Phong Nha & Dong Hoi – the 2nd week of October

After 3 days off from physio and only 5.5 hours of therapy last week I had managed to get booked in for an 8.30am appointment on Monday 12th October. Phuong picked me up at 7.15am and I shared the car once again with Shannon, Stu and Jack who were off to the airport and flying to Saigon for a few days. The journey took a bit longer due to it being incredibly wet on the roads and when I got to physio it was ankle deep water that I had to walk in. That was the easy part because inside, on the lino floor, it was very slippery in bare feet and I was sliding a bit. Phuong helped me with the doors and told me to keep my shoes on but I managed ok. More flood photos were appearing on Facebook and there was news of hydropower plants facing landslides. Back at home I had a dragon fruit and an orange for lunch and shared a pot of green tea with Veronika. My visa still wasn’t ready but I was assured it would be in time for Captain Caveman to bring back at the end of the week, on his way back from Sapa. My good leg and the eczema was getting worse and I think it was infected so I was putting cream on but now the shower gel seemed to be irritating it and it was definitely infected. I had a zoom call with Ruth, a friend of Captain Caveman’s and a physiotherapist in the UK, she asked me to tell her what happened again and then she asked some questions, it was tricky without being able to fully translate word for word my MRI results in to English but we made do. I was keen to be able to supplement the physical massage therapy with some exercises and so she said she would send me some exercises to do in addition to my sessions in Dong Hoi. I felt a bit more confident having spoke to Ruth that I would be able to make more progress and hoped it would be beneficial to do some exercises which she would recommend.
That evening Veronika asked if I would like to share her wine gift, I agreed and I ate my falafel and veggies for tea. Veronika had soup and offered me some which I enjoyed, it was a veggie one with a good tasty flavour. Back in the bedroom I put my returned laundry back and got ready for a good night’s sleep – I had planned a lay in!

I woke up so early on Tuesday 13th October and didn’t get to sleep in at all because my good leg was in pain and my eczema looked quite infected. I decided to put apple cider vinegar on it and it did make it less puffy. I did my bad leg exercise plan from Ruth and most of it was very hard to do (She did advise it could be challenging)! For breakfast I had 2 apples and then did a bit of blogging before lunch. I had hummus, red cabbage, red pepper, carrot and olives for lunch. Captain Caveman had 3 lots of bread in the freezer so I took out the smallest box of sourdough and defrosted a couple of slices for me to have with lunch and free up a bit of space as the freezer was crammed full. I found a gluten free Facebook group which was based in Hanoi and sent Captain Caveman some requests for supplies.
For dinner I had a couple of slices of the sourdough and another apple then went to bed really early because I was still feeling rather tired!

It was very blustery on Wednesday 14th October and Veronika, Bich and I were off to Dong Hoi. I’d experienced another small bit of progress and had got my shoes and socks on for the first time this year. I was wearing my black volleys which were a gift from our Aussie friends, Amanda & Greg, we should have all been in Dalyan together right now too!
Our first stop in Dong Hoi was the organic shop where we stocked up on vegetables and fruit, I also bought some cheap peanuts. Our second stop was at Bibi’s clothes shop where Bich was picking up Marmot raincoats which really looked the business, I was tempted to replace my (donated by Josh) Oxalis raincoat which isn’t waterproof. They were great value but cash was tight until payday and so I didn’t think it a good idea to waste money on something I would rarely use on account of me not going far. I saw some amazing dresses which were made from silk and had pockets but was sure they would be too expensive or too small. I tried a couple on and they both fit, actually one was too big, but the one I really liked was nice, slightly baggy and comfortable. I decided to splash out and spend the 500,000 vnd (about £16.50) and buy it, it would look great with black tights or leggings on a wintery night. I was ecstatic to buy a dress off the peg in a Vietnamese dress shop! Our next stop was at a newly opened supermarket called Tuan Viet Gourmet which was fantastic because it sold gluten free stuff as well as British stuff. I bought crisps, gluten and sugar free chocolate cookies, beetroot wafer crackers and baked beans. They sold McVittie’s chocolate digestives which Watto would be shoving in the trolley like a kid in a sweet shop if he was here. Our last stop was for brunch at Tree Hugger where I had herbal tea, a peach tea and veggie spring rolls. The weather was fine, in fact it was warmer than expected and we sat outside. Tree Hugger had been closed for a bit of renovation and it looked even more cosy than before. It was great to see Anna, the owner, who is so lovely and very welcoming. On our way back to Phong Nha we called at the chemist near the hospital and stocked up on a load of stuff, I got amoxicillin for my infected eczema and started taking it straight away. When I got home I did my exercises which were tricky as my good leg was now a bad leg too. I got confirmation my visa extension had been done and that my passport would be getting returned to Captain Caveman – a relief I was now able to remain in Vietnam until the 9th November. That night for dinner I was feeling too lethargic to cook and so I ate the rest of the sourdough with butter and took a cup of jasmine tea to bed.

