Phong Nha – 16th & 17th June

On the morning of Sunday 16th June I packed a lot of my stuff. Captain Caveman was due back later and would only have a couple of hours today and some of tomorrow for us to get organised for my departure. As we still didn’t know when Captain Caveman and I would be back in Phong Nha after this season, or what job either of us would be doing next year, I decided to take almost everything. I would have one suitcase to take anything I had still in Vietnam so I decided to put all the things I could live without in to a bag to give to Chung and Hoan. They could keep anything which they could make use of and give the rest to charity. It felt a bit weird not really knowing what would happen next year but I felt confident things would find a way of working out.
I worked from The Villas again and had a treat of beans on toast with a pot of tea for breakfast. For my lunch I had fresh veggie spring rolls and I was still working when Captain Caveman arrived at The Villas. He’d had a good trip but it had been incredibly hot, meaning the group had been out a little later. I updated Captain Caveman on my new job, he was pleased but we didn’t have long to chat as he was off to Chay Lap for his gala dinner. After finishing work for the day, I treated myself to a bottle of wine and some peanuts while I waited for Captain Caveman to return. When he arrived he ordered a pizza as the food at Chay Lap is still below par and he never eats there. I decided to try the ‘new to the menu’ cheeseburger, even though I’m not a massive burger fan.
Captain Caveman devoured his dinner and half the bottle of red wine, he was very hungry after his tour. My burger tasted very good but it was a bit chewy with it being beef. I let the manager know and she did say the Victory Road burger was better as it’s mixed with pork so that might have suited me better. Our total bill came to 890,000VND (£27) which included carrot cake. The Villas had started doing fresh cakes again and it did not disappoint! Maxime and his family were back in town to renovate the Nguyen Shack and had waited to say hello to Captain Caveman. It was almost 10pm when we cycled home, Captain Caveman was very tired.

Captain Caveman had the day time off on Monday 17th June but he still had some work tasks to do, of course. We were awake by 6am but his alarm was set for 6.30am anyway. The weather forecast said it was only 28°C but 83% humidity so it definitely felt hot and muggy. It also said it was going to be cloudy all day but the clouds had definitely not got that memo and it was scorching!
By 8.30am we had cycled to The Villas for me to crack on with work and later have brunch. I had my usual Pho and a smoothie but Captain Caveman had his favourite Eggs Benedict washed down with a Bloody Mary (which are usually 50% off on Mondays). Our bill came to 372,000VND (£11.30) and I didn’t notice at the time that the Bloody Mary was charged at full price of 180,000VND (£5.46). I said goodbye to Ben, as he was off to Mongolia tonight and would be away until the 29th June, when I would already be in Turkey.
While Captain Caveman got prepared for his next tour and his briefing tonight, I was thankful for a rest in the AC back at Son River House Homestay. By 3pm the humidity levels had dropped considerably but it still felt unbearable outside.
After work, and while Captain Caveman was at the Oxalis briefing, I went to Phong Nha Vegan. I was chatting with Ha when something truly awful happened. We heard a commotion down the road, towards town and, when I looked, I saw a woman in the street, a motorbike, something white on the floor and a few people gathered around.
I knew it as soon as I saw the white, it was May, the dog. He had been hit by a motorbike and the owner was trying to save him, I called Ha and we ran down. What happened next was quite upsetting so I won’t go in to too much detail. I felt for a heartbeat and little May was still alive. I called Chung and asked her to call Bom’s dad who is a farm vet and tell him to come quickly. She did and he said he was coming. The owner picked up May and was very distressed about the whole situation so we took him inside the gate. We both kept stroking and talking to him and willing him to pull through. Other dogs in the area were coming to check on May and I nervously kept them at a safe distance. The vet was really taking his time and I called several times for Chung to chase him. Ha and the others left me with the dog’s owner, who spoke no English and then May could fight no more. It was terrible and it looked like he had some bleeding from inside. I consoled the woman and we used Google translate to talk to each other and later her daughter. We lay May in a quiet spot in the garden and waited for her relative to arrive. Eventually, I left and having been strong for the owner, I had a little cry. The Vegan girls wanted to feed me but there was no way I could eat and I was conscious that I’d been holding May. I had a good wash but didn’t want to touch any of the tables at the Vegan and decided to call it a night. Our friend Dung was there having dinner and I asked him to come back and help me talk to May’s owner, which he did. It turned out her husband was a vet and there had been nothing we could have done to save May but at least he knew we loved him. I cycled to The Villas to meet Captain Caveman, with a takeaway snack of vegetable tempura which Hanh had insisted on making me. Once I’d calmed down and was getting through the shock, I ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese and shared a bottle of red wine with Captain Caveman. We paid 472,000VND (£14.33) which I didn’t think was bad. Our last night in Phong Nha together wasn’t the celebration it could have been, though.
Back at the homestay, I got some news to cheer me up; my friend, Briony, was going to be in Sheffield when I was, and had booked her flight from America. I ate the veggie tempura and then went to bed, still sad about little May, the dog.

