On Friday 14th February I had a hot date for Valentine’s Day and I’d already booked a table for the special set menu at The Villas for that night. But first Captain Caveman and I cycled to Oxalis Home for breakfast – he had a bacon and egg sandwich and I had the traditional pho ga. Back at Ho Khanh’s I said goodbye to him and then was meant to get on with some work. Before I knew it the morning had gone by and I was joining the lads at Yummy’s for a lovely lunch. Three of us shared the veggie meal deal and I enjoyed the tomato and egg soup again, the veggie tofu dish was excellent, as was the cabbage. I had a couple of bowls of rice and a spring roll.

I had arranged to meet Tatas for cocktails at The Villas during happy hour and a half so I popped on a dress and cycled down there early. On my way I saw our housemate Veronika, walking, and stopped to say hello, she didn’t realise it was Valentine’s Day and decided she would join us. Tatas turned up looking very glam and then Ally arrived and asked if he could join. Those margaritas and free popcorn were going down a treat as we chatted away in a quiet inside table where the staff were most attentive and polite.
The food was just as good as usual and we got a free glass of wine with our dinner which was a great double date. After dinner Tatas insisted she and I went to Momma D’s where we met up with Josh and D-Dub. Tatas bought us a bottle of red wine, which we clearly didn’t need, and we had about half of it before cycling home to finish it off at Chez White’s Balcony Bar.

Tatas and I were woken up early on Saturday 15th February when her boss called to say she had to go on tour that day! We were both hungover, probably still drunk and there was no way I could have gone in to work. Just as she’d got dressed she got another call to say a colleague would go instead. We were both relieved and then decided to go to Coffee Station so Tatas could have breakfast and Coffee. At Coffee Station Tatas didn’t order any breakfast and I just had a pineapple juice as couldn’t face food.
On the way home I didn’t even make it back before needing another drink of juice so stopped at Oxalis Home where Josh and Tatas later joined me for lunch. I had chips which looked terrible but were quite tasty. We had arranged a second Valentine’s dinner with Ally, Tatas and me at Phong Nha Underground in the evening because they had their set meal on for the weekend (Veronika couldn’t make it unfortunately). It was also the 2nd birthday of Momma D’s so we had also promised to go to her party. We had a wonderful evening, the three of us, and we were so engrossed in conversation that I forgot to take photos.

The valentine’s weekend finished on Sunday 16th February with me going over to Ho Khanh’s homestay for a fruit salad breakfast and to see Josh off on his next trip to Son Doong. It just so happened that most people were in a cave on this day but I did manage a rare and impromptu lunch with Watto, Chrissy and Howard at Oxalis Home. I had chicken and cashew nuts with rice which was delicious, the others had egg & chips, chicken pasta, and steak & chips. In the afternoon I watched a bit of Netflix and then went to The Villas for happy hour and a half (4.30-6pm) and had a nice catch up with Bryce while munching on fresh popcorn.
With Tatas away for 4 days Ally and I rounded off the valentine’s weekend with a night out at Capture Cafe. We shared a good bottle of red wine, he ordered a Hawaiian pizza which smelled so good. I had my favourite plate there, the cheeseboard (no bread) which comes with olives, apple, walnuts, honey and fig jam. The 3 cheeses were brie, emmenthal and a stilton which were generously portioned – it’s not the cheapest item on the menu but it was great value and ideal for a gluten free, cheese and wine dinner. We also got to have a good laugh with Ben, the co-owner of the place, who happened to be having his favourite pizza too. I miss pizza a lot!
After dinner we were stuffed and so decided to cycle straight home for a rest – it had been a very good weekend in Phong Nha, with excellent company, but maybe I had eaten and drank far too much!

Our pick up was due at 8am on Wednesday 12th February and I had to take more Imodium just to make the journey while one of the Geckos said hello! Captain Caveman had arranged for us to share a car to Dong Hoi where we had plans for an early valentine’s treat. We went to a nice little place, called Sherlyn Coffee, next to the Vincom centre to wait for the cinema to open as we were off to see Harley Quinn at 09:45am.

We shared a popcorn and I had a coke to try to help my stomach and it seemed to work, the film was ok and I really enjoyed the comfy seats – we were the only ones in there too. We intended to drop off our bags at the hotel after the film but when we got to the Vinpearl (next door) they were able to check us in early. All the staff were wearing masks to prevent catching the Corona virus, we had to complete a form which asked if we had had any symptoms in the last 2 weeks and as we went to the lift there was a guy taking our temperature with one of those gun things pointed at our foreheads. I read 35.5° and Captain Caveman 35.8° so I was officially cooler than him! The hotel room was lovely and this time the pool was in working order but I didn’t take my swimmers.

For lunch we had our usual trip to Tree Hugger, easily the nicest cafe in Dong Hoi and, while Captain Caveman engaged in a white russian, I stuck to fruit juice and herbal tea. He devoured the egg sandwiches while I took my time over my stir-fry. We spent the afternoon at the museum of Quang Binh which was surprisingly interesting and big, it took us a couple of hours to get round it. We walked back, calling at the wine shop for a few bottles to take back to Phong Nha.