When I came down in to the kitchen on Thursday 15th October the cleaners were here and so I took my pot of jasmine tea outside and I got talking to Co and Duyet. They introduced me to ‘con cháu chấu’ which means grasshopper – they are pests to the beautiful orchids which are in the garden and Co picked it up and threw it away. Time was cracking on by the time I went back indoors and so I had gluten free cookies for breakfast and then added some grapes for lunch. While the weather wasn’t too bad, where we were, it had continued to be pretty awful in our neighbouring provinces and it looked like we were definitely in for a very wet weekend.
Veronika had made a bowl of tomato salsa which she was having on toast and I had some with rice crackers. I also made myself some veggie rice in the rice cooker and had that and shared Veronika’s left over wine.
Tomorrow Captain Caveman was due back so I had the alarm set for an early get-up.

Phong Nha – the 2nd weekend of October

I woke up at 4.30am on Friday 9th October because of a storm, there was a little bit of water coming in from under the balcony doors as the wind blew the rain in that direction. The bathroom window was not watertight and so a puddle was forming as the rain pelted against the glass. I checked my messages from Captain Caveman to find he’d not got on the train to Hanoi until 1am! I wouldn’t have been too happy with that when the train was due to leave at 7.40pm but at least he could drink beers while he sat in the train station. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up and did some Vietnamese practice. The cleaners came in early, mopping up, taking the wet towels away and generally making sure all was ok. I didn’t go to physio as it was a bit stormy still and I had an apple for breakfast. At lunch time I had grapes and peanut M&Ms and we popped another bottle of fizz in the fridge for later. That afternoon I saw various posts on Facebook showing that some people in Phong Nha had muddy flood water in their homes and some had no electricity. Further away some towns were having some really bad storms and it looked like the flood season had started. I watched Love on the Spectrum on Netflix which was brilliant. I finally had a message from Captain Caveman that he had arrived in Hanoi, 10 hours later than planned. That evening I had falafel, yoghurt dip, red pepper and red cabbage for dinner – it went well with half a bottle of Lindeman’s each. The wind was really getting stronger and I wondered if I would be able to get to sleep, this would be my first experience of the wet season here in Vietnam.

Saturday 10th October the world reached over 37 million reported cases of Corona virus and the rain here was heavy. Having not slept much I was up early and the cleaners were in again, mopping and ringing out towels. Veronika’s room was the worst and the shared sitting area between the bedrooms was a big puddle. Of course Veronika was able to slosh through all the water but I was hesitant due to my leg as I didn’t want to slip – the trusty shower shoes were a big help. Water had leaked on to the staircase too making it a bit slippy and tricky for me to get to and from the kitchen. When I got downstairs Hien had brought us treats from the bakery in Dong Hoi and they looked delicious. I had a chocolate and custard one for breakfast even though it probably had gluten in but I was fine after it! She tried to warn us the weather was going to get bad and to stay indoors. Photos and videos were being posted on Facebook showing bad floods in Hue, Danang and Hoi An – a few hours south of us. For lunch I had some hummus and veggies and I did an interview for a Turkish Facebook page. For the evening there was a banquet dinner on at Phong Nha Farmstay which we decided to go to. We shared a bottle of our favourite fizz by the fire, the first open fire of the year, and it felt all cosy and festive. The buffet was fantastic and I really enjoyed it, by the time we had finished we were stuffed and needing our beds.

I was awake by 4.30am on Sunday 11th October and because it was still rainy out I stayed in again. By 10am I hade made popcorn, impressed myself by carrying laundry down the stairs and treated myself to a red dragon fruit and an earl grey tea. Although it was still raining we were ok and photos from other provinces were gradually showing more flood situations. Phong Nha Farmstay decided to do a campfire stew instead of a Sunday lunch but I didn’t fancy going out in the rain so had a healthy dinner of hummus and veggies with a tortilla and a rice cracker. I wasn’t feeling too well and decided not to bother with any alcohol! The news in Vietnam now showed the number of dead and missing due to floods or landslides and it was many more than affected by the Corona virus in this country!

Dong Hoi – 8th October

Thursday 8th October would be our last day together before Captain Caveman went on holiday to the north for a week by himself. I would only be a burden as I can’t walk yet and he had planned to have some days in Hanoi, some days in Sapa visiting friends and doing some treks. I really wanted to see Sapa but the terrain there is too steep for someone who can’t yet manage much more than 5,000 steps on a good day. We got up for breakfast and noticed the rain outside was pretty heavy, the winds were very blustery, even the Vinpearl hotel had towels at windows catching the leaks and the dining room was virtually empty. The river was looking like it was about to overflow but Captain Caveman was already looking up the tide times and pointed out the tide was changing and it wouldn’t overflow. There was no buffet service so we were given a very extensive menu to pick anything we liked off – and we did! I had taken a Gastropulgite so that I could have croissants and cheese!!! I also had pho ga, bacon, sausages, and fruit so I was very full. Captain Caveman made me 2 cups of earl grey tea to wash it all down with and I messaged Thuy at physio to see if I could come for an earlier appointment.

