Our flight from Chiang Mai to Danang was at 8am on Tuesday 23rd July so we were up at 5.30am. Sometimes being a lady of leisure can be hard work!
At the airport there are no gluten free options so while a tired Captain Caveman scoffed a croissant and an espresso I made do with an earl grey tea.
The plane landed early and I took my visa approval letter to the visa processing man. I didn’t have a passport photo but he took my photo for $3. Captain Caveman had a tatty $10 note which he’d been trying to get rid of and I used it to pay for my visa and the photo. All went well and I got my visa in less than 15 minutes but the queues to get through passport control were lengthy and hardly moving. Once out we got a taxi to the hotel which Captain Caveman had booked and I was really impressed that he’d chosen an apartment, mainly because it stated it had a washing machine and we were out of clean undies. We were too early to check in but we were allowed to use the pool if we wanted – first I needed to eat!!
It wouldn’t have been my first choice for breakfast and I was a bit tetchy from being tired and hungry but burgers it was. I had a cheese burger, no bun or sauces just wrapped in lettuce and with loads of raw onion. Captain Caveman had a massive burger with everything on which I’m sure he swallowed whole. Burger Brothers in Danang doesn’t look great but their burgers are fantastic!! I ate mine too fast to remember to take a photo and I could easily have had another one.
Back at Moon Hotel and Apartments we headed up to the rooftop pool, which we had to ourselves. When we did check in I was amazed how nice the apartment was however Captain Caveman noticed right away that it did not meet his expectations and had to go to reception to complain – there was no washing machine, no safe, no matching robes, no (wine) glasses and no toaster!!! They agreed to bring us a washing machine that afternoon but in the end the manager, realised that would be a nightmare, offered to let us have a free laundry service. We were happy with that and put in all of our clothes including the swimmers.
At 4pm I went to L Spa for a very thorough waxing experience (I’ve had gynecologists be further away during a procedure)!! I also got a shoulder and foot massage which was brilliant. If you’re in Danang and need any of these treatments they are definitely great value and extremely professional.
I called in at a minimart on the way back and bought (screwtop) wine, paper cups, cheese, fruit and cashews which we had some of before going out for dinner. We tried to go to a BBQ place that had been recommended but it was closed so we went to Fat Fish instead. We shared a salad and I had ribs for main with more wine!

Breakfast at the Moon Hotel and Apartments on Wednesday 24th July was great! I was lucky to have lots of choice and ate dragon fruit, pineapple, bun cay (vegetarian soup), spring rolls and steamed rice with lotus seeds. We had a lazy morning, ate cheese cashews and mangosteen then, when I eventually managed to get Captain Caveman off his phone, we went to Bread & Salt for lunch on it’s opening day. My chicken salad was amazing and I only drank water (trying to cut down on the booze a little).
In the afternoon Captain Caveman needed the bank and so we walked to Dirty Fingers, a sports bar, where I ended up having 3 small wines! The owner also talked us into having a T-Bone steak each with chips and salad. It worked out well for me as that night we were off to a function where I wouldn’t be able to eat anything. We called in to Seven Bridges for a gluten free beer before heading to meet a friend.
Hops & Crust had their opening party from 7pm and they had free pizza being handed round. I just had the gluten free beer although I really wanted the pizza which looked amazing. Back at Moon we watched a film on TV (a rarity as we don’t have a TV at home) before bed.

Captain Caveman should’ve been in Hang Son Doong on Thursday 25th July but instead he got to spend all day with me – of course he had no idea how lucky he was!
He’d been up in the night with a bad stomach and just as I’d started to feel better he was not well. He didn’t make it to breakfast and instead stayed in bed, on his phone, until just before noon.
Unfortunately we had to check out at 12:00 and were getting a car back to Phong Nha which is just over 300km away (about 6 hours).
We went for food at Mini Breakfast, just round the corner from Moon Hotel and Apartments, as Captain Caveman was feeling hungry and seemed to be recovering well. I had the best second breakfast I’ve had in a long time – bacon, potatoes, onion and melted Camembert!
Before our pick up we squeezed in another dip in the pool and a lounge about. Captain Caveman was convinced we would arrive home by 8pm while I was less optimistic. We’d been driving for less than an hour when the driver pulled over after a toll and waited for another car and driver. He didn’t speak English so we weren’t sure why but then we followed that car a few minutes to Lang Co, where both cars stopped for food.
We didn’t eat or drink but both driver’s had some sort of noodle soup and quails eggs with an energy drink. I took the opportunity to have a pee and was glad I had as we then drove non-stop to Phong Nha in silence for the majority of the way, arriving back after 9.30pm!

We were off on a bit of a jolly for Captain Caveman’s birthday and my visa run. Having finished working for the year I now needed a tourist visa for the rest of my stay in Vietnam. On Friday 19th July we were up very early to get our lift from Phong Nha to Dong Hoi for the 08:04 SE1 train to Danang. Captain Caveman had been unable to get us beds in the same berth so he had booked separate ones, both a top bunk in a 4 berth. I’d downloaded the rest of The Affair (on Netflix) to watch on the train too and had my new ear phones to be put to the test. When we arrived at Dong Hoi station the train was delayed by 40 minutes so we went to a cafe for a hot drink – I chose ginger tea because I had a terrible sore throat as well as still having aching limbs from our recent caving trip.
We boarded the train and went to our sleepers. Mine already had 2 adults and 4 kids in it and they proceeded to be loud, hyperactive and generally very annoying. I tried to watch Netflix with my earphones in but I kept getting messages to say my hearing could be damaged for having the volume on so high – I couldn’t hear a word! I told the kids off a few times but they ignored me and got worse. When we got to Hue the train steward asked me if I would like to join Captain Caveman in his sleeper so I agreed. When I opened their door there were also 4 other people but they were quiet and happy, sat on the bottom bunks and so I could watch The Affair (at a much lower volume).