In the evening, after dosing up on some medication from the pharmacy, we went to our favourite restaurant in Dong Hoi. 7th Heaven has the best Australian beef in the area and we had a lovely valentine’s meal sat up on the terrace, as it was a warm evening. It’s definitely worth a trip there if you’re visiting Dong Hoi – it’s our favourite restaurant. We shared a bottle of red wine and I had my steak with sweet potato fries and no dressing on the salad – it was delicious.
Back at the hotel we decided to watch Netflix and drink some of our newly purchased wine. By the time the first episode of Hannibal was halfway through Captain Caveman was snoring away and he hadn’t even drank his wine!

I slept so well in that massive Vinpearl hotel bed with its comfy pillows and the blackout curtains. On Thursday 13th February we ate the buffet breakfast on the 6th floor, where all the staff were wearing masks but none of the guests (including us) were. My stomach was feeling much better so I managed to eat pineapple, pomelo, pho ga with bamboo shoots and extra pickled onions, bacon, cheese, a yogurt and some seafood fried rice. I had mint tea and lots of detox water to make sure I would be ok for the journey back to Phong Nha. Captain Caveman looked concerned that I was eating prawn fried rice in case they had slipped in a mollusk! Back in the room Captain Caveman had a bath while I packed my stuff as we were getting a car to take us back to Phong Nha.
When we got back we finished off our early Valentine’s celebration with a curry at Namaste with Josh. I had my usual bhuna murg with garlic rice and shared the chai masala with Josh, always a good meal there and we went early so that Captain Caveman could get to his Oxalis briefing for 6pm. Tomorrow, actual Valentine’s Day, he would be in Son Doong so we finished off the wine we had brought from Dong Hoi to end our celebration.

Watto was off on his first Son Doong tour of the year on Monday 10th February and so Captain Caveman and I went over to Ho Khanh’s to join him and Chrissy for breakfast. I took my own gluten free cornflakes and had a ginger tea.
We decided to go to Little Leaf for lunch seeing as it was just the two of us and I was going to have the BBQ prawns but they had ran out. Instead I ordered spring rolls, sweet potato leaves and steamed rice. Captain Caveman ordered scallops and would also share my choices. The spring rolls are really tasty at Little Leaf and when the scallops came I couldn’t resist to try one, even though I know I’m allergic to them – it’s the best seafood in Phong Nha, I’d say. The lunch was great and we chatted to the owner, Phuong, before heading for a drink with him and Josh at Diep Le homestay, just a little way along the river side. The day had started fairly cool and cloudy but by the time we headed back home it was sunny again. Unfortunately it wasn’t long after being back in the house that I had an allergic reaction to that one scallop and was in a bit of a state until 7pm when we had to meet friends.
We had arranged to meet at Co Diep, a Vietnamese restaurant selling local food, which we had not been to before. The others were kind to me and ordered beef hotpot without chillies and some beef fried rice. It was delicious and the food was served very quickly.

After a terrible night’s sleep because of me being allergic to scallops I skipped breakfast on Tuesday 11th February. By lunchtime though I was starting to feel hungry and went to Coco House with friends. I ordered the sweet and sour pork and some sweet potato fries which was very nice but had chillies in and so I didn’t even leave the restaurant before needing the bathroom (another allergy which I forgot to ask for the dish without chillies). For the rest of the day I was in bed sick and had left Captain Caveman at Ho Khanh’s beach, drinking for the rest of the day. When I got to The Villas to meet Tatas and Captain Caveman he was really drunk, they had food while I just stuck to a couple of cups of chamomile tea. Captain Caveman was too drunk to go out after dinner so we came home and I packed for the next day as we were off on an early Valentine’s celebration – that’s if my stomach would allow the journey and he wasn’t too hungover.

On Friday 7th February I started the day well with a vegan soup for lunch at Veggie Box with Tatas (she had the veggie taste and the mushroom taste) but then we decided to lounge in hammocks at Ho Khanh’s in the afternoon. This meant we had an alcoholic drink but I did keep it to just the one strongbow. In the evening we had planned to go to Little Leaf but it was Taylor’s leaving drinks at The Villas so we stopped by for one at Happy Hour. Looking back only having a bowl of vegan soup may have been my downfall because, after 4 margaritas and a ton of popcorn I was a bit merry and it was too late to go to eat elsewhere. Instead we had potato, artichoke and edamame salad followed by half a bottle of red wine and a delicious dessert. We were about to go home when the owners and manager joined us and offered us a couple of nightcaps on the house. By this time the leaving girl had left and it was just me and Tatas drinking with the guys. It was a good night but I would definitely be feeling it the next day.

I have not felt as rough as I did on Saturday 8th February when I woke up after 3 hours of sleep, coughing and thirsty as hell. I couldn’t really function much and I was wishing I had eaten more during the day. Tatas had gone on tour and miraculously didn’t even have a hangover! Caroline and Taylor had to bring me a Lantern takeout for lunch, I was that bad. I didn’t even go out for dinner either but ate rice crackers and raisins when I woke up too late to venture out for food.