The Vinpearl hotel staff had very kindly given us a free late check out and so I went off for physio, managing to get down the steps and in to a taxi with Captain Caveman’s help. He went to run a few errands and nip to the ATM so that he could give me some money as my funds were now depleted due to all the physio and transport costs. My physio became a tag team of three therapists all giving me what for and it was difficult for me to tell which bit was the most painful, I think it was the foot on the bum which clinched it.

Captain Caveman’s video of the river in Dong Hoi

I got back to the hotel and was so pleased with myself that I managed to get up the very wet marble steps in a blustery storm, Captain Caveman had come down to meet me but I was already at the lift when he got to me! We checked out but the weather was getting worse so we decided to have a hot beverage in the cafe area where the cute receptionist chatted on to us for a while, practicing her English on the few remaining guests. I contemplated booking an extra night at the Vinpearl hotel but we thought I might end up stuck there.

Captain Caveman’s clip of the weather from the Vinpearl hotel

When we realised the weather was not getting any better we decided to get a taxi to 7th Heaven for some food, leaving our bags at reception. We were the only ones there and both ordered a delicious steak, with a bottle of wine, as our last meal together for a while. All the time we were eating the rain was getting worse and the road outside looked like it might be flooding. Phuong was coming to pick me up to take me home and we drove to the Vinpearl hotel where Captain Caveman got soaked picking up the luggage, then we drove to drop him at the train station. By now the weather had got worse and we wondered if the train might be delayed but when we checked, it was still on time. Floods had started in Hoi An, Danang and Hue and it was on the news, saying it looked bad this year. We said our goodbyes and I was pleased Captain Caveman would be able to pick up my passport in Hanoi once my visa was renewed.

Phuong drove me and another suprise passenger, who had jumped in at the train station for a free lift back to Phong Nha. I was getting dropped off first because my drop off was at Veronika’s where she already had the wine chilling. It was very wet and I was glad to be high up in case the rain got bad, I felt very lucky to have somewhere nice to stay and with good company while Captain Caveman was away. The storm I had just been out in was going to seem like a bit of a light shower to what was to come but at the time I could not even imagine it. Before bed I spoke to Captain Caveman who was still in the train station, his train delayed and he was several beers in! He was already delayed by 5 and a half hours by the time I fell asleep.

Captain Caveman’s video as Phuong drove us to the train station in Dong Hoi

Dong Hoi -7th October

As the world’s Corona reported figures hit 36 million cases, 27 million recoveries and 1 million deaths we were heading off to Dong Hoi for a couple of days and to attend our first ‘event’ since lockdown. We had already missed a couple of weddings either due to my injured leg or because of Corona restrictions so we were excited to be able to attend this one. As Wednesdays go, in my world, the 7th October was pretty exciting for us. I’d not slept much as there had been a storm during the night (it turns out that what I thought was a bad storm was actually not that bad compared to what would follow later in the month). Firstly, we were off on a shopping trip to Dong Hoi and our first stop was at the organic shop where I found quinoa and bought a small bag of it to try. The next stop was my first ever visit to the Co-op Mart (I usually wait outside this massive supermarket), I was up for trying it seeing as though it was quiet. Once I’d managed to walk around the aisles downstairs we went upstairs and found the bargain of the day – a massage chair which was only 10,000 vnd for 6 minutes (33p)! Next time I decided I would not put my bad leg in or the arm with my watch on – this machine was obviously made for small Vietnamese people!

Captain Caveman’s video of me walking down an aisle in Co-op Mart

That massage chair at Co-op Mart is a bargain!

After shopping we went to Geminai for lunch where I had veggie fried rice, Captain Caveman had two cheese toasties, Veronika and Howie shared a chicken burger and chips with lots of ketchup.

The rain was heavy now and there was talk of a storm coming so Bich dropped us at the Vinpearl hotel where Captain Caveman had booked us a room and they went back to Phong Nha. When we arrived at the hotel door the staff waved us to the side entrance through the doors and when we got out of the car it was so blustery it was like being at Brighton pier! I struggled with the steps but one of the staff came out to help while Captain Caveman carried our two bags and his bicycle, which he was taking to Hanoi the next day. The Vinpearl Hotel had locked their front doors and had put sandbags up as they were expecting the river opposite to flood. In the room I had a bath (I do love a bath) and then got ready for the wedding of Phuong and Dat. Because of the terrible weather we had been asked if we would like to attend early so we did and arrived at 4.30pm. I was happier about this as it meant I could see better for walking in the wet weather.

The Vinpearl hotel was prepared for the stormy weather

The bride looked stunning and her husband was very handsome and such a nice guy – this was the first time we had met him and both of their families. The wedding party were so much more welcoming and friendly than any I’d experienced before and the ceremony and food went on to exceed expectations too. I did drink beer to do cheers with but kept it to a minimum and had taken the Gastropulgite before we got there. I had pork and chicken which were both delicious but the prawns were the best I’d had in a long time. Luckily we were sat next to a professional when it came to peeling them and I was lucky enough to get a spare one. The sticky rice was really good too but I had to draw the line at the last dish of turtle! We didn’t stay late as the rain was coming down hard, we thought it might get more difficult to get taxis and I certainly couldn’t walk anywhere. Back at the hotel we had a bottle of wine and I managed to wreck the place by having three knobs come off in my hand; first the bath one to put the plug up and down just fell off, then the one on the bedside drawer, followed by the one for the speed of the ceiling fan.