Phong Nha – 14th & 15th June

I woke up at 7am on Friday 14th June, having had a lovely sleep in the bed all to myself. I went to The Villas for 10am, where I had a pot of tea and paid just 40,000VND (£1.21) for a good brew. I then had to scurry off to the Vegan as I said I’d practice English with the staff. I had a Bun Tron (a vegan rice noodle dish) while I was there and Ha asked if she could nip home to see her Dad. I agreed to hold the fort for her while she rushed off, only for her to come back with some sweet treats for me and the other girls. She had obviously wanted to go to get them as a surprise and it was really kind of her. One was a mung bean paste sweet which was not dissimilar to eating a stock cube and I’m glad I didn’t shove it all in my mouth at once.
In the evening, I went back to Phong Nha Vegan where it was so hot that Ha, the waitress, went for a swim in the river. I had tempura Oyster mushrooms with crispy sweet potato fries. It was like a vegan fish and chips and so good! I also met a couple of Vloggers from America who were enjoying the food and were very nice people. After 3 hours at the Vegan, I cycled back to Son River House Homestay and had an early night.

Saturday 15th June was an exciting day as it was the first day of a new part time job. I was doing some sales and marketing work for a friend. I went to The Villas to have breakfast and work there for the day, I find it the best place to work due to the location and the AC. Captain Caveman was due out of the cave tomorrow and didn’t even know I’d got, or started, a new job. I had my usual Pho Ga, familiarised myself with some spreadsheets and started to look at some content. I had a new friend join me while I worked, it was a moth sat on the glass door who I affectionately named Motthew the third. For lunch I had a margarita pizza with extra mushroom and I saved some to take home.
My tab for breakfast, lunch and drinks was 556,000VND (£17) which was particularly good value and I always enjoy the pizzas there.

By 6pm I was at Phong Nha Vegan having a laugh with Ha. I was meant to be having a swim with her but I had no spare clothes and the staff were too busy with their customers. While everyone was having a bit of a rest near the cooler machine, I spotted the Banh Canh lady. She comes by on her motorbike shouting ‘Banh Canh’ and sells her wares of noodles, eggs and sometimes veggies. I shouted Hanh from the kitchen and Ha from the hammock to come to buy some things. There was quite a crowd and the lady did a roaring trade. Hanh just bought the Banh Canh noodles for 10,000VND (31p).

By 9pm I was back at the homestay where Chung and the owner, Linh Giang, were waiting for me to have a drink to celebrate my first day at work. We ate juicy fresh watermelon and drank chilled red wine. I was introduced to Kim and her daughter, who were staying at Son River House too and we all had a good night together.

Phong Nha – 13th June

Captain Caveman went to eat fish noodle soup at the cafe next door to Son River House Homestay on Thursday 13th June, before his next Son Doong trip. It’s far too spicy for me so I said I’d meet him at Ho Khanh’s, where his trip departs from, once they have collected the guests and team. When I got there I said hello to Nghia, Yen and Sexy Quang as well as some of the porters. One of the aunties was there looking after a young child and the guests turned up early. Usually they get off the bus to have photos taken with Ho Khanh, the man who found the cave initially, but today this didn’t happen and I was asked by the staff where Captain Caveman was. It is very unlike him to be late but he was cutting it fine. I called and messaged him but no answer and I wondered if he’d snuck off for a cheeky last game of Bridge. He turned up a couple of minutes later and was a bit peeved that I was chasing him. We said bye and I cycled down to The Villas for my breakfast.

There I had my usual favourite Pho Ga and I tried a peach tea which was new to the menu. It was very nice and I got some writing done before deciding that it would be nice to have lunch at The Villas too. I opted for a bacon roll on freshly baked bread but without the egg and a pot of tea. It was so good and I really enjoyed the food.
I was just about to leave as Ben, the owner, arrived and we had a bit of a chat. He was concerned about what would happen when Captain Caveman and I left Phong Nha and was very aware that it wasn’t too far off that time. I was still toying with the idea of setting up my own company, perhaps with a view to incorporating some sort of travel company with Captain Caveman in the future. I paid 200,000VND (£6.04) for my breakfast and lunch (including the tip) and left to go back to the homestay.

While I’d been gone, the staff had asked if they could take the extra bed from our room as they had a full homestay tonight. This was great news for Chung that they were so busy and so she’d arranged to change the room around and I actually preferred it. I spent the afternoon sorting through all of my belongings in to piles; leave in Phong Nha, take to Danang, take to Turkey, and for Captain Caveman to bring to England.
That evening I went to the Vegan and it was very hot and humid, with limited staff and lots of customers. Luckily, my Vietnamese was getting better and Ha’s confidence in English was improving too. When I finished helping with the table of 14 Vietnamese diners, I ate fake pork with steamed rice and veg which was becoming a firm favourite. I was so hot that I had a lovely kumquat iced tea and a full fat Coke to drink.
I was tired when I cycled back to the homestay but unfortunately the new guests were doing karaoke and then the staff were talking until about 11pm so I watched Netflix on my phone.

