Captain Caveman was due to arrive at Danang train station on Saturday 22nd June at 6.06am. He also was delayed a little but by 8.30am we were off in search of a launderette and some breakfast. Captain Caveman dropped our washing off and was told to pick it up in the morning, we then got a Grab taxi to Lighthouse in Son Tra. It was pretty plush and I was starving so here’s what we had, prices in Dong;
1 Jasmine tea 70,000 1 Double Espresso 80,000 1 Eggs Benedict 125,000 1 Big Breakfast 150,000 Total 425,000VND (£13.16)
The food was fantastic and I felt super full but I didn’t feel too well after and needed the toilet urgently. I have a feeling that hash browns on the same meal as toast, doesn’t agree with my stomach.
There was a weather warning so we stayed in the AC room for the afternoon and I did some work while Captain Caveman played Bridge then fell asleep. I booked my flight from Istanbul for next week which included a snack, 25kg hold luggage, a specific seat and the Turkish Airlines lounge for about £80. In the evening we popped out to a Heart of Darkness beer place where I inadvertently ordered a lemongrass and coriander beer. It turned out to be really nice and we shared some salted edamame beans which I loved. For just 105,000VND (£3.25) for a pint of Belgian wheat beer in Vietnam, we decided to have another before walking to a restaurant.
Maazi is a lovely Indian restaurant which also has restaurants in Hanoi, Hoi An, Matlock and Hathersage. How fantastic, and we spoke about this to the manager, Rohit Chandra. We were peckish as hadn’t eaten any lunch so we really went for it. Here’s what we ordered, prices in Dong;
1 steamed rice 40,000 1 garlic naan bread 45,000 1 Vegetable Samosas 60,000 1 Pani Puri 60,000 1 Tandoori chicken 80,000 1 Masala Dosa 129,000 1 Butter Chicken 139,000 2 Kingfisher beers 200,000 Total with tax 817,240VND (£25.30)
It was so lovely and we really enjoyed it before hurrying back, via the cash machine, to watch a firework display.
Those Pani Puri were amazing
I’m not a fan of fireworks so Captain Caveman was a bit disappointed that I would rather watch them from indoors, even though there was a bridge and a place to view them better from. As we were near our hotel, it started to rain so we went inside and tried to watch fireworks from the window. Captain Caveman lasted a few minutes before laying on the bed and then instantly falling asleep and snoring loudly for far too long. I watched all the fireworks even after the spectators on the bridge started leaving because of the rain. Tomorrow we had something special planned and I was really looking forward to it.
As the rain came, the crowds tried to find shelter
My train to Danang on Friday 21st June was due to leave Dong Hoi at 7am. By 6.20am I was outside Dolphin Hotel, having had a lovely sleep, waiting for my Grab taxi. The fare was 41,000VND (£1.26) and took less than 10 minutes. When I got to the train station, I found out that the train was delayed by about an hour. I was meant to be arriving in Danang at 12.30pm so I was glad I had leftover pizza for my journey. At 8am I was waiting on the platform for the SE1 to arrive. I was in Coach 1 and had Seat 6 booked which had cost Captain Caveman 257,000VND (£7.90) – not bad for a 5.5 hour journey. On the first part of my journey I was sat next to a quiet Vietnamese lady who slept. Once we got to the next stop, she got off and a couple with a kid got on. By 11am the train was rammed and chaotic, every passenger competing for who could watch silly reels on there phone the loudest. The child behind me started climbing on the chairs and making strange and loud noises which eventually tipped me over the edge! I had a proper Inbetweeners moment!!! It was only after I’d loudly told the kid to shut up and tutted that I realised he was deaf and had special needs!!! Within minutes I was sat next to the Mom, instead of the Dad!!! They switched seats in disgust and the kid was being even louder!
By 2.30pm, just a couple of hours later than expected, I was off the train and walking to a cafe where I could order a Grab taxi from. The taxis at the station have been known to rip me off so I decided, as I only had a couple of bags, I’d find somewhere down the road. I went to Vevy on Hai Phong and ordered a peach tea for 33,000VND (£1) which was really good. I’d not eaten the leftover pizza as the train was that hot, I felt it might not still be ok to eat. I was hungry but decided to wait until I got to the hotel.
My Grab taxi from Vevy to the Han River Hotel was just 34,000VND (£1.05). The hotel room was located above a coffee shop called Han Riverine and there was a key box to collect the key from. All was straight forward and the room was spacious and clean. I put my bags down and had a bit of a check through my phone to see I had confirmation of our brunch booking for Sunday. I was excited to find we had been given a discount for being a regular customer. I was a bit peckish so I had some mangosteens and then spoke to Captain Caveman. It was raining in Phong Nha for the first time in a while which I was surprised about. Captain Caveman was out of the cave, he was getting ready for his Gala Dinner and had all my bags and suitcase organised as we had discussed. He paid the bill at Son River House, picked up Bluey and took her back to the Glass House. After I came off the phone I went down to the cafe to get something cheap to eat. I paid 42,000VND (£1.29) for what looked like a fresh croissant but, when I broke in to it, there was an egg and sugar filling. I scooped it out as best I could and ate the pastry bits. Unfortunately, I then had an incident back in the room where the bathroom door was locked from the inside so we had to get the owner out to unlock it with a screwdriver. I didn’t go out that evening as I was running out of cash but I did message Captain Caveman to check if he’d set off. I didn’t get a response and so I went to bed. Captain Caveman was getting the SE9 train from Dong Hoi at 00.35am and was due to arrive early in the morning.
