1. Declutter your home & possessions

2. Finish off the jobs you started around the house

3. Clear your phone photos on to a memory stick/laptop

4. Study – either a language or a free online course to aid your current/future career prospects

5. Take up a new hobby or revisit an old one

6. Read a book (or 10)

7. Watch some classic films you never got round to when you were too tired.

8. Do your research ready for your next few holidays and make your wish list of places to see.

9. Keep a diary.

10. Write a book, some poetry or start a blog.

The first thing I did on the first day of our enforced social distancing stint, on Wednesday 1st April, was to review my wordpress blog stats for March. I’d published 12 blog posts during the month and that equated to one more than in February, however my total views was a bit disappointing as I’d had 53% less in March than February. My readers were still the same top 3 by country; UK, Vietnam, Turkey but both Vietnam and Turkey readers had declined. In 4th, 5th and 6th place were Germany, USA and Australia which was good to see but what really surprised me is that China was now in 7th place.

My next job was done with a cup of ginger tea – I checked my NCOVI app for updates on new cases, deaths and recoveries in Vietnam, as well as updating my health status on the app so that I can be tracked. Vietnam now had 212 people infected with the virus, zero deaths and 58 recovered – a 27% recovery rate at this stage was still better than average.
For breakfast we went to Oxalis Home, who had been allowed to stay open so that staff had somewhere to eat. We wore masks to go there, we sat away from anyone else and the pho ga was a welcome breakfast for me. Next we went to Coffee Station so Captain Caveman could order his breakfast of eggs benedict and I had an early lunch of fruit salad with yoghurt. Johnny, the owner, had arranged a board outside with info to order takeaways and had also spaced the tables out so that everyone was 2m apart.

In the afternoon I messaged my sister a daft picture of me on Snapchat, which now has a jazzy version of the face mask selfie for us to try out. I made a list of things to do while staying at home and even got back in to doing a puzzle from some half started books I had. I was still peckish before it got to dinner time so I had a (slightly passed it’s best) Snickers and a boiled sweet with Himalayan salt in it which was odd, but I’m all for trying new things while I’m staying at home. In the evening I decided to try a healthy meal from Phong Nha Vegan which also coincided well with a reply about getting a bottle of Kahlua. Momma D said we could collect the keys for her rooftop bar and go collect a bottle which she would put on our tab, so Captain Caveman popped for the keys while I waited a few doors away for the takeaway of mushroom Lalot and fresh spring rolls. Captain Caveman didn’t get the keys as Momma D couldn’t find them, we had to open our first bottle of the emergency wine instead. After dinner it was a race to get to our phones, log in to Netflix and watch Tiger King. I was a couple of episodes behind Captain Caveman plus it’s too difficult for two of us to watch the same phone screen anyway so we both put headphones on and watched separately.

On Monday 30th March there was a new rule brought in by the authorities which said that there could be no more than 10 people in any one group/place. This meant that the rest of the Oxalis training plan had to be shelved and when Captain Caveman came out of the cave later that day he was told he wouldn’t be going in April. For lunch we went to Capture and of course Captain Caveman had his usual pizza while I dared to try falafal with greek salad, hoping there wouldn’t be any gluten in it. I gave the pitta bread to Captain Caveman to take away and ate the rest, it was really nice and filling but it must’ve had some wheat in it as my stomach was bad before I even left. While we were there the police arrived and told the staff they must close the cafe in order to prevent any Corona virus cases happening in Phong Nha. In the evening Captain Caveman attended a small party with his training group at a restaurant by the river where they had beers and boiled chicken.
Captain Caveman came home and we had a takeaway from Namaste which was really good – our first in the new home and I forgot to take photos of it. While we were eating we noticed there were thousands of green fly all over the inside of the house and we only had a couple of geckos to feed on them. As Mondays go it wasn’t awfully exciting but little did we know that life would be so much less exciting over the next few days/weeks.

On Tuesday 31st March the news came that there would be strict social distancing measures throughout the whole of Vietnam. The announcement said that from 00:00 on 1st April everyone in the country must stay at home and that if you went outside for essential reasons (food, medicine, emergency) you could only be in a maximum of 2 people together. Everyone was to observe the already in place law of wearing a mask in public and now remain 2 metres away from others. All bars and eateries were to closed or only doing takeaways. All public transport between other towns and cities was severely restricted and it was a social distancing initiative for a minimum of 15 days. I had rice crackers for brunch and several cups of herbal tea before taking photos of each page of my passport prior to sending it to Hanoi by post. I wasn’t keen on this but was assured by Captain Caveman that it would be fine and of course I wouldn’t be able to leave Phong Nha anyway before the 15th, which was the exact date my visa expired! We went to the post office and paid 35,000vnd (£1.23ish) to send it recorded over 3 days.
We popped to the shop for essentials and even though this night was the last night of freedom we decided staying in would be the sensible option. Our only short term worry was ‘do we have enough kahlua left?’ as we fixed ourselves a white russian each and parked ourselves in the deckchairs to call my Dad to wish him Happy Birthday. It was good to talk to Dad and he was in good spirits even though they were still self-isolating too.
We had our left over curry from Namaste for dinner and then we chilled out, doing our own thing and feeling quite lucky to be safe. We also started watching Tiger King on Netflix and life would never be the same again.

The weekend was here and on Friday 27th March Captain Caveman went off to Son Doong for 4 days with a group of Oxalis staff as part of a trial to keep up training while there were no tourist trips – a great idea and he was looking forward to it. The weather was so hot and I realised it would only get hotter over the next few weeks and months.
For lunch I met Tatas at Oxalis Home and I had the most delicious lunch I’ve had there in a while – chicken and cashew nuts with rice. In the afternoon the plumber came to try to fix the toilet and put a waste pipe in the kitchen sink. The cleaner came and gave the place a good going over – cleaning everything in sight. That night I decided to stay in and admire the clean room and I loved the peace and quiet. Unfortunately the toilet was not fixed and so I let the landlady know – the bum gun was fitted but had an incredibly over-enthusiastic spurt to it. I decided to organise a Saturday afternoon drink for the next day, not knowing it would be our last group outing for a while!