I decided my Sunday breakfast on the 9th February would be at Capture Cafe for my usual bacon, beans and potatoes and a mango smoothie. The bacon there is always super crispy and, in my opinion, the best in town. Josh and Tatas also joined and as we were about to leave the rain came down pretty heavily so we took shelter with a drink over at D’Arts. It’s usually the perfect place to eat bun cha but we just had a drink, tried out the dartboard and sat on the comfy sofas inside.
For lunch I met with Josh and D-Dub at Phong Nha Vegan where they had tofu dishes and I had the fresh spring rolls which is my favourite dish there. By the time we had finished Captain Caveman was back from Son Doong and so Josh joined us for balcony drinks – I had a cider, Captain Caveman had Laos dark beer and Josh had water. Usually they talk about caving straight away but this time they managed a solid 15 minutes discussion of the names of the full moons, prompted by the mention that Momma D’s had a snow moon party that night.
Captain Caveman went to his gala dinner at Chay Lap while Josh, D-Dub, Tatas, Chrissy and I went to Nguyen Shack for dinner. It was still a bit rainy and the wind had got up making it less appealing to be at a rooftop event. Chrissy and I chose a bottle of white wine called Excellence which turned out to be badly named. It was cheap at only 220,000vnd and warm but the waitress did her best by bringing us a well used jug with water and ice to put it in. The cork also broke half way but they managed to get it out with only a couple of bits in the wine. The colder it got the better it tasted but I wouldn’t have it again. The food though was great and I loved the chicken lemongrass skewers.
We all went to Momma D’s for the snow moon party afterwards where we used the blankets to keep warm and just had the one drink before cycling home together.

I do love a bit of dragon fruit so on Monday 3rd February my week started with a whole one for breakfast, along with a woolly head and an annoying cough but I had slept in until 7am. It was a lovely sunny day so after a few chores at home I went to lunch with Josh and Tatas. We decided to try another new place along the river side called Google House which had been open a while but had made some improvements to make it look attractive at the water’s edge.
Josh and I got there first and decided to venture down the steep makeshift steps to the seated area, we joked that we were lucky to both be wearing porter sandals as he helped me on the last bit. The joke seemed much funnier when Tatas arrived in more fashionable footwear which were not ideal for the gradient. I decided I would order a beer and french fries, Josh had pop and veggie noodles with chilli sauce and Tatas had a beef noodle soup with a soft drink. It was a lovely setting, the food was cheap and worth a lunchtime visit and I thought the ‘proper’ chips were good. There was a seat in the river which Josh posed on for some photos and we definitely got back up to the road easier than I got down – I made a note not to attempt it when drunk.
Back home Captain Caveman came back from Son Doong and was hungry so all four of us went to Capture for a second lunch (or first dinner, depending on how you see it). While Josh maintained his no alcohol rule the rest of us shared a bottle of our favourite red wine, Santa Digna. The boys had pizza, I had a cheese board (no bread) and Tatas had peanut butter with toast. I was a bit envious of their meals – how I miss being able to eat food like that!
At 5.30pm we left Josh and got a lift to Chay Lap where Captain Caveman was having his end of tour Gala dinner while Tatas and I sat at the bar with margaritas. I had a mushroom curry with rice which was excellent and Tatas had a satisfactory spaghetti bolognese. We had a good night and were home for a reasonable hour too. Captain Caveman had the next day off so we had a little outing planned.

There’s a filmmaker in town so on Tuesday 4th February he had a car booked to go from his homestay, Lucky Lucky, to Phong Nha Farmstay and me, Tatas and Captain Caveman had cadged a lift. Firstly we went to Coffee Station for breakfast where I had bacon, beans and cheese with a fruit smoothie. I also got to pet the owner’s dog who is so cute.
It was a warm day but the sky looked like it might rain and so I didn’t bother taking my swimmers but that turned out to be bad idea. I was still guzzling ginger tea down me like I really believed it would cure my cough and I ordered the fresh spring rolls for lunch. Captain Caveman had pizza again and Tatas had the same as me but with chillies. The food was well presented and really tasty and we said we would come visit again and maybe even stay over. The owner, Ben, gave us each a VIP card which gives a sticker for every 100,000vnd spent at three venues (Farmstay, The Villas and Capture). A full card can then be redeemed for 300,000vnd at the Farmstay – wonderful. The poolside WC has the most amazing views of the rice paddies, in fact I can’t think of a better view from being sat on the toilet (there’s no photo of it, it needs to be experienced).
In the evening while Josh went off to do a briefing for his Son Doong tour we went to Bamboo Cafe for dinner. I had pork and veg kebabs with barbecue sauce on and chips, Captain Caveman had a Shepherds pie and Tatas ordered vegan soup from Veggie box which they brought over (it’s owned by the same guy). The food was really good and I noticed they had added more new dishes to the menu since last year too. I also had a couple of glasses of white wine which were palatable before heading over to Phong Nha Underground for a lovely, more expensive wine.