I woke up to my alarm at 6.30am on Thursday 20th June and got on with my packing. I had already started it and had separate piles based on final destination of each item. This was confusing but I was on it and needed to be done by 8.30am as I was booked in to have my hair done. During the night, Hoan had taken a bus from Xa Lai to Phong Nha and had arrived early this morning. She was back for the Phong Nha Vegan buffet and to see me off. She had already asked Chung to delay me so that I could eat a last lunch at the Vegan before my taxi to Dong Hoi. I had a lot to thank Chung, Hoan and the girls from the Vegan for, so I agreed. It was down to them that I was leaving Phong Nha only 1.3 kg (2.9lb) heavier than when I arrived in March and I was grateful for all the amazing food I’d eaten because of them. I was only 1cm over my hip and waist target measurements, which I was pleased with. I still wasn’t a vegan convert but I was definitely a strong advocate of vegan dishes and eating less meat. These girls had become such good friends, especially since I’d become the only female Western woman living in town. Once I’d finished packing, I took photos of each bag and started to move them to the Glass House, ready for Captain Caveman to do his thing with them tomorrow. I took my motorbike helmet, 3 bags and a rather heavy suitcase (with a patched up wheel) the few hundred meters to the house. By 8am, I was walking back to Son River House Homestay and it was incredibly hot and sunny. It was not the best day to have a hair appointment and an all you can eat vegan buffet but, I soldiered on. Chung moved the taxi from 11am to 1pm and we called ‘Onion’ to check she was definitely there today. I wasn’t bothered if she cancelled now as it meant I could go back to bed but she was going to meet me there. I let Chung know I was all packed and brought my bags down to reception. As is usual in Vietnam, when a friend goes away, she saw my full bags and gave me 4 packets of Banh Ep, a fragile pork, shrimp and spring onion cracker type product, to take with me. She had even had her ex boyfriend put them on the bus from Hue for her as she knows how much I like them. How sweet!
Once at the hairdresser’s, she cut my dry hair first while I sat in front of a fan. I was not entirely optimistic it would turn out well but the heat meant I barely cared about anything else but staying alive. Just 1 hour 15 minutes later I had the hair dye on and was told to wait an unknown amount of time for it to take. Next I got a hair wash, conditioner, face, head and shoulder massage and the blow dry I’d said I didn’t need in this heat. Onion was having none of me walking out of her establishment with wet hair! By 10.30am I was finished and my hair looked good. I headed back to check-out, where Chung had prepared our bill for the 9 day stay at Son River House Homestay. Captain Caveman was going to pay the 3,352,000VND (£101.79) by bank transfer when he returned from the cave. This included 400,000VND (£12.15) for the meal last night which was absolutely delicious. We did get a friend’s discount which was much appreciated and I would definitely stay there again.
Our next stop was the Phong Nha Vegan which was amazing for my last buffet and farewell to everyone. I sat with Kim and her daughter while trying to get a blast of the cooler which was set to 39°C. The food was so good and plentiful but it was so hot I could barely take the heat. Kim recommended I try different dishes which was really nice and we even arranged for me to visit her in Saigon in a few days time. Back at the homestay, I said my goodbyes and Hoan arrived to give me going away gifts of a knitted mobile phone case, some sweets and a big bag of mangosteen. In the end, Chung moved my taxi for Dong Hoi to pick me up at 1.45pm as we were running late, and she promised to take Bluey over to the Glass House tomorrow. It was a sad, sweaty goodbye as I got in to the car and drove through Phong Nha with tears in my eyes.
The drive from Phong Nha to Dong Hoi on that afternoon was comfortable and cool. It took about 45 minutes and cost me 500,000VND (£15.26). The Minh Quang Hotel had already been booked up but the owner had very kindly recommended the Dolphin hotel as a nearby and suitable alternative. It was only 280,000VND (£8.54) per night and located really close to Tree Hugger. The driver couldn’t find it at first but once I was checked in and was in the room, I realised why it was called the Dolphin Hotel. It was located bang opposite the Dolphin statue on the river front. The lady who checked me in was really lovely and the room had the best display of tourist information, I’ve seen in a while. Unfortunately, it was a little wasted on me as I was only there until very early in the morning. I had a shower and a little rest, plus a bit of a repack to get the gifts in, before going out for a stroll.
I called in at Tree Hugger where I had a mint and lime iced drink and some veggie spring rolls while admiring the view with a fan on. It was really lovely and cost just 90,000VND (£2.75) which was definitely good value.
In the evening, I met up with Jack, Stu’s youngest son, for a last leaving drink and meal at Oregano. We drank a Huda beer, ate potato wedges and a Bolognese pizza, which we shared. We had 2 video calls with Stu who was in Ha Tinh doing a summer teaching job and was disappointed he couldn’t join us. The food, as always, was excellent and I’d learned they had wedges on the menu. I couldn’t eat it all so I took a couple of slices of pizza with me and Jack dropped me off at Dolphin Hotel on his way home. The cost of dinner for both of us was a very reasonable 250,000VND (£7.64). Back at Dolphin, I finished the half bottle of red wine I’d brought with me, from last night, and got ready for bed. My alarm was set for early tomorrow morning as I was getting the train to Danang.