Phong Nha – 12th June

Wednesday 12th June was weigh day again and unfortunately I had consumed 353 syns this week, 160 of which had been on alcohol. We had ended up arguing last night as Captain Caveman always argues when we go for an Indian, this time it had been like Pagoda-gate but with words. I didn’t agree with anything he had said and had put it down to him being unhappy, stressed or both. Obviously me not having any paid work was probably not helping but being in 2 countries where I’m not allowed to legally work doesn’t help. There was no sorry at all this morning and we decided to eat breakfast at the homestay to see what it was like. Captain Caveman was due back in to the cave tomorrow and had his briefing tonight so I decided I would try to find some job opportunities while he was gone. He went down to the reception/cafe area to get a coffee while I finished getting ready and took my measurements. I was surprised to find that they weren’t too bad; my bust was the same, my waist had increased by 1cm and my hips had reduced by 1cm. Captain Caveman had egg and bread while I had beef noodle soup. It was quite nice but more like a bun than a pho and I had green tea with it.

Captain Caveman needed to go into Oxalis but I had decided to go to The Villas to do some blogging, I had a mango lassi, a pot of tea and some cute biscuits – not a great idea before getting weighed.
Captain Caveman joined me and we ordered lunch, he had the potato gratin with asparagus and I had the Australian meat pie with chips and gravy (an even worse idea before getting on the scales). We paid just 380,000VND (£11.47) for lunch and then headed to Oxalis on our way back to our homestay. While Captain Caveman sorted work related things out, I chilled out and watched the resident skink go about his business.

Captain Caveman went to his briefing for 6pm so I went to Phong Nha Vegan. Little May, the dog, was there with Lu from next door and came to greet me straight away. He wondered where I had been and brought me a dried leaf as a gift. I got on the scales to find I had put on 1kg while in Dong Hoi, which was less than I was expecting. For dinner I had fresh spring rolls and mushroom fried rice which was delicious. The Vegan girls ate Banh Trang Tron (which is not vegan) and it was quiet so I left about 8pm and went back to Son River House Homestay for wine with Chung and beers with Captain Caveman and Uy. We had some leftover Indian but no arguments. This was Captain Caveman’s last day off while I was here as he had 2 tours back to back and would be in the cave when I left Phong Nha.

Dong Hoi & Phong Nha – 11th June

It was an early start on Tuesday 11th June as we joined Stu and Max for a final Mr Bull’s Bo Ne breakfast. It would probably be my last in Vietnam for this year and that was sad. I was going to miss Dong Hoi, our friends there and the cute dogs who were now our friends. Our lift to Phong Nha with Oxalis and Dung arrived 30 minutes early and we said goodbye in a bit of a hurry. Captain Caveman had booked me a train from Dong Hoi to Danang for in 10 days time so I hoped I’d get to spend one more night in Dong Hoi before I left Vietnam.
We picked up 4 customers from the airport, Captain Caveman had a coffee for 30,000VND (91p) and then we got back in the minibus for the drive back home. Less than an hour later, after dropping the guests at Son Doong Bungalow, we were dropped off at our new and final accommodation for my last Phong Nha stay. We had decided to try out Son River House Homestay, which is near to the Glass House and Ho Khanh’s, right on the river. It is being managed by one of my best friends, Chung, so I was also looking forward to spending time with her. Check-in wasn’t until 2pm so we had already agreed to have lunch at Phong Nha Vegan with Dung as I had really missed eating there. We dumped our bags at reception, Captain Caveman got the motorbike from the Glass House and we rode to the Vegan.

I was desperately craving a vegan pho so I ordered that along with fried spring rolls and mushroom La Lot skewers to share. Dung had fresh spring rolls and Captain Caveman had the curry with steamed rice. It was all lovely and I enjoyed my iced kumquat tea to wash it down with. It was good to see Ha, Cuu, Hanh and Yen again after being away for so long.
We checked in to our upstairs room at Son River House Homestay after lunch and unpacked our stuff.

After bringing more of my stuff over, we cycled to The Villas for Summer cocktails. Today was Long Island Iced Tea, one of Captain Caveman’s favourites and we had 2 each, paying a total of 360,000VND (£10.92) as they were 50% off.

For dinner we decided to cycle to Ganesh for Indian food. We had a bottle of red wine, lamb samosas, onion bhajis, chicken tikka starter, garlic naan, saffron rice, chicken tikka masala and a daal for 798,300VND (£24.22). The food was fantastic but we did get a message from Chung to check if we were ok. The owner of the homestay was worried it was after 10pm and we weren’t back yet. We cycled back and put leftover Indian food in the fridge along with fruit and a bottle of wine as we didn’t have a room with a fridge. Our room was clean, tidy and comfortable with lovely views and good AC.