I had a good day on Saturday 28th March despite having the bed to myself and the chance of a few hours extra sleep. I woke up about 6am and read the world news. It was also a bit cooler here so I cycled to Little Vietnam for breakfast where I had a delicious pho ga, a can of pepsi and picked up some snacks. At lunch I met Tatas again at Oxalis Home and I had some chips which were really good. Tatas had got me some rice crackers which I had been looking for in the market but couldn’t find and made an ideal snack for when/if we needed to isolate. In the afternoon we met as planned at Capture for drinks, I had a bit too much wine and we ended up having a late dinner after which I felt a bit sleepy. I was happy to finally get my potato wedges with Bolognese sauce that I’d been wanting for weeks and it didn’t disappoint – the Santa Digna wine was pretty good too. Capture looked fantastic with a new bar area outside and lots of space to relax.
Back home I sent some information to a visa agent to start the process of renewing my visa to stay in Vietnam for longer. The plumber had been back to have a second go at fixing the toilet but it appeared there wasn’t much more he could do – It’s a good job we were a 2 toilet family!

I was woken by a notification on my phone at 6.30am on Sunday 29th March to tell me I had a WhatsApp voice message from the rental agent in Dalyan (Turkey). Our apartment was empty due to everyone from UK having to cancel their holiday bookings because of the Corona virus and so the agent had took the opportunity to put a couple from Istanbul in there for a month. By the time I’d replied (because of the time difference) they had already moved in and it was all sorted. I would have been going there in a couple of weeks time but of course that would no longer be possible and so it was good to have some guests there instead. I had breakfast at home and was just planning my day when Des made a welcome suggestion in the group messenger. For lunch I met some of the gang at Coffee Station (aka Phong Nha Eatery) where my duck spring rolls were so tasty and I also tried some of Momma D’s chickpea and beetroot salad. Before Momma D left she invited us all over to her place that night for a home cooked meal which would be gluten free and I said yes (obviously) and was really looking forward to it. When I arrived at Momma D’s house, with a few ciders in my bag, we sat and had a chat while Des went to collect Hanh. We had a lovely chicken cooked in a BBQ sauce in the oven, with green beans and feta, carrots with honey and dil and some steamed broccoli – I even had a glass of wine with it. Once the washing up was done we had a right laugh playing Cards against Humanity until midnight! I’d not played the hilarious game since a night with the landlady and staff at The Queen’s (the pub I used to work in back in Mosborough). A perfect end to the weekend it was too.

On Monday 23rd March Captain Caveman went to Oxalis in the morning and arranged to borrow a car so that we could go to Dong Hoi to change dollars at the gold shop. This money was all the tips so far this year which were given to the Oxalis porters and guides and, given the lack of work in Phong Nha now, it was a good time to give the money out. Tatas also asked to come along as she needed to get something in the market. Our first stop was the wine shop which we were surprised was still open – we bought 4 bottles of red wine and a bottle of vodka. I was getting a bit hangry as there was very little open for breakfast and we went to the Vincom centre for snacks. As we entered, all masked up, the security guard checked our temperatures. Captain Caveman and Tatas were both 36.6° and I was the coolest of us all at 36.2°. We had a drink at the Sherlyn Coffee shop (I had a passion fruit smoothie) and then we drove over to find some lunch. There wasn’t much open but we found Thai Binh Street Food. The food was actually pretty good and I would go there again. I had pork kebabs, Tatas had beef and chips and Captain Caveman had some beef jerky which was delicious.
Back in Phong Nha we visited the market to stock up on socks and soft drinks and I tried to buy contraceptive pills (I only have enough until next month and I usually buy them in Turkey). The old man behind the pharmacy counter looked at the packet, put the big light on, looked again, put his readers on and then he went rummaging in his cupboard. There was one box of 3 month’s worth left and he sold them to me for 70,000vnd (£2.45) – a bargain and still in date.
Back home we had a couple of white russians while I messaged someone reliable in Phong Nha who might be able to extend my visa. In the evening we had an outing to the Vung Hue with just four of us – Captain Caveman and I, Des and Tatas. It was the first time I’d been this year and the food was bloody lovely, especially the ribs and the veggie fried rice (I forgot to take a photo of them). That day I had a message from our housemate who was on his way back from Danang and would be arriving that night. He has the room directly beneath our new one so that would stop us dancing in an evening!

On Tuesday 24th March Captain Caveman and I cycled to Capture for lunch, I ate a chicken salad and Captain Caveman had his usual pizza which of course I was so jealous I couldn’t eat. In the afternoon we went to Oxalis Home so that the tip money could be given out to the guides. I had a green tea and he had a couple of beers and we waited for each of the staff to come get their money. Next stop we popped in to Ho Khanh’s to look for keys and I had a short rest in the hammock. In the evening Captain Caveman and I went to D’Arts for bun cha and Tatas joined us later. We cycled back home so I could call my mom to wish her a happy birthday. My parents were self-isolating and mom had started learning a new skill, well two actually. My dad was supervising her in drainage and block-work on their house – she assured me they were both fine and would have some wine later. It was good to chat to my parents despite the worry that this virus was getting so much worse back in Europe and there was nothing I could do about it.

We started the day with mugs of ginger tea at home on Wednesday 25th March, using the stool for our coffee table. Captain Caveman was a bit curious to see how much booze we had left, for if we went in to lock down – we certainly had no need to worry and were grateful to those who had brought us gifts of whisky and gin.
We went to Funny Monkeys for lunch where I ordered pork fried rice and Captain Caveman asked for pork ribs but when it came I got pork with noodles (which have wheat in) so we did a swap and the food was quite tasty. As we had started eating Tatas arrived and ordered a corn on the cob which looked great. Back home we were loving the views and having the big windows – we sat down and watched as the neighbours moved a house and I worked at my new desk/table with a wine. In the evening it was just me, Captain Caveman and Tatas for Namaste where I went off piste and had a butter chicken while the others had their favourite dishes and I had a lovely couple of glasses of red wine. The food was delicious and we were all stuffed when we finished the meal and the 2 of us went home for a gin nightcap.

