Phong Nha -22nd June

I was back at Victory Road Villas again on Thursday 22nd June having the same as yesterday for breakfast; pho ga, fresh coconut and jasmine tea. It was delicious and easily my favourite breakfast – I would miss it when I left Vietnam. I had just 1 week left until my visa expired and I would be flying out of Saigon airport, heading for Rhodes!
At 6am it was less than 30°C, by 8.30am it was hotting up but I really seemed to be finally getting a little more accustomed to it.
I had a fruit salad with muesli and sugar free yoghurt before cycling home in 37°C, almost unfazed!

Here’s my bill from The Villa’s for my breakfast and lunch;

Jasmine tea 30,000
Fresh coconut 50,000
Pho Ga 75,000
Fruit, muesli, yoghurt 95,000
Total cost 250,000vnd (£8.25)

I worked from home in the afternoon but then got ready for my night out with several friends. I decided to wear Carol’s white dress again (no one noticed the pocket last time) and I popped Steve’s sunglasses in to my bag as I was off for sunset at the Phong Nha Farmstay. Bich, the owner, had booked me a taxi, for 200,000vnd (£6.60) each way, to pick me up at 5pm from the Glass House, I then picked up Kat from her house and Tatas from her’s. We’d all wore dresses so we looked nice and we were excited for sundowner cocktails at the Farmstay. This was my first visit this year so it was nice to be back and see everyone, including the lovely staff.
Melissa and her family were there and it was great to see them again, the last time had been in Hoi An over a year ago. Bich came to join us and I got to briefly see Michael and Howie, Ben (their dad) was back in Australia. Andrew, Trang and a couple of extra kids were there to say hello and Hawk was visiting from Hoi An too. It was great to see everyone while drinking our 2 for 1 cocktails but I did feel like I couldn’t give everyone my full attention. I didn’t know it at the time but this was probably the last time I would see most of these friends this year.
Gin and tonics were 50,000vnd (£1.65) for 2, my rum and coke was a little more at 65,000vnd (£2.15) so we had a few before going on to the wine.
I ordered my favourite dish, the beef in bamboo, Tatas had a chicken salad and Kat chose the sausage sandwich and chips. Kat had a carrot cake for dessert and I had a spoon of it, Tatas had a chocolate brownie with ice cream which I resisted. Even though I’d put some weight back on, my new clothes still fit fine and I wanted it to stay that way.

For those wondering, here was our bill at the Phong Nha Farmstay with the prices in Dong;

4 X 2 for 1 G&T 200,000
2 X 2 for 1 R&C 130,000
Sausage sandwich 145,000
Chicken salad 120,000
Beef in Bamboo 210,000
Carrot cake 70,000
Brownie 120,000
1 bottle house wine 400,000
2 bottles (not house) wine 1,040,000
Total bill including service + tax/vat came to 2,812,425vnd (£92.81).

We didn’t leave until gone midnight, it had been a brilliant evening which would actually turn out to have been my leaving party!