NHS bed, the business of getting me up in a sitting position was always going to be a problem. We rose around 8.00 — much later than our normal time when we’re in this resort and it was almost 9.30 before we got into breakfast. We were greeted like long lost friends by two of our favourite staff members – Porn (an unfortunate name in English is not easy to translate. I have been given to understand that broadly speaking it means giving, generosity and also happiness) in the breakfast room and Alec from the front desk in reception both assuring us that anything they could do to make our stay happier or more comfortable one, we only had to ask..
 Both were clearly very pleased to see us and, for the first time in 12 years or so since I’ve been coming here, both gave me a bit of a hug. Very un-Thailike to make such an emotional gesture a foreigner.  I suppose they felt sorry for me sitting in a wheelchair, although I have no doubt that there sentiments were genuine. In fact the whole hotel staff from the director, Tim Boda and his Swiss deputy, Sam could not have been kinder. The housekeeping staff even made some special cushions for a couch on the balcony to make it harder for me and therefore easier to get on and off.
We are still in the rainy season here and the day started overcast with little direct sunshine. Mick had some and reports to attend to so we decided to skip the time that we had planned to spend on the sun beds on the platform across the lagoon. I happily spent the morning on a comfortable couch on our balcony listening to Beethoven adagios and watching the small egrets hopping from leaf, to leaf, amongst the beautiful pink water lilies, picking off the unsuspecting insects.. Comfortably warm and blissfully happy.
During our breakfast session, Porn kindly filled my plastic box with fresh pineapple and mango which is my normal lunch when I’m in this resort. That consumed and the blog updated. the magic of four o’clock came round — by tradition, time to order the ice for the gin and tonic, although today it had to be gin orange, as we have not yet been to the supermarket for the tonic..
Before dismissing our splendid taxi driver last evening I had booked him to pick us up  at 5.45 to take us into Hua Hin, first for a brief stop a supermarket and then to down load us — me in the wheelchair – in the Temple car park close to the restaurants where we intended to eat. This all worked without a hitch and we were fortunate enough to find a man up the steep curve near the Onn Onn orner restaurant where we feasted on our favourite meal of scallops and seafood fried rice.. then back to our room for a video of a relatively early night