Dong Hoi – 10th June

Captain Caveman had an appointment at the ultrasound clinic on Monday 10th June, first thing. I popped to the chemist to try to get contraceptive pills but none of the 3 pharmacies I tried, had them.
We went in to town afterwards and, while Captain Caveman went to the Gold shop, I went to another pharmacy. I had to settle for a different kind of pill, which I know gives me side effects but I had no choice. Here’s what I bought, prices in Dong;

Pharmacy
1 Diclofenac 27,000
1 Loperamide 27,500
5 Ibuprofen 194,000
6 Contraceptive pill 898,800
Total 1,147,300VND (£34.80)

At the WinMart Captain Caveman bought bread, crisps and 2 bottles of cheap Italian wine for when Stu and the boys arrived later. They were due back later than expected so we tried the Banh My place next to the gold shop, as recommended by Duc at Cang’s vintage clothing. It was cheap and tasty and didn’t have all the pâté in, that I don’t like. After the sandwich, we ventured in to the market just as it was starting to get quite sweaty. Captain Caveman wanted to get something specific for his cousin’s wedding which we were going to in July. Our next stop for a bit of light refreshment was our favourite coconut stall and coffee shop. The man there is super friendly and hard working so we have been going to that particular guy since we were recommended him by Thao a few years ago.

Back at the house, Captain Caveman was in charge of kitchen cleaning and feeding the dogs while I had the sweaty job of hoovering up. We cleaned the house as best we could before having our cheese sandwiches for lunch. I told each dog (separately) that their family was coming home and I think they understood. Over the 10 days we had been looking after them I’d gained their trust by telling them short stories about dogs who were scared of the people looking after them.
Stu and the boys were due in around 5.30pm but I couldn’t wait to open the wine and had started celebrating their return without them. Rodger had always listened to my stories but Terror was having none of them, until today when I told him a story about a dog who’s owner had returned from a holiday and was very excited to see his pets. Terror jumped on to the sofa and licked my face and he knew his family was coming back.
When Stu and Max returned (Jack had gone straight to meet someone at the airport), they took it in turns to greet the dogs. Rodger was first and was so excited he did a wee while Terror whined to be let out of Jack’s room. When Jack returned briefly they got excited again and were very pleased to have the boys back.
The boys drank beer, I had a bottle of red wine to myself and we ordered takeaway from Oregano, of pizza and potato gratin. It was a good welcome back, we decided to stay over one more night and Max gave us his room again. Tomorrow we would head back to Phong Nha where I had just 10 nights left before I started my journey back to Turkey.

Dong Hoi – 9th June

Sunday 9th June was one of my favourite days in Dong Hoi (possibly ever)! My plan to meet Thuy yesterday had been moved to today and I was very much looking forward to seeing my old physiotherapist from when I tore my ligaments. Our first mission was to have breakfast at the pho place. We had underestimated how busy Pho Ly Quoc Su would be on a Sunday and they had run out of 2 of the Pho Bo dishes that Captain Caveman had chosen. We managed, it was still delicious and didn’t take too long to come, despite the busy restaurant. Back home Terror had got a little braver, wanting some attention even, so I had a game of football with him before we had to leave. He only has a wooden block, no balls, but he was happy with it.

Captain Caveman and I took a Grab taxi to Thuy’s new premises in Dong Hoi just before lunch time. There were lots of plastic shower shoes on the steps to swap our shoes for, but Captain Caveman’s feet were too big for any of them to fit. We waited in reception and Thuy came to meet us to show us around her very impressive physio business. I saw the lady who worked at the old place who used to make the heated wraps and she had helped me get to the toilet a few times while I’d been having the numerous hours of physio. She was really pleased to see us as we walked round, Thuy proudly showing us all the amazing rooms and facilities. When we had completed the thorough tour of the building, we had a few photos outside then Thuy called her driver to take us to her home. Since I’d last seen her, Thuy and her family had also moved house, and it was really nice and fancy. We were given some water, fruit and yoghurt while the rest of the family got ready. I met the children, Tin and Su, who I used to spend time practicing English with, before Covid. Tin was super confident and fluent in English now and Su was doing very well as Tin chatted on. Thuy and her husband had invited Captain Caveman and I to join the 4 of them plus Thuy’s sister for lunch. This time we were not going to the bird restaurant, which I was pleased about.