Our train got in late and we got a taxi to our hostel, Roma Casa, so we could drop bags off before going for breakfast or lunch.
We got neither and instead went to the bar for lemon juice, some peanuts and a passion fruit margarita. Finally we went out to eat and we went to an amazing place called Le Comptoire – a fancy french restaurant.
I had a duck and lentil salad for starter, roast chicken and veg for main and then shared a cheese board with Captain Caveman for afters. We had a lovely bottle of wine and I was happy to have eaten at last.
Back at the hostel I found the bed very comfy and the toilet and shower block were spotlessly clean and nearby. They had a swimming pool made out of a shipping container which we didn’t get to go in this time. We set the alarm as the next day we were off to Thailand.

Our flight from Danang to Chiang Mai wasn’t until 10:30am on Saturday 20th July which meant we had time for breakfast. I had pork fried rice and it was a large portion. We were excited to be off to Chiang Mai, both of us for the second time but the first time together.
We arrived at our hotel, I Lanna House, around 1pm and were able to check in early. Captain Caveman had chosen the accommodation and it was lovely. For lunch we went to SP Chicken which is one of the tastiest places I’ve ever had a whole chicken. We shared the chicken, some sticky rice, morning glory and of course a couple of cold beers. I found out that many of the Thai beers are made with rice and so I was able to drink them without any problem. In the afternoon we lounged by the pool and had a refreshing dip. I had started with a cold and my sore throat was worse so I had a little nap before we went out for the evening. We visited Mixology, a firm favourite of mine from my last trip and a first for Captain Caveman. Unfortunately it seemed to be a little less sparkling than last time so we had just 2 cocktails each but ate elsewhere.

Amigos was a tiny cafe where Captain Caveman enjoyed the nachos and I had a corn taco with chicken. Directly above the Mexican place was Cru, a delightful wine bar where it would be rude not to have a cheese board. It rounded the night off well and once back at the hotel I slept the best I had in a while.

Sunday 21st July was an interesting day and I got to meet a famous person.
We started with breakfast at the hotel but the gluten free choices were limited to pineapple, lettuce, carrot, cabbage and yoghurt – definitely different but healthy. In the afternoon we went in search of snacks and sore throat sweets and found an abundance of Hall’s in all flavours at the Seven-Eleven shop. I got loads and felt a bit better even after one sweet.
In the evening we went to meet Sid, his wife and dog at Gekko restaurant just as it started to rain. Sid Perou is a famous caver and film maker who’s also written books and is writing one now – he’s 82, from England but living in Chiang Mai. He and his wife were so lovely and it was nice to meet them at last.
For dinner I had a few beers and a plate of ribs while Captain Caveman had a masaman curry.

Our short trip to Chiang Mai was already coming to an end and Monday 22nd July was our last day at I Lanna House. I was still waiting for my visa approval letter so I could re-enter Vietnam the next day and was assured I’d get it by 6pm. The plan was to have a few days in Danang before going back to Phong Nha, assuming I got back in the country ok.
When we booked the trip to Thailand Captain Caveman had needed to be back in Phong Nha to do his Son Doong briefing on the 24th but we found out later that the tour was cancelled which meant he could be away for longer. At 5.55pm my visa approval letter was emailed to me and I got the hotel to print it me out. For dinner we went to Dash, a popular Thai place where I had a masaman curry and beer. My cold was still around but my sore throat was starting to go and I was hoping to be feeling better for our early flight the next day.

It’s been over 2 years since I used my JOLOYOLO blog however I’m now in a position to start it again. I can quickly catch you up with what I’ve been up to before I write more of my experiences as a lady of leisure.

2018 started in Cambodia with friends and Captain Caveman before returning to Phong Nha, Vietnam, to start a full time job with Jungle Boss for 3 months. I spent almost 4 months during the summer back in the UK, living with my parents and working in a local bar. In September I went to Dalyan in Turkey for 3 months where I caught up with family and friends before flying to Australia for a first time visit.

In 2019 I have already worked full time for 6 months at Jungle Boss. I celebrated Tet holiday and recorded a podcast in February, had friends visit Phong Nha in April, then went on a trip to Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon and Tam Hai island during May. Last month I had my second visit to Chiang Mai and am now being a lady of leisure in Phong Nha again.

Please feel free to read my old blog posts on here and listen to my podcast interview with the fantastic Chapin Kreuter: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3z8zX2AKdcNZs2myxIjnwI?si=GREw49ETQiuVOtaf_qvYKQ

My choice of song, rather than being about food or eating, is by a band that I’m not a massive fan of, but I do like this song and the band name is appropriate.

Not all of the food I list below will be available or taste the same in each city as Vietnam varies greatly from North to South.  These are my particular favourites and if you are visiting Vietnam you are bound to see most of these on the menu. Ironically, I wrote this list while munching on Captain Caveman’s emergency chocolate stash during a rain storm.

I will start off at number 10 and count down in reverse order of these delicious dinners. There is only one salad on the list and as I don’t eat many salads it has to go in at number 10.

# 10 – Banana Flower Salad (Nom Hoa Chuoi in Vietnamese).  I love this because it is so fresh and banana flower is difficult to come by, back home.  The salad usually comprises of carrot, cucumber, crushed peanuts, chopped chilies and my favourite comes with thinly sliced beef.  If you’re lucky you may even get some prawn crackers to eat it with too.

# 9 – Steamed Buns (Banh Bao). These are usually sold from a motorbike, loaded with a steamer on the back, in our small village and you need to get them before 7.30am as they sell out quickly.  In the cities they are sold on the street and in more permanent establishments.  Usually the cheaper they are the less meat they have in them and sometimes they come with minced meat filling and egg – I prefer the cheaper ones and find it hard to manage more than 2 for a meal.

#8 – Noodle Soup (Pho). I attended a cooking class a few years ago and learned how to cook Pho Bo, Beef Noodle Soup and I was gobsmacked that a soup that looks so simple would take over 6 hours to make.  It’s a clear, consomme style, which is made from using the beef bones. It has wide rice noodles in with some herbs and very thinly sliced raw beef is dropped in a few minutes before serving so that the hot liquid cooks the meat in the bowl.  Usually served with extra leafy greens, lime and chilies for you to add to taste. Ideal for a filling breakfast.