Wednesday 19th June was not only weigh day, but it was my last full day and night in Phong Nha. I had arrived in Vietnam 15 weeks ago and would be leaving after 4 months in the country, longer than I’d expected. I was up early so that I could be ready for an appointment before work and I did my measurements. My bust was the same as the previous week, I’d lost 1cm from my waist but had put 1cm on my hips. I made a note to get weighed later when I went to the vegan. I cycled down to see ‘Onion’ the hairdresser as Captain Caveman had booked me in for a cut and dye at 8.30am. She is actually called Nghien but it’s kind of pronounced like onion and that’s what a couple of the older cavers had called her. When I arrived, it was already getting hot, there was no sign of her. I bumped in to a young girl who was wearing sunglasses, a mask and a hooded long sleeved coat. This ninja-looking female spoke a little English and told me her mom was in town having coffee with friends. I’d also messaged her to say I was there but the reply came to the daughter to return at midday. There was no way I could take the midday heat while being in the hairdresser’s building so I asked for the same time tomorrow. The daughter didn’t understand so I just left and said I would message. Tomorrow I was leaving to go to Dong Hoi before lunch so that might be a bit of a squeeze, anyway. Disappointed, I cycled down towards The Villas and as I arrived Onion turned up saying I could cycle back to the hairdresser’s. By this time I’d already rescheduled my work and confirmed lunch with a friend. We agreed on tomorrow at 8.30am so I would just have to get up early. I worked from The Villas for the rest of the morning and drank a lot of water as the AC wasn’t on yet. At lunch time I logged off as I had invited Khanh Linh to join me for a catch up. We shared a Momma D’s pizza and a garden salad which was very filling. A member of staff popped the AC on and looked confused as to why it wasn’t already on. I had to try the Pina Colada as it was 50% off those on Wednesdays. It was very nice and I had a lovely time with Khanh Linh, who bought me a gift of a pair of jelly shoes. When I tried them on I was surprised to find they fit very well, too. Khanh Linh, who works at Jungle Boss, had to get back to work and it was very hot and humid outside. I also went back to work but finished before 5pm so that I could hurry back to Son River House Homestay for a shower. The plan was to be back at The Villas to meet anyone who was coming to help me celebrate my last night.
When I got back to the homestay, I decided to chance a full shower with a hair wash – this was a mistake. I was lathered up like a soapy meringue when the water went off! It took a while to get all the bubbles off me and, of course, Vietnamese hotel towels are rather small. I was 10 minutes late to my own leaving party and Chung, who was going to give me a lift, was busy so I cycled back down. René was already there and was a bit concerned he was going to miss me as he had guests back at Greenfield Ecostay who he had to get back to. Ngan, his wife, was in Hanoi and couldn’t join us. René had a drink with me and then left with arrangements to come back if work allowed. Maxime and his 2 daughters joined us, then Bich and Luc came for a drink and food and it was so lovely to catch up. I had also arranged to have a drink and some food at Son River House Homestay with Chung and Uy. It was also their 7 year anniversary. Manu from Victory Road Villas and the girls from Phong Nha Vegan were also meant to be coming to join the small party. Manu saw René drive past on a motorbike so I cycled back after paying my 1,200,000VND (£36.45). This included breakfast, lunch for 2 of us, 2 smoothies, 4 cocktails and a bottle of red wine to take away. Back at the homestay, I arrived to an empty seat where René must have been sat, a fresh beer with ice and a 100,000VND (£3) note under the glass as payment. He had obviously got tired of waiting for me and left – I was surprised not to have passed him as I cycled my little legs as fast as I could on Bluey. Manu didn’t arrive as he couldn’t find it, and the Vegan girls were too busy with customers to leave early. Chung was apologetic that the local chicken with sticky rice that I had ordered for us all to share, had been boiled instead of barbecued. I wasn’t, as it was so delicious – Ms My had done a lovely job and I opened the bottle of wine to share with Chung and Linh Giang. Once again, I was the only non-Vietnamese person at the table and we had so much fun. Eventually, Uy noted the date and redeemed himself of forgetting his anniversary with a romantic speech but I was more enthralled by Motthew IV. Chung had chopped up a couple of pineapples for us to share so a big, thirsty moth came to sample it. There was a cake, more cheers and drinks but I was in bed by 10.30pm. I still hadn’t packed for Danang, Dalyan or the UK. Tomorrow was going to be a bit disorganised and rushed.
We were awake early on Tuesday 18th June as Captain Caveman was off in to Son Doong and I said I would see him off before I started work. It was probably the last time I would see him this year in Phong Nha and I was feeling a bit sentimental about that. Captain Caveman doesn’t do emotional stuff so it was just another day to him but at least he posed for a photo while we waited for a coffee and a watermelon juice at Son River House Homestay. We agreed that I would travel by car to Dong Hoi on Thursday, he’d booked me a room at the Dolphin hotel for that night and a train for Friday morning to Danang. He would get the overnight train after his gala dinner on Friday night and see me in Danang on Saturday morning. We would have our final celebrations in Danang before I flew back to Turkey on Tuesday. We were all organised so that it would go smoothly. Captain Caveman took himself off for spicy fish noodle soup for his breakfast, probably to escape my emotional goodbyes and me still being upset about May, the dog. Chung could see I needed a bit of support and told me to come back to the homestay once I’d seen Captain Caveman off on tour from Ho Khanh’s. I saw Mr Nghia who works on the porter team and is Ha’s (from Phong Nha Vegan) dad. He was holding Ai’s baby who is super cute and so I took photos. I also found a creepy crawly to match his Oxalis shirt which turned out to be poisonous and had a twin nearby! Luckily I moved one to the shrubbery but then it got moved again to further afield. We said bye and Captain Caveman got on the bus with the next tour group, who also didn’t get off for a photo. Back at the homestay, I waited for Chung so that we could go to Phong Nha Vegan for brunch. I took photos of the Son River House Homestay menu which looked very comprehensive.
At Phong Nha Vegan, Chung had spicy noodle soup, I had Banh Canh and we shared some fresh spring rolls. Ha made me a mango and coconut smoothie which was so good. I would miss this a lot when I left. I decided to work in the AC of my room at the beautiful and peaceful Son River House Homestay for today.
That evening, after work, I cycled down to Phong Nha Vegan again. Tatas came to meet me and had to wait a while until I could leave to go out for dinner. We went to The Villas for our farewell drinks and meal. We had to make do with mojitos with it being a Tuesday as they were half price. We shared a veggie pizza with a bottle of red then took the wine back to mine so that we could finish off the night. Tatas paid the total bill as a farewell gift and we had a lovely night, it was a bit emotional as I had no idea when I would see her again, although we were hoping she could get a visa to come visit us in Turkey this winter. Tomorrow was weigh day and my last full day in Phong Nha, I’d had 303 syns this week so it wasn’t looking great and I had leaving drinks planned for tomorrow evening.
