I was up and about before Captain Caveman on Saturday 16th January as I was also leaving Phong Nha for the weekend. He was off on tour to Hang Va with some customers he knew (including Matty) and was looking forward to it. I had decided to book in for an 8am physio session and so Phuong was picking me up at 7.10am. I had an aching ankle from the 10,000 steps I walked yesterday and so a few different therapists had a go on sorting that out. Before lunchtime I went to the Nam Long Plus hotel, where I was booked for 1 night, to drop my bag off. I then walked all the way to Earth cafe (about a 20 minute walk for me) in the sunshine. I had tofu vegan rolls for breakfast, followed by udon soup for lunch and some lovely herbal tea. It was all very delicious and there was a new waitress, Ly, who’s English was very good and she was on the ball.
Back at the hotel my usual room with a bath was already booked so I had room 703, a really nice room with good views, better WiFi and a shower. I managed the shower fine without slipping and I finished off Night Stalker on Netflix in the afternoon before having another walk, this time to Tree Hugger. I treated myself to a White Russian and a toasted sandwich before ordering a chicken salad to take away for later. It was my sister’s birthday and, even though she was in the UK in lockdown, the photos of her birthday celebrations (at home) looked fantastic with a birthday cake I would have loved a slice of. For a Saturday in Dong Hoi I’d been pretty healthy and eaten fairly cheaply, spending less than £30 on transport, a hotel room and all my food and drink for the day. I was pleased at my mastering a shower in a hotel room without a cubicle without my shower shoes.
Even though I was trying to stick to a healthier eating regime I wasn’t going to miss out on the roast dinner on Sunday 17th January and so I was heading back to Phong Nha from Dong Hoi around lunch time. I’d left it too late to walk to breakfast at the vegan Earth cafe and so I went to the nearby Mr Bull, I’d had a good night’s sleep at the Nam Long Plus hotel and was feeling pretty good. I ordered Bo Ne but without the fried egg and so I had a steak sandwich for breakfast. After a bargain and delicious breakfast I left, walked back to the Nam Long Plus hotel and checked out. Phuong (of Phuong’s Transfers) picked me up around 11.15am and I thought the rest of the day would be a pretty steady one in Phong Nha.
joloyolo 