#7 – Sandwich (Banh Mi). This is basically a baguette filled with some salad items, sweet chili sauce and pork products, although there a lots of variations around.  Some will contain a pate like slice, some will add cheese or egg.  If your Vietnamese skills are up to it you can request what you want.  Near where we live I have it with BBQ pork, no sauces and it’s amazing.  It can also be a really cheap option for a meal at any time of day and ideal for taking with you on a long journey.

#6 – Pork & Noodle dish (Cao Lau). This is a famous local Hoi An dish that is made using the water from the Ba Le well. It is one of my favourite foods and I always seek it out whenever I am in Hoi An. The noodles are thicker and similar to udon and the dish comes with some thinly sliced pork and leafy green stuff on top. Some of the noodles are cooked to make a crunchy version and are added to the top of the dish after a small amount of ‘gravy’ has been poured over. This meal would be my number one if I could get it outside of Hoi An.

#5 – Pork Noodle soup (Bun Heo). This is one of my frequent breakfast dishes, here in Phong Nha.  It’s made differently depending on the family and which vegetables and herbs are available in their garden.  It is made from rice noodles (vermicelli) that are thin and soft with slices of pork, pepper and chilies.  Usually you will be served some salad to add and even a spring roll to dip in. The soup is clear and a slightly salty, oily taste to it. I never manage to eat a full bowl as it is so filling.

#4 – Tofu in tomato sauce (Dau phu sot ca chua). If any vegetarian readers are still reading I’m guessing you’ve been wondering if there would be anything on the list without meat.  Here it is, my favourite lunch time food.  It is usually very cheap with plenty of firm soy tofu that fries so much better here than at home (I’ve tried to make it at home and it was nothing like the Vietnamese version). The sauce has lots of tomato, garlic, spring onion, mushroom and some seasoning and the dish is served with steamed rice.

#3 – Spring Rolls (Nem ran, Cha Gio or Goi Cuon). I love the fried spring rolls the best and the ones with pork and shrimp in are usually my favourite.  The vegetarian ones that have glass noodle, mushroom, carrot & tarot are also delicious.  The fresh spring rolls (Goi Cuon) are healthier and tend to have more cucumber and herbs in. Ideal as a starter or even to share.

#2 – Crispy Pancakes (Banh Xeo). This dish is a real treat and one I like to eat as part of a social gathering as it involves using your hands and even helping others roll them.  You are usually served the crispy pancakes containing some or all of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, quails egg along with a plate of green salad, strips of pickled carrot and cucumber and some rice paper to roll it all in before dipping in the crushed peanut and chili sauce. It’s cheap and easy to keep ordering more to share. These can be served vegetarian too.

For people that know me, most will have guessed my number one choice of Vietnamese food…….

#1 Grilled Pork & Noodle (Bun Cha). The pork patties are grilled on a BBQ along with fatty pieces of pork bacon, then served with salad leaves, bean sprouts, banana flower and cold rice noodles on the side.  In the middle is a bowl of liquid that usually contains some chili, garlic, sugar, salt, fish sauce, vinegar, sliced carrot and radish and lime juice.  This can test the chopstick skills a little as you should put all the ingredients in to a mouthful that has been dipped in the liquid.  I love this food and although traditionally a Hanoi dish, we are lucky enough to find it in Phong Nha.

It was 2 years ago this week that I shared my experiences of my Tu Lan adventures with my friends and family via a private Facebook group. I first heard this song when Jules Holland had Emiliana on his show years ago and I instantly loved it, the video though reminds me of me in the jungle on this trip – completely out of place and a bit of a joke.

It was 39 degrees in the shade and maybe the reason I had been making choices to do things that would get me out of our sweaty glass house.
On the day of the decision it was not even 5pm and I had had 5 showers, numerous litres of water, several soft drinks and a river swim. We had no air con in our rooms and it was unbearable, so I agreed to go on the Tu Lan 4 day expedition with Oxalis Adventure Tours. My fitness levels were poor, I was overweight and was not used to the tropical climate at all.
Colin had already done the 4 day Tu Lan expedition a few weeks ago and he convinced me that I could do it and would love it, despite being claustrophobic and scared of most things.
So at 7.45am on a Sunday we were waiting to get picked up. I had borrowed clothes from Captain Caveman as I had nothing to cover me up and was even wearing his underwear for comfort.
On the way to Tan Hoa we picked up the other customers so that there were 7 of us in total.

We also had 2 guides with us, Kien and Uy, who I know and are colleagues and friends of Captain Caveman.
Dave was our cave expert and couldn’t see why I was on the trip as he thought I wasn’t fit enough and kept joking that he would send me back before too long.
After we had watched the others do their practice abseil we all set off and did a 2.5km flat walk to Rao Nan river, we walked across it and then climbed rocks 50m up to Secret cave.
Panic number one started as I saw massive spiders and the 2 ‘squeezy’ bits of cave that I had to push myself through. We learned afterwards that the following day this part had 2 poisonous snakes in.
I got through eventually but it wasn’t easy and by this time I was pretty hot and sweaty.
We climbed down 100m to Hung Ton valley where a picnic was waiting for us. I wasn’t hungry and was regretting going on the trip but there was no way I would go back through secret cave. So I forced down the bread, sausage and cheese knowing I would need the energy.
After lunch we crossed the valley and up Hung Ton mountain. It was about 2km to Mango Mountain and then another 2km to Tu Lan valley.
The first campsite was gorgeous. We quickly dumped our bags and put our helmets lights and gloves on and took a quick trip over some rocks and in to Tu Lan cave. There were rock pools and a waterfall and we swam about 200m fully clothed. I loved this part.
Afterwards we sat at a picnic bench and ate a delicious feast of pork, tofu, rice, veg, washed down with a shot of rice wine.
Later at bedtime panic number two came. My hammock had a plastic sheet across, in case of rain, which was so close to my head that I couldn’t bear it. Aly kindly took it off and I slept being able to see the moon and stars through my mosquito net.

