İstanbul to Dalyan – 26th June

My flight from Bangkok to Istanbul on Wednesday 26th June arrived 40 minutes early. I’d purposely not booked an earlier flight in case of delays, so now I had even longer to wait until my flight to Dalaman. Before 5am it was a very chilly 17°C and I was feeling the cold in the airport, even with jeggings and a fleece on. I retrieved my luggage and had a faff about with the trolleys which you have to pay for. My flight wasn’t until 12.15pm and I was feeling a bit jetlagged. I logged in to the free WiFi, which was easy to get at a kiosk using my passport, and let people know I was on track. I’d booked Sonuç to pick me up from the airport and he messaged to check all was as planned.
At the terminal in Istanbul airport, I checked if I could drop off my bags earlier and to my delight it could all be done on the self service machines. I weighed my 2 hold cases which had lost 1kg since Saigon and were now 17kg and 7kg. Due to my tiredness, I completely forgot to take my laptop out of one of them and then proceeded to worry my case would get lost.
My next bit of good luck was when I decided to go to the lounge, which I had booked for 2 hours before my flight. It was before 8am so I explained I was early and they checked to see if there was space on the 09:55 flight. It was already full so they told me I could still enter the lounge until my flight and didn’t seem to care I would be there for 4 hours. There is no alcohol in the Turkish Airlines lounge but it was breakfast time and I was really hungry. I’d been given a spicy dish on the plane which I couldn’t eat and the breakfast meal was omelette which I didn’t eat either.
I got myself cherry juice, Turkish tea, herbal tea, water, croissants, pastries, bagels, cheese and olives and tucked in while using the free WiFi.
The call to board came at 11.40am and the bus was directly from the lounge and half empty. I had chosen an aisle seat and we even got given a chicken sandwich and a water on the 80 minute flight.
I arrived on time in to Dalaman and didn’t have to wait too long for my luggage, where I was glad to see my laptop had made it.
Sonuç was waiting for me and carried the luggage, had water for me in the car and we drove safely to Jamie and Drew’s new villa. I had planned to stay there for a week or so and it was really kind of him as he also had other guests visiting.
I was so hungover that I don’t remember much about that afternoon apart from seeing Norman and Edna, Jamie’s dogs, who seemed to be pleased to see me. The villa was gorgeous and I had a lovely twin room with an ensuite which I couldn’t wait to go to sleep in.
I’d made it just in time for Fat Club but, unfortunately, it was cancelled this week. I had no idea about my weight but I did take my measurements after a much needed shower;
Bust no change,
Waist +1cm,
Hips -1cm.
I had a glass of wine with Jamie, Drew and their house guests, Nick & Mark, before heading over to see my parents, who I hadn’t seen since January. The weather was nice and warm but definitely cooler than Phong Nha.

That evening, we had our first meal together at Duble, one of our favourites. We all had the chicken soup as it’s so good, then I had a chicken shish, Mom had fish and Dad had a chicken casserole. Ma & Pa had beers but I stuck to soda water and we had 2 lots of fresh bread. The whole bill came to 1,720 lira (£41.25) which worked out less than £14 for a starter and a main plus drink and a free shot each. I’d expected prices to be worse given the moaning I’d read on Facebook so I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t a late one as I had work to do tomorrow and I was desperate for sleep.

Danang – 24th June

Ordinarily when I leave Vietnam to go back to Turkey, I have to wait a while to see Captain Caveman again. Not this year, Monday 24th June might have been our last full day together but only for 14 days! We were lucky enough to be getting to visit the UK in the middle of the caving season and we were both looking forward to a family wedding, among other things.
We went to ByC for breakfast and it was really beautiful. I ordered a pot of earl grey tea and a pancake with bacon, Captain Caveman had an iced black coffee and a şakşuka. Both were amazing and, even though I was full, I didn’t want to leave any. Our bill came to just 415,000VND (£12.95) for the 2 of us.

On the way back to the hotel we bought a 1.5l bottle of water for 14,000VND (44p). I worked until lunch time and Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone.
At 1pm we met an old friend from Phong Nha who now lives in Danang. We hadn’t seen Diana for a while so it was good to meet at Vietnom Eatery where the staff are deaf. Captain Caveman had a coffee and a bao bun and I had a My Quang style dish with a watermelon juice, both of our meals were rather tasty. Captain Caveman paid the bill of 240,000VND (£7.50) which was very good good value. We had a good but too brief a catch up and then it was back to work for Diana and I.

That evening, we had been invited to join June and Steve at Happy Buffalo in Hoi An but I wasn’t feeling too lively. I didn’t want to ruin my long journey tomorrow so we decided not to go. I still needed a new laptop bag so we found a phone shop and bought one for 150,000VND (£4.69).
We couldn’t be bothered to go too far for dinner so we ate at nearby Pizza 4Ps. We both had a cider and brie to start, which we order every time we visit. Captain Caveman ordered a breakfast pizza which had cheese, spinach and eggs on it while I tried to go healthier with a Spaghetti Bolognese topped with a burrata. Captain Caveman had a second cider, without the cheese, but I’d had enough alcohol yesterday. Our bill came to 769,800VND (£23.89) including VAT, which wasn’t bad.
It wasn’t a late one as my flight from Danang was tomorrow morning at 9.10am and I needed an early night. We ate mangosteen when we got back and I was sad to be leaving Vietnam.

