Hua Hin

After another 120 odd kms yesterday, I finally reached the Mida de Sea hotel on Thailand's west coast for a couple of days back-pedalling. No girlie bars here than goodness.
This area is mostly a Thai tourist spot. The king has a palace down the road and there are some fancy resort hotels not far away, but the area does not have class.
I told the girl on recepton I wanted to go to the Kaeng Krachan National Park tomorrow (today), as mentioned in their room directory, the one full of animals and over 350 species of bird, in particular hornbills. She had no idea what I was talking about at first but then seemed to understand the words National Park. Then this man sidles up and starts talking to her in Thai. I said to him, Excuse me, I am not finished here yet (or, in other words, Butt out!). He turned to me, with great composure, and looked me straight in the eye (though he must have been sorely tempted to steal a look at my unruly 6 weeks old beard, which is now travelling so far down my neck it is linking up with my chest hair) and said, Yes sir, I realise that and I am trying to interpret for  you. (Though dressed in civvies, he was the manager!) He had her make some phone calls and assured me she would book it for me if I could be ready for 8am, which I readily agreed to.
So I was rather excited this morning when the air-conditioned mini bus arrived on time. National Park?, asked the driver. That's it, I replied. We drove to another hotel where we picked up some more people and the guide. To get acquainted, I asked the guide whether he was actually an expert on birds. He said no, not really, but in any case, there not many birds in the Khao Sam Roi National Park. What? I want to go to the Kaeng Krachan park, see the hornbills!! Ah yes, you would see hornbills there but we are heading south to see a throne and a pineapple farm.
It was actually not bad. We started at a fisherman's village, then took a boat round a headland to walk to a height of 450m up a mountain side, catching a glimpse of some Dusky Langurs, (the monkeys that appear to be wearing glasses), and then descending into an enormous cavern in which a beautiful tetrahedron, royal pavilion is sited, lit up from above.