Phong Nha to Saigon – 24th June

It was suddenly time to leave Phong Nha, on Saturday 24th June I’d woken up at the Glass House for the last time this year. Our flight from Dong Hoi to Saigon wasn’t until 5.40pm but I still needed to finish packing. Captain Caveman gave me a suitcase to use and I put as much stuff in as I could. We cycled to Oxalis as Captain Caveman needed to go to the office to do a couple of things and confirm our car to the airport which would come about 3.15pm. We both needed haircuts and had not had time to book them in, fortunately Captain Caveman had made appointments for both of us from 9.30am this morning. I went first, while Captain Caveman did work related things then he followed. I was the only customer as it was so early but it was going to be a hot day in Phong Nha. Nghien, our hairdresser, is affectionately called Onion by the foreigners in Phong Nha due to them not being able to say the Vietnamese pronunciation when they first got here. She’s a good hairdresser but speaks very little English so the men get a shave and short back and sides, while the women get the same haircut that Nghien herself has.
I didn’t bother with a colour this time as we were in a rush but I did have a wash, head massage (which was amazing), cut and blow dry for just 100,000vnd (£3.30), a quarter of the price I pay in Dalyan and almost a tenth of the price in England.
Captain Caveman went next and had the usual full works while I cycled home to finish packing.

I felt bad that there were still friends in Phong Nha who I’d not had chance to see but now there was no more time left, 30 day visas just weren’t enough. I’d been away for 6 weeks in total and it had gone so fast with still lots of things to do and see not having made it.
By midday I was packed and we were having left over pizza for lunch. We still had not drunk the red wine or the champagne we bought in Thailand so Captain Caveman decided we would take the fizz with us.
We were booked in at the Common Inn for 3 nights, a hotel we often stay at and really like the location of. It was too busy for us to stay any longer so Captain Caveman found us somewhere else to stay for the rest of the holiday. At 2pm we cycled to the nearest beer place, on the corner next to the Volley Ball court, on the way to the Jungle Boss homestay. We had farewell beers, at only 15,000vnd (50p) each, with Buu and Kat before I had to go back to get a shower before the car came.

Unfortunately, the car was late but finally, we were on our way to Dong Hoi airport, about 50km away from Phong Nha. Check-in was swift, we got seats sat together at the back of the plane and we could board at 5pm. Beers were an outrageous 40,000vnd (£1.32) at the airport so I didn’t bother, I’d taken some water. Captain Caveman had a couple of beers with 2 of his customers and I had some biscuits from the small shop. As I was paying the 65,000vnd (£2.15) for them, the cashier started hitting her colleague with them so I had to snatch them off her and tell her not to do that – broken biscuits anyone!? By 5.40pm we were on our way to Saigon, bye for now Phong Nha.

When we landed at Ho Chi Minh airport, Captain Caveman was reunited with 3 of his guests from the last Son Doong tour and I took a group photo while we waited for my luggage.
The ‘no drama’ taxi to District 2 (Thao Dien) was 252,000vnd (£8.32) and, of course, we were both quite peckish by the time we arrived. ‘When in Rome’ we decided Baba’s Kitchen would be a great idea and got there before it closed to have an amazing Indian meal.
They had Sapporo beer on draft so we both had a couple of pints of that, we shared poppadoms and samosas for starters but then Captain Caveman had Chicken 65 and and a Masala Dosa (both with lots of chillies in), I had a chicken tikka roll. The food was great and I really enjoyed our first meal in Saigon.
Here’s what we paid for our delicious Indian meal;
2 plain poppadoms Free
2 spicy poppadoms 50,000
Chicken Samosa 85,000
Chicken 65 150,000
Masala Dosa 175,000
Chicken Tikka roll 135,000
4 Sapporo 240,000
Vat 83,500
Total spent 918,500vnd (£30.31)

It wasn’t the cheapest meal I’d had in Vietnam but it was certainly good value for money and we both love Baba’s Kitchen. We walked back to the hotel as it wasn’t far and we were both a bit tired from a full day. The place we had chosen to stay is an old favourite and at only 750,000vnd (£24.75) per night for a double room in Thao Dien it was perfect for us.
Tomorrow we had an extremely busy day planned so it was good to get some rest at the Common Inn.

Phong Nha – 13th June

The realisation that I had only 17 days left in Vietnam, hit me on Tuesday 13th June. Not all of them would be with Captain Caveman as he had to go back to work and I might even have less than 2 weeks left in Phong Nha. I felt like I needed to make more of an effort to enjoy it before I had to leave! I’m not sure whether it was the heat or just insanity but I started to have some very foolish ideas that I might come to regret. Captain Caveman was quite addicted to playing Bridge on his phone so, in an attempt to do something he would enjoy which did not involve being on his phone, I suggested something outdoorsy! Bluey, my bicycle, loves a trip out (even in the hot sun) and I decided we would cycle over to Greenfield Homestay. In fairness to Captain Caveman, he offered to drive Trigger, the motorbike, but then it would mean he couldn’t have a few beers so I said we would cycle.
It was almost 11am when we got to Coffee Station and I was concerned if I ate anything I would get a dodgy stomach and not make the rest of the journey. Captain Caveman shovelled a bacon, egg and tomato sourdough sandwich down while I had a ginger tea. They used to do a lovely herbal tea but not any more so I sat and worried I’d bitten off more than I could chew with this cycle ride. On our way, we decided to call at Jungle Boss HQ, which was now relocated to Sy’s Homestay. We wanted to say Hi to my old boss, the owner, he was in the jungle so I only got to say hello to the marketing guys.