Day 2 of the expedition started very early, after a restless night and little sleep, we had pancakes and bananas for breakfast.
First we went in to the dry part of Tu Lan cave and that’s where we did the 15m abseil down a cliff and in to the makeshift boats. As you can imagine everyone else did theirs perfectly. Mine was done with lots of ‘oohing’ and squealing once I accidentally turned upside down. No one was amused except for Colin who was taking the piss out of me. I can’t believe how tricky it was compared to the ones I’d done down the side of our house.
Finally at the bottom I had to balance on the edge of the rubber rings and 4 pieces of bamboo that they called boats. We rowed 1.5km inside the cave over to a dam, where we got a puncture. By the time we rowed all the way back again my waist was underwater so we got off and swam the very last bit. Back at camp we had fried rice for lunch and, my energy waning, I tucked in to a few sweet snacks.
After lunch we swam for about 200m into Ken Cave where we did lots of swimming. As the lights on our heads attracted moths, the bats would swoop down and eat the moths from in front of us so sometimes I turned my light off and floated on my back.
In our wet clothes we trekked 500m to Hang Kim where we swam some more before climbing through the cave, up a 15m steel ladder tied on to with rope. Surprisingly panic number 3 crept up on me here as I thought I was ok but suddenly I was exhausted, emotional and wondering why the hell I was being tied to a rope to climb a ladder if it wasn’t dangerous. I started to panic I wouldn’t find my way back to ground level and so went up the ladder tentatively. Colin, John and I went on ahead to the exit so I could stop panicking. We exited at Mo valley and trekked to Hung Ton where we swam to our next campsite. I had a cool dip in the river and even washed my hair before a nice meal sat on a plastic sheet. We had bbq pork, peanuts, cabbage, tofu and rice.
I knew day 3 was the hardest and Captain Caveman had suggested that if I was offered a shortcut or a get out I should take it. All the group didn’t want me to take it and as it was just trekking for 30km up and down mountains in 40 degree heat my decision was obviously hard to make. The guides however encouraged that taking an alternative easier day might be best for me (due to me not being fit enough).
We talked it over and I made my decision so off to bed we went. Aly somehow ended up in her hammock upside down and then fell out.

Day 3 started with a good shake of our clothes to remove the bugs before breakfast of spicy fried noodles and spring rolls. I avoided the noodles given my stomach doesn’t tolerate chilies well at the best of times, never mind on an adventure tour. I was pretty dehydrated too despite the quantity of fluids and without being too personal most of us were managing around half a wee per day on average.
Obviously I decided to take the shortcut. In my mind there was no question as Captain Caveman (before I went), and the guides all thought it would be for the best and they do this trip often. If I’d been on the trip with a load of lazy, overweight, unfit ‘slowies’ (like me) I may have let them persuade me. There were no fears to address for me on the itinerary that day so I was happy to take the get out option.
The others set off an hour early as they wanted to get started. There was not a breeze in the air and the temperature would be about 38 degrees.
I sat about watching the 4 porters pack everything in to their big backpacks – 30kg each. We then walked for between 30-60 minutes, with breaks, to the back exit of Rat Cave.
We walked through rat cave, almost in the dark, and across the river where a motorbike and Mr Dinh were waiting for me to take me back to Tu Lan office. It’s a good job I was still wearing my sports bra!
At the office I was offered a cold soft drink and a shower, both of which I declined. I was hoping to complete the tour with the others and felt bad that they would be absolutely boiling walking in the open today, drinking only the warm water we had. My clothes were wet and filthy so if I showered I would feel worse having to put them back on. I did smell but didn’t care. Captain Caveman phoned to check I was ok and he said I’d done the best thing missing the hill walk today.
The staff at the office brought me 2 fried eggs and a baguette for lunch and even though I don’t eat eggs I ate as much of it as I could.
Captain Caveman did mention that my return route to camp would be ‘interesting’ but nothing prepared me for the motorbike ride from Tu Lan to the road edge about an hour from Hang Tien. Mr Dinh, his 30kg bag and me got on a small motorbike and rode for just over an hour. We went on road, sand, rock, a wooden floating bridge across a river full of water buffalo, through woods lined with stinging nettles and only fell off a couple of times. He didn’t have a helmet so I wore my caving helmet just in case.
We stopped in the middle of nowhere at a shed with chickens and the porters ate watermelon and I think they picked up a couple of chickens for tea (I didn’t see them killed). We walked for just less than an hour through jungle, over rocks, in rivers and along logs until we came to our campsite at Hang Tien.
I had just arrived when the rest of the group appeared. They looked pretty broken and some of them couldn’t even speak. Luckily our campsite had a deep cold rock pool to dip in and although we had to climb sharp rocks to get to it we were grateful to cool off.
Food was good that night with an additional dish of fried chicken. After dinner we lay on the plastic sheeting and watched the stars. I saw the plough, shooting stars and satellites. Tan told me I didn’t miss anything special today and that the walk was intense in the relentless heat.
Later I watched a huge electrical storm from my hammock and finally fell asleep about 3am.

By the time I woke up on day 4 most of the others were up and about. By now I had so many insect bites that it took longer to put the antihistamine cream on than to get dressed. My trousers had been drying on a twig made in to a washing line and had 4 flying cockroach type bugs in them which I shook off and killed one, the others escaped.
We had pancakes again for breakfast and I had three cups of black tea and a rehydration drink as my legs were in agony. Hugh had told me he had been massaging his own legs to stop the cramps so I did the same but my thighs were solid.
A dark coloured snake slithered in to camp and most of us saw it. The guides and porters told us not to go near it and it disappeared. I’ve never seen a big snake in the wild and it was very impressive, beautiful even.
Before 9am we were once again clambering over rocks towards the entrance to Hang Tien. Colin had foot rot and his boots were painful to walk in while I kept feeling sharpness in my quivering thigh muscle. The others were like hyper kids in an underground playground and went off at speed.
After a while there was just Kien and I at the back going quite slowly and my thigh was hurting more so I said I need to check my leg and turned away from Kien. Panic number 4, one of those bloody flying cockroach things was still in my trousers and had bit me three times. Mortified I flicked it out and I carried on over the rocks to catch up to Kien. There were a few big rocks I had to climb over and as I was standing on the top of one trying to work out where my next footing was a green snake slid over the rock I had just stepped off. Kien was scared and told me to quickly move forward but I just stared at it and it went away from us.
At the mouth of the cave I realised I was exhausted and could not be bothered to go in to Hang Tien, by this time I was ready to go home, so I sat on a rock with Colin and waited for the others to resurface from the cave.
At noon they came back and we went back the way we came, to the campsite for lunch. We had the most delicious soup with beef, cabbage, pineapple,  and noodles in but I could only manage a half portion.
After lunch we walked out through jungle, rivers and rocks for about one and a half hours until we got to the road.
There were beers and soft drinks waiting for us on ice. We put the ice down each other’s tops and I kept a chunk in my bra. I was broken.