Photo and video credit – Captain Caveman

Phong Nha – 5th & 6th October

After the excitement of the Phong Nha Farmstay Sunday dinner the night before, Monday 5th October seemed much more tame in my world. Captain Caveman went off to a nearby beach at 5am with Ben and a few others for surfing and coffee drinking and while he was gone it started to rain. Phuong picked me up at 7am and off we went to physio in Dong Hoi. Back home I had fried rice for my lunch while Captain Caveman did some work. My friend in Hanoi confirmed that my passport had been given to the visa extension agent, would take 5-7 days to complete and would cost just $85 for one month visa. It should have meant that we would be able to collect it when we went there later this week but I had decided not to go and that Captain Caveman would go on holiday by himself. For dinner Captain Caveman did us some bacon and avocado and we shared a bottle of fizz.

It was quite stormy looking on Tuesday 6th October but Phuong was taking me, Tatas and Veronika to Dong Hoi. Captain Caveman was meant to be coming to Dong Hoi but decided not to as he had other things to do. He’d already cooked me a bacon, asparagus and parmesan breakfast before and I had arranged to meet him in Phong Nha later as we were off out out!!
Tatas was off to the dentist, Veronika the hairdresser’s and me the physio and I had said I would let them know if I would be finished early. Tatas ended up going back to Phong Nha before us and we got dropped off at The Villas because there was an all you can eat pizza buffet night. We made it in time for Happy Hour and a half where I joined Captain Caveman on the margaritas. I can’t drink as many as I used to and was a bit tipsy after 2. I had made sure I had the Gastropulgite stomach medication beforehand so I could eat the pizza. The food was great and we all got to try at least one slice of each pizza, they were so good that I overindulged and then ordered a third margarita, which was a mistake. I thoroughly enjoyed the all you can eat pizza night at The Villas which for 150,000 vnd, about £5 (including a beer or soft drink if you wanted one) was good value. On the way home it started to rain and it looked like a storm was coming.

Photo credit – Captain Caveman

Phong Nha – the 1st weekend of October

On Friday 2nd October I had an early appointment at physio and so Phuong picked me up at 7am and my session went well in Dong Hoi. On my return I had fruit and yoghurt for breakfast and then made some popcorn for lunch as well as snacking on salami (as you do). Captain Caveman was already out and about in Phong Nha village and I’d had a message to say our wine delivery was ready. We had ordered 6 bottles of the Lindeman’s sparkling and 6 of our favourite red! I was definitely making progress because now I could actually look up a bit when I walked rather than always looking at my feet. Captain Caveman went to the The Villas and then to an Oxalis colleague’s house warming party, I had a couple of White Russians, forgot to eat dinner then had cheese and rice crackers before bed!

Saturday 3rd October wasn’t as smooth a day as planned really. Of course I know I’m not adventurous in the slightest but I had one of those days where I just imagined I could do everything I wanted to without any issues! Captain Caveman was in charge in the kitchen and cooked me a breakfast of bacon and mushrooms while he did himself a fuller more eggy affair. My car and physio were booked in a bit earlier so I could get to The Villas after physio and then still make it to a Farmstay birthday party. The first thing to change was that my physio appointment moved to 3pm, meaning I would not get to The Villas until 6pm giving me only 30 minutes before I had to get to the birthday party so I had to cancel going to The Villas. At the Farmstay the nibbles were great, I had wine and chatted to Andrew (ex member of the Triple Cripple Club) and his wife, Trang. We also met a very interesting fella who used to be a bodyguard for Margaret Thatcher and Princess Anne! The night was very nice and I decided to order more food, as I’d not had any lunch, while we drank and listened to the remarkable tales from Mr Jackson!

Our Sundays were starting to become a little more British in that we had frequented Phong Nha Farmstay several times for a Sunday roast dinner and the 4th October was one of those occasions. Captain Caveman and I both had a day off with absolutely nothing planned so we decided to go to the Farmstay for breakfast. They’d had an order of ginger beer arrived recently and so I had a cold one with ice and a pho bo (beef noodle soup). It was very hot and humid so we had a massive fan on us as we chatted to Mr Jackson, the fascinating gentleman who had started on the cold beers after finishing his working day at 11am! Captain Caveman wasn’t long before he decided a cold Huda beer would be a good idea and I joined later with a red berries Strongbow. It would have been very easy to have an all day drinking sesh but I knew I had to be sensible and not just because of being an invalid! I had a dip in the pool and left Captain Caveman to it. When I got back Momma D and the cavers were already at a table of 4 and had ordered Sunday dinner. The birthday girl, Lesley, arrived and joined our table which consisted of Captain Caveman, Veronika, me and Mr Jackson. I didn’t have any Gastropulgite stomach medication so this time I didn’t eat any of the food with gluten in and was delighted to find out that Lesley hates the pork crackling and I could have her’s. I got a bottle of red wine, as well as the included glass with the roast dinner. There was cheesecake, chocolate cake or carrot cake for dessert and I had the cheesecake but didn’t eat the base – Lesley had that. I really enjoyed my dinner and we left fairly early because Captain Caveman needed to set the alarm for 4.30am the next day – he was off on an early morning adventure!