On the morning of Sunday 16th June I packed a lot of my stuff. Captain Caveman was due back later and would only have a couple of hours today and some of tomorrow for us to get organised for my departure. As we still didn’t know when Captain Caveman and I would be back in Phong Nha after this season, or what job either of us would be doing next year, I decided to take almost everything. I would have one suitcase to take anything I had still in Vietnam so I decided to put all the things I could live without in to a bag to give to Chung and Hoan. They could keep anything which they could make use of and give the rest to charity. It felt a bit weird not really knowing what would happen next year but I felt confident things would find a way of working out. I worked from The Villas again and had a treat of beans on toast with a pot of tea for breakfast. For my lunch I had fresh veggie spring rolls and I was still working when Captain Caveman arrived at The Villas. He’d had a good trip but it had been incredibly hot, meaning the group had been out a little later. I updated Captain Caveman on my new job, he was pleased but we didn’t have long to chat as he was off to Chay Lap for his gala dinner. After finishing work for the day, I treated myself to a bottle of wine and some peanuts while I waited for Captain Caveman to return. When he arrived he ordered a pizza as the food at Chay Lap is still below par and he never eats there. I decided to try the ‘new to the menu’ cheeseburger, even though I’m not a massive burger fan. Captain Caveman devoured his dinner and half the bottle of red wine, he was very hungry after his tour. My burger tasted very good but it was a bit chewy with it being beef. I let the manager know and she did say the Victory Road burger was better as it’s mixed with pork so that might have suited me better. Our total bill came to 890,000VND (£27) which included carrot cake. The Villas had started doing fresh cakes again and it did not disappoint! Maxime and his family were back in town to renovate the Nguyen Shack and had waited to say hello to Captain Caveman. It was almost 10pm when we cycled home, Captain Caveman was very tired.
Captain Caveman had the day time off on Monday 17th June but he still had some work tasks to do, of course. We were awake by 6am but his alarm was set for 6.30am anyway. The weather forecast said it was only 28°C but 83% humidity so it definitely felt hot and muggy. It also said it was going to be cloudy all day but the clouds had definitely not got that memo and it was scorching! By 8.30am we had cycled to The Villas for me to crack on with work and later have brunch. I had my usual Pho and a smoothie but Captain Caveman had his favourite Eggs Benedict washed down with a Bloody Mary (which are usually 50% off on Mondays). Our bill came to 372,000VND (£11.30) and I didn’t notice at the time that the Bloody Mary was charged at full price of 180,000VND (£5.46). I said goodbye to Ben, as he was off to Mongolia tonight and would be away until the 29th June, when I would already be in Turkey. While Captain Caveman got prepared for his next tour and his briefing tonight, I was thankful for a rest in the AC back at Son River House Homestay. By 3pm the humidity levels had dropped considerably but it still felt unbearable outside. After work, and while Captain Caveman was at the Oxalis briefing, I went to Phong Nha Vegan. I was chatting with Ha when something truly awful happened. We heard a commotion down the road, towards town and, when I looked, I saw a woman in the street, a motorbike, something white on the floor and a few people gathered around. I knew it as soon as I saw the white, it was May, the dog. He had been hit by a motorbike and the owner was trying to save him, I called Ha and we ran down. What happened next was quite upsetting so I won’t go in to too much detail. I felt for a heartbeat and little May was still alive. I called Chung and asked her to call Bom’s dad who is a farm vet and tell him to come quickly. She did and he said he was coming. The owner picked up May and was very distressed about the whole situation so we took him inside the gate. We both kept stroking and talking to him and willing him to pull through. Other dogs in the area were coming to check on May and I nervously kept them at a safe distance. The vet was really taking his time and I called several times for Chung to chase him. Ha and the others left me with the dog’s owner, who spoke no English and then May could fight no more. It was terrible and it looked like he had some bleeding from inside. I consoled the woman and we used Google translate to talk to each other and later her daughter. We lay May in a quiet spot in the garden and waited for her relative to arrive. Eventually, I left and having been strong for the owner, I had a little cry. The Vegan girls wanted to feed me but there was no way I could eat and I was conscious that I’d been holding May. I had a good wash but didn’t want to touch any of the tables at the Vegan and decided to call it a night. Our friend Dung was there having dinner and I asked him to come back and help me talk to May’s owner, which he did. It turned out her husband was a vet and there had been nothing we could have done to save May but at least he knew we loved him. I cycled to The Villas to meet Captain Caveman, with a takeaway snack of vegetable tempura which Hanh had insisted on making me. Once I’d calmed down and was getting through the shock, I ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese and shared a bottle of red wine with Captain Caveman. We paid 472,000VND (£14.33) which I didn’t think was bad. Our last night in Phong Nha together wasn’t the celebration it could have been, though. Back at the homestay, I got some news to cheer me up; my friend, Briony, was going to be in Sheffield when I was, and had booked her flight from America. I ate the veggie tempura and then went to bed, still sad about little May, the dog.
I woke up at 7am on Friday 14th June, having had a lovely sleep in the bed all to myself. I went to The Villas for 10am, where I had a pot of tea and paid just 40,000VND (£1.21) for a good brew. I then had to scurry off to the Vegan as I said I’d practice English with the staff. I had a Bun Tron (a vegan rice noodle dish) while I was there and Ha asked if she could nip home to see her Dad. I agreed to hold the fort for her while she rushed off, only for her to come back with some sweet treats for me and the other girls. She had obviously wanted to go to get them as a surprise and it was really kind of her. One was a mung bean paste sweet which was not dissimilar to eating a stock cube and I’m glad I didn’t shove it all in my mouth at once. In the evening, I went back to Phong Nha Vegan where it was so hot that Ha, the waitress, went for a swim in the river. I had tempura Oyster mushrooms with crispy sweet potato fries. It was like a vegan fish and chips and so good! I also met a couple of Vloggers from America who were enjoying the food and were very nice people. After 3 hours at the Vegan, I cycled back to Son River House Homestay and had an early night.