Thuy’s husband drove Captain Caveman, me, Thuy, her 2 kids and sister to Geminai restaurant. Captain Caveman and I hadn’t been for about a year and it had definitely had some changes and improvements. Because I’m fussy with food, I ordered my own Prawn Pad Thai but the rest of the adults ordered dishes to share. There was one pork dish with a bone in which looked impressive as well as duck and seafood rice dishes. Captain Caveman and I had a beer and the kids were allowed a Coke, they were exceptionally well behaved. Thuy wanted Tin and Su to pose for photos with us and Su was nervous so I told her she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. She was super cute and gave me a hug and a kiss, which considering she was only 2 years old when I last saw her, was trusting. The lunch was amazing and I really enjoyed my food, as well as watching Captain Caveman don the plastic gloves to sort the meat out for the table.

I was not expecting Thuy to pay the entire bill, which was so lovely of her, but she also wanted to treat us some more. We stopped by the market so that she could buy some fruit, including our favourite mangosteens. Our next stop was the Phuc Long coffee shop where we were treated to a coffee for Captain Caveman and a peach tea for me. Tin and Su were super comfortable around us by this time and were chatting really well to me. I’m not usually a child person but I loved these two and they were so cute as well as very clever. On the ride back to Stu’s house we joked about the stinky squid drying. When we stopped to get out they all smelled the stench and didn’t get out of the car so I did hugs from inside. It had been an amazing day and I felt very lucky.

Having had such a lovely day, we decided to finish off the evening with another meal out. We walked both dogs (separately) who were now very friendly and behaving nicely. Stu and the boys were due back tomorrow and were in Saigon tonight. Originally we had planned to leave on Monday morning, as Captain Caveman had his briefing that night. However, his tour had been swapped and he was no longer working tomorrow. We got a taxi to Khoi Bistro and had a really lovely meal with craft beer. Captain Caveman had a seafood omelette which, quite frankly, made my stomach turn but he enjoyed it and I had a pork dish as my initial choice of duck was sold out. It was busy with it being a weekend and there was a massive private party but the owner still found time to chat to us. Our bill came to 455,000VND (£13.80) which was very good value considering that included mussels and a 2 litre keg of beer. We really enjoyed it and to top off a fantastic day, when we got back home, Terror jumped up on to the sofa for strokes and kisses. Rodger took himself off to bed in our (Max’s) room and slept next to the fan at the bottom of our bed.

Dong Hoi – 8th June

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that I completely ruined all plans for Saturday 8th June by being unable to function properly. The hangover was bad, Captain Caveman had to see to Rodger and Terror while I had to rearrange an appointment with my old physio and her family. I didn’t manage any breakfast and could barely drink my litre of water.
At lunch time I was in no position to get on the back of a motorbike to go anywhere. Captain Caveman ordered a Tree Hugger delivery for lunch for us. I ordered the beef and vegetable rice plate, while Captain Caveman went for the burger. It cost 200,000VND (£6.13) for our meals and 2 drinks.
We ran out of water so Captain Caveman had to venture out to get one of the 19 litre refills, for 25,000VND (77p).
We made it out for walks twice in the evening, both Terror and Rodger were keen for a wander. Captain Caveman managed to buy a case of 24 beers for 270,000VND (£8.27) so he could fill up the fridge for Stu and the boys’ return on Monday. For dinner we went to Oregano where we had pasta and shared a Caesar salad before heading back home and going back to bed, me still feeling very rough!

Dong Hoi & Phong Nha – 7th June

At 7.30am on Friday 7th June there was an air of excitement as it looked like Rodger was ready to go at last. I’d gone downstairs to use the bathroom and then had to shout up to Captain Caveman to hurry along and bring me a bra. Rodger didn’t want to put the lead on, even though on the label it said he was a Police Dog, but we eventually got it on and then there was no stopping him. Captain Caveman had to take him as he was too strong for me and he pulled until he got to the first corner of grass. We were all so happy that Rodger had finally done his business at last. By 8am we were walking back to the house, me in my sleepwear, Rodger looking very proud of himself indeed.

For a late breakfast/very early lunch we went to Saigon Deli where we bought the dogs food and had our usual pork dishes. After feeding the dogs their lunch, Terror seemed to also be getting a bit more friendly. Before noon we had a video call with Stu so we could share the amazing news that Rodger had managed a walk and a poo after a whole week of not going!
At 12.15pm we were getting picked up as we were off on a bit of a jolly!

There was an Oxalis 13 year anniversary party which Captain Caveman and I had been invited to. He was going to be getting a certificate to commemorate 10 years with Oxalis (it was actually 11). The drive to Phong Nha involved picking up some flowers for the party and we waited in the minibus. We got dropped off at The Villas, as that’s where I’d left Bluey just over a week ago. I had a sensible cup of tea to start with but then we realised it was half price margaritas on Fridays and we just had to indulge. We were peckish by this time so we ordered lunch which was rather filling. I had the chicken and bacon sandwich (with chips) and Captain Caveman ordered the salmon.