It was muggy and hot on Thursday 26th March and the cycle in to town for breakfast was sticky. Captain Caveman had the eggs benedict and espressos while I had fruit and yoghurt with honey on top and a herbal tea at Coffee Station. On the way back we decided to call in to Ho Khanh’s. We had some drinks and eventually we left so that we could go to lunch – at about 5pm!!!
We decided to try You and Me as we hadn’t been in ages, it was open and the owner was welcoming. The food is quick and good value for money and I would have the chicken fried rice again. We decided to have an early night as the next day Captain Caveman was off doing some training work with Oxalis and so the alarm was set.

It was my last yoga class on Friday 20th March and I was going to miss the class and the White Russian. She was extremely good at yoga and a good teacher and I was definitely going to miss going over for the class each day in such beautiful surroundings. It was also the day that 4 of the Phong Nha residents would leave Vietnam to go back to the UK. Watto, Chrissy, Jo and Andrew were all booked on the same flight together (I don’t know who I felt sorry for the most) and were flying from Dong Hoi to Saigon that evening. Already Josh had messaged to say he was in Istanbul and all was calm – as far as he could tell his flight to London was still going. Veronika was keen to meet for lunch before Chrissy left and so Chrissy hadn’t come to yoga so that she could get packed. I arrived at Capture to meet Veronika and Chrissy to find that Watto, Jo & Andrew, Howard & Deb and the ex-lodger were joining for lunch too. After lunch I cycled home and went over to Jo & Andrew’s to collect my new furniture and then saw off the four of them as they left for the airport. It looked like there was a storm brewing and I went home to catch up on some blogging and have a shower.
I went to Momma D’s for a wine before dinner and got chatting to Des and D-Dub, then a group of westerners joined us as well as Hanh (owner of D’Arts). We decided to go to eat as a group for bun cha at D’Arts and we sat on the comfy seats inside. We went back to Momma D’s until closing and then tried to go to Andy’s but he was closed so I invited people back to mine – by this time it was just me, Tatas, the ex-lodger, Des and the White Russian (D-Dub joined later). The ex-lodger brought his speaker over and we took it in turns to play music. There was wine yoga, bhangra dancing (and general dancing) and singing. We still had some Monkey 47 gin left and so we drank a selection of beers, gin and wine until the small hours.

On Saturday 21st March I woke up about 9.30am hungry and incredibly thirsty. There was no yoga to go to as White Russian was supposed to be flying to Saigon that night. I tidied up the house and was particularly disappointed to find one of the guests had opened but left a full can of 333 beer, there were bits of what I hoped was chocolate on the floor and a load of ants having a picnic with it. Captain Caveman was due back that afternoon so I wanted to make sure the house was looking at his best for him as he’d not been in the new room yet.
I got a message from Caroline to say there would be a party at Ho Khanh’s that evening and Captain Caveman messaged to say he was on his way back and there was an end of expedition celebration meal at Namaste that evening! Meanwhile it had become a rule that we had to wear a mask when out in public which was tricky as the only time I was out in public was when I was eating or drinking. Bamboo cafe, Veggie Box and Momma D’s all decided to close up because of the Corona virus and lack of customers, which was not a surprise.
Captain Caveman was happy to be back and was even happier to be eating at one of his favourite restaurants. The food was good and we had a laugh – the rest of the caving group had their flights early the next morning and were probably the last scheduled ones available. White Russian had also had her internal flight cancelled but needed to get to Saigon for her Emirates flight on Monday (if it didn’t cancel). She met us at Ho Khanh’s party where she let D-Dub book her a train from Dong Hoi to Saigon for the next day which would take 24 hours to get there! She also brought everyone a stone/crystal as a gift and she also gave me some nice shampoo and a leaf trinket to make a necklace out of. Me, Des and ex-lodger were struggling to socialise or have any alcohol but D-Dub and White Russian were doing fine. Tatas was soldiering on and managed beer and tequila shots! We didn’t stay long (as I had overdone it the previous evening) and agreed to meet the cavers at 7am the next morning as they were leaving for the airport at 7.30am.

On Sunday 22nd March Captain Caveman and I went to Ho Khanh’s to say bye to the remaining expedition cavers and then cycled to town where we ate breakfast at Capture and it was a nice pleasant morning, no storms as yet! For lunch we were off to A Little Leaf for seafood and so Des, Hanh and Tatas joined us. The BBQ prawns were fantastic and I managed to resist the scallops. D-Dub popped by Little Leaf to see us, having dropped the White Russian off – she would have an unenviable train ride to Saigon. Back home we sat together in our deckchairs, admiring the amazing mountain views, drinking wine and happily resigning ourselves to the fact that we were now part of the Phong Nha remainers – we were going to be here for a while I suspected. Confirmation came back from my Berlin 10 friends’ wedding that it would be postponed to next year which selfishly I was glad I would be able to attend.
In the evening Captain Caveman and I went to Phong Nha Eatery where the food was good and the chef was doing some lovely dishes there, despite only a skeleton staff. It was Mother’s Day back in the UK so when we got home we called my parents and had a good chat. I was pleased that they were keeping themselves indoors until it was safe and we managed to have a bit of a laugh, despite everything going on. Captain Caveman fell asleep in a deckchair and then went to bed before I finished the call – the last 5 days of finding new caves had worn him out!

I was still going to yoga every day and on Monday 16th March it was a fairly normal day. Captain Caveman had gone off on a one day cave expedition and would be back for dinner. Chrissy, Josh and I had breakfast after yoga class and then cycled back from town. We called in to Coffee Station and I had a tea – it was back on the menu at last. Captain Caveman came back at 3pm and we went to The Villas for a drink at happy hour with Josh and Chrissy. Later we went to Namaste for curry which was just as good as usual.
After dinner we went to Momma D’s and I had a couple of wines, and chatted with some of the cave expedition cavers.

It was St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday 17th March and the only Irish person I knew who may be celebrating it was our housemate. He was currently in Danang, quarantined in a brewery with as much beer as he could handle. Captain Caveman was back off on a 5 day caving expedition and this would be the final trip to find new caves, as planned. Chrissy, Josh and I went to yoga and then ate at Nguyen Shack Eco Resort before cycling back home. I was still trying to find some furniture for the new home and we couldn’t move in until the toilet was fixed and we were on a budget now so I had to drink less wine (£13.30 is the cheapest non-vietnamese wine in town). Josh and I went to Little Vietnam for lunch and had a mix of veggie dishes which were all lovely – my favourite was the cabbage. Meanwhile the news we were hearing from the UK was that it was going a bit wild and reports on the news also said that Turkey would cancel all flights to and from the UK as well as other high risk countries.
In the evening we went to Momma D’s before and after dinner. We had a lovely meal as a three (me, Chrissy and Josh) at Underground not knowing this could be our last dinner there. We went back to Momma D’s for more wine!