At Phong Nha Underground on Wednesday 5th February I decided to try one of the smoothie bowls but with a few changes to make it gluten free. It had banana, peanut butter, coconut flakes and chia seeds in and tasted fine but I’m not sure I’m cut out for smoothie bowls. Captain Caveman had a tomato dish with egg and bread and an espresso then we cycled to the mechanics. Bluey, my bicycle, had been suffering with a chain problem since before Tet and we had promised to get her a new one after the holidays. We left her there and had a wander to Funny Monkeys for a drink. While we were there it started raining but not for long and we had our rain jackets with us. We walked in to town again and went to the ‘Thang Nhung, the best spit roast and pork noodle shop in the world (probably)’ for lunch where I had BBQ pork, rice and greens and Captain Caveman had pork noodle soup.
When we went back to collect Bluey she was covered in greasy black hand prints but she was working so much better – she was really whizzy to ride now plus it only cost 80,000vnd too (less than £3)!
For dinner I welcomed a night on my own while Captain Caveman was at his briefing. I chose Chao Vietnam where I tried the dumpling starter for the first time followed by the pork belly. Both were great and I was also served free peanuts with my wine so I was rather full after such a big meal. Nevertheless I still managed a drink at Momma D’s to finish the night off while Aussie Pete had a little snooze.

Captain Caveman went on his next Son Doong tour on Thursday 6th February for 4 days. I skipped breakfast but then ate crisps later on so the diet was going swimmingly! The weather was back to hot sunshine so I was pretty warm when I arrived for lunch with D-Dub at Lantern restaurant. I ordered the pork ribs which they claim are the best in town while D-Dub had a rice flower pancake with veg and tofu (he was still doing dry veguary). I have to admit the meal was excellent and really good value for money. For dinner I ate at The Villas with the girls and we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine (or two), great food and had a really fun but civilised evening.

I went vegetarian and alcohol free on Friday 31st January, mainly by accident. Captain Caveman was off in to Son Doong on his first tour of the decade so I went over to see him off from Ho Khanh’s. Back home I had a snickers and some raisins as a mid-morning snack – the Shop and Go here sells boxes of raisins for 53,000vnd which isn’t bad, the western chocolate bars are 25,000vnd and you sometimes get free bananas. For lunch I met friends at Little Vietnam where I had a massive portion of veggie fried rice, which I couldn’t finish but was less than 50,000vnd.
That night I ate at Veggie box, by myself, where I had vegan soup with mint tea and loads of water then went home to watch Netflix and eat crisps. I’d started watching The Stranger which was really good.

The weather forecast didn’t look too promising on Saturday 1st February however, as is usual, it wasn’t accurate. I didn’t bother with breakfast as I was still feeling under the weather (despite managing almost 5 hours sleep) but for lunch I had a really good time eating at Funny Monkeys with the lads, sat outside overlooking the river. My pork fried rice was very tasty and just the right sized portion, the tofu in tomato sauce looked good but was a bit on the small side. All but two of us at the table had agreed on a challenge of no alcohol or meat for the whole month – it would be termed Dry Veguary!
Josh and I ate dinner at Veggie Box (again) where we shared the stuffed tofu with orange sauce and the veggie taste with rice, neither of us had any alcohol and the food was really tasty although wasn’t quick and it was disappointing to see that the eggplant and rice takeaway we ordered was packaged in polystyrene containers and a plastic bag.
At Momma D’s I had a marmalade martini which was really well made by the bartender, but as only I was drinking we didn’t stay long and I was in bed early that evening.

I’d been invited to a wedding on Sunday 2nd February which I planned to go to however I was unable to drink beer (because of the gluten) I didn’t fancy the rice wine (because of my cough) and I was trying my best to avoid smokers (pretty hard to do here). My cold had gone but my cough was still there and so I was trying to be as healthy as possible to fight it off, I really didn’t want to spread it either. I was also expecting a visit from Katie, who was on a whistle stop tour of Vietnam and would have just one night in Phong Nha. In the morning I went over to Ho Khanh’s with my gluten free cornflakes and had those with a ginger tea for breakfast.
At lunchtime Josh and I went to Yummy’s for the special menu which we had as a veggie option and had soft drinks with it – there was loads and it tasted delicious. During the afternoon I tried to sleep a bit more in an effort to get well before meeting my cousin. Josh and I chose to eat dinner at Nguyen Shack, I had a pork and eggplant dish which I had never tried before so I gave that a go – it was incredibly garlicky but tasty and Josh had a massive portion of veggie fried rice. The food was good value and the staff were attentive and friendly, we both said we’d go again. We went up to Momma D’s after where I said I’d meet Tatas who was back from her 4 day trip and I had also arranged to meet my cousin, Katie. It was so good to see her, she looked well, was happy and we had a couple of drinks including the free bellini shots. We facetimed our relatives together and made a huge amount of noise in front of the other customers at the rooftop bar but we didn’t care. We got some photos and had a good old laugh before it was time to leave. Josh and Tatas came with me to walk Katie to Saigon Phong Nha hotel, where she was staying, and we said our goodbyes. Her next part of the tour was to see the show caves (Paradise and Phong Nha) the next day and then they were leaving for Hanoi.