During our visit, we bumped in to a Victory Road Villas guest, called Meyer, who also enjoys a drop of Tequila. We got chatting and he brought his very own bottle of Tequila out. We shared a shot or two with this rather interesting Australian fella and had a great time. After our margaritas and a couple of tequilas with Meyer it was almost time to go to the Oxalis party. We paid our bill which was a very reasonable 1,120,000VND (£34.10) for cocktails, tea and our lunch.

Of course, we should have got on our bikes and cycled to Oxalis for their 13th anniversary party, however, we were beckoned over by the disabled family across by the river, who own the small cafe. We were joined by shaky-hand girl, so called because she loves to shake hands with people for the longest time and is very friendly. Captain Caveman had a Vietnamese drip coffee and I had a fresh coconut and then we decided to visit Tuan on the floating boat restaurant and bar, as we were in the vicinity.

Nha Be Noi Song Son (the Vietnamese name) is so lovely, primarily known for its fresh seafood and catering to large groups, but is also great for a couple of pork spring rolls and a beer. The owner, Tuan, had been swimming in the river but came to join us, along with shaky-hand girl.

We cycled to Oxalis just in time to join the anniversary party where it was good to see staff being recognised and rewarded for their continued service. As Oxalis was very busy with tours there wasn’t everyone there but I saw a few familiar faces. Chau, the owner, was on a TV link up from Saigon, having left his brother in charge of the proceedings including the certificate and gift presentation.
Luckily, it wasn’t a late one and we got a lift back to Dong Hoi with some of Captain Caveman’s colleagues. At 10pm, after letting the dogs out (still separately of course) we were in bed. I fell asleep on the sofa and Terror made some progress as he started to give me licks. Rodger was my new best friend and he came to sleep in our room easily, he even let me give him a stroke.

Dong Hoi – 6th June

Captain Caveman and I were back to Mr Bull’s Bo Ne breakfast on Thursday 6th June, his with coffee and mine with lots of iced green tea. Back ‘home’ there was a little bit of progress with the dogs; Terror had stopped growling at us every time we went in to ‘his’ (Jack’s) room and I almost got a lead on Rodger who still had not had a poo.
For lunch we needed more food for the dogs so we went to Saigon Deli to eat where we had the same as we always do, pork, veg and rice. The dogs got their usual of pork, quails egg and rice and the total amount came to 266,000VND (£8.30). On the way back I wanted to call at An Nong which is an organic fruit and veg shop. As we approached I got a bit of a spasm in my stomach and needed the toilet, urgently. I waited outside, Captain Caveman took far too long, in my mind, to grab 800g of mangosteen for 95,000VND (£2.97), our favourite fruit.
We made it back in time and I spent rather too long in the downstairs bathroom before retiring to the AC of the bedroom to rest. When I was back to some semblance of normality, Captain Caveman and I unfortunately got involved in some Oxalis related issues. One was that I’d spotted one of the sales team had posted on Facebook to say there was a rare spare space on an upcoming Son Doong tour. Accidentally using the Google translated word ‘Dangerous’ to describe it. I told Captain Caveman so that he could let the girl know to change it but it seemed the original Vietnamese word was something like ‘rare’ or ‘scarce’ and the translation just didn’t match correctly.
I was about to go back upstairs to the AC and for a lay down when Captain Caveman got an email from work. His supervisors were in the UK but needed to know if he could cover a Son Doong trip starting tomorrow. They didn’t have anyone else to cover it due to an issue/delay with permission sign off for the safety specialist and they needed to know straight away. The briefing was in Phong Nha in an hour’s time so someone could do that for him as he wouldn’t make it in time (how thoughtful). I was absolutely fuming and did not want him to do it. He had agreed to look after Stu’s house and dogs for another 4 days so it meant I would have to continue alone and without transport or any help. Captain Caveman told me the money would come in handy and that he didn’t have any choice as there was no one else available so he was going to reply with agreement to do it. I stormed off upstairs to pack stuff so that he could take some of my stuff back with him in the morning. He wouldn’t return to Dong Hoi so I didn’t want to be carrying all my stuff back by myself, once Stu and the boys returned. I suggested we have a video call with Stu, once he had finished packing and going to buy stuff for the dogs and me for while he was gone. I also decided to point out that I thought it a bit rich that he had been told he was no longer needed after this year but yet the company still didn’t seem to be able to provide cover without asking him.

It took me a while to calm down and reflect on the situation. I’d felt annoyed with Captain Caveman for his seeming inability to say no to doing a last minute Son Doong tour. However, on reflection, I knew he was doing it to help out his co-workers. A lot of his colleagues would be relying on him and that was probably his motivation to agree to it. I went back downstairs to apologise for having a strop and we had a hug. Both of us were a bit sad about the situation but had accepted it and we had prepared for me to take over the house and dog sitting – I would be fine.
The phone rang, it was one of his supervisors to say they didn’t need him now!!!! I had to walk in to another room and bite my tongue!
We got ready, walked Terror, but not Rodger, and went out to Oregano again for dinner. We shared a gorgeous Caesar salad, Spag Bol and a salami pizza. It was so good that we ordered a second pizza to take home. We were both relieved that Captain Caveman didn’t have to work tomorrow and when we got back Rodger seemed to be a bit more friendly towards me – or was he just hoping for a piece of pizza!?