If you want to see what the Farmstay Sunday Roast Dinner is like you can check out this video on Facebook which made by Ben:
https://www.facebook.com/148614098486550/posts/3868407316507191/?sfnsn=mo

Cappadocia – October 2019

Our trip to Cappadocia was absolutely fantastic and I look forward to being able to visit again one day. Here is my experience of the 3 days, which was a bit too short a trip and would go for longer next time:

https://joloyolo.com/2019/11/10/dalyan-to-capadoccia-day-1/

https://joloyolo.com/2019/11/12/cappadocia-day-2/

https://joloyolo.com/2019/11/14/cappadocia-day-3/

Phong Nha – 1st October

On Thursday 1st October the weather was still nice but the forecast predicted rain, October and November are the wettest months in Phong Nha, Quang Binh, so we were about to be in for a treat this month. After a breakfast of a pear, peanuts and crisps I did a quick review of how my JOLOYOLO blog was doing. The posts relating to Dalyan, Turkey, were still the most popular posts by far, despite me not having been there for 9 months. The nationality of my blog readers showed that the UK was still in first place, followed by Vietnam, USA, Australia, Canada and then Turkey. I spotted that I even had someone from Nigeria and a newcomer from Lebanon reading. Captain Caveman had gone out and about early in the morning, I skipped lunch as I was off to my physio appointment and didn’t want to eat before the journey and session. Captain Caveman came with me, I picked him up from the Lake House on the way, and he went for coffee with Phuong while I was getting my pummelling for an hour and a half. At 4.30pm I was picked back up from physio by Phuong and Captain Caveman, we headed over to the Lake House for a romantic dinner. The views were nice and the staff were polite and attentive. We both had the Australian Beef steak and french fries for dinner with a nice bottle of red wine. The food was delicious, maybe even better than the last time and I love that they put a big roasted garlic on the side which goes well with the meat and pepper sauce. While we were there I saw a friend had posted on Facebook a quiz to check how much on the autism spectrum a person was and so Captain Caveman and I completed the test. Surprisingly I was more on the spectrum than Captain Caveman in some respects and he must have cheated, surely!?

Arriving in Vietnam – January

I’ve been in Vietnam for 9 months now and I wrote this blog post about my arrival at the time. I was only meant to be here for 3 months and had plans to be in Turkey by mid April. Could this be the year that I stay in Vietnam for a whole year for the first time?

The sleeping pod price list at Hanoi airport

I landed in Hanoi at 9am on Wednesday 15th January and, because I had a seat near the back of the plane, 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 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 wasn’t mine although it had nothing valuable in it.
I decided to check out the sleep pods (which they have at both the international and domestic terminals) and considered maybe paying for a nap but at 190,575 dong per hour (£6 ish) 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 feeling so I went to the ATM, drew out 2 million dong, then got the shuttlebus over to the domestic terminal. I sat next to a young girl from Shanghai who worked in Saigon but was on holiday for the lunar new year (Tet) already, she was very chatty and friendly. 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. It isn’t cheap but the food was actually very tasty and the service was attentive.
I used the self check-in machines for the next flight to Dong Hoi but the bag drop 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 Vin Pearl 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 didn’t come with any rice so I was still a bit peckish and ate a mango from the fruit plate when I got back to the room. I unpacked my stuff and showed Captain Caveman my Christmas and birthday gifts while he showed me his cuts and bruises – he had just finished a caving expedition in Laos and I think the jungle had taken its toll on him.

Phong Nha and Dong Hoi – end of September

Phuong arrived promptly at 7am on Tuesday 29th September, both Captain Caveman and I went to Dong Hoi and he popped to get some shopping while I had my early physio session. When I got there I ended up having to wait until 8.30am as they were so busy and, as always, I was grateful that Thuy could fit around my busy schedule. Back home Captain Caveman had to go to work again and I made myself some brunch of falafel, rice cracker, plain yoghurt and a bit of cheese. Later when Captain Caveman had finished working he made us a two course dinner of homemade guacamole with rice crackers to start, followed by bacon, asparagus and cheese – his new signature dish! I had a a couple of glasses of red wine too while Captain Caveman decided to have White Russians which were a little on the strong side. Tomorrow I had a very busy day coming up and hoped I would be able to manage without Captain Caveman’s help.