Monday 27th January was the third day of the Tet holiday and we had 4 parties booked in, between 8:30am and 5pm. I hadn’t slept much but I was convinced I should be getting better now and decided I would wrap up warm and attend Mr Nguyen’s house to celebrate with the caving lot. We were served green tea which I welcomed and even drank spare ones, there were some menthol sweets on offer which were like a miracle cure and I shoved them in. Hieu and Hoan hosted us well and brought out so much food and drink and were so generous to us all. Banh tet is one of my favourite dishes so I managed several pieces – it’s rice with pork in the middle and made into a sticky roll then deep fried.
In the afternoon, while everyone went to Sexy Quang’s, Landlord Phuong’s and Happy Hoa’s I stayed home and decided to have a tidy out of my possessions which were still here from last year. Having watched a Marie Kondo series on Netflix I was into the methodology and had already started to store things better. I’d also been following posts from my friends decluttering business which made it easier for me to be tidy and a bit more minimal in some ways.
In the evening it had dawned on me that I had cabin fever and so I joined in a meal at Namaste with Captain Caveman and friends – I even had some wine and sodas and bought some local cough/throat sweets which were like menthol Werther’s originals.

The 4th day of Tet fell on Tuesday 28th January and it was a fairly quiet day for me. I joined Captain Caveman and friends at Coffee Station where I had a smoothie bowl, without the granola, for breakfast. Later I rested in bed and just had crisps for lunch but went to The Villas for Happy Hour and a Half and dinner. I love the margaritas there and the free popcorn – who can resist a happy hour too! For dinner we shared a bottle of red and I had one of my favourite dishes again, the confit duck leg. The meal is 180,000 vnd, is tasty and filling too – less than £6 in English money is pretty good value. Back home Tatas came back for a drink and we opened a nice wine we had been saving – it wasn’t that nice though!

The last day of the Tet holidays, Wednesday 29th January, and Tatas was going to be on TV at 7am so we had all assembled at Ho Khanh’s to watch the show. I had my gluten free cornflakes and a ginger tea, Josh tried to get the TV working and Tatas didn’t make it as she had to go on tour at the last minute. When we finally got the TV working it turned out they didn’t have that channel anyway.
For lunch it was a local affair at Phong Nha Vegan where I had mushroom porridge and fresh spring rolls. We also said goodbye to Dan as he left to return to the UK for a bit. In the evening Captain Caveman and I went to Phong Nha Underground early-ish because he wasn’t feeling well either. I doubled up on herbal teas and lime juice, had a lovely pork dish for main while Captain Caveman ate pasta, then went home to bed. I waited for Tatas and she ate a taco and I had hummus with carrot sticks – no alcohol though!

On Thursday 30th January we had breakfast at Oxalis, it’s not the best pho ga in town but it does the trick and the ginger tea is good.
I rested up again and just had snacks for lunch but later we had dinner at Capture, I had a breakfast because you can order it at any time and their bacon is the best in town. Captain Caveman had his first Son Doong briefing that night and wasn’t sure he would come out afterwards so Josh and I went to Momma D’s where we met a lovely couple from Rugby, Angela and Nick.

The lunar new year holidays were about to begin in Vietnam, Friday 24th January was Tet eve and we had a busy weekend planned. Unfortunately I was feeling pretty terrible and had a bad cold and cough so didn’t really do much. For dinner we went to Phong Nha Underground where they had a special Tet menu and some live music playing. We shared a hummus plate starter and I ordered the Wild Route Chicken for main while Captain Caveman had a pasta dish. All the food was pretty fantastic and the singer was really good but because I was coughing so much we decided to leave at the interval so that I could hope to be better for the first of the Tet celebrations the next day.

Lucky Home (previously called Lucky Lucky) had invited us to join their Tet day on Saturday 25th January at 9am but I was unable to go. I was pretty rough and I also didn’t want to spread any germs to the lovely family there, or their guests, so I stayed at home. I had not slept and while all the cavers went to the Vung Hue for an amazing Tet meal I rested in bed. We’d managed to get some Australian cough medicine from the pharmacy which was helping but I could only take 3 lots per day, when I found a half packet of cherry flavoured fisherman’s friends I actually cried with relief. By 2pm I was pretty hungry so Captain Caveman and I went to The Villas, luckily this was one of a few places to remain open throughout Tet and the staff there are really good. I had ginger and honey tea, loads of water and popcorn while Captain Caveman had a cocktail and I ate the veggie spring rolls to start. For my main I had the potato, artichoke and edamame bean salad (without tomato) which was even better than I remembered it tasting last year. For desert I added a Jameson’s to my ginger tea and it stopped the coughing temporarily.
We went home and I spoke to my parents in Sheffield, England, who were cold and jetlagged after their holiday but it was good to catch up with them as we hadn’t been in contact for over 2 weeks. By the time I came off the phone Captain Caveman was asleep so I popped my headphones in and watched more of The Fall on Netflix.