Saturday 15th June was an exciting day as it was the first day of a new part time job. I was doing some sales and marketing work for a friend. I went to The Villas to have breakfast and work there for the day, I find it the best place to work due to the location and the AC. Captain Caveman was due out of the cave tomorrow and didn’t even know I’d got, or started, a new job. I had my usual Pho Ga, familiarised myself with some spreadsheets and started to look at some content. I had a new friend join me while I worked, it was a moth sat on the glass door who I affectionately named Motthew the third. For lunch I had a margarita pizza with extra mushroom and I saved some to take home. My tab for breakfast, lunch and drinks was 556,000VND (£17) which was particularly good value and I always enjoy the pizzas there.
By 6pm I was at Phong Nha Vegan having a laugh with Ha. I was meant to be having a swim with her but I had no spare clothes and the staff were too busy with their customers. While everyone was having a bit of a rest near the cooler machine, I spotted the Banh Canh lady. She comes by on her motorbike shouting ‘Banh Canh’ and sells her wares of noodles, eggs and sometimes veggies. I shouted Hanh from the kitchen and Ha from the hammock to come to buy some things. There was quite a crowd and the lady did a roaring trade. Hanh just bought the Banh Canh noodles for 10,000VND (31p).
By 9pm I was back at the homestay where Chung and the owner, Linh Giang, were waiting for me to have a drink to celebrate my first day at work. We ate juicy fresh watermelon and drank chilled red wine. I was introduced to Kim and her daughter, who were staying at Son River House too and we all had a good night together.
Captain Caveman went to eat fish noodle soup at the cafe next door to Son River House Homestay on Thursday 13th June, before his next Son Doong trip. It’s far too spicy for me so I said I’d meet him at Ho Khanh’s, where his trip departs from, once they have collected the guests and team. When I got there I said hello to Nghia, Yen and Sexy Quang as well as some of the porters. One of the aunties was there looking after a young child and the guests turned up early. Usually they get off the bus to have photos taken with Ho Khanh, the man who found the cave initially, but today this didn’t happen and I was asked by the staff where Captain Caveman was. It is very unlike him to be late but he was cutting it fine. I called and messaged him but no answer and I wondered if he’d snuck off for a cheeky last game of Bridge. He turned up a couple of minutes later and was a bit peeved that I was chasing him. We said bye and I cycled down to The Villas for my breakfast.
There I had my usual favourite Pho Ga and I tried a peach tea which was new to the menu. It was very nice and I got some writing done before deciding that it would be nice to have lunch at The Villas too. I opted for a bacon roll on freshly baked bread but without the egg and a pot of tea. It was so good and I really enjoyed the food. I was just about to leave as Ben, the owner, arrived and we had a bit of a chat. He was concerned about what would happen when Captain Caveman and I left Phong Nha and was very aware that it wasn’t too far off that time. I was still toying with the idea of setting up my own company, perhaps with a view to incorporating some sort of travel company with Captain Caveman in the future. I paid 200,000VND (£6.04) for my breakfast and lunch (including the tip) and left to go back to the homestay.
While I’d been gone, the staff had asked if they could take the extra bed from our room as they had a full homestay tonight. This was great news for Chung that they were so busy and so she’d arranged to change the room around and I actually preferred it. I spent the afternoon sorting through all of my belongings in to piles; leave in Phong Nha, take to Danang, take to Turkey, and for Captain Caveman to bring to England. That evening I went to the Vegan and it was very hot and humid, with limited staff and lots of customers. Luckily, my Vietnamese was getting better and Ha’s confidence in English was improving too. When I finished helping with the table of 14 Vietnamese diners, I ate fake pork with steamed rice and veg which was becoming a firm favourite. I was so hot that I had a lovely kumquat iced tea and a full fat Coke to drink. I was tired when I cycled back to the homestay but unfortunately the new guests were doing karaoke and then the staff were talking until about 11pm so I watched Netflix on my phone.
Wednesday 12th June was weigh day again and unfortunately I had consumed 353 syns this week, 160 of which had been on alcohol. We had ended up arguing last night as Captain Caveman always argues when we go for an Indian, this time it had been like Pagoda-gate but with words. I didn’t agree with anything he had said and had put it down to him being unhappy, stressed or both. Obviously me not having any paid work was probably not helping but being in 2 countries where I’m not allowed to legally work doesn’t help. There was no sorry at all this morning and we decided to eat breakfast at the homestay to see what it was like. Captain Caveman was due back in to the cave tomorrow and had his briefing tonight so I decided I would try to find some job opportunities while he was gone. He went down to the reception/cafe area to get a coffee while I finished getting ready and took my measurements. I was surprised to find that they weren’t too bad; my bust was the same, my waist had increased by 1cm and my hips had reduced by 1cm. Captain Caveman had egg and bread while I had beef noodle soup. It was quite nice but more like a bun than a pho and I had green tea with it.
Captain Caveman needed to go into Oxalis but I had decided to go to The Villas to do some blogging, I had a mango lassi, a pot of tea and some cute biscuits – not a great idea before getting weighed. Captain Caveman joined me and we ordered lunch, he had the potato gratin with asparagus and I had the Australian meat pie with chips and gravy (an even worse idea before getting on the scales). We paid just 380,000VND (£11.47) for lunch and then headed to Oxalis on our way back to our homestay. While Captain Caveman sorted work related things out, I chilled out and watched the resident skink go about his business.