I managed to just about keep up with Captain Caveman for the rest of the journey but I arrived at Greenfields a sweaty mess. René and his wife gave us a nice welcome and Captain Caveman had a few beers. I got some delicious iced herbal tea and a big water then René treated us to some Toblerone. The place looked great and they had installed a big pool since I was last there, not that we went in it – we seem to have a habit of not swimming when there is a pool. After a couple of hours we decided to head off and I had the bright idea of cycling to East Hill for chicken, one of my favourite places in Phong Nha. Of course Captain Caveman knew a shortcut which involved cycling on grass and between buffalo, which I was a stranger to. I got a bit moany as it was a bit too far and hot but I made it in the end.

Captain Caveman ordered the chicken combo and we had a couple of drinks – they sell Strongbow cider and it’s very cheap in Phong Nha so I had those and Captain Caveman had beer. After an hour, there was still no chicken so Captain Caveman went to check, the girl hadn’t put the order through so we had to wait another 45 minutes. This was lucky as it meant we could invite Tatas who came after she finished work. The chicken was as delicious as it always was and worth the wait but then I had to cycle back.

I managed to get as far as The Villas so we stopped off for red wine and peanuts as a reward for cycling so far today. Back at home we were chatting about the route and how whizzy Bluey was. I was saying that I couldn’t believe I had managed to cycle a total of 23km in this heat when Captain Caveman fell asleep on me. I think I was going to hurt tomorrow and it was still over 30°C in the bedroom with AC on after 10pm!

Lardos & Faliraki – 12th May

Although I didn’t start work as early as Steve and Michelle, I did decide to put a short shift in on the morning of Friday 12th May. I’d only been working about an hour when Michelle put her chef skills to use with a fantastic breakfast (the diet was going well)! Xena, the dog, was also a fan of sausage so she was glad when she got some leftovers. It was a sunny day and most of the cats had to seek shade, except for one who was having a sunbath. I was struggling to remember all their names but that one looked like Dave! We all got back to work after talk of what we might do tonight. Obviously the sensible approach was to have a quiet evening and an early night, as I needed to be at the airport at stupid o’clock tomorrow morning.
In the afternoon we had a bit of a change of scenery with a couple of Milokleftis ciders at Yamas bar. A little kid went past and dropped his ice-cream so Steve very kindly bought him another one. We all had one too, from the bakery in Lardos square, where I had fruits of the forest flavour. I’m not usually an ice-cream fan but this place has lovely ice-cream. There are lots of flavours to choose from too and the people who work there are friendly.
In the afternoon, while I packed for Vietnam, Steve and Michelle went back to work.

There was live music at Ambience bar so we were heading there to celebrate the end of the holiday. Taxis in Rhodes are pricey for example I think the cost of a taxi from Lardos to the airport is about €70 – €80. We called in to a few bars along the way and it was certainly a blast from the past for me. I’d not been to Faliraki for a long, long time and it had changed quite a bit. A few of the old favourites were still there and we enjoyed a mini bar crawl on the way.

When we got to Ambience, we were a bit early and the live music hadn’t started yet but we chatted to the lovely owners and discovered they had, what I now refer to as, a Danger Wheel. On the bar, was a strategically placed spinning wheel with lots of names of drinks on it. Customers could pay to have a spin and get a random/surprise drink. It had some of our favourites on there, as well as some which were not so pleasant. It was €2 (£1.71) per spin and there was all sorts of drinks from tequila or sambuca shots to prosecco or nothing at all. Our first shot was Tequila Rosé, which I absolutely love and hadn’t had for ages. The owners joined us too and we had a good laugh before the musicians started. I hate sambuca but Steve hates Fernet Branca so we did swaps when that came up on the Danger Wheel. At some point I thought it was a good idea to order a bottle of prosecco which would turn out to be somewhat foolish.

The Danger Wheel in action – we loved it!

The saxophonist was great and I really enjoyed Ambience bar. Hours of fun ensued and we kind of forgot that I had a flight at 6.30am tomorrow, maybe we should have brought my luggage with me and gone straight to the airport. On the way home, we resisted the late bars and I took photos of a couple as well as a tattoo shop that was still open! We decided to go for a pizza/kebab and I don’t even really remember what we had but it seemed to go down well. I do remember being in the takeaway place at 12.30am, where they had a horse’s head statue on the wall. It had been a great night out and a rather lively end to a wonderful holiday in Rhodes. We even decided that I’d visit again on my way back from Vietnam!
It was after 1am when we got home so, to make doubly sure we got up in time, both Steve and I set our alarms for 4.15am and 4.30am. Check-in opened at 5.30am, the flight was at 6.30am to Athens and I was packed and ready.