I did manage to let my friends and family know I was back from my caving and trekking ordeal, I mean trip. I wrote at the end of Day 4;
I am bruised, bitten and broken. I can honestly say it was physically and mentally the hardest thing I have done in my life.
The tight spaces were tight and I endured slight nipple injuries, ripped clothing and sheer panic. There were many spiders (some as big as dinner plates with eyes you could look into), bats, and snakes.
The rocks were rough, slippery and sharp.
I messed up the abseil in the dark cave and ended up swinging upside down from the rope above the water.
I swam in some gorgeous caves and met some great people (most of whom were either extreme adventure junkies or super fit).
I slept in a hammock outdoors in the jungle and ate amazing food.
I am so happy to have survived.

After arriving in Fort Portal and finding a lovely campsite we pitched our little tent and marvelled at the beauty of the Rewenzori mountains. As the sun dipped and night crept in, we thought it would be nice to have a couple of sundowner’s. The bottle of spiced rum and the coke were located from…

via Was that a leopard? — Renegade Roamers

I couldn’t resist adding this tune to my post.  I couldn’t quite bring myself to put the original one on but this is not a bad mix and is relatively short. I’m apologising now for the ear-worm it might become.

Len Con Peak is set back from the underused dual carriageway that goes from opposite the Tourist Centre in Phong Nha and joins the road that takes tourists towards Paradise Cave. From within the village road, Highway 20, it can be reached by taking a turn away from the river near to Green River homestay and restaurant, following the path around to the right, behind the school. It conveniently has a makeshift shelter to shade motorbikes and bicycles at the edge of the road.

On the first occasion that I visited there was a group of us and I got a lift on the back of my neighbour’s motorbike so we were there in no time. Subsequent visits have been by bicycle. We parked up and walked down the short set of steps in to the paddy field and followed the thin gravelled path. I had flat sandals on so ideal footwear but was glad I’d not wore heels as it could be a little tricky in places or in the dark. The path is easy to follow and leads you over two small bridges and past the frogs, who are sat in the water with a cage over them. I was surprised how big and well-fed the frogs looked, almost like toads.

We turned left after the pond with the frogs and saw a traditional built building which is the restaurant and bar, along the path to it is a pond on the left and hammocks and seating to the right, at the bottom of the peaks/hills.  One of the first things that we noticed is how peaceful and calm it felt.

Hammocks under the pomelo tree

Lots of natural shade

New tables by one of the ponds

Hammocks under the pomelo tree

Lots of natural shade

New tables by one of the ponds

We ordered cold drinks that came with glasses and ice and perused the menu.  To choose from was whole chicken, spring rolls, rice, fish, soup, french fries, veggies and frog. We were given free peanuts to eat with our beer and while the food was freshly prepared.  On the first occasion our group was the only customer but having been on further visits I can see it is going to be a popular spot with locals and tourists too. There are three big tables in the bar area so fully shaded, with fans, two more big tables outside and slightly shade by trees, plus a couple of smaller seating areas. I counted at least 4 hammocks for lounging in too.

The owners and staff are really welcoming and make every effort to ensure you are happy.  The food is great and a decent portion size. The soup we had was delicious and on my last visit the older lady of the family cooked the best sticky rice I’ve had. Once the chicken arrives whole, it will be pulled apart for you into pieces and it’s served on a platter lined with banana leaf accompanied with the lime, salt & pepper mix and some spices and crushed peanuts. It is absolutely delicious and we think the chicken goes from roaming around to in your belly within about 90 minutes.

Len Con Peak has all you need including western style toilets that are clean, they welcome well-behaved dogs and it’s a beautiful place to relax. I’m already looking forward to another visit.

It’s a sad day to be leaving Phong Nha, my parents and I will spend the last night of the holiday at Beachside Bckpackers before they head back for an afternoon in Hanoi and then a flight back home.  Here’s a track that matches the mood of the end of the holiday.

We started the morning at Phong Nha River House where we had a great last breakfast – the food as always doesn’t disappoint here and the views were perfect as we ate inside but looked over the gardens and river.

Our trusted taxi driver picked us up and took us in to town where I had arranged for mom and I to visit the Lemon Tree spa for a pedicure each.  Dad sat in the Lemon Tree bar having a coke and reading his book while we were pampered with a really good pedicure and gel nails for a great price. The lovely Trang did both our pedicures and was also training some new staff at the same time. I’ve had massages from the partially sighted guy there which have been great and so I can recommend a visit if you need any treatments while you’re in town. Mom & I were so pleased with our treatments and couldn’t stop admiring our pretty toes as we set off, in the taxi, to Dong Hoi.

The three of us arrived at Beachside Backpackers in Dong Hoi in time for lunch and a few beers (what a surprise) – we each got a free beer at check-in, as is the norm. I was pleased that my parents got to meet the owners Michaela and An as well as their little baby.  As you’ve probably realised my parents aren’t backpackers and we probably could have stayed at a hotel in town as there are quite a few to choose from, however I really love this place and I wanted to show it off to my parents.  I think they enjoyed visiting the place that Captain Caveman and I often escape to when we want to relax at the beach, we had lots of beers and even some cocktails and shots during the course of the evening and we managed to forget that tomorrow would be the last time I’d see my parents for maybe 5 months.