It was my first time doing the shopping without Captain Caveman on Wednesday 30th September and although I could walk without my helping sticks I still needed them a little, for going down the steps mostly – I was also still not confident on slippy tiles. I could have decided not to go because I do go to Dong Hoi most days for physio but I wanted to see how I did at going shopping without Captain Caveman’s help. Our first stop was the small organic shop which I managed to get a few things at without any problems, the produce is fresh and considerably cheaper than in the west – I spent less than a tenner on fruit and veg. The next stop was the Vincom centre where I was a bit apprehensive about the escalators but I managed them, the floor is slippy in the Vinmart and so I avoided the wet aisles so as not to fall. I decided not to bother with a basket either as I was carrying my crutch, surprisingly I wasn’t the last one to finish shopping – in fact I was the first because I was so conscious of taking too long. I managed to pick up a few essentials including salami, mushrooms and pringles for Captain Caveman all for around £6. It was very hot and sunny outside so I decided to do the steps instead of the extra long ramp and I managed that with one crutch for support while carrying my bag of shopping too. The trip was organised by Bich and Ben at Phong Nha Farmstay and I find it really useful that Bich knows which places to go to get specific things, including a shop not far from the train station with good quality bedding. After the Vinmart supermarket I walked across the road over to the sunshine bus to load my stuff in and then went in to QB Casa with Veronika’s youngest grandson. He had an ice-cream and I had a coconut, when Bich arrived she had a steak which looked great and I had pork fried rice which was rather good. Back home there was no rest as I logged on to an afternoon of language lessons. For dinner Captain Caveman tussled up a feast with gluten free sausages (from Momma D’s) and red wine. He also told me we would have a meal out somewhere nice tomorrow after I got back from physio.

Hang Son Doong – my trip to the biggest cave in the world

I rarely like to do things that are adventurous or physically demanding and so when I signed up for a trip to the biggest cave in the world I couldn’t have been more out of my depth!!! Friends and family had wondered if I would actually do it and, quite honestly, I wasn’t sure I had what it took to go the distance but I wondered if I might regret it if I didn’t try. I wrote a series of blog posts shortly after which told my experience of each day of my tour, which I have listed here. Would I do it again? Probably not! For me I think it would have to remain a once in a lifetime experience. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! It was a few years ago and the tour has been changed since my trip but you still get a good idea of what it’s like from the perspective of a forty-something woman who had very little trekking or caving experience.

https://joloyolo.com/2017/01/20/my-hang-son-doong-experience-day-1/

https://joloyolo.com/2017/01/26/my-hang-son-doong-experience-day-2/

https://joloyolo.com/2017/01/27/my-hang-son-doong-experience-day-3/

https://joloyolo.com/2017/02/02/my-hang-song-doong-experience-day-4/

https://joloyolo.com/2017/02/03/my-hang-son-doong-experience-day-5/

Photo credit to Captain Caveman and my fellow cavers

For more up to date information about Hang Son Doong and to check availability you can use this link: https://oxalisadventure.com/cave/son-doong-cave/

Phong Nha – 28th September

On Monday 28th September I had an early pick up booked with Phuong for 06:50am because, by the time Thuy had agreed to my morning appointment, my driver was already booked in by Shannon and her family. Luckily she agreed to let me share the vehicle and he picked me up first then on to pick the 4 of them up. I got dropped off first at physio and then they were all off to run errands in Dong Hoi for the morning. They were staying in town longer and so I couldn’t get a ride back with them but Phuong arranged for a taxi to pick me up for the ride back to Phong Nha. Physio went ok but Nam really put me through my paces and I nearly cried with the pain, especially when he wiggled my nerves near my ankle, which made me feel hot and faint. Once back in Phong Nha I was dropped off at Phong Nha Farmstay in readiness for our lunchtime adventure with Ben and some of the Farmstay guests. Captain Caveman came to meet me there and we all set off in the jeep with the others. We went through streams and rivers in the jeep and by the time we got there it was raining and we were all covered in mud. At one point we decided to go a different way so that we didn’t get stuck in the river. Ben had ordered the local pork dish and the famous BBQ chicken with peanut sauce, sweet potato leaves with garlic and steamed rice. I was so hungry because I’d not had any breakfast and so I definitely had my fill, I even had Gastropulgite and a beer! When we came to pay it worked out about 100,000 vnd per person for an absolute feast! It was so delicious and the first time I had managed a visit there in over 6 months!
Afterwards Ben decided we would go for it on the river crossing and we got stuck, the jeep filled up with water and I worried I wouldn’t be able to get out to swim, walk or push. Ben put it in to reverse, I could tell he wasn’t sure if we would get out but we did and some of the route was pretty adventurous (for me, anyway). I needed a lay down when I got back, I was so full and tired.
That night Captain Caveman decide to go hunting for snakes with Ben and a Farmstay guest who is a snake enthusiast and very interesting bloke from Australia. Videos were made of the Pub with Cold Beer trip as well as the snake search which I have added below for those who are interested in having a look.

Check out Melissa’s video of our Jeep ride to the Pub with Cold Beer: https://www.facebook.com/784377811644124/posts/3366881766727036/?sfnsn=mo

Ben captures our visit to the Pub with Cold Beer: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159417295983115&id=552758114&sfnsn=mo

Ben’s video of the search for snakes:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159423218603115&id=552758114&sfnsn=mo

Photo and video credit – Captain Caveman, Melissa Wiringi, Ben Mitchell

Phong Nha – the last weekend of September

There was no physio today, Friday 25th September because I had requested the day off. Just after mid-day it started to rain and it was nice for it to feel a bit cooler. For lunch I had taken out some corn tortillas from the freezer and decided to have them with lettuce and hummus (3 of them) and then peanut butter (2 of) with some more grapes and water. In the news Vietnam was pleased about having beaten the Corona virus for the second time. The Vietnamese prime minister still kept on asking people to be vigilant as it could reappear at any time and that masks and social distancing were still important. Danang opened back up again and declared it being back to normal now for visitors.
Captain Caveman finished work and cooked us gluten free sausages (from Momma D’s) with potatoes, garlic, onion and peppers for dinner which we had with a glass of red wine too – rather a quiet start to the weekend.