Lardos – 10th May

When I got up on Wednesday 10th May I did my weekly measurements. My bust and waist had remained the same but my hips had increased by 3cm. This was not surprising, given the amount of calories I’d had this week. When I stepped on the scales, albeit they weren’t Carol’s scales, I was 0.5kg heavier than last week. I had tea and toast for breakfast then pottered about while Steve and Michelle were working. For lunch Michelle made us a nice mushroom, ham and pesto pasta which none of the pets got to eat any of. Strangely, I was starting to miss doing a bit of work so I decided to get the laptop out and do a few hours. Pixie decided to keep me company but she soon fell asleep when she didn’t get much attention.
That night, after one of the finest spaghetti bologneses that I’ve had the pleasure to eat, (another of Michelle’s talents was definitely her cooking) we were off out. Steve and Michelle had arranged for us to watch the football and have some drinks at a lovely bar in Lardos, called Yamas. We met up with their friends who were great fun and we all had a really good laugh. The Milokleftis ciders were getting a bit moreish and I could definitely get used to those.
I didn’t actually watch any football as we were all so busy joking, chatting and laughing. After several ciders, we all went to another bar, close by, called Cuckoo. They were also going to be opening a cocktail bar across the road very soon and we discussed a potential night there on my return from Vietnam. The night ended up with (some of) us playing air guitar on a walking stick and making our own dancefloor. I do love a dance so I needed no encouragement as some fantastic rock songs kept being played. It was gone midnight when we got back to Steve and Michelle’s. Steve went to bed but Michelle and I had a cuppa and a piece of Kate’s lemon drizzle while having a good natter.

Video and photo credit – Steve

Lardos & Lindos – 9th May

I had another day off work on Tuesday 9th May while Steve and Michelle had started their working day early. I had Yorkshire tea (yes, I had taken some with me) and toast for breakfast. I managed 2 minutes of squats but only 1 minute of planking. For lunch we all had banana, strawberries, greek yoghurt and honey which tasted lovely. While Steve went over to Louise’s to continue with some painting in the afternoon, Michelle had a bit of excitement planned for the two of us. We went to Lindos where we saw British holiday makers walking round in bikinis then we had a couple of drinks in a rooftop bar. It was good to spend time in Lindos just catching up and for me to sample the local beer. When I’d been before, my leg was still not fully functioning so Captain Caveman and I had got a taxi back out of Lindos. This time, my leg was pretty good as we walked up Cardiac Hill, passing a strawberry seller and walking to the top without being out of breath! We sat at the Ice bar and had another light refreshment while waiting on our takeaway food order next door. I was about to have my first pork gyros this year and was looking forward to it.
While we were living it up in Lindos, Ma & Pa were on a boat trip in Dalyan with Mark, Kate, Rob, Tracy, Pamela, Daisy and Tom which I hoped they were enjoying. Once we got to Louise’s with the takeaway it was quickly devoured and I loved my pork gyros.
Back at Steve and Michelle’s, the cats were fed, we watched Gypsy on TV and had some of Kate’s lemon drizzle cake which I’d brought with me from Dalyan.
I was aware that tomorrow would usually be Fat Club day and I wouldn’t be there to get weighed, instead I would use Steve and Michelle’s scales for my weigh-in. Having consumed 459 syns this week, of which 268 were alcohol, I knew I had put weight on.

Lardos – 8th May

Having not managed to do my plank or squat challenge yesterday I made the effort when I got up on Monday 8th May. I completed 50 seconds of squats but only 60 seconds plank then Carol, from Fat Club, reminded me that it should’ve been 60 seconds of squats so I did it again. I had an impromptu day off, had slept really well and had a slice of leftover pizza for breakfast. Xena, Steve and Michelle’s dog, was super excited to see me – Trixie, the cat, less so. My hosts were already in the office and were working hard while I unpacked and pottered about.
At 12.30pm we all went to Yamas Cafe in Lardos, which was a short walk from the house. Steve and Michelle had coffees while I had a hot chocolate (the diet was not going too well). We all had a fresh orange juice after that and then it was time to get back for lunch and back to work for some. We had left over pizza with salad and it was pretty tasty – I think the €45 was money well spent on all that pizza.
In the afternoon I met one of the other cats, Pixie, she was friendly but a little shy. There were quite a few outdoor cats which were going to take a while to learn the names of.
While Michelle whipped up one of my favourite dinners, I offered to go to the shop to buy some cheese and wine. We were having pork products, cheese and wine for dinner and I was so excited. Xena and Trixi had also heard about it and were hoping there would be some sharing going on. At the shop, I found the cheese easy to pick out and it wasn’t too expensive (compared to Turkey). The wine was very reasonably priced but I had no clue which one to pick as most only had the tasting notes written in Greek. I opted for one that had it also translated to English, sounded nice and was a Merlot.
For those of you who like to know what’s in my shopping basket and how much it cost for cheese and wine in Rhodes, look no further:

Lardos Supermarket:
330g Edam cheese 2.15
100g Blue cheese 2.58
200g Cheddar cheese 4.72
1 bottle Merlot 8.87
Total spent 18.32 Euros (£15.67)

The food was absolutely superb and I had to remind myself not to be too greedy with the pork products as I snaffled my way through the different ones! Even the selection of crackers was fantastic. Unfortunately, the wine I had bought was pretty disgusting – in fact it’s unusual for me not to be able to drink iffy wine but this was pretty rank. None of us could drink it so Michelle and I went back to the shop for another bottle of something better. This time she was able to help me pick out one of the Greek ones which she recognised as being good. It was the one I had picked up first but put back because I couldn’t read the Greek label. The new bottle was €10.45 (£8.94) and was much better! It was a lovely night and even Xena and Trixi got a little cheese treat before bed time.