For dinner we took a short taxi ride in to town and visited one of my old favourites, 7^th Heaven. The steaks were amazing, the wine was great and the staff really friendly – it made for a brilliant last night of the holiday too.

The next morning after an early breakfast I accompanied ma & pa to the airport and the taxi driver waited while we said our goodbyes. Of course there were tears and I cried quiet tears in the taxi all the way back to Beachside.  Luckily for my parents their holiday hadn’t finished just yet and they flew to Hanoi where they managed to find their way to the famous water puppet theatre and have some food before their flight home.

This day’s soundtrack deserves one of my favourite songs ever…..

Day 3 in Phong Nha would be my parents’ last full day in town. Captain Caveman was working for the day as part of the expedition team who were here exploring new caves while we decided to visit some of the places we still didn’t go to the previous day.

After breakfast at Ho Khnah’s we decided to walk down to the hairdressers (Onion’s) so that Dad could get a shave. For a small fee Onion does a very close shave which tends to make people look 10 years younger.

Next we walked to Oxalis and had drinks at the café overlooking the river before walking down in to town via a few bars/restaurants.

One of the nicest places we stopped that morning was Lucky Lucky, a Vietnamese run bar and restaurant with some wooden seating by the river.  They served us green tea and peanuts on the house and a couple of cold beers and a large bottle of water were very reasonably priced considering the remarkable river view.  The family who own this place are really welcoming to their home, which we used the bathroom of, is exceptionally clean and tidy. I made a note to let the others know we had found another new place to add to the list of places we can visit.

Our next call was nearer to the town centre and also a fairly new place, Coco House.  This place is a homestay as well as a bar and restaurant, situated on the river – it has some of the most stunning views and the owners are really friendly and welcoming too.  This time they had added hammocks to the shaded seating area and so mom spent some time relaxing in one until our snacks arrived. The beers were cold the sweet potato fries were pretty impressive too.

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Once in town we visited D’Arts restaurant and the sun had started to come out which meant we could sit in the comfy outdoor seats, made from pallets, with the pet dog.  Usually I enjoy the Bun Cha here but as we had already had peanuts and fries along the way we decided against a meal and plumped for 3 cold beers.

For lunch we ate a mixture of dishes at one of my old favourites, Bamboo Café. This is one of the long standing places in town and the owner is busy with lots of Eco conservation work, including recently rescuing a primate.  His famous eco-tours help to raise money and awareness for endangered monkeys that need rehabilitation. The food, drinks and staff in the café are also great. We also bumped in to one of Captain Caveman’s fellow expedition men, Brian, who joined us for lunch.  Brian was staying at a local hotel, the Thanh Dat (also newly named Elegant Hotel) which is not far from Bamboo Café, and is where a lot of the cavers tend to stay when they are based here looking for new caves.

Later we had arranged to meet Captain Caveman over at Easy Tiger, this was a place my parents remembered visiting last year – Dad and I even did a song together there a couple of years ago. It’s one of the biggest and busiest hostels/bar/restaurant in town and a huge hit with backpackers and local drinkers alike.  There is often live music from an extremely talented band who cover quite a few genres of music, they also do requests and are happy for people to get up and sing/play too. There is also a few happy hour deals that we managed to take advantage of before we headed off to the Indian restaurant, Namaste.

Namaste is relatively new in town and a welcome addition to the town, it has a very full menu so there’s lots of choice and one of my favourite starters is the fish pagoda. The food here is definitely on the spicey side so only Capain Caveman had spicey while we all stuck to medium or mild. More beers were had before we headed to the last place of the night, Little Vietnamese Restaurant.

This bar is one of our favourites for beers, it’s also a bit of a sports bar as the owner does his best to how important football matches as well as other sporting events.  It’s also one of the oldest bars in Phong Nha, previously called the Why Not? Bar.  The food is also pretty good with one of my favourites being the pepper pork with steamed rice. The owners are lovely and also know how to mix a strong gin & tonic.

Our taxi, booked once again through our friend Phuong, came to pick us up as arranged and we were quite merry.  I was also quite sad that tomorrow was going to be our last morning before we headed off to Dong Hoi for one last night before my parents left.

The song for today was an obvious choice seeing as both my parents love The Beatles as well as us all being on a day trip.

After popping over for a drink at Ho Khanh’s we were back in the house and waiting for our taxi – the sunshine bus as it would later be called. We always use our friend, Phuong, for booking the taxis as he’s really reliable, speaks good English and lives nearby. He has a business ‘Phong Nha Backacker Services’ too which can accommodate up to 8 passengers on half or full day tours to the various tourist attractions around Phong Nha and the National Park. While waiting for the taxi we had some entertainment from the neighbouring house who had set up some kind of water pump contraption outside the house, it looked like it could get messy and we had no idea what they were meant to be doing.

The rain had started and so we were glad we had a car to take us the 3km in to town for our first stop off – breakfast at the Thang Nhung restaurant. The Pork Shop, as we call it, is one of the best places to eat in town if you like pork. If you don’t like pork then it’s probably not for you, although the veggie dish of Tofu is pretty good. The pork bang mi and the pork fried rice are among my favourite meals in Phong Nha, the prices are very good and the drinks (from the shop next door) are cold. The people who own the Pork Shop are so lovely and the BBQ pork is outstanding.

After about an hour we got back in the taxi and travelled out of Phong Nha and turned left at the main road where we drove towards the Phong Nha Farmstay, calling on our way at The Lake House. My mom had been before a couple of years ago when we had spent the day in the pool, drinking cocktails and eating delicious food while my Dad had been on the 2 day Hang En cave trip with Oxalis.  This time the weather was cooler and there was a little rain so we sat inside with hot drinks and admired the view.

We had planned that we would have lunch and wine at the Farmstay and so that was our next stop, the taxi driver had a break while we looked about the place and chilled out. The food is always good at this place and so I went for the sausages (as did Dad and Captain Caveman), while mom went for seafood. We were the only customers so it was really nice to relax and have the place to ourselves, we even got to take lots of photos of the beautiful grounds and pool area with my new phone.