The second day of Tet, Sunday 26th January, was also Australia Day but I wasn’t well enough to do anything. We had breakfast at The Villas (our usual of pho ga and smoked salmon) where we ended up staying for lunch as we were joined by Josh and a couple of people from Ho Khanh’s who were already on the booze so Captain Caveman joined them. I decided that Cameron’s amazing chocolate mousse cake was going to be my treat – I’d not eaten this for about 6 months and it was still just as amazing.
For dinner Captain Caveman and I went in to town early and visited Phong Nha Underground again, intending to listen to the singer for a bit longer this time but now Captain Caveman had caught my cold and felt too ill to stay long. We shared starters of garlic purée and hummus plate and of course he ate the bread. He had his spaghetti bolognese down in record time while I took my time with my tamarind chicken, another firm favourite of mine. Back home we had a whisky and water and then tried our best to sleep.

One week after leaving Dalyan, Turkey, I was back in Phong Nha, Vietnam, enjoying the food and drink around the area. Where we live is about 3km to the town centre and so on Monday 20th January we decided on breakfast at Coffee Station. Captain Caveman loves a double espresso and eggs benedict and always has that – I don’t drink coffee or eat eggs, which is considered somewhat strange here in Vietnam. I used to have the herbal tea at Coffee Station but there was no longer tea on the menu so I had water and ordered fruit salad with yogurt. It was very fresh and a sizeable portion and a fairly healthy start to my week.
For lunch Captain Caveman and I joined two of the cave experts at Phong Nha Vegan, another great place to eat which is also near to home. The food is well presented and very cheap but is only for people who like their veg! I shared mushroom Lalot with Captain Caveman and had fresh spring rolls to myself. The others had mushroom tempura, veggie skewers and veggie noodles. All of it was very tasty and healthy, again.
In the evening Captain Caveman, Josh and I went to Capture Cafe so they could have their favourite pizzas while I had a cheese board (without the bread). I shared a bottle of good red wine with Captain Caveman and to finish the night off we had a Gin and Tea for two at Momma D’s.

By Tuesday 21st January I didn’t bother with any breakfast and tried to get more sleep and rest while an extra day of work was done by Captain Caveman and Josh. For dinner I joined the boys for a rather filling and delicious meal at D’Arts where I had the big bowl of Bun Cha and Captain Caveman had the ultimate Bun Cha. Josh stuck to a vegetarian omelette and we all had a drink. Our, now regular, visit to Momma D’s resulted in me having a whisky sour while Captain Caveman shared the Gin and Tea with a friend plus a whisky sour – Quan, the bartender, does make a great cocktail!

Two weeks ago on Wednesday 22nd January Captain Caveman and I went to Victory Road Villas for breakfast. I was suffering with a cold and so had a green tea and a ginger tea because they are meant to stop a cough and ease a sore throat. I had a pho ga too which is one of my favourites in town as it doesn’t already have chillies in it and the chicken is of good quality. Captain Caveman always enjoys the smoked salmon and scrambled egg there with an espresso. On our way back home we called in at Oxalis Home and we found out that there was a new shuttle bus which was going to be running between Phong Nha and Dong Hoi – really convenient for customers and Phong Nha residents too.
We met Josh for lunch and decided to go to Yummy’s. I’ve not been here for some time and it was good to see the owner back after having her baby as she’s a really good cook. Luckily there was a special on which we took advantage of while Josh just ordered normal menu items. We all agreed the special was very much worth the money and all the dishes were really good – I even enjoyed the tomato and egg soup!!
In the afternoon we rented a motorbike and headed over to Karst Villas to meet friends and possibly see the sunset. Only Josh made it as the others had to work and couldn’t get there so we headed back and decided to have an early curry at Namaste. I couldn’t face any wine due to coughing so I tried a masala chai – why I had not had one before I’m not sure, but it was fantastic! We successfully shared a fish pakoda without incident and I ordered a butter chicken with garlic rice. The boys ordered medium spicy and I forgot to say ‘mild’ so mine was hotter than I could cope with and I only managed half. We didn’t stay out as Captain Caveman was driving so we headed home and had a whisky for a nightcap.

After a week of being back in Vietnam, reunited with Captain Caveman we had a lovely day for Tet Eve eve. On Thursday 23rd January we went for breakfast at Oxalis Home where I had a pho ga, a mango smoothie, ginger tea and a water. Captain Caveman had coffee and a bacon sandwich smothered in mayonnaise. My cough and cold was getting slightly worse and I was tired from not being able to lay down or sleep at night. Because we had the motorbike on hire still we decided to head over to the Phong Nha Farmstay for lunch. We met Ben and Bich, the owners – he was whizzing about on a Segway, she was decorating for Tet. I really wanted the pizza that Captain Caveman snaffled down but I stuck to my nem lui which is grilled pork on a lemongrass skewer eaten in rice paper with green leaves, mango and banana flower – delicious. I had a ginger, lemongrass and honey tea and then a glass of white wine. We got shown around some of the new buildings that were already making great progress and I loved the look of the new villas with their own pools.
We rode back home and dropped the bike off with Thang’s Phong Nha Rider who lives nearby and I had a rest and ate the rest of my cough sweets. In the evening we went to Victory Road Villas to meet Tatas for a cheeky Margarita while it was still happy hour. Captain Caveman and I both had the confit duck leg (one of my favourite gluten free dishes there) and we all shared a bottle of red wine. Back home we had a whisky and water before bed and Captain Caveman updated me on all the times and dates of the various Tet parties we were invited to in the coming week.