On Saturday 26th September we had left over dinner for brunch but with added bacon and mushrooms, it was really tasty but not particularly healthy! I had earl grey tea and lots of water and then was ready for my afternoon physio appointment. Back in the UK there was an app launched to help track and trace the virus which was fairly similar to the one we had been checking in on in Vietnam since 29th March – if only they had used it sooner. When I arrived back home I felt really dehydrated so had a cold bottle of Revive, then shared some wine and just had hummus and rice crackers for my dinner. I’d managed 10 hours of physio this week and was hoping to be better soon, I was definitely improving. Captain Caveman and I had planned to go to Hanoi and Sapa for a short holiday in October and to renew my visa which expires on the 10th October – hopefully I would be better for the trip!

Our Sunday, on 27th September, was pretty indulgent although I did try to restrict the amount of wine I had! Captain Caveman cooked us asparagus with bacon and parmesan cheese for breakfast, he added a poached egg to his and even made me an earl grey tea. He did some more work sorting and I had fruit and yoghurt for lunch. We got word that Phong Nha Farmstay had it’s Sunday dinner on again and so we decided to go. I chugged down a Gastropulgite beforehand so I didn’t need to worry about any gluten and we were away. I still gave Captain Caveman my garlic bread but this time I had the pasta which was included this week. It was amazing and the first pasta I’ve had this year – I miss pasta! I also scoffed down the pork roast, with crackling, roast potatoes, roast pumpkin, sweet potatoes, courgette, carrot, green beans and broccoli with 2 glasses of red wine. It was absolutely delicious and the best thing I’d eaten all week. I even took home the chocolate cake, which was included in the price (as was a glass of wine) and was a pretty good feast for 300,000 vnd. When we got back home I got confirmation that I could have an early physio appointment on Monday morning, which worked well because we had a small lunchtime adventure planned!

If you want to see a video featuring Sunday dinner footage by Ben at Phong Nha Farmstay, here it is:. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159412189318115&id=552758114&sfnsn=mo

Photo credit – Captain Caveman
Video credit – Ben Mitchell

Phong Nha – the 4th week of September

Breakfast for me on Monday 21st September was a rice cracker, 2 Laughing Cow light cheese triangles and a snickers. Captain Caveman went to do some work but was finished by the time it came to share the ride to Dong Hoi with me at 2pm. I actually managed to go in and out of the physio building without my helping sticks (crutches) for the first time but I still needed a hand on the 2 steps. When I got back in to Phuong’s minibus I had a surprise waiting for me – Captain Caveman had bought me a popcorn maker as a present. I already have one at my parents’ house in Sheffield and I have wanted to bring it over to Vietnam or Turkey. I was so excited because now it means I can have gluten free snacks which are healthy and won’t make me sick with surprise gluten in. Electric items are so expensive here though and it cost about £60 for a basic model – I think Captain Caveman felt bad for shouting at me for trying to wash up in ‘his’ kitchen. Vananh from Phong Nha Underground was back in Phong Nha and would be opening the restaurant tomorrow for a couple of days so that they could sell off stock and then she would close for the winter, we decided Captain Caveman would go to collect some items for our fridge/freezer and she messaged me a list of what was available. Back home I didn’t try my popcorn maker but I had a Revive drink and some cashew nuts as a snack. For dinner Captain Caveman cooked steak with salad and olives and I decided to have a day off the alcohol.

I had 4 mini salamis and a half of a rice cracker for breakfast on Tuesday 22nd September then a lunch of salad and olives – conscious of my ever present dodgy stomach. We had both been invited to Ho Khanh’s for an end of season party that evening but only Captain Caveman was going to go. I caught up on languages, blogging and read more of the book by Melissa Wiringi, Domestic Violence on Ice. In Corona data the world had exceeded 23 million recoveries and in Vietnam they had now gone 20 days without any more cases being reported in the community. A man in the north of Vietnam had been positive, recovered, tested negative more than once and had now tested positive again.
My physio was at 3pm and the sessions were going well, even if it meant it was very slowly. Captain Caveman arranged to pick up some Phong Nha Underground food the next day so that Vananh could be there to supervise any ‘complicated’ orders. For dinner I had more salad with a bit of hummus, a couple of glasses of red wine and then enjoyed an early night.