After lunch we got back inside the sunshine bus and headed back towards Phong Nha via the scenic route, calling in at the Bomb Crater bar. This is a fairly new addition to the area and is built next to the river besides a bomb crater, it’s a lovely bar that serves beer and spirits in a great location.  There were kayaks but due to the weather we decided just to have a drink and take a few photos.

Our next stop was Sy’s Homestay, a little further along the river road, nearer to the petrol station, set in the rice paddies. Sy and his family have a small homestay there which has some stunning views as well as selling cold beers.  As the rain was still a little drizzly we sat undercover next to the Booking.com sign of 9.4, later my Dad stood up quickly and knocked it  off so it now has a piece missing.

By this time the day trip had turned in to more of a pub/bar crawl but we still had more to do that evening.  We called in to Bamboo café, pointed out the fridge shop that sells pillows, bought some great T-shirts and a bag at Phuc Dat before heading over for our evening meal at Capture Café, one of the best eateries in town for western food and great wine. It was great to see all the staff and, as promised Giang had put lots of wine in the fridge for us.  At Capture we all had pizza but couldn’t finish it all so Captain Caveman was in charge of the takeaway boxes, we bought a bottle of wine to take home and headed back to the house where we were invited to a soiree at Veronika’s. Other cavers, friends and neighbours joined us for gin, wine or whisky and we got quite merry before heading to bed knowing that tomorrow Captain Caveman was working while we had more sights to see.

I chose this song as it represents coming home to Phong Nha, I doubt I will ever live in Alabama so it’s the nearest I’m going to get to Sweet Home Phong Nha – love a bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

We passed our house in Phong Nha, got out of the taxi at Ho Khanh’s, before popping over to Rustic Homestay for breakfast. Mom joined me and Captain Caveman with pork noodle soup while Dad had a bacon sandwich. The homestay is fairly new, it has delicious breakfast options and a few of the locals seem to now frequent. It’s owned by a local and has nice rooms to rent as well as being available for smoothies, beers and meals. It’s a few doors away from us so is very handy – my usual breakfast consists of the bun heo with a banana smoothie although I sometimes treat myself to one of the best bacon sandwiches in town.

After breakfast we took our bags to the house, where my parents would move in to the room next door to us (on the 2^nd floor). The weather was cool and a fine drizzle was in the air so we got some washing in, sent Captain Caveman off to buy pillows and we walked to down the main street towards Oxalis.

The Glass House – our home.

On the way we had a nosy at a new bar that is being built close to our house, Mountain Bar, owned by our friend, next door neighbour and landlord’s son. It still had workmen in there and we said hello and took a couple of pictures – this was going to be the first bar within walking distance to our house and looking like it would open sometime in May.

Mountain Bar – coming soon to Phong Nha

We continued our walk and it was evident that in the last 2 years there was so much building work going on, even at our end of the village. I pointed out my friend Vinh’s homestay that was also new and almost finished – a beautiful traditional wooden house, opposite the volley ball court, called Highway 20 Homestay.

By the time we had managed a beer at Oxalis it was time for lunch and so we ordered food. I went for one of my favourites there which is the chicken curry and it didn’t disappoint. My parents were impressed with the changes to the Oxalis Home and restaurant which has been improved over the last 2 years – the beach looked impressive but it was a little cool and drizzly for us to sit there so we sat under the shelter and admired the river view instead.

In the afternoon we headed back towards home but not before having a cold beer by the river over at Ho Khanh’s. My parents had stayed here previously a couple of years ago and so it was good to see how the gardens had flourished as well as the new buildings had shaped the place now.

In the evening I had arranged a bit of a welcome meal at one of my favourite places, Phong Nha River House. A meal was arranged for early evening with a mixture of western and Vietnamese friends, so we could welcome my parents. We ate mostly pork dishes which were amazing and we drank beers and wine while one of our friends managed to skype call from the jungle to say hello to my parents.

Because of the close proximity to our house the River House is also a great option for an evening meal in a quiet location, beside the river, just past the pineapple totem pole type structure. My parents were able to meet our friends, the owners Bom & Quet, as well as meeting Chubby and Milo (the resident pooches). We all enjoyed the great food and promised to go back for one of the delicious breakfasts in a few days’ time.

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After we said our goodbyes we stopped for a nightcap in our room and made plans for our Phong Nha taxi tour the next day. We had a lot of places to visit and so we would start early to make sure we could fit as many places in as possible.

I’ve chose this song as I’ve always liked a bit of Fatboy Slim and this particular track reminds me of the sound a train makes. I also think this version’s video is pretty quirky.

We left Mai Chau at noon, again by private transfer, and headed back to Hanoi. My mom and I both needed to get a new phone – I was still using my iphone 4s, which I’d gone back to when my 2 year old Oppo had decided that it no longer liked connecting to the internet.

We popped in to one of the Gio Di Dong shops in the Old Quarter and looked at phones while Captain Caveman popped to make a reservation for dinner at a nearby restaurant. After deliberating over different phones for some time we decided to both get the same and plumped for the Oppo A37.

Armed with a new phone with a pretty good camera we went to a rooftop bar for a couple of cold beers.

Dinner was at The Mediterraneo, near St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi and was delicious. We even had free prosecco to celebrate their 25^th birthday, had great food and a good end to that part of our holiday before we headed to the station for our overnight train.

It was my parents’ first overnight train trip and we’d booked the soft sleeper so that all 4 of us were in the same compartment together. Captain Caveman and I had the top bunks while Ma & Pa had the bottom bunks. It cost around 500,000 VND each for the bed and the journey took about 9 or 10 hours.  I read for quite a bit and eventually went to sleep after midnight; my Dad had some dreams that caused him to shout out during the night which made me jump.  We arrived before 7am in to Dong Hoi, the nearest town to where Captain Caveman and I call home, got a taxi and arrived in Phong Nha by 8am. The first stop was obviously going to be breakfast, even before we had dropped off the luggage. It was going to be the start of a few days of being a tourist in my own village and I was looking forward to showing my parents the changes since their last visit, 2 years ago.