Captain Caveman went to his briefing for 6pm so I went to Phong Nha Vegan. Little May, the dog, was there with Lu from next door and came to greet me straight away. He wondered where I had been and brought me a dried leaf as a gift. I got on the scales to find I had put on 1kg while in Dong Hoi, which was less than I was expecting. For dinner I had fresh spring rolls and mushroom fried rice which was delicious. The Vegan girls ate Banh Trang Tron (which is not vegan) and it was quiet so I left about 8pm and went back to Son River House Homestay for wine with Chung and beers with Captain Caveman and Uy. We had some leftover Indian but no arguments. This was Captain Caveman’s last day off while I was here as he had 2 tours back to back and would be in the cave when I left Phong Nha.
It was an early start on Tuesday 11th June as we joined Stu and Max for a final Mr Bull’s Bo Ne breakfast. It would probably be my last in Vietnam for this year and that was sad. I was going to miss Dong Hoi, our friends there and the cute dogs who were now our friends. Our lift to Phong Nha with Oxalis and Dung arrived 30 minutes early and we said goodbye in a bit of a hurry. Captain Caveman had booked me a train from Dong Hoi to Danang for in 10 days time so I hoped I’d get to spend one more night in Dong Hoi before I left Vietnam. We picked up 4 customers from the airport, Captain Caveman had a coffee for 30,000VND (91p) and then we got back in the minibus for the drive back home. Less than an hour later, after dropping the guests at Son Doong Bungalow, we were dropped off at our new and final accommodation for my last Phong Nha stay. We had decided to try out Son River House Homestay, which is near to the Glass House and Ho Khanh’s, right on the river. It is being managed by one of my best friends, Chung, so I was also looking forward to spending time with her. Check-in wasn’t until 2pm so we had already agreed to have lunch at Phong Nha Vegan with Dung as I had really missed eating there. We dumped our bags at reception, Captain Caveman got the motorbike from the Glass House and we rode to the Vegan.
I was desperately craving a vegan pho so I ordered that along with fried spring rolls and mushroom La Lot skewers to share. Dung had fresh spring rolls and Captain Caveman had the curry with steamed rice. It was all lovely and I enjoyed my iced kumquat tea to wash it down with. It was good to see Ha, Cuu, Hanh and Yen again after being away for so long. We checked in to our upstairs room at Son River House Homestay after lunch and unpacked our stuff.
After bringing more of my stuff over, we cycled to The Villas for Summer cocktails. Today was Long Island Iced Tea, one of Captain Caveman’s favourites and we had 2 each, paying a total of 360,000VND (£10.92) as they were 50% off.
For dinner we decided to cycle to Ganesh for Indian food. We had a bottle of red wine, lamb samosas, onion bhajis, chicken tikka starter, garlic naan, saffron rice, chicken tikka masala and a daal for 798,300VND (£24.22). The food was fantastic but we did get a message from Chung to check if we were ok. The owner of the homestay was worried it was after 10pm and we weren’t back yet. We cycled back and put leftover Indian food in the fridge along with fruit and a bottle of wine as we didn’t have a room with a fridge. Our room was clean, tidy and comfortable with lovely views and good AC.
Captain Caveman had an appointment at the ultrasound clinic on Monday 10th June, first thing. I popped to the chemist to try to get contraceptive pills but none of the 3 pharmacies I tried, had them. We went in to town afterwards and, while Captain Caveman went to the Gold shop, I went to another pharmacy. I had to settle for a different kind of pill, which I know gives me side effects but I had no choice. Here’s what I bought, prices in Dong;
At the WinMart Captain Caveman bought bread, crisps and 2 bottles of cheap Italian wine for when Stu and the boys arrived later. They were due back later than expected so we tried the Banh My place next to the gold shop, as recommended by Duc at Cang’s vintage clothing. It was cheap and tasty and didn’t have all the pâté in, that I don’t like. After the sandwich, we ventured in to the market just as it was starting to get quite sweaty. Captain Caveman wanted to get something specific for his cousin’s wedding which we were going to in July. Our next stop for a bit of light refreshment was our favourite coconut stall and coffee shop. The man there is super friendly and hard working so we have been going to that particular guy since we were recommended him by Thao a few years ago.
Back at the house, Captain Caveman was in charge of kitchen cleaning and feeding the dogs while I had the sweaty job of hoovering up. We cleaned the house as best we could before having our cheese sandwiches for lunch. I told each dog (separately) that their family was coming home and I think they understood. Over the 10 days we had been looking after them I’d gained their trust by telling them short stories about dogs who were scared of the people looking after them. Stu and the boys were due in around 5.30pm but I couldn’t wait to open the wine and had started celebrating their return without them. Rodger had always listened to my stories but Terror was having none of them, until today when I told him a story about a dog who’s owner had returned from a holiday and was very excited to see his pets. Terror jumped on to the sofa and licked my face and he knew his family was coming back. When Stu and Max returned (Jack had gone straight to meet someone at the airport), they took it in turns to greet the dogs. Rodger was first and was so excited he did a wee while Terror whined to be let out of Jack’s room. When Jack returned briefly they got excited again and were very pleased to have the boys back. The boys drank beer, I had a bottle of red wine to myself and we ordered takeaway from Oregano, of pizza and potato gratin. It was a good welcome back, we decided to stay over one more night and Max gave us his room again. Tomorrow we would head back to Phong Nha where I had just 10 nights left before I started my journey back to Turkey.
Sunday 9th June was one of my favourite days in Dong Hoi (possibly ever)! My plan to meet Thuy yesterday had been moved to today and I was very much looking forward to seeing my old physiotherapist from when I tore my ligaments. Our first mission was to have breakfast at the pho place. We had underestimated how busy Pho Ly Quoc Su would be on a Sunday and they had run out of 2 of the Pho Bo dishes that Captain Caveman had chosen. We managed, it was still delicious and didn’t take too long to come, despite the busy restaurant. Back home Terror had got a little braver, wanting some attention even, so I had a game of football with him before we had to leave. He only has a wooden block, no balls, but he was happy with it.