I was back in Vietnam on a 3 month tourist visa and I was on my way back to Phong Nha on Friday 17th January. Captain Caveman and I were having breakfast by 6am at the lovely Vinpearl hotel in Dong Hoi. I enjoyed the various fresh fruits and pho with a cup of tea before we had to check out and get our lift to Phong Nha. Captain Caveman was off to work in Son Doong, the largest cave in the world, that day and so we had managed to get a couple of seats on the Oxalis staff bus at 6:30am. We were dropped off at our home, the Glass House, and quickly dropped our bags off before heading over to Ho Khanh’s where the other cavers were having breakfast. Captain Caveman went off with two of his colleagues to the exit of Son Doong to do some work with ropes while I headed home to unpack. We had no WiFi because nobody could remember the password and I still didn’t have a sim card. Luckily I had already arranged to meet a friend at Victory Road Villas for lunch and margaritas and so headed down there after giving bluey (my bicycle) a quick pump up. We got on the cocktails and ate nice food; duck with lentils for me, spaghetti with salami and prawns for her. In the evening we had a lovely curry at Namaste where I had my favourite dish of bhuna murg with garlic rice and it was good to be back.

My second day back in Phong Nha, on Saturday 18th January, was a fairly typical day for me. Captain Caveman and his two colleagues had gone off to work at the exit of Son Doong while I did the washing and tidying. We had some more enquiries for the Fire Opal apartment back in Dalyan and I caught up on some blogging. My cold was still there but now I had developed a cough and I felt ill. I’d brought some gluten free snacks over from Turkey so I had those for brunch along with some rice crackers.
After a beer with the caving contingent at Lucky Lucky we all went to Chao Vietnam for dinner. Captain Caveman and I both had pork dishes which were excellent and we shared the very tasty spring rolls. They also sell (almost) gluten-free beer there too so I had to have a couple of those. After dinner Captain Caveman, Josh and I popped over to Underground and I had a white russian to finish off the night! We cycled home and I noticed that this year the street lights were on all the way to our house.

I’d managed to bring some gluten free cornflakes from Turkey with me to Vietnam so on Sunday, 19th January, we headed over to Ho Khanh’s for breakfast and I took my own. Captain Caveman and his two colleagues were once again off to work in Son Doong again while I took up my lady of leisure duties. At lunch I ate at Oxalis Home where I had a rather tasty chicken and cashew nut dish with steamed rice. My throat and cough was getting worse so I ordered a mango smoothie and a ginger tea. I met a 5 year old child who hates mangos but loves bananas and was from Saigon, on holiday and travelling by car – his English and politeness was fantastic. When my meal came he even said he would let me enjoy my lunch and went back to his parents. When Captain Caveman returned we went to Phong Nha Underground for dinner where I had one of my favourite meals, a smoked pork with green beans and rice. I had 3 cups of ginger tea in an attempt to stop the cough and then we went to Momma D’s for a nightcap.
Captain Caveman loves the Gin and Tea for two there so ordered that but I found it dry on my throat and had a whisky instead, purely for medicinal purposes. Back home Captain Caveman was sound asleep but I was struggling to nod off at all, when I did I was waking up at 2am with the sounds of the cockerel.

Monday 13th January at 5am I was in the wide-awake club! I had booked my taxi a couple of days before with Gürkan and he arrived on time and helped me with my bags. He’s a fast driver so we were at the airport before check-in even opened and I was the first through security. My flight from Dalaman to Istanbul was with Turkish Airlines and cost about £25 including luggage up to 23kg, it boarded quickly, we took off at 8:55am and landed at about 10:30am. I didn’t expect to be able to check in until 2pm at Yotel Landside but thought I would go leave my coat and case at reception. When I arrived the receptionist checked me in, wished me happy birthday for yesterday and said my ‘cabin’ was ready to go to. I was escorted to the room and the guy turned on all the lights which made it look a bit pink! I’d paid around £75 for a basic double room which is pretty expensive but I was so glad I did as everything about my stay was spot on. It had a super comfy bed that had a button to press for altering the position of it, all toiletries were provided and it had loads of TV channels.
After lunch at the hotel restaurant and an afternoon rest I went to get an early dinner. I fancied a glass of wine but it was very expensive so I asked for a glass of the cheapest red. To my astonishment the waiter explained that they had a more expensive wine available at just 3 lira more so I agreed and also ordered a steak with potatoes and salad. I didn’t expect much from an airport restaurant, especially the only one, so was pleasantly surprised by the food, the wine and the staff, despite the high price. After dinner I checked in online so that I only had to put my case in at the bag drop the next day then had an early night in that amazing bed. I was still feeling unwell and really tired so was looking forward to a good sleep before my long journey back to Vietnam. Just as I was getting comfy I had a call from Captain Caveman in Laos, I raved on about my Yotel cabin and said I will see him in Dong Hoi at 8pm on the 15th!