I was up at 6.30am on Wednesday 23rd September because Thuy at physio had managed to fit me in on a morning appointment which I was very happy about. Phuong picked me up at 7am and I was in the heat room by 7.45am followed by my 2 hour session from 8-10am. In the news Vietnam had gone 3 weeks without any new Corona cases in the community, Hoi An had reopened and Danang had it’s last Corona patient recovered so now there was no more Corona in Danang and 2 months had passed since the second wave started. When I got home I tried the popcorn machine and had some healthy popcorn which was amazing. By 1pm Captain Caveman was eventually back from Phong Nha Underground with lunch, hummus, falafel, cheese and steak. I had the pork, veg and rice for my lunch which was nice and it was sad that the restaurant would be closed for the rest of the season. For dinner I had my newly acquired Phong Nha Underground hummus with rice crackers and a couple of glasses of red wine. It was another early night (I was getting used to this) as I had another morning appointment at physio the next day.

I was lucky enough to have another morning physio appointment on Thursday 24th September and so the alarm went off at 6.30am and we were both in Phuong’s minibus at 7am. Captain Caveman had decided to come along so that he could get some shopping while I was at my session. It went well and I was making some progress although the physio was still painful. When we got back home we had another argument over the kitchen arrangements and I was not amused – he’s obsessed with things having to be done his way. I had some grapes and mini salamis for breakfast and ignored his funny ways. He went to work and was going to another work party later so I would be able to do my own thing. I did my usual chores then finished Domestic Violence on Ice, the book written by our neighbour Melissa Wiringi – it was a really good read and a fascinating, brutally honest story! The Corona cases had reached over 32 million worldwide now, Vietnam had agreed to open up flights with 6 other countries and the first flight to South Korea from Hanoi was due to fly tomorrow. I had hummus, rice crackers and steamed rice with tamari sauce on for lunch. For dinner I cooked fried rice with red cabbage, red pepper, garlic and falafel and it was really nice. I was pleased to have made my first meal in the kitchen by myself, without any help or needing my crutches. I decided not to have any booze that night either and stayed up watching something I immediately forgot about on Netflix.

Phong Nha – the 3rd weekend of September

I was awake several times during the early hours of Friday 18th September as I could hear the rains getting heavier and the winds becoming stronger. I got up for a pee at 4am and then the power went off, Captain Caveman was snoring away unaware that Noul the tropical storm was here. At around 4.45am the power came back on and I finally got back to sleep. Captain Caveman started cooking breakfast, I avoided all the wet floors so that I didn’t slip. In Hue the storm had been brutal and had caused a lot of damage, Danang was also fairly badly affected. Here, in Phong Nha, we were extremely lucky. My plate of bacon, mushrooms and gluten free sausages (from Momma D’s) went down well and in the afternoon I ate more grapes and drank lots of water. Because of the storm I didn’t go to physio and spent some time studying my languages instead.
For dinner Captain Caveman had made us a salad with cheese and cashew nuts and we had a glass of red wine. For dessert we shared some peanut M&Ms!

On Saturday 19th September I had a mango for breakfast and then got on with some languages and blogging because I had another day off and wasn’t going anywhere. Captain Caveman got temporarily stranded at Oxalis Home, sheltering from another rain storm. The weather had calmed down here but it was still wet out. For lunch I had rice crackers, cashew nuts and a banana and because I knew I didn’t have to be anywhere I tried yoghurt again – this time I was fine! So fine that I managed crisps and a couple of Strongbow ciders that afternoon too.
I started to read a book that our neighbour (Melissa Wiringi) had written, called Domestic Violence on Ice. I read the first chapter and I knew it was going to be one of those books that’s hard to put down. Captain Caveman made dinner of gluten free sausages (beef ones this time) potatoes, garlic, onions, peppers, carrots and mushrooms and it was really tasty.

Captain Caveman went off early to watch the Phong Nha football match and then do some work on Sunday 20th September. I made myself a fruit salad using a pink dragon fruit, 2 apples and a banana which I had with yoghurt and was fine (again) thus assuming I am not allergic to dairy! I was very productive and completed lessons in Vietnamese, Turkish and French on the Duolingo app before getting on with some blog writing and then watching Social Dilemma on Netflix. I read more of Melissa’s book and was really getting into it, it is very well written, about a subject I know nothing of and would normally not have chosen to read it. Captain Caveman was back by lunch and we had made a lunch of potatoes with onion, garlic and melted cheese as a joint effort but mainly with Captain Caveman doing the cooking. He lost it when I started doing the washing up and said it was his turn!!! I was furious because all these months of him complaining that he had to wash up everything all the time, he would also leave pots unwashed for days because it was such a chore. Now I could actually do washing up a bit easier but got shouted at for trying – I ended up attempting to stomp off but couldn’t even do that well enough! He washed up and said he was sorry but I was still upset because I had started to feel I was improving by being able to do my bit, especially in the kitchen, was progress. I spent the afternoon reading more of the book which was really getting quite gripping. At 4.30pm I had to put it down because we had organised to go to The Farmstay for Sunday dinner. When we arrived we ordered a bottle of the R7 red wine, which is one of our favourites. We sat at a table by the pool to enjoy a relaxed drink and the dinner was really nice, I even had a Gastropulgite so that I could eat without getting ‘glutened’ even though I did give my garlic bread and pasta to Captain Caveman and I just had ice-cream for dessert.