Dalyan – 22nd April

I was up early and off to the weekly market on Saturday 22nd April to get a small amount of fruit and vegetables. I had just 2 weeks left in Dalyan so I didn’t want to be buying unnecessary items, if I could help it. On the way, I walked past my parents’ place and the pool was being filled up ready for the summer season, ours was still not done.
It was a nice sunny day, no need for a coat, and the walk to the market was very pleasant. I bought apples, carrots, strawberries, onions and spring onions but I didn’t take a note of how much I spent this week. I’d arranged to go to Mark and Kate’s and, because the bridge was down, I got a taxi with Fikri. It was now 70 lira (£2.90) for the 10 minute journey, which wasn’t bad and saved me walking or cycling on the busy beach road on a holiday weekend. Once there, Kate and I had a short spot of sunbathing before having a beer, Mark went to Rehab bar to meet the pool gang. Later, some friends popped over for a soft drink and it was nice to chat with them.
Kate made a delicious and fairly healthy pasta and chickpea lunch, with her home made pesto, sun-dried tomato and feta cheese. It was so good that we both had seconds and another beer. As the weather was warming up it meant that Kate could be wearing the birthday dress we had got her. It was a Vietnamese one with a complicated tie on way of wearing it so I helped Kate get the knack of how to get it on. Most of the cats were out and about but I did get to see one of the babies having a snooze in her bed.
Kate and I got a taxi in to town to meet the pool gang at Rehab bar for what should have been a civilised afternoon. This blog really does write itself sometimes as we were in for quite a night!

By 5.30pm on Saturday 22nd April, I was on my second pint of draft Efes at Rehab bar, the diet was going well! I’d been chatting to Janice, who’s hand was swollen, and her husband Steve which made a nice change as I don’t see them out much. John, Andrea and Kate had gone to chase the sunshine over at the White House while Mark finished playing pool. Someone came up with the bright idea of calling in to Rodrigo’s bar ‘for one’, on our way for dinner at River House, and it seemed like an ok idea at the time. Mark, accidentally on purpose, ordered a beer for himself and a bottle of white wine for Kate so I said I’d share with Kate. Penny cycled past and saw us, called Phil back, and they came to join us for one. By the time I’d caught up with Penny and Phil, and they had invited me to their’s for dinner on Friday, it was getting kind of messy. Needless to say there was no dinner at River House and I just caught the last of some pizza and other takeaway food being snaffled to my right, as Penny and Phil said bye to my left! It looked like it was an ‘eating is cheating’ kind of night for me! By 8pm Kate, Mark and Andrea were trying their hand at pole dancing and I had that sensible voice telling me not to – I couldn’t risk an injury this close to seeing Captain Caveman for the first time this year! Before 9.30pm, I was outside helping a rather sozzled Kate, who’d nodded off in Rodrigo’s, in to a taxi.
My resistance to join in the pole dancing was short-lived when Jackie turned up to meet friends and I opted for the low level pole engagement. The flower man and his girlfriend gave the pole dancing a good crack but Ozzy, the bar man, showed us all how it should be done. By 11pm I’d met up with Sharon, Bex and Abi and we were drinking more wine, dancing and taking photos. When John and Andrea called it a night, Mark, me, Julie and David went for one in Mustang bar then Mark and I finished the night off with a shared bottle of red wine in Sofra bar.
I just about remembered getting the rest of my wine put in to a paper coffee cup as we were getting thrown out, being the last 2 in there in the early hours – it was completely game over! I had drank 4 beers, a bottle of white wine and almost half a bottle of red wine, with no dinner and I felt a bit sickly!

Kate on the pole

Andrea on the pole

Mark on the pole

Ozzy on the pole

Dalyan – 19th April

The home scales were favourable on Wednesday 19th April, when I got weighed first thing. My measurements were a bit disappointing as I’d lost 2cm from my bust, increased 1cm on my waist and 2cm on my hips! I still had to wait until 3pm for Carol’s scales at Fat Club so I had a banana for breakfast and checked my emails. My boss, had booked my flight from Rhodes to Athens for the 13th May, I was off to meet Captain Caveman in Saigon. The gaffer has also asked if I would mind bringing him some coffee and some lube over when I arrived by ferry on the 7th May! It’s one of the more unusual requests I’ve had from a boss but I had to clarify what kind of coffee it might be; Nescafe Gold and strawberry lube! Of course, I immediately messaged Jamie to find out where was the best place to get lube from in Dalyan and they sell it in Migros, apparently. I could just imagine the wagging tongues eager to gossip from anyone who glimpsed my shopping basket on that trip! Incidentally, strawberry lube is syn free, in case anyone wondered!
There was more waiting on the complex residents to agree the light and filter situation as I went off to Fat Club. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to find I had put 0.2kg on this week on Carol’s scales. One of the ladies was going back to the UK for a few weeks and had brought her surplus vegetables in, which she very kindly gave to me. There was news that local rock band, The Bengisu Boys, had a gig lined up for the 4th May at Jazz Bistro and I hoped I’d get to go with my parents.
In the afternoon, I made some chickpea biscuits using drained chickpeas, mustard powder, seasoning, egg and parmesan. They turned out really well and were syn free so I decided I would take them with me to the cheese and wine evening at Jamie’s. He and Drew had invited me, Ann, Nanny Kay and Katrina over for a soirée and I was taking Jacob’s Cream Crackers, red wine and the freshly baked chickpea biscuits.
Drew had brought some fantastic cheeses over from England and the spread was an absolute delight. Even my chickpea biscuits went down well and, of course, so did the wine. The chat started sensible but I was shocked to find out there is a sex shop in Ortaca and loose plans for a visit were made. I didn’t get in until 1.30am, a little merry and stuffed full of cheese!