Captain Caveman and I took a Grab taxi to Thuy’s new premises in Dong Hoi just before lunch time. There were lots of plastic shower shoes on the steps to swap our shoes for, but Captain Caveman’s feet were too big for any of them to fit. We waited in reception and Thuy came to meet us to show us around her very impressive physio business. I saw the lady who worked at the old place who used to make the heated wraps and she had helped me get to the toilet a few times while I’d been having the numerous hours of physio. She was really pleased to see us as we walked round, Thuy proudly showing us all the amazing rooms and facilities. When we had completed the thorough tour of the building, we had a few photos outside then Thuy called her driver to take us to her home. Since I’d last seen her, Thuy and her family had also moved house, and it was really nice and fancy. We were given some water, fruit and yoghurt while the rest of the family got ready. I met the children, Tin and Su, who I used to spend time practicing English with, before Covid. Tin was super confident and fluent in English now and Su was doing very well as Tin chatted on. Thuy and her husband had invited Captain Caveman and I to join the 4 of them plus Thuy’s sister for lunch. This time we were not going to the bird restaurant, which I was pleased about.
Thuy’s husband drove Captain Caveman, me, Thuy, her 2 kids and sister to Geminai restaurant. Captain Caveman and I hadn’t been for about a year and it had definitely had some changes and improvements. Because I’m fussy with food, I ordered my own Prawn Pad Thai but the rest of the adults ordered dishes to share. There was one pork dish with a bone in which looked impressive as well as duck and seafood rice dishes. Captain Caveman and I had a beer and the kids were allowed a Coke, they were exceptionally well behaved. Thuy wanted Tin and Su to pose for photos with us and Su was nervous so I told her she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. She was super cute and gave me a hug and a kiss, which considering she was only 2 years old when I last saw her, was trusting. The lunch was amazing and I really enjoyed my food, as well as watching Captain Caveman don the plastic gloves to sort the meat out for the table.
I was not expecting Thuy to pay the entire bill, which was so lovely of her, but she also wanted to treat us some more. We stopped by the market so that she could buy some fruit, including our favourite mangosteens. Our next stop was the Phuc Long coffee shop where we were treated to a coffee for Captain Caveman and a peach tea for me. Tin and Su were super comfortable around us by this time and were chatting really well to me. I’m not usually a child person but I loved these two and they were so cute as well as very clever. On the ride back to Stu’s house we joked about the stinky squid drying. When we stopped to get out they all smelled the stench and didn’t get out of the car so I did hugs from inside. It had been an amazing day and I felt very lucky.
Having had such a lovely day, we decided to finish off the evening with another meal out. We walked both dogs (separately) who were now very friendly and behaving nicely. Stu and the boys were due back tomorrow and were in Saigon tonight. Originally we had planned to leave on Monday morning, as Captain Caveman had his briefing that night. However, his tour had been swapped and he was no longer working tomorrow. We got a taxi to Khoi Bistro and had a really lovely meal with craft beer. Captain Caveman had a seafood omelette which, quite frankly, made my stomach turn but he enjoyed it and I had a pork dish as my initial choice of duck was sold out. It was busy with it being a weekend and there was a massive private party but the owner still found time to chat to us. Our bill came to 455,000VND (£13.80) which was very good value considering that included mussels and a 2 litre keg of beer. We really enjoyed it and to top off a fantastic day, when we got back home, Terror jumped up on to the sofa for strokes and kisses. Rodger took himself off to bed in our (Max’s) room and slept next to the fan at the bottom of our bed.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that I completely ruined all plans for Saturday 8th June by being unable to function properly. The hangover was bad, Captain Caveman had to see to Rodger and Terror while I had to rearrange an appointment with my old physio and her family. I didn’t manage any breakfast and could barely drink my litre of water. At lunch time I was in no position to get on the back of a motorbike to go anywhere. Captain Caveman ordered a Tree Hugger delivery for lunch for us. I ordered the beef and vegetable rice plate, while Captain Caveman went for the burger. It cost 200,000VND (£6.13) for our meals and 2 drinks. We ran out of water so Captain Caveman had to venture out to get one of the 19 litre refills, for 25,000VND (77p). We made it out for walks twice in the evening, both Terror and Rodger were keen for a wander. Captain Caveman managed to buy a case of 24 beers for 270,000VND (£8.27) so he could fill up the fridge for Stu and the boys’ return on Monday. For dinner we went to Oregano where we had pasta and shared a Caesar salad before heading back home and going back to bed, me still feeling very rough!
At 7.30am on Friday 7th June there was an air of excitement as it looked like Rodger was ready to go at last. I’d gone downstairs to use the bathroom and then had to shout up to Captain Caveman to hurry along and bring me a bra. Rodger didn’t want to put the lead on, even though on the label it said he was a Police Dog, but we eventually got it on and then there was no stopping him. Captain Caveman had to take him as he was too strong for me and he pulled until he got to the first corner of grass. We were all so happy that Rodger had finally done his business at last. By 8am we were walking back to the house, me in my sleepwear, Rodger looking very proud of himself indeed.
For a late breakfast/very early lunch we went to Saigon Deli where we bought the dogs food and had our usual pork dishes. After feeding the dogs their lunch, Terror seemed to also be getting a bit more friendly. Before noon we had a video call with Stu so we could share the amazing news that Rodger had managed a walk and a poo after a whole week of not going! At 12.15pm we were getting picked up as we were off on a bit of a jolly!