Dong Hoi – 5th June

We woke up on Wednesday 5th June to another hot and sticky day. I took my measurements to find I had put 1cm on my bust and hips but my waist had stayed the same. I had lost 0.85kg (1.9lb) which was a good result considering how many syns (251) I’d had. Captain Caveman had found a pho restaurant not too far away and we rode there for breakfast. I really enjoyed Pho Ly Quoc Su where we had 2 Pho Bo (beef noodle soups), dough sticks, a coffee and a peach tea for 170,000VND (£5.28).

We rode back home and chilled out, Captain Caveman played Bridge and we let each dog out separately.
In just 3 weeks I would be back in Dalyan and I kept reminding Captain Caveman this. There was also a heat wave happening there and I hoped my parents were coping.
For lunch we had bananas and cheese toasties so I used some syns there. Later in the afternoon, we had some progress with Rodger when he came in to Max’s bedroom with me. He only came for a look and then when back out but it showed he was trusting me more. He still wouldn’t go for a walk but Terror was really enjoying his evening walks now.

In the evening the diet went by the wayside yet again as we went by taxi to a new place for dinner. Here’s what we had with prices in Dong at a rather nice restaurant;

Khoi Bistro
Peanuts 10,000
1 Full Moon Beer 45,000
1 Hero Beer 50,000
2 Rosé Beer 58,000
2 litre Beer keg 120,000
Pork and veg with rice 180,000
Pork ribs with salad 250,000
Total spent 713,000VND (£22.13)

The food was really good and we particularly liked the beers. It turned out to be owned and run by a guy who used to live in Phong Nha so we got chatting with him. We also got some children from the next table come to say hello and they took a bit of a shine to Captain Caveman. I’d really enjoyed the meal and the beers and hoped we would visit Khoi Bistro again while we were in Dong Hoi.

Dong Hoi – 4th June

The heat wasn’t letting up any on Tuesday 4th June as the warnings at 6am were that it felt like 35°C and 76% humidity. By 9am we had ventured out on the motorbike to Mr Bull for another Bo Ne breakfast. At 1.30pm the humidity had dropped to 56% but with a feels like 44°C and it was quite unbearable. Today was the day I should have been moving in to Steve and Michelle’s house in Lardos, Rhodes, to look after their dog and several cats. I noticed on Facebook that Steve and Michelle had unfriended me and they were about to head off on their round the world trip of a lifetime. Obviously, it was a shame that it had come to that but given that I had let them down on the dog sit I knew their reasons. Unfortunately, without any income and all the uncertainty in my life right now, I couldn’t have done anything else and some things aren’t meant to work out. They now just came up as ‘People I may know’ on my Facebook.
It took me ages to prise Captain Caveman away from his Bridge but by 2.30pm I was rather hungry. We went to another one of my favourites, Tree Hugger, where I had a chicken salad and a peach tea. Captain Caveman had his usual egg sandwich and a smoothie, followed by a lime and mint slushy which he was meant to share but forgot.

Back outside Stu’s house, there was lots of drying squid which made me feel sick. There was also a lovely old building nearby which I liked the look of. Rodger still wouldn’t go for a walk but sat outside sunbathing once it got a little cooler. We walked Terror and then went to Oregano again for dinner.

I ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese, Captain Caveman ordered a Carbonara and a salami pizza, of which I had half. When we got back to the house we decided to open some wine we had brought but there was no corkscrew in the house. Captain Caveman went back out to buy one and we shared the wine while trying to encourage Terror to not chase bugs/mice in the under stairs cupboard.
This week I’d had 251 syns, 58 of which were alcohol, and tomorrow was weigh day – it wasn’t looking good!

Dong Hoi – 3rd June

Captain Caveman and I went to Mr Bull’s for breakfast on Monday 3rd June where we both had the Bo Ne (steak and eggs) for a total of 120,000VND (£3.73). I bought a bottle of water at the WinMart and we drove back to Stu’s. Captain Caveman was picked up at 9am to go back to Oxalis for the day, I was in charge of Rodger and Terror. Both of them were fine when allowed to roam around (separately of course) but they didn’t want any petting or any interaction. It was a shame as they are lovely dogs but it was obvious they didn’t trust us.
I had fruit for lunch as I was trying to get back to being healthy again, I was on 150 syns already for this week.
Captain Caveman arrived back in a good mood, as it cheers him up when he goes to work on a day off. He’d also managed to squeeze in a lunch with Ho Khanh and Nghia. After a walk with just Terror and several failed attempts with Rodger, who still hadn’t had a poo since Friday, we went out for dinner.
Oregano was open so we had a pizza, I chose the veggie one which was very nice. It’s a lovely place but they don’t sell wine, only beer which I was still trying not to have. We bumped in to an old Oxalis colleague of Captain Caveman’s who now owns a vintage clothes shop, Cang’s, which is opposite Oregano. Duc is good fun and I sat and chatted to Luke, another ex Oxalis member, on a video call while Duc and Captain Caveman drank beer.