Wednesday 18th March was a pretty sad day as far as Phong Nha days go! We still had our morning yoga and breakfast and then cycled back so that Josh could pack and Chrissy could brace herself for the return of Watto. There were rumours around town that the locals were no longer welcoming foreigners and that some were experiencing negativity – I was fine except for people staying a bit further away than usual but I could understand that.
Watto was back and once he’d gone to his gala dinner I went to join Chrissy for wine. We were on our second glass when Josh joined us for a beer – this would be the last time as they were all heading back to the UK. Josh cycled down to town with his big bag and I took his hand-luggage (which was quite heavy). We had our final meal together at Capture and by the time Watto and Tatas joined us, Chrissy and I were tipsy. I didn’t want Josh to leave, he thought I was a bit daft for agreeing to stay! We headed over to Momma D’s where everyone was having a drink at the big long table. When it came to the time for Josh to go to get the bus to Hanoi both me and Tatas went to say bye at the bus office. It was also Watto, Chrissy, Jo and Andrew’s last chance for a knees up but when we went back to Momma D’s at 9.30pm, everyone had gone. I drank the remainder of my wine and then cycled home, feeling a little bit sad!

On Thursday 19th March there was some bad news; our yoga teacher, the White Russian, had decided to head to the UK to be with her family. I had been doing the daily class now for exactly 2 weeks and was really enjoying it. I’d even managed to drag the ex-lodger along to try it. After the class Chrissy and Tatas had a look at the teacher’s crystal collection and snapped up some bargain necklaces while I took photos of the wandering buffalo. I’d arranged with our landlady to have our fridge moved from our old room to the new one and when I got back to town Watto was waiting for Chrissy and telling me to hurry because the lads were here. I’d already let the landlady know I still needed to empty it and to come back later but when I pulled on to the drive Watto was already shouting the lads over. The lads had to watch me empty the very full fridge at top speed while they stood there with a mixture of impatience and surprise. They could not believe how much stuff (alcohol) was in there and kept laughing at me. It took them less than 10 seconds to pick up the fridge and set it back down in the new room. I started moving some more stuff in and having a general tidy up. In the evening I headed to Phong Nha Eatery where I ate duck spring rolls and a duck main dish too. I decided not to drink any alcohol that night and went home to have an early night.

The weekend would turn out to be one of the hardest so far since being in Vietnam. There was definitely a sense of slight panic around on Friday 13th March as people started to grasp that without tourism Phong Nha could grind to a halt. Rumours were rife and the biggest one to affect us was that all the cave tours would close soon and we didn’t know how long for. Phong Nha relies heavily on the the caves for income and so it would be pretty difficult for locals to find jobs, especially legal ones. Already the famous Paradise cave had issued a notice to state that it was closed from the 14th -31st March. Captain Caveman was still away and so I couldn’t discuss with him but I suspected he may be told he had no job soon – more and more Son Doong customers were having to postpone or cancel trips which was bound to have an impact. Chrissy and I went to yoga and on the way back it was so sticky and hot that we went straight to meet Veronika in the aircon of The Villas for our lunch date.
We drank 4 massive bottles of chilled water between the 3 of us and we didn’t even indulge in a wine. The food, as always, was delicious and probably still of the best standard in town; I had veggie spring rolls and a courgette salad, Chrissy had the chicken sandwich with chips and Veronika had the salmon with mashed potatoes.
In the evening I decided to stay in again and watch Netflix and I ordered a delivery from Phong Nha Vegan which was so good that I forgot to take a photo of it. I downloaded Pandemic to watch on Netflix but never got round to it and instead fell asleep quite early.

After yoga and breakfast at Nguyen Shack on Saturday 14th March I decided it would be a good idea to start stocking up on wine. The sun had gone in and it was a bit cooler out when Chrissy and I went to meet Veronika and a friend of her’s. I’d bumped in to Des at Capture and we decided to share a bottle of red wine, I also bought 3 bottles to take away. Josh had returned from Son Doong to be told the news that Oxalis would stop all tours from the 17th March until the end of May and that he, and the remaining cavers, had the choice of whether they would go home (to the UK) or stay in Phong Nha. Of course Captain Caveman was still underground somewhere and didn’t know this and I wasn’t sure how he would feel about the news. A few of us stayed at Capture for food, by which time Des had gone on to beer and I had started another bottle of red and we decided to share a cheeseboard. Capture has an amazing menu but because it’s all western food (with gluten in) there are only a couple of things I can order and so cheese (without bread) is a winner. The White Russian came out with us and it turned in to a messy evening, with Josh joining us after his gala dinner, old fashioned cocktails at Momma D’s and I even agreed to go to Andy’s disco bar. I spent the night dancing away. I knew I was going to have a hangover but I needed to be up for yoga class.

It was a funny old day on Sunday 15th March, not only was I hungover throughout the whole of yoga but the repercussions of the Corona virus pandemic were starting to have a direct affect on Phong Nha.
I met up with Veronika who gave me the keys to our new home and I should have been more excited but there was the small matter of us having agreed to take on a bigger room at an extra cost. I’d been told by quite a few expats here that I should get out of Vietnam while I still could and that I should book a flight. I was reluctant to leave, knowing that I had no home or job to go back to and that, if the UK was sensible, it would be locked down any day now. My parents were completely supportive and said I should not leave and that once Captain Caveman came back we could make some plans to stay here and keep safe.
Josh and I went to Lucky Lucky for a late lunch and then got a message from Captain Caveman to say he was due back. He’d been gone only 5 days but it was clear to see that the world had become a bit more mental in that time. In some ways it was better that he had no contact with any media or outside world during that time but it also meant that any decisions he had to make (and quickly) may not be with enough research or proper thought. Regardless he was off to meet his fellow cavers and have a curry at Namaste while Josh and I were grateful to be able to go back home after a drink (and a brownie for him) at Underground. I was in bed in my PJs when a rather merry Captain Caveman came home with his group for a party in the spare room (he didn’t even know we had the keys for our new room, yet). They cracked on with the dark beer stash from Laos and chatted shit about caves for what seemed like a while and I did the dutiful wife thing and joined them (but I didn’t drink). By midnight I was ready for bed and they all went home, they were back on another cave trip the next day but just for the day so I would hopefully get a chance to talk to Captain Caveman about his plans and what the next few months would look like, when he returned.