Dalyan – 15th April

I didn’t bother with any breakfast on Saturday 15th April as I had to get to the weekly market. This is what I bought there:

2 garlic 5.00
6 Oranges 7.00
Strawberries 50.00
2 apples, 2 cucumbers and 11 tomatoes 20.00
Total spent 82.00 lira (£3.39)

It was 1 month until I would be back in Vietnam, I was conscious of planning my meals and batch cooking so that I didn’t end up with too much food left when I had to turn the electric off on leaving the apartment. Lunch consisted of reheated Minestrone soup and tasted better than it looked. I went to the supermarket, as I sometimes do on Saturday afternoons, and here’s what I bought;

Migros Supermarket
Cheese triangles 17.50
Milk 18.50
Turkey slices 19.25
1 box of Linden tea 23.00
400g chickpeas 23.75
1 jar gherkins 34.50
1kg Rice 35.90
1 pack GF Wraps 48.50
1kg Chicken 48.88
Total spent 269.78 lira (£11.13). Kitler, the cat, was sat between 2 of the ground floor apartments hoping as if posing for a photo.

It was good to see that if you spent more than 200 lira in Migros there was quite a bargain to be had on chicken. I reported back to my mates at Fat Club and to Jamie so they could also take advantage of the offer. I realised I was out of cheese so I went to buy cheddar at Şarküteri and it was 90 lira (£3.72) for a small piece, which is pricey, but I’d already asked my mom to bring some more when she came to Dalyan.

I decided to go back to the supermarket around 5.30pm and bought the following;

3 Tomato puree 32.70
Bananas 40.17
3 Quark 44.85
1.1kg chicken 49.23
2 tins of tomatoes 49.80
Beef bacon 55.90
Total paid 352.45 lira (£14.55)

Obviously, because I spent more than 200 lira again, I bought more chicken at a bargain price. When I messaged Jamie to let him know he had also gone back and got more. The beef bacon also had a big discount.

I made chicken with green peppers, spring onion, mushrooms and paprika for dinner and had it with steamed rice. It was super tasty and I really enjoyed my healthy dinner before putting my PJs on for an early night.
As it happened, my night would not end there!

I was definitely settling down for the evening, with no plans to go out on a Saturday night, when I got a text. Jamie had already invited me out earlier and I’d been in 2 minds but had said no. Mark messaged me from Sofra bar to say my presence was requested, as our friend, Gareth, was in town for one night only. I also got the tip off that Cath and Keith were out on the tiles and that everyone was having a good time so I agreed to come out ‘for one’. I got back changed in to clothes and called at the bank for some cash, arriving at Sofra bar after 9pm.
When I arrived, I made a joke about some keys on the table and whether a fruit bowl would be a good idea. Everyone was pretty merry apart from Gareth who was also only having a couple of beers. I ordered a draft beer which were still only 65 lira (£2.68) for a pint. I noticed later that the small beers had gone up to 50 lira (£2.06) and shots of whiskey were 60 lira (£2.48) now. By 10.30pm, Ged had joined us and someone had convinced him to sing an Ian Drury and The Blockheads number on the karaoke. It wasn’t long before one of us really wished we had a rhythm stick to hit him with! Mark and Cath started the dancing with a bit of Club Tropicana, both of them hoping the drinks were free. In the end there was lots of dancing and I even managed to drag a few other customers up to boogie with us. Jamie was sat outside with his goddaughter, friends and the dogs and he was having an easy night too. We had a great night, that is until it got to 1am. Most people had (sensibly) gone home, I’d had 2 pints of draught Efes and there were just Cath, Keith, Mark and I left. Keith insisted on buying another round of drinks and I helped Cath get ‘her’ jacket on, thinking we were going. When she got the bill she tried to pay but couldn’t get the card to work so I took a photo of the bill. Keith then had a little mishap and he fell on to the table of drinks, cutting his hand quite badly. We got them in a taxi after some struggling and Mark dropped me off at mine before heading home on the mobility wagon via the beach road. The small bridge was still down so he had to go the long way round, using the main roads. At 1.40am Cath called me to say she couldn’t find her keys and they couldn’t get in the house. I spent the next 20 minutes on the phone trying to help her empty her bag and jacket pockets to try to find the house keys, but she was too drunk to make any sense with. I didn’t know where she lived so I couldn’t even go to help and I gave up in the end.
At just before 2am, Mark called to say he’d had to turn back because there were police checks on the main road and could he stay at mine. He’d called Kate and she’d told him to go to mine so that he didn’t get in to any trouble. While I had one last attempt to help Cath, Mark sipped the red wine I had opened. We only had the one glass before calling it a night as Mark was already falling asleep on the sofa. I’d had a good night but could’ve done without all the drama towards the end. I was definitely going to resist any more alcohol now until after Fat Club on Wednesday.

A short video of some karaoke

Video of a bit of dancing

Dalyan – 5th April

The Aussies were leaving for their road trip early on Wednesday 5th April so I’d been invited to have breakfast with them before they set off. The Turkish people here, tend not to get up early for breakfast and I thought we might struggle to find somewhere open.
I went downstairs, as planned, at 8am, it had rained in the night and there were checks being done on the woodwork outside, which looked great. I also had to have a look at the improvements they had been working on last night. Greg drove us to Ekin around 8.30am where we were met by a rather large slobbering black dog, called Negro, who was super friendly. The owner asked us if we could wait for half an hour while he got set up and so we walked about a bit, taking some photos of the beautiful lake.
I wasn’t going to eat the Turkish breakfast for 2 reasons; 1, it often gives me a bad stomach and 2, I had Fat Club weigh-in at 3pm. I realised it would be considered rude to just watch Amanda and Greg eat so I decided to go for it. It was my first Turkish breakfast this year! Just as it was served, it started to rain and we had to move inside. The scenic views were now no longer picture perfect and we were lucky to have seen the lake views we did, before the rain came.
The breakfast was amazing and I really enjoyed it but I knew it would mean a gain on the scales. I ate cheese, jam, honey, bread, cheese rolls, olives, chips and 2 types of savoury gözleme (Turkish pancakes), washed down with Turkish tea and a fresh pomegranate juice. We couldn’t finish it all so Amanda packed 2 small Tupperware boxes up (that’s why I love her) and gave me one with the cheese in. The total bill came to 585 lira (£24) which, considering how much food is provided, was a bargain. Of course, before we even got back in the car, I had stomach issues. Back home we packed the car up with luggage, in the rain, then said our goodbyes. Even Kitler, the abandoned cat, came to say farewell.
I almost didn’t go to Fat Club because I knew it would be disappointing but I forced myself to find out how much damage a Turkish breakfast on weigh day could do.