Dong Hoi – 2nd June

Captain Caveman and I woke up on Sunday 2nd June to a severe heat weather warning. Even the weather updates were telling us to drink water. I decided I was not going anywhere I didn’t have to, but Captain Caveman, despite his day off, had to venture to the Gold shops to change the foreign currency from the tip money. He also decided to go to the shop as I was desperate for some fruit. He borrowed Stu’s motorbike and was gone a while, returning with the below;

Co-op Mart Supermarket
Bananas 13,450
Dragon fruit 19,391
Plums 20,152
Apples 31,283
5 Grains biscuits 51,500VND
Total spent 135,676VND (£4.21)

I’d not had any breakfast, and the dogs needed some lunch getting so Captain Caveman drove us to Saigon Deli. He and I had the pork with rice for lunch and ordered the dogs their usual pork, quails egg and rice for their’s. The food was very nice and cheap, my dish (without egg) cost 42,000VND (£1.31).
Back at our temporary home, I fed the dogs, Captain Caveman had put some washing on, including various items of the lads which he’d found around the house. I went to help him hang it up but he got snappy with me for doing it wrong! I left him to it and went back in to the Aircon bedroom and did some writing.
At 6.30pm I had to interrupt Captain Caveman’s afternoon of Bridge playing for us to attempt the dog walks. Rodger was having none of it and disappeared down the side of the house. We eventually got him back in and in to a spare bedroom, while we got Terror out. He was still a bit nervous around us but we got the lead on and off we went.
There was a drone event on in town which Captain Caveman was interested in going to, I wasn’t bothered. We took the motorbike to go for food at Oregano but it was closed. Instead we went to one of my favourite restaurants in Dong Hoi, 7th Heaven. Captain Caveman ordered a Caesar salad and a spicy dish. I ordered the not spicy chicken Luk Lak. Unfortunately, I couldn’t eat mine as it was so spicy and obviously had chillies in. I ordered some cheesy garlic bread and made do with that, we took the rest of my dish home and put it in the freezer. Of course, we then couldn’t go to see the drone show because I had a bad stomach, and Captain Caveman wasn’t too pleased. I went back to the AC of the bedroom when we got in while Captain Caveman resumed his Bridge. Tomorrow he had arranged to go in to work, on his day off, as he had the tips and some other stuff to sort out.

Dong Hoi – 1st June

Captain Caveman and I woke up, in Max’s bed, on Saturday 1st June feeling a bit woolly. I had just over 3 weeks left in Vietnam, until a brief visit to Turkey on my way to the UK to get a new passport and pick up some other documents from my home town. It was a bit too early to get up but we had to say bye to Stu, Max & Jack before they left for their trip to Australia. We also had to use the downstairs bathroom for the toilet. We went to Mr Bull’s for breakfast where we all had Bo Ne and I gave my egg to Captain Caveman.
After the guys had left we tried to be friendly with the dogs, each in turn. Rodger was so scared of us that he hid down the side of the house. Terror was not as scared but was intent on guarding Jack’s room by snarling at us if we went near.
Captain Caveman was sick with a cold, he was tired and grumpy and mainly played Bridge all day. Only he is able to ride a motorbike and we were quite a way from town so I would have to rely on him for the next 10 days to go anywhere. When it got to lunch time, Captain Caveman didn’t want to go anywhere as he was playing Bridge so I had some of the 5 Grains biscuits to put me on. I’d been looking forward to having a kitchen to cook in after 3 months without one. Unfortunately, it was too hot for me to bother with. I fed the dogs who had leftover pork, rice and quail eggs but they weren’t too pleased at me going in to their rooms to get the bowls. For dinner, I thought Captain Caveman would take us out somewhere in Dong Hoi but he was still feeling ill and playing Bridge.
Stu had left us some ham, cheese, bacon, lettuce and bread in the fridge so Captain Caveman made us a cheese and ham toastie. Since I’d been ill last month, I was still not great with ham and I wasn’t a fan of the sandwiches. It also meant that I was already on 131 syns for this week with 3 more days to go.
We tried to walk the dogs but neither of them were compliant, Rodger was absolutely having none of it. Terror wanted to but just didn’t trust us until eventually Captain Caveman got him on the lead. Once outside, he walked fine and we did a short walk together then came back. I didn’t take any photos of the dogs as they were not up for it, but I really they hoped they would get used to us.