On Monday 9th March Captain Caveman went off on his 3 day cave exploration trip, it was incredibly hot and I still went to yoga even though Chrissy had to go to Danang. Afterwards I ate mango sticky rice for breakfast and I really wanted to read my book, a Chris Evans autobiography, but it was pretty busy around the pool with kids so I didn’t get a chance. Josh got out of Son Doong and there was no time for balcony beers this time. Things were definitely changing at a faster pace with the Corona virus and I weighed up how much it would cost to extend my visa if I was unable to travel to Turkey or the UK – it was looking pricey. While Josh was at his gala dinner, Tatas and I went to Phong Nha Eatery, the new dinner place at Coffee Station, where I enjoyed the duck spring rolls. The tamarind prawn dish was also very nice but the sauce had chillies in and I could only eat the prawns after wiping the sauce off. I forgot to take photos in all the kerfuffle but will definitely eat there again. We finished the night off with a wine at Momma D’s but I didn’t want to be hung over for my 5th yoga session the next day.

On Tuesday 10th March Josh decided to come to yoga class for the first time. It was a warm but cloudy day so we decided to cycle it there and Bluey (my bike) got her first go on the Ho Chi Minh Highway East, which is the busiest road she’s been on so far. It wasn’t too tricky and because of the decline in visitors to Phong Nha there was considerably less traffic, we turned off at the next junction and cycled through the rice paddies to the Nguyen Shack Eco Resort, I was surprised that I made it without much of a to-do. We had a good class, although we got told off for giggling when we were in such a position that Josh had the girl next to him almost flash her bits at him. After class we chatted with the yoga teacher, who I later affectionately would call the White Russian, and ate lunch – Josh had tofu in tomato sauce with rice and I had beef and pineapple. We cycled back the scenic route and decided to stop for bun cha at D’Arts, forgetting we had already eaten. We both had the veggie version and I was impressed and will always have the veggie spring rolls there from now on, although I prefer the meat bun cha more. During lunch I got a message from Captain Caveman to say he was back already and he was in a bit of a mood. I managed to cheer him up with a bottle of wine and some popcorn at The Villas before heading out to dinner with Josh and Marc, a German friend who was back in town for just a short time. We met at Lantern where I had the famous ribs which were still delicious and the others ordered various (mainly veggie) dishes. After, we had a drink at Momma D’s with one of Captain Caveman’s fellow expeditioners but we didn’t stay out long as they were both heading off on a multi-day caving trip the next day.

It was time to start thinking about Plan B with regards to my travel plans to Turkey and England just in case the Corona virus got worse in either of those countries. On Wednesday 11th March I looked in to if it would be possible to extend my current visa and how much it would cost – if I took my passport to Hanoi I could get another 3 month extension for around $340. I also looked at flights and they were getting so much more expensive so I held off booking one. Captain Caveman set off for his expedition which would last (hopefully) around 5-6 days, Josh went on his next Son Doong tour and Chrissy had to stay another day in Danang while I cycled all the way to Nguyen Shack Eco Resort for my 6th day of yoga. I was really enjoying it and starting to see a difference in my flexibility, plus I had not had a bad stomach once since starting yoga – but then I wasn’t always eating 3 meals per day or drinking quite as much. On the cycle home, which was very sweaty, I got lost and ended up going the long way round so I stopped off at The Villas for a chocolate mousse cake and a cup of jasmine tea. In the evening Tatas was back from her 2 day Tu Lan trip, we ate at Phong Nha Underground for dinner and we had a couple of wines at Momma D’s too. In the news I read about how the Corona virus was being dealt with in various countries and was pleased to know that Vietnam had tightened their controls and were doing a good job so far. Where ever anyone tested positive every person they had potentially come in to contact with was being traced, tested and quarantined until the results were in. It felt safe here in Phong Nha and I hoped it would stay that way.

Thursday 12th March was a calm day. It was my 7th day of practicing hatha yoga and I had noticed a vast improvement in my balance and I was sleeping much better. I had been away from Turkey for 2 months and it looked more and more likely that I would struggle to get back without having to be placed in quarantine on arrival in Istanbul, which I didn’t relish the thought of given I was intending leaving Dalaman after 14 days for my trip back to England. At this point it looked like I would have to forego the trip to Dalyan and go straight to the UK when my visa expires on the 15th April. After the yoga class I ate mango sticky rice and drank orange juice, I tried one of White Russian’s veggie spring rolls too, before heading to one of the sunloungers by the pool to do a bit of writing and some reading. I watched the buffalo get chased off by dogs again and the people round or in the pool were quiet and polite so it was relaxing. I had a late lunch of pork with aubergine and rice and I drank lots of water and more orange juice. The weather was getting hotter and hotter and in the evening I couldn’t be bothered to go out so I stayed in and watched Dirty Money on Netflix – and no alcohol that day! It was pretty much a perfect day!

It was only 10 weeks until Kerrie’s hen holiday in Marbella on Friday 6th March and my body was not the bikini ready I might have hoped for but maybe my new hobby would help. Nguyen Shack were advertising a yoga class where the first class was free for locals so me, Chrissy and Tatas decided to go along to the 10am session. We cycled to Nguyen Shack in Phong Nha and got a lift by car to Nguyen Shack Eco Resort which is so beautiful and built next to a lake. The yoga teacher walked us, a guest at the homestay and the owner, Maxime, to one of the bungalows so we could do the class on a balcony with amazing views. She was really good at teaching us the hatha poses where I found I wasn’t as flexible as I once was but it went quite well. After yoga we stuck around and had some brunch – I had beef and pineapple which was cheap and cheerful with a fair portion of meat in it. We lolled by the pool, looked at Bacon (the pig) and Donald (the duck) taking a few pictures and chilling out a bit.
In the evening Chrissy invited me to her’s and we had some wine before heading to the soft opening of the Phong Nha Eatery (aka Coffee Station) which was now doing evening meals with a very talented chef. The food was amazing and my duck in orange sauce really hit the spot. We tried the cocktails and got a bit tiddly, so much so that when we got home to find a herd of cows on our drive we stopped to take photos of them.