There was an Oxalis 13 year anniversary party which Captain Caveman and I had been invited to. He was going to be getting a certificate to commemorate 10 years with Oxalis (it was actually 11). The drive to Phong Nha involved picking up some flowers for the party and we waited in the minibus. We got dropped off at The Villas, as that’s where I’d left Bluey just over a week ago. I had a sensible cup of tea to start with but then we realised it was half price margaritas on Fridays and we just had to indulge. We were peckish by this time so we ordered lunch which was rather filling. I had the chicken and bacon sandwich (with chips) and Captain Caveman ordered the salmon.
During our visit, we bumped in to a Victory Road Villas guest, called Meyer, who also enjoys a drop of Tequila. We got chatting and he brought his very own bottle of Tequila out. We shared a shot or two with this rather interesting Australian fella and had a great time. After our margaritas and a couple of tequilas with Meyer it was almost time to go to the Oxalis party. We paid our bill which was a very reasonable 1,120,000VND (£34.10) for cocktails, tea and our lunch.
Of course, we should have got on our bikes and cycled to Oxalis for their 13th anniversary party, however, we were beckoned over by the disabled family across by the river, who own the small cafe. We were joined by shaky-hand girl, so called because she loves to shake hands with people for the longest time and is very friendly. Captain Caveman had a Vietnamese drip coffee and I had a fresh coconut and then we decided to visit Tuan on the floating boat restaurant and bar, as we were in the vicinity.
Nha Be Noi Song Son (the Vietnamese name) is so lovely, primarily known for its fresh seafood and catering to large groups, but is also great for a couple of pork spring rolls and a beer. The owner, Tuan, had been swimming in the river but came to join us, along with shaky-hand girl.
We cycled to Oxalis just in time to join the anniversary party where it was good to see staff being recognised and rewarded for their continued service. As Oxalis was very busy with tours there wasn’t everyone there but I saw a few familiar faces. Chau, the owner, was on a TV link up from Saigon, having left his brother in charge of the proceedings including the certificate and gift presentation. Luckily, it wasn’t a late one and we got a lift back to Dong Hoi with some of Captain Caveman’s colleagues. At 10pm, after letting the dogs out (still separately of course) we were in bed. I fell asleep on the sofa and Terror made some progress as he started to give me licks. Rodger was my new best friend and he came to sleep in our room easily, he even let me give him a stroke.
Captain Caveman and I were back to Mr Bull’s Bo Ne breakfast on Thursday 6th June, his with coffee and mine with lots of iced green tea. Back ‘home’ there was a little bit of progress with the dogs; Terror had stopped growling at us every time we went in to ‘his’ (Jack’s) room and I almost got a lead on Rodger who still had not had a poo. For lunch we needed more food for the dogs so we went to Saigon Deli to eat where we had the same as we always do, pork, veg and rice. The dogs got their usual of pork, quails egg and rice and the total amount came to 266,000VND (£8.30). On the way back I wanted to call at An Nong which is an organic fruit and veg shop. As we approached I got a bit of a spasm in my stomach and needed the toilet, urgently. I waited outside, Captain Caveman took far too long, in my mind, to grab 800g of mangosteen for 95,000VND (£2.97), our favourite fruit. We made it back in time and I spent rather too long in the downstairs bathroom before retiring to the AC of the bedroom to rest. When I was back to some semblance of normality, Captain Caveman and I unfortunately got involved in some Oxalis related issues. One was that I’d spotted one of the sales team had posted on Facebook to say there was a rare spare space on an upcoming Son Doong tour. Accidentally using the Google translated word ‘Dangerous’ to describe it. I told Captain Caveman so that he could let the girl know to change it but it seemed the original Vietnamese word was something like ‘rare’ or ‘scarce’ and the translation just didn’t match correctly. I was about to go back upstairs to the AC and for a lay down when Captain Caveman got an email from work. His supervisors were in the UK but needed to know if he could cover a Son Doong trip starting tomorrow. They didn’t have anyone else to cover it due to an issue/delay with permission sign off for the safety specialist and they needed to know straight away. The briefing was in Phong Nha in an hour’s time so someone could do that for him as he wouldn’t make it in time (how thoughtful). I was absolutely fuming and did not want him to do it. He had agreed to look after Stu’s house and dogs for another 4 days so it meant I would have to continue alone and without transport or any help. Captain Caveman told me the money would come in handy and that he didn’t have any choice as there was no one else available so he was going to reply with agreement to do it. I stormed off upstairs to pack stuff so that he could take some of my stuff back with him in the morning. He wouldn’t return to Dong Hoi so I didn’t want to be carrying all my stuff back by myself, once Stu and the boys returned. I suggested we have a video call with Stu, once he had finished packing and going to buy stuff for the dogs and me for while he was gone. I also decided to point out that I thought it a bit rich that he had been told he was no longer needed after this year but yet the company still didn’t seem to be able to provide cover without asking him.
It took me a while to calm down and reflect on the situation. I’d felt annoyed with Captain Caveman for his seeming inability to say no to doing a last minute Son Doong tour. However, on reflection, I knew he was doing it to help out his co-workers. A lot of his colleagues would be relying on him and that was probably his motivation to agree to it. I went back downstairs to apologise for having a strop and we had a hug. Both of us were a bit sad about the situation but had accepted it and we had prepared for me to take over the house and dog sitting – I would be fine. The phone rang, it was one of his supervisors to say they didn’t need him now!!!! I had to walk in to another room and bite my tongue! We got ready, walked Terror, but not Rodger, and went out to Oregano again for dinner. We shared a gorgeous Caesar salad, Spag Bol and a salami pizza. It was so good that we ordered a second pizza to take home. We were both relieved that Captain Caveman didn’t have to work tomorrow and when we got back Rodger seemed to be a bit more friendly towards me – or was he just hoping for a piece of pizza!?
joloyolo 