At Fat club, the inevitable happened; I had gained weight! It was only 1.1kg (2.4lb) but that was enough to undo the previous losses and I only had myself to blame! A more sensible person might have then decided to rectify the bad result by being really good. However, as some of you could have predicted, that was not what happened and I got a lift up to Rehab bar with Carol. I ended up ordering a bottle of wine, as it works out a bit cheaper than having several glasses. I didn’t finish it all as I had to leave to meet Jamie and Ann at Aşkın’s bar. Tay wrote my name on it and said he’d save it for me.
When I arrived at Aşkın’s, Jamie and Ann were already there and had been joined by Mark and Pamela. I ordered a red wine and we all had a nice drink, it’s one of my favourite bars to sit and people watch usually. After a drink there we moved on to Sofra bar for a bit more refreshment.
By 10.30pm, I was leaving Sofra bar with Jamie to go to Umit’s birthday drinks at Sunset bar. Our friend Annie had invited us along and Pamela was already there, as was Yusuf the pharmacist and the flower girl. I had a glass of red wine, Jamie had a glass of white. We thought we were only there for 30 minutes, saying hello to Annie and her friends. Jamie and I do not remember dancing there, having more drinks or leaving but it turns out we were there 90 minutes and had 3 drinks.

We were back in Sofra by midnight, Mark had rejoined us too, and it turned in to quite a night – not that Jamie or I could remember much of it. The photos were a big help to work out the rest of the evening but it was a little concerning.

Photo credit – Greg Le Couteur

Dalyan – 1st April

Last month had been a tough one but I’d managed to get by and I was glad to see April. This would be my last full month in Dalyan as I was planning to go back to Vietnam to see Captain Caveman next month. On Saturday 1st April, Mark rang me to see if I wanted to meet him at Tez bar at noon. I agreed and went round the corner a few minutes before. I ordered a cheese toasty and a cup of tea for my brunch which was 80 lira (£3.37). It came with chips so that was rather naughty of me – so much for being good this month! When Tez brought my tea he put a carnation on the table for me, which was nice. Mark arrived and ordered a coffee before going to meet the pool group at Rehab bar. I finished off my food and drink before getting a lift with Tez to the weekly market. It was busier than usual, lots more tourists were here now and there were more stalls open.

Here’s what I bought at the market this week, I didn’t get the individual prices just the total. Prices were going up but it was still fairly affordable compared to the UK.

6 bananas
1 punnet of strawberries
1 bunch fresh mint
4 big potatoes
8 small potatoes
3 sweet potatoes
3 leeks
1 bunch spring onions
3 onions
1 lettuce
6 carrots
5 green peppers
2 bulbs of garlic
1 bag of pumpkin
Mushrooms

Total cost 273 lira (£11.50)

I even got a free snail on my bunch of spring onions and had to take him downstairs in to the garden. I chopped some of the veggies and the strawberries, putting them in to glass jars to keep fresher for longer.
I met Jamie for a dog walk and quick soft drink in Waterfall around 5.30pm. On my way back from Waterfall I happened to see Kaan on his building site and he showed me the villa he is building. It’s very nice and I had the full tour.
My next stop was at the supermarket and here’s what I bought;

Migros Supermarket
Soup 12.50
1 Bounty 13.95
Noodles 15.90
Turkey slices 19.25
Lentils 25.90
Chickpeas 34.90
Mozzarella Cheese balls 49.90
Wholemeal wraps 57.50
Fish fingers 61.90
Total spent 291.70 lira (£12.28)

For dinner I made a veggie pizza on a wholemeal wrap and it tasted very nice. I resisted the urge to go out to meet Mark, who had gone from Rehab bar to Rodrigo’s then to Mustang. Instead, I had a no alcohol and a no meat day, for the second time this week. I organised a cheese and wine boat trip for when my parents were here and then I had an early night because it was Amanda and Greg’s last day in Dalyan and we had a big day planned tomorrow.