The weather was getting hotter and on Saturday 7th March we had our second yoga class outside on the roof of the restaurant at Nguyen Shack Eco Resort. Chrissy, Tatas, D-Dub and Maxime were all at the hatha yoga session where Chrissy and I had decided to sign up for the month. We all stayed for breakfast after the class and I had pho ga with fresh veggie spring rolls, while Chrissy d pancakes and poached egg sandwich. Tatas left for Dong Hoi and so Chrissy and I decided to call at Capture for a cold glass of white wine and some lunch. I got word from Captain Caveman that he was heading back early and he joined for a pizza while I had a gluten free salad (stilton, walnut, pear and lettuce). With Captain Caveman back he was desperate to eat curry at Namaste that evening so we went there, I ordered my usual bhuna murg with garlic rice – it was nice to have something more substantial. We were going to go home when I decided it might be a good idea to meet some friends who had gone to meet a Tinder date at Central Backpackers at the far end of town. We got there at last orders and managed one drink before cycling back home. Captain Caveman also had managed to intercept the date and make a new friend, who loves caves!

It was a strange day on Sunday 8th March in Phong Nha. Here they celebrate something called women’s day, although I’m not really clear how it is meant to differ from any other day. When I asked Tatas how they celebrate it she said that the girls go out for dinner and drinks which we arranged to do that night. I woke up to notice it was now less than 6 weeks until my visa expired and my plan to fly back to Turkey was still in place. Captain Caveman had gone off on a one day caving expedition to check out new caves but would be back that evening. Tatas couldn’t make yoga class as she was on a Hang Tien tour, two other friends were meant to join but had been drinking until the morning so didn’t make it. Chrissy and I enjoyed our third class and had breakfast and a lounge at Nguyen Shack then got the car back to town. I’d had a message from Captain Caveman to say he had returned early because they couldn’t find the cave and he was drinking by the pool at Victory Road Villas. It was a very hot day so I went to join him and had a dip in the pool, which was very refreshing. We took advantage of the happy hour (obviously) and then went home to get ready for the women’s day get together. Our women’s day celebrations took place back at The Villas with Tatas, Trang and Hoai joining Captain Caveman and I. The food was really good and I had a couple of glasses of red wine with my beef tenderloin. Captain Caveman was back exploring caves for three days the next day so we didn’t stay out too late.

At 4.30am on Monday 2nd March a Vietnamese woman landed at Hanoi airport who would become well known. On that flight was a British caver called Josh (2), not to be confused with Josh (1) who works for Oxalis and at this time was in Son Doong. Captain Caveman left for his caving expedition with 4 other cavers and would be back on the 7th of March at the latest. Meanwhile a second group of expedition cavers also set off to a different location but were still awaiting Josh 2 who had only just arrived in Vietnam.
I had breakfast at The Villas with Tatas and then for lunch, after wrestling with a melted toblerone, managed to eat some of that. The second caving group (not Captain Caveman’s) had returned home having been refused permission/access to the area they wanted to explore but it was unclear to me exactly why. In the afternoon the girls met at Momma D’s for a sunset drink and our Tequila bully decided to start with the shots before dinner! All 4 of us ate at Phong Nha Underground where I had the pork dish for the last time as it is being removed from the new menu. Back at Momma D’s and the drinks were flowing with more people joining us and it turned in to a bit of a party at the rooftop bar. Maxime from Nguyen Shack and his dad came to join us and brought their new employee, who I would meet again on Friday. We decided that the next day we should do something and I suggested getting a car over to Lake House for lunch and a swim.

Coffee Station had been out of herbal tea since Tet holiday and so on Tuesday 3rd March I agreed to meet Tatas there even though I only had water and a fruit salad, which was very nice and well presented. At lunch Chrissy joined us and we went to Veggie Box where I had coconut fried rice, Tatas had vegan soup and Chrissy the pumpkin soup. Back home I watched a bit of Netflix and then ate the rest of the toblerone. It was Tatas’ turn to choose where to go for dinner and so we went to Capture Cafe where I tried to get Bolognese with potato wedges (instead of pasta) but despite Tatas ordering in Vietnamese we both ended up with spaghetti and she ate two while they made me another which then came with small potatoes instead of wedges but tasted fine. We had wine too and then went to see what offers they had at the T-shirt shop, Phuc Dat, which was closing down the next day. I bought 3 vest tops, a t-shirt and a couple of notebooks and got a free hat. GuiGui, the owner had said we could have discount and so his fiance gave us some great deals.
We met the ex-lodger at Momma D’s for a drink and then called it a night. Before bed I got an update from our housemate who had moved out, she was unable to fly to Iran, as planned, because of the Corona virus threat and was in Saigon, another time I had noticed the virus affect people I know.

I should have known that the day that Josh (1) got out of Son Doong after his month of doing dry veguary could’ve been a bit eventful – Wednesday 4th March was a blast! I decided to get up and go to Phong Nha Underground for breakfast and take my notebook to do some writing. The place was quiet at first so I ordered a smoothie bowl and a cup of herbal tea and got down to business. I do say a lot that for such a small town/village it is near on impossible to find somewhere quiet or where you aren’t being disturbed for long.
I was back at home when I got the message from Josh that he was on his way back and to meet for balcony beers at Chez White’s, I also had said I’d meet up with Caroline and so we grabbed some ciders and went round. Josh also spoke to his boss who told him that he and Watto had to change their tours so they could cover his as he was very busy. Oxalis had started to have quite a few cave tours cancel from customers who were either affected by, or worried about, Corona virus and it was starting to have an impact on tourism in the area.
The three of us popped down to The Villas for Happy Hour so that Caroline and I could enjoy the cocktails and Josh a beer before his gala dinner at Chay Lap. I had the potato and artichoke salad followed by a few wines and when Josh returned a few hours later we looked like we hadn’t even moved. Caroline was sensible and went home relatively early however Josh was on it as he went on to vodka and sprite! D-Dub and Manu joined us and we ended up on the whiskey! At The Villas they sell tubs of popcorn so I bought one to take home for snacks but we ended up opening it and eating it stood at the bar. The Villas was definitely our Easy Tiger replacement now but it is nearer to home to cycle back, which we did well after midnight!