I had a buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant on Tuesday 14th January and then went back to repack my small suitcase. I’d done well with the luggage as my carry on bag was 4.4kg and my suitcase only 11kg so both well under the allowance. I tried to drop my suitcase off but the Aeroflot bag drop only opens 2 hours before the flight, the same time as the check-in desks meaning there was no point in the online check-in. I checked out of Yotel before noon and waited for the back drop to open at 12.40pm. I noticed that Istanbul airport didn’t have water stations for me to refill my water bottle up and I wasn’t paying the steep prices for a bottle. I only had an hour until the plane boarded after quite a slow queue at passport control and security checks.
There was no booze or entertainment on the flight to Sheremetyevo (Moscow) airport and so I read and finished my book.
We arrived in Moscow early and although I was off the plane relatively quickly the transfer desk had a massive queue and just one man checking passports then just one baggage x-ray machine. It was slow and the terminal for my next flight was a 35 minute walk after that point.
When I finally got to the next gate the flight was boarding and the officials were weighing every piece of handluggage for each person. I stood to one side to catch my breath after rushing and one of the staff lifted the barrier, took my boarding pass and let me push in.
The plane to Hanoi was massive and I had selected my seat wisely – 47C was in only a row of 2, on the aisle and had a bit of space next to it because row 46 had 3 seats in front of our 2. My neighbour was a quiet Vietnamese lady who spoke no English and sat still – result.
I watched Rocketman on the way and was terribly disappointed in it. We got served a couple of meals (which weren’t very good) and an attempt at wine was had. The wine was undrinkable and so resorted to water or coke for the rest of the 9 hours.

I landed in Hanoi at 9am on Wednesday 15th January and, because I had a seat near the back, it took quite a long time to disembark – luckily I was in no rush and was quite happy to avoid the many Vietnamese passengers who were literally scrambling to get luggage out of the overhead bins the quickest (and failing). I got my Vietnam Visa on arrival within half an hour and went to collect my suitcase. By 11am it had not arrived and most people had collected their’s, as I decided to go to report it lost a Russian man shouted to say his had been sitting on a different carousel further down the hall. I went over and there it was – I was relieved because the case was borrowed.
I decided to check out the sleep pods and considered maybe paying for a nap but at 190,575 dong per hour I reckoned I’d be best off going for some food instead. I’d now been awake for 24 hours and had a bit of sea-sickness so I went to the ATM, drew out 2 million dong and then got the shuttlebus over to the domestic terminal. At Hanoi domestic terminal there are a few restaurants accessible before passport control on the 2nd floor and I chose Hai Cang where I ordered pork and rice with a side of sweetcorn and green tea.
I managed to use the self check-in machines for the next flight to Dong Hoi but the bag drop again didn’t open until 2 hours before the flight so I sat and waited. Outside the airport it was really windy, cloudy but very warm for January. I found a cafe where I had a cold green tea drink and they were happy for me to sit and use their WiFi (I no longer had a working SIM card).
Finally at 3.30pm I was able to drop the suitcase off and then head through passport control in search of wine. I found an Australian Chardonnay which tasted so good despite it costing about £7.50 for a large glass (extortionate in Vietnam).
The flight was on one of those small propeller planes and everyone had so much luggage that I couldn’t put my legs under my seat but it was a quick flight and I was waiting for my suitcase again at 7.15pm in Dong Hoi airport. I took a taxi to the Vinpearl hotel (for less than half the cost of the glass of wine) where Captain Caveman was already checked in to our room on the 19th floor. We’ve stayed here before a few times and it didn’t disappoint, the shower was great with lots of free products and I had the satsuma from the fruit plate before going to the restaurant for dinner. Captain Caveman ordered beef carpaccio to start while I went for fresh veggie spring rolls for my starter. They brought me the pork and prawn version instead but they were nice. My main meal was tamarind prawns which were really good.

It was hot and sunny in Dong Hoi on Thursday 16th January, I was full of cold with a streaming eye and jet lag but I was so happy to see Captain Caveman again and even more excited to have the Vietnamese buffet breakfast at the Vinpearl hotel. I had dragon fruit, melon, kiwi fruit and pomelo to start with, orange juice, detox water (who knows?) and earl grey tea. I had the pho ga (chicken rice noodle soup) and the seafood fried rice.
A visit to Dong Hoi is not complete without a trip to Tree Hugger, the wonderful cafe and shop. We had the free herbal tea and we ordered white russians and lunch – Captain Caveman just loves the egg sandwiches while I had a very tasty beef and veg stir-fry with steamed rice. We sat upstairs on the balcony where one couple had brought their laptop to watch loud TV on without headphones, one of my pet hates. They left, we ordered another cocktail and then another couple had a photo shoot with the girl posing against the wall with cosmetic products in her hands. Back at the hotel we had a quick wander round Mini Good, a Korean shop, where Captain Caveman bought a few bits. In the evening we went to another one of our favourite places to eat, 7th Heaven. We ordered the Australian beef steaks and a bottle of red but when it came it was really fatty and chewy, not easy to cut. When we told the waitress she explained they had used a different supplier for the meat we had but they had some of the usual supplier left and were able to cook us another steak – this was up to the usual standard and we enjoyed that one. Back at the hotel we packed and had an early night ready for a very early start the next day – we were heading to Phong Nha!