Dalyan – 14th March

The one thing about being apart from your partner on Tuesday 14th March is that you don’t have to partake in Steak & Blow Job day – Google it, it’s a thing now! Lucky for me, because I’m rubbish at cooking steak! By the time I’d woke up Captain Caveman had gone back in to the cave but had messaged me at 4.30am (while my phone was on silent) to ask for me to sort out the payment to our new Pool and Garden maintenance company. Finally the other people on the complex had agreed to let Mehmet Kör at Elite take on the task. It was going to cost 50,000 lira (£2,128) for the year plus there was still the matter of getting the communal electric put back on.
On another note, my ‘missing’ parents, who had failed to fly home from their holiday had managed to get in touch. They were in a hotel the other side of the world, somewhere, but the suitcases which were elsewhere had Mom’s phone charger in. Luckily it wasn’t much to worry about but it hadn’t stopped my sister and I having a slight panic on! We didn’t even know which hotel they were at, or even which country for definite. Luckily Ma & Pa managed to reassure me a little, while they sipped on the All Inclusive rum punch, that they would be coming home tomorrow.
My food choices started out sensible and, as planned, with wholemeal toast, a cheese triangle and a cup of Yorkshire tea for breakfast.
I did a 30 minute walk then popped in to Migros where I bought;

Potatoes 11.21
Satsumas 19.17
Curry powder 19.90
Total spent 50.28 lira (£2.14)

Lunch was the remaining chicken casserole and jacket potato (no butter), then some quark with satsumas. I had a red apple with cheese as a snack and, as I had plans for later, I warmed up a piece of nan bread to prepare me.
I had to miss Singing Group in the afternoon but I did pop along to meet Mark and Kate at Tez bar where I decided I would pace myself with just a soda water for 20 lira (85p). I dropped off some old clothes and some cushions for Kaye, who was having a sale for the Earthquake charity this weekend.
Daisy’s friend, Phoebe, had arrived and, after Daisy had finished work, we were all going to meet her for a night out. With it being winter, there were still only a few bars open but we decided to meet at Mustang bar. Mark and Kate agreed to come for one but then were going home as Mark was fancying a bit of scampi for dinner. The owner, Salih, let me try the wine, as I’d not been a fan of it last time but it was good tonight. Well, it must have been pretty good as I managed to have 5 red wines, a tequila, some of Daisy’s chips and the free popcorn! There was a cute resident cat who liked to get some attention. Mark and Kate ended up staying for a couple and left around 9.30pm, I got a lift with Mark on the mobility wagon to the bank so we could get more cash out. We had a right old laugh, but once Daisy had split her pants dancing, and Phoebe had started doing some sort of sexy dance, it was time for me to go home! I was home around midnight which wasn’t bad for someone who’s meant to be on a diet! Tomorrow’s weigh-in at Fat Club could be interesting; I’d had more alcohol this week but overall less total syns and a 5th of the sweet stuff compared to the previous week. I’d had exercise on all 7 days and 3 no meat days but would it be enough to still get a loss on Carol’s scales!?

Dalyan – 21st February

I had a banana, Kate’s fruit salad, with added strawberries, pineapple, and quark for breakfast on Tuesday 21st February. I also tried some Linden tea which Jamie had brought me to sooth a bad stomach. It seemed to work and I wasn’t affected by the banana, like before. For lunch I had some healthy bits and pieces in an effort to get a good weigh-in result tomorrow at Fat Club. Kate was off to the UK this afternoon so had asked me and a couple of other friends to ‘look after’ Mark while she was away.
Even though it was Pancake Day today, I decided I would have mine tomorrow, after Fat Club. In the afternoon I met up with Jamie, Norman and Edna and we had a dog walk along the river then Edna insisted we call in to the Waterfall bar. She had forgotten that it was a Tuesday and Skippy doesn’t go in on a Tuesday. I had a diet coke and 2 wines, we were joined by John, Andrea and Mark on their way home from Tez bar.
Captain Caveman had been at his briefing for his next Son Doong trip but had managed to get a quick call in, which I took outside. We had a rough plan that I would be visiting Phong Nha, as well as having some holidays in both Vietnam and Singapore. I would only stay for 6 weeks which meant I had no visa issues and would be leaving Phong Nha when the weather was unbearable in July and August.
Jamie went home to feed the dogs and have his own dinner, John and Andrea said bye too, then Mark and I bought some wine and milk at the shop, got Fikri’s taxi to mine where I picked up a bag. We drove to Mark’s and he fed the cats then reheated us up some leftover Chinese for dinner and opened the wine. The cats that stayed in were super cute and were happy to settle in to their beds for the night. We decided to watch a film, drink wine and later have cheese, chorizo and Ritz crackers. The diet had fallen short again and I’m sure it would mean a bad result tomorrow at Fat Club. It also meant that I had missed day 2 of the Decluttering Bootcamp, luckily I could catch up tomorrow on replay. It was after midnight when Mark went to bed and left me asleep on the recliner sofa, I’d obviously nodded off during the film.

Dalyan – 5th February

It was very cold when I got up at 7.30am on Sunday 5th February. Norman and Edna were still snoozy and Little Ted had slept longer than yesterday. Teddy was a bit overexcited to see me and accidentally caught my lip with his mouth when he was trying to give me kisses. It hurt but it didn’t draw blood so I thought I’d be ok.
While I had my cup of tea, all 3 dogs wanted cuddles and they had to share me, begrudgingly. Norman, Little Ted and I were all squeezed in to the arm chair where the dogs had a nice little nap. I didn’t have chance for any breakfast! Every time Norman snored, Little Ted raised his head in a disapproving manner which was funny.

I decided to try walking all 3 of the dogs together but when I went to get my shoes I’d made a massive error. I’d left them out and at some point, Teddy had chewed them. Luckily I had brought another pair of shoes with me as I had an important lunch date that I didn’t want to miss. The walk with 3 dogs was hilarious and I looked like I was going to get tangled up at one point. I’m sure I heard Edna say to Norman ‘Come back, Charlie’. Little Ted was just happy to be out with his new pals and wanted to jump up a lot. I got back, hoping for a shower but the water was off and I looked a state – I didn’t even have any wet wipes. I used the filter water to clean my teeth and wash my face but that would have to do. The rain was torrential just at the time that I needed to leave, and the water came back on as I was going.