The weather was wet and cold and I had a massive hangover on Thursday 5th March. I’d promised Tatas we would go out that night but I already knew there was no way I was going anywhere. I opened the bucket of popcorn to find there was only half of it left! I ate some for breakfast and tried to go back to bed but the builder noise next door was too loud. At lunch me, Chrissy and a very messy Josh managed Phong Nha Vegan and I only turned up because Chrissy had knocked on for me to get me to go! I forced down fresh vegan spring rolls which are usually my favourite. We walked back in the rain and then I had a lay down. Tatas chose The Villas for dinner so Chrissy and I went but I drank only tea and ate my favourite dish, the confit duck leg. I was begging for mercy the whole night and couldn’t wait to get back in bed. Tomorrow I had plans and I was about to try something new!

It probably won’t surprise you to read that March started off a little bit boozey!
Captain Caveman had gone to buy some items from Decathlon on Sunday 1st March while I stayed at the Elpis hotel and did some writing. When he got back we got packed and ready for checking out, only to realise we still had half a bottle of wine to drink which we couldn’t take on the flight back to Dong Hoi with us. So, we did what anyone would do in the same situation and drank it!
We had arranged to meet Gary and Hanh at Thong’s Kitchen for lunch and I had lemon juice and BBQ ribs which was very nice. The chef was very good and did what looked like an amazing steak for Hanh which she had left uneaten, while she nipped home. Gary had a salad and Captain Caveman a pizza (of course) with a few beers.
Captain Caveman and I had a few hours to kill so we agreed to join Gary at the Bia Hoi. I wasn’t totally happy with the decision, especially as we had our luggage with us and I had to get on the back of Gary’s scooter without a helmet while Captain Caveman got a grab bike. At the Bia Hoi I drank a coke and watched the blokes drink beer. We later nipped back to Salt ‘n’ Lime for more gluten free deliciousness in the form of tacos and corn chips with a red wine for me and a margarita for him! We were able to buy some tacos to take home for the freezer which I was so excited about. We got to the domestic airport by grab taxi and checked in ok but the western blokes in front of us were given a free face mask to wear. This was the second time I was aware of the Corona virus threat in Vietnam and although we did have a mask in our bags, we didn’t wear them. We had an airport drink where the bar nearest to Burger King sold a rather decent glass of wine (expensive but tasted good and at room temperature). The flight from Hanoi to Dong Hoi wasn’t particularly full and so we had a spare seat next to us, we also bumped in to Tam from the Lake House and Tim, a friend of Momma D’s who were sat next to each other on the plane. Tam had a mask on and so did most of the Vietnamese passengers. The flight was only one hour and we were able to give Tim a lift to Momma D’s on our way back to Phong Nha. Captain Caveman was meant to have been going on a 3 week caving expedition which had been delayed by a day due to a member of the team joining later than planned. Our housemate, was also back in town for the evening so when we got home we popped in to say hello and Captain Caveman had a beer. After a long day we got to bed but Captain Caveman had to set the alarm to get up early and pack for his expedition – they were leaving from Ho Khanh’s homestay at 9am the next day.

After saying our goodbyes to Trouble at Hanoi airport (and making promises for me to visit Germany for a few days later this year) we got a taxi to our hotel on the afternoon of Saturday 29th February. On arriving at Elpis Hotel we had to give our hands a clean with a rather lively spurt of communal hand gel before checking in to our upgraded room for the night. Even though I’d had a big breakfast I was starving (again) and so we went across the road to Bun Cha Ta to eat the famous dish of Bun Cha – rice noodles and lettuce leaves added to pork patties in a sweet fish sauce broth with veg in it. It tasted fantastic and this place was really good, almost as good as the one at D’Arts in Phong Nha.
I didn’t realise that we were meant to have been meeting our Vietnamese teacher on the way back from the airport and so we rushed to get to Oliberry cafe before she left at 5.30pm. She had kindly agreed to lend Tatas some books so that she could study and pass her IELTS exam, which was really kind of her. I also booked myself in for some Vietnamese lessons in April, between the Grand Prix and our Ha Long bay cruise with The Aussies. Captain Caveman then said we would meet Gary and his pals at the Bia Hoi which is a bit inconsiderate given that I can’t drink beer but I thought sod it and had three small ones, which then gave me a bad belly. We said our goodbyes and scurried off with a bag full of study books to the Bottle Shop, a lovely drinking venue with real ales and wine! We were met by a lovely little puppy who looked similar to Mr Higgins when he was a puppy, this one we called Miss Higgins and she had her own little bowl in the corner of the shop. Captain Caveman had an ale and I wanted a red wine but they only sold it by the bottle – luckily Bamboo airlines had changed our morning flight to the evening so off we went (well, it was a screw top). Next we decided to visit Salt ‘n’ Lime, a little Mexican place, which did gluten free tacos and tostadas. I was ecstactic to be able to eat there and ordered loads of different dishes as well as us having a few margaritas to celebrate the end of our holiday. We intended finishing the wine when we got back to Elpis Hotel but we fell asleep!

When we arrived at Cuc Phuong National Park on Thursday 27th February we were told we had to wear masks and wash our hands in sanitiser – this was probably the first time the Corona virus fears/prevention methods had been noticeable to me here in Vietnam. I hated wearing the cloth mask they gave us, both because it was hard to breathe with it on and I didn’t really see the point to them. It turned out it wasn’t so that we didn’t catch or spread Corona virus, it was so we didn’t give anything to the monkeys we were about to see. We saw loads of rescued monkeys of all kinds and the guide was brilliant at explaining about each one. They were gorgeous and I tried to get some photos but most were quite fast. We also got to see and learn about the rescued turtles and in one pond I thought they were just decoration and not real. Unfortunately we were not allowed to visit the pangolins because of the risk of them becoming sick, they are so endangered, and the rescued tigers were also not for visiting that day. Still, we had a good time and it was definitely worth the visit and had clean toilets with soap! Our driver also took us further in to the national park and dropped us at some steps so we could walk up to a cave. I took it slowly while the other two got excited and off they went to explore.