Dad & Captain Caveman on the overnight train

Me & Ma on the overnight train

Tomorrow we will celebrate my Dad’s birthday so I’ve picked an appropriate song. This band is still popular in Vietnam and has made a recent comeback to the wedding party DJ list.

It’s been almost a week since I met my parents at the airport in Hanoi and now we are heading by private transfer to Mai Chau. Captain Caveman has joined us and has a few days off from his day job before he goes on an expedition with other cavers to find new caves. I’d previously booked Mai Chau for a surprise for him but had to cancel it so we were both looking forward to the visit.

Although it’s only 135km South West of Hanoi it took us a while to get out of the city and about 3 hours to get to our hotel, Mai Chau Lodge.  First impressions are good and the place is set in a very picturesque village with lush green rice paddies surrounding it.

We celebrated the next part of our holiday with mojitos in the outside bar, of which we were the only customers, before heading in for dinner.

On Friday it was Dad’s birthday so after a good buffet breakfast we decided to go on the cave trip provided four times per day by the hotel – there’s nothing Captain Caveman enjoys more on his day off than a trip to a cave.

Mo Luong cave is right across the road from the Mai Chau Lodge and just up a few stairs so I felt a little foolish when I took my bag and a waterproof, like I was off on a school trip. Inside the cave has 3 or 4 chambers but we only went in the show cave part of it. There is a tunnel at the end that an experienced caver could go down but we left it at looking at the main section plus going up a ladder to a section full of bats. As we finished the short tour we could hear water and as we neared the doorway exit we saw that there was a heavy downpour of rain – good job we brought our raincoats. The tour guide had no coat or umbrella and so we waited in the cave until it eased off a bit, I took some photos but most of them were blurry due to the lack of light (and it not being a great camera).

By lunch time Captain Caveman was feeling under the weather so he went to the room to rest while mom, dad and I had some lunch and had a walk around the area. The weather was a little overcast and not too warm but it was nice to see the paddy fields and the mountains covered in clouds. Despite having a pool, which our rooms overlooked, none of us swam as it just wasn’t warm enough.

At dinner that evening we arrived to a fairly empty dining room where the staff were keen to show us their traditional dance and music skills. Captain Caveman wasn’t impressed given that we had ordered food and might not see it arrive at our table any time soon.  Nevertheless the show did go on (and on) while we ate our food and another couple sat in to watch and got involved when they asked for volunteers on the bamboo stick dance (which I think they’d already practiced).

After dinner the waitress brought out a lovely cake (which I’d organised in advance via email) which was decorated really well and tasted good.

We’d had a good time in Mai Chau despite the weather not being great and I couldn’t help thinking that it reminded me a little of our home in Vietnam, Phong Nha. After a few celebratory drinks we retired to the room to pack for our next adventure, tomorrow we were off back to Hanoi where we would take an overnight train to Dong Hoi.

I could’ve been predictable with my song choice and picked a Monkees one, I also quite fancied a couple of songs with monkeys in the video but in the end I had to choose one of my favourites from a Sheffield band. I heard this covered by a very young Thai band in Bangkok late last year and it reminds me of my home city every time I hear it.

We awoke feeling surprisingly ok and even managed a trip to Titop Island. It’s a small Island in Ha Long Bay which was named by Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho) in 1962 after an astronaut, Ghermann Titov, who’d been a hero from the Soviet Union.

We arrived early and the weather was overcast and certainly not warm enough for a dip in the sea or even a sit on the beach so we set off to climb to the top of the hill on the island to get some views. Mom got so far and had to turn back while the three of us battled with the groups of impatient tourists to get to the top, take photos and get back down.

The view from the top of Titop island

Speedboats racing through the rocks towards the Pearl farm

We then got picked up by another boat and headed for the pearl farms for a look at how the pearls are made and obviously to have a browse around the shop. It was an interesting trip and there were no hard-sell staff which made the look round the shop very relaxed.

The pearls growing in the sea

The guide at the Pearl farm showing us the different sizes

Workers at the Pearl farm

Workers showing us the shells where the Pearls may have grown

After 2 nights on our Ha Long Bay cruise we were off to stay at the Monkey Island Resort not too far from Cat Ba. The place is set on its own island where one side is inhabited by monkeys. We got off the boat for an hour or so to watch the monkeys being fed, as well as watching them help themselves to customers’ snacks from any bags they had. They had their eyes on our beers but only managed to make off with a can of coke while the bar man had his back turned.

At Monkey Island we checked in – Chrissy & I in to a standard twin bamboo hut, set in the gardens not far from the beach, my parents in a rather swish beach front villa. Dad was the only one to swim in the sea (I still had my fleece on) but we all did manage a lounge on the beach. We had an evening BBQ on the first night but chose off the menu on the second night. We stuck to beer as the wine list was showing $35 per bottle in one menu but had cheaper ‘out of stock’ wines listed in the lunch menu. Instead we decided on beers for our sun-downers, even if they were a bit overpriced. My mom had a massage and I had some reflexology there which was really good. It was very relaxing and I slept really well in our small but adequate room. The weather could’ve been better but at least we did see a little bit of sun. In the evening the resort allows backpackers to visit for a bit of a party night where there is lots of drunkenness and traditional dancing on the beach.  We watched as the revelers tried (and mostly failed) at the bamboo dancing.

On our last day we had an early breakfast and a boat came to take us to Ben Bo port where we took a car pick up to our next part of our trip back to Hanoi. From Cat Ba island we got on the Full Moon Party bus, after watching a colour dash race take place outside the travel agency. We then got another boat, this time a fast ferry, which took us the quick route back to the mainland. From there we got the bus back to Hanoi where we were on time to meet Captain Caveman and Watto (Chrissy’s husband).

After a delicious lunch of fish & chips, pie or bangers & mash at the Moose & Roo on Ma May street we said our goodbyes to Chrissy and Watto and we boarded our next bus to Mai Chau.