Video of Teddy being a bit friendly with his toy

Lukka bar had reopened this weekend and was doing Sunday lunch today. I’d already asked some friends if they fancied it and I’d remembered that Vanessa’s son, Brad, loved a Sunday dinner as she had mentioned they often go out together for one in the UK. We had all pre ordered our meals and agreed to meet at 2pm at Lukka bar. The Beef Sunday dinner was 255 lira (£11.10), the chicken dinner is only 185 lira (£8.05). The portion size is massive so I took Tupperware for any leftovers (I hate wasting food and money). On arrival, Linda and I decided to splash out on a bottle of red wine between us, Nanny Kay was driving so had a soft drink. Brad arrived extremely apologetic having not been able to find where Vanessa had hidden the house keys, making him a tad late. He ordered a beer and I introduced him to Linda and Nanny Kay. Linda and I had lots of cat talk as she was looking after Kate’s 6 cats for the first time in ages and had taken over from Vinnie. When the food came it looked fantastic, there was no cheese sauce on the cauliflower, as advertised, and I had my gravy on the side so I could do damage limitations on my Slimming World diet. Nanny Kay was short on carrots and the Brussel sprouts could do with a few minutes more cooking as they were too hard, so I let the waiter know for future diners. The Yorkshire puddings are phenomenal and the biggest I’ve ever had, this is a good recommendation to a Turkish chef from a Yorkshire lass, who hasn’t been to England for 13 months. I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and the company, we had a break before dessert where I filled my Tupperware with half of my dinner, plus the others’ spare sprouts and Nanny Kay’s left over Yorkshire pud. I had a smaller Tupperware which I intended the apple crumble to go in, however, when it came I couldn’t resist it. We’d all had a jolly good time but the rain was threatening again so we said our farewells. Nanny Kay drove home, Linda cycled to Mark and Kate’s and, as you may have guessed, Brad and I decided we could probably have another drink!

Brad kindly agreed to a dog walk, to walk off a bit of our Sunday dinner and get some exercise for his recovering knee. I had to call in to Captain Caveman’s apartment briefly on the way. As I pointed out to duck under the rose thorns, Brad snapped the stems with his bare hands and tucked them in to the plant – that was that problem solved!
We went to Jamie’s and collected all 3 dogs who were obviously pleased to be getting out after being left for 3 hours, Little Ted in his crate. When I told them we would have a walk to the Waterfall, Edna was beside herself with excitement at the chance to see Skippy. Little Ted didn’t remember what Waterfall meant but was enthusiastic regardless. After a walk around the block and round by Poo corner we arrived at the Waterfall. All the dogs were made welcome and a fuss made of them but Skippy wasn’t there to see that I’d not shrunk Norman. Brad and I got chatting, the dogs were quite happy and we ended up having a couple more drinks in the Waterfall where it was toasty warm. We were reassuring ourselves that we were quite fortunate not to be on the all inclusive-big-bender weekend for Alp’s birthday. We knew that without our partners there we’d probably have had alcohol poisoning by now, as well as putting on loads of weight from the all you can eat food! We had a good laugh and when it got to the dog’s dinner time we decided to grab more drinks and go back to Jamie’s.

I never thought to offer Brad the WiFi password at Jamie’s villa and we were just so busy chatting that we didn’t check our phones. After more red wine for me and beer for Brad I decided to do us a curry for dinner. I was a bit drunk and had to do the rice in a pan for the first time in years, the curry was a vegetarian Dahl type so I chucked in some leftover cooked chicken from Jamie’s fridge. It was pretty good and we ate it all, as if we’d not already had a big lunch! We didn’t realise the time until Vanessa messaged to check Brad was ok! As no one had heard from him, and he’d only gone out for Sunday lunch with the ‘oldies’ at 2pm, there were concerns from his girlfriend and parents. It was after midnight when Brad left and I told him to message me once he got home. I got in bed and fell asleep before seeing that message.

Dalyan – 2nd February

I was up and about at Mark and Kate’s by 8am, on Thursday 2nd February. Kate made me a cup of tea and then went back to bed while I sat on their lovely new sofa. JC came to see if there was anything we could watch on TV and looked at me while I sipped my tea. I got a lift back in to town on the mobility scooter with Mark and Kate and went to the bank. Kate had recommended a few things in the supermarket that I wanted to try, including the nan bread from last night, so I decided to walk with Kate, who was off for her hair doing, to go to Bim. Here’s what I bought:

1st Bim Supermarket
Carrier bag 0.25
Fresh loaf 5.00
Brown sliced loaf 11.50
4 nan breads 15.95
Total spent 32.70 lira (£1.43)

2nd Bim Supermarket
120g Turkish Maltesers 14.50
400g Minced beef 69.50
400g diced beef 78.00
Total spent 162.00 lira (£7.10)

I’d had to go to both Bims because the offers they had on meat had lead to a shortage.
At home I had a cheese sandwich for my breakfast before quickly getting ready for my Turkish class at Ela’s Kitchen. I was super thirsty when I got there so I completely forgot my new Frugal February rule, to have a large water, and automatically ordered a cup of tea and an orange juice. These came to 55 lira (£2.42) and the Turkish class itself was only 50 lira (£2.19)!
Back home I had a bowl of soup with noodles in for lunch and had a chat to Captain Caveman. For dinner I ate more bread, some gorgonzola cheese, which needed eating up, and some olives. I also started to pack my bags as I was off on another dogsitting stint tomorrow!