We drove on to the next destination which was in the rice terraces of Pu Luong where our friend, Trouble, had booked the accomodation at Pu Luong Natura and the views were breathtaking. We were greeted with a cold towel and an iced tea drink by a lady in traditional Thai dress as the villagers here are ethnic minority people. While she was explaining the check-in details I went to have a look at the pool and gardens – it was impressive and the photos don’t really do it justice. The rooms were so nice – two separate twin rooms with balconies overlooking the famous rice terraces. We were told we had missed lunch and had a couple of hours to wait until dinner so we had a drink (I got my emergency raisins out) and some free peanuts. For dinner we were told it would be a good idea to order ahead as there was a big group and so we did – the food was great and the restaurant, although busy, was small and comfortable. We had pork in coconut and spring rolls to share and then a duck with chillies for Captain Caveman and Trouble to share. We were also given free laundry (which was returned after dinner) and a free foot bath which I booked in for the next day. We shared a nice bottle of wine too and then went back to our own rooms, agreeing to meet for breakfast at 8am the next day.

I didn’t want to get out of bed on Friday 28th February, it was just so comfy. Outside there was an atmospheric mist covering the mountains and making it look like we were living in the sky. Captain Caveman and Trouble decided to take themselves off on a self guided 14km walk while I was quite happy to just relax for the day. After a nice healthy breakfast of fruit and noodle soup off they went and I got busy with some writing. The time flew by and lunchtime crept up on me, I’d just got my lunch of chicken, cashew nut and veggie stir fry when Captain Caveman called to say they were in need of a taxi to bring them back, having finished their walk. We had an afternoon cocktail and chilled by the pool, I had a foot spa and an amazing foot massage with wine and free peanuts, before going to get ready for our last dinner at Natura. We had a lovely meal and shared a bottle of white wine before going for a quick stroll out of the hotel to see if we could see the stars over the rice terraces – we couldn’t and the sky was very black. We said goodnight and agreed to meet at 6am the next morning.

We certainly made the most out of having an extra day in the year. On Saturday 29th February we were out by the pool at 6am so that all three of us could enjoy a sunrise walk. As it turned out there was too much cloud but we did have a lovely walk through the rice terraces which were so beautiful. We had our last breakfast at Natura before getting ready to leave by private car to Hanoi airport. Our friend would be taking her flight back home that evening but Captain Caveman and I had decided to fly back from Hanoi to Dong Hoi the next day, which gave us a bit of time to catch up with friends in Hanoi.

After falling asleep straight away on the overnight train from Dong Hoi to Ninh Binh we arrived at the train station at 9:30am on Wednesday 26th February. Captain Caveman was in charge of booking the accommodation for the first night and had organised a taxi pick up. We drove for about 20 minutes from the station towards our accommodation and then turned on to a series of very bumping single lane tracks across some watery paddy fields. When we arrived I could see some thatched bamboo huts and a big, half started, building site and what looked like 2 empty swimming pools.
The homestay manager at Ninh Binh Panorama Homestay greeted us and apologised for the building mess and noise and said they were going to finish at 5pm. She also told us the kitchen was only open for breakfast (which we had missed) and dinner between 6 & 8pm. We walked towards the bamboo huts, where we were staying and she mentioned we would be in the quieter area, furthest away from the new build. The bungalow was nice with two big double beds but Captain Caveman had been a bit tight and booked the one room for all three of us. I really didn’t fancy using the free bicycles to cycle to the tourist attractions but I was so hungry and only had a few crisps and some emergency raisins to last me the whole trip. I pushed my bicycle for the first 10 minutes and we found the Mona Lisa cafe where we decided to have brunch. Most of what we ordered they didn’t have yet so I ended up with chips and some rather strange fresh spring rolls with unwashed lettuce, rice noodles, warm tofu and very cold pineapple in.

We then cycled to the boat station where Captain Caveman and Trouble were very excited to do a three hour rowing boat ride which went in to 9 caves. I, on the other hand, felt sorry for the old man who had to row us and really did not want to be sat on a small rowing boat, in a tight life jacket for 3 hours but they wouldn’t let me go back to the Mona Lisa cafe to drink wine. Don’t get me wrong it was very beautiful and we saw some temples but it just wasn’t for me – that poor old man! Captain Caveman also knows I’m not a fan of caves, especially claustrophobic bits, but had managed to pick one of the three tours where this featured the most. When I complained I wasn’t enjoying the putting my head between my legs to go under some parts he said it wasn’t that bad, right before he hit his head on the rocky cave ceiling above him, scratching and popping out the lense of his sunglasses which were on his head. Relieved to be off the boat and after giving the boat man a big tip we cycled back to the Mona Lisa for wine, the road was busy with cars and I didn’t feel confident so I took it slower than the others. I stayed at the café while the other 2 went to another sightseeing spot which closed in an hour so they had to cycle faster than I could. I had a glass of white wine but when I ordered a second they were out of that one so I tried a different one, which was better. On ordering a third glass and some food, they didn’t have either of what I ordered. Instead I had a red wine and some pork with rice noodles, both were excellent. Captain Caveman and Trouble returned and we cycled back to the Panorama homestay so we could get ready for dinner. They cycled the tricky path while I pushed my bicycle most of the way and made it back before dark.

There was no one else staying at our accommodation and I wasn’t surprised given the state of the place because of building works, everything was covered in a layer of brick dust. Still, we had dinner in the dining area where I had some pork fried rice and a pineapple juice (there wasn’t any wine), my fellow diners had chicken lemongrass skewers, before going to bed really early. The next day we were off on another road trip via a National Park.

The views from Ninh Binh Panorama homestay on the morning of Thursday 27th February were pretty and I had slept well. I had pho for breakfast and wasn’t bothered by the building work that was going on. They were building a new pool which looked like it was going to be great and ready by summer. Captain Caveman said that the homestay had been in touch prior to our visit to let us know there would be building going on in case we wanted to cancel. We had a car booked to take us to Pu Luong via Cuc Phuong National Park where we were planning to visit the pangolins at the rescue centre.