Danang – 23rd June

The Sunday Brunch at Citron restaurant, Intercontinental, on the Son Tra Peninsula in Danang was booked for 12.30pm on Sunday 23rd June. It’s one of our favourite food experiences when we are in Vietnam and is a real treat. Captain Caveman had been working hard but had caught up on his sleep ready for today’s feast.
We arrived by Grab taxi just before 12.30pm and took a seat outside. I tried to get some good photos of us but it never works out well. Captain Caveman is not a fan of taking excessive photos and we agreed that I wouldn’t take photos of my food this time. Inside, we were seated and given a glass of the Billecart Salmon champagne. It retails at about £50 a bottle and we certainly get our money’s worth. The brunch lasts for 3 hours and is a buffet style where you can help yourself to so much seafood, sushi, salads, charcuterie, cheese as well as ask the chefs to prepare meat, prawns, pasta and fois gras. The cost is 3,199,000VND (£98.74) each plus tax/VAT but we were given a 20% discount. The service is always impeccable, the food delicious and there is good music and a spacious dining area. I kept my word and didn’t take any food photos or selfies while dining but I remember what I ate; I started with prawns to go with my champagne while Captain Caveman sampled the sushi. I had a mix of salt and pepper with a squeeze of lime juice to make a paste to dip my prawns in. They were delicious so I had some more and a little of the prawn sushi. I had a bit of the salad to make it healthier and more champagne while Captain Caveman had lobster and oysters. I went on to the lobster and couldn’t help myself get 2 more portions, as my champers got topped up. Next, I went on to cooked prawns in a garlic butter with some steak but I skipped the carbs for salad with chickpeas and lentils in. After a few more champagnes we went on to red wine to go with the steak, more was ordered and Captain Caveman was on the fois gras while I went back to lobster and steak with a couple of bits of pork. I didn’t have potatoes or pasta this time as I didn’t want to fill up too quickly. I also left plenty of room and time for the cheese, charcuterie and fruit. I snuck in a cheeky Cosmopolitan and dodged the desserts but that cheese board with only a couple of bits of bread was truly amazing! More red wine was had and back to the champagne for final drinks, of which we had a couple of top ups and we were stuffed.
By 5.20pm I was in bed and didn’t get back up that day.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Danang – 22nd June

Captain Caveman was due to arrive at Danang train station on Saturday 22nd June at 6.06am. He also was delayed a little but by 8.30am we were off in search of a launderette and some breakfast. Captain Caveman dropped our washing off and was told to pick it up in the morning, we then got a Grab taxi to Lighthouse in Son Tra. It was pretty plush and I was starving so here’s what we had, prices in Dong;

1 Jasmine tea 70,000
1 Double Espresso 80,000
1 Eggs Benedict 125,000
1 Big Breakfast 150,000
Total 425,000VND (£13.16)

The food was fantastic and I felt super full but I didn’t feel too well after and needed the toilet urgently. I have a feeling that hash browns on the same meal as toast, doesn’t agree with my stomach.

There was a weather warning so we stayed in the AC room for the afternoon and I did some work while Captain Caveman played Bridge then fell asleep. I booked my flight from Istanbul for next week which included a snack, 25kg hold luggage, a specific seat and the Turkish Airlines lounge for about £80.
In the evening we popped out to a Heart of Darkness beer place where I inadvertently ordered a lemongrass and coriander beer. It turned out to be really nice and we shared some salted edamame beans which I loved. For just 105,000VND (£3.25) for a pint of Belgian wheat beer in Vietnam, we decided to have another before walking to a restaurant.

Maazi is a lovely Indian restaurant which also has restaurants in Hanoi, Hoi An, Matlock and Hathersage. How fantastic, and we spoke about this to the manager, Rohit Chandra. We were peckish as hadn’t eaten any lunch so we really went for it. Here’s what we ordered, prices in Dong;

1 steamed rice 40,000
1 garlic naan bread 45,000
1 Vegetable Samosas 60,000
1 Pani Puri 60,000
1 Tandoori chicken 80,000
1 Masala Dosa 129,000
1 Butter Chicken 139,000
2 Kingfisher beers 200,000
Total with tax 817,240VND (£25.30)

It was so lovely and we really enjoyed it before hurrying back, via the cash machine, to watch a firework display.

Those Pani Puri were amazing

I’m not a fan of fireworks so Captain Caveman was a bit disappointed that I would rather watch them from indoors, even though there was a bridge and a place to view them better from. As we were near our hotel, it started to rain so we went inside and tried to watch fireworks from the window. Captain Caveman lasted a few minutes before laying on the bed and then instantly falling asleep and snoring loudly for far too long. I watched all the fireworks even after the spectators on the bridge started leaving because of the rain. Tomorrow we had something special planned and I was really looking forward to it.

As the rain came, the crowds tried to find shelter

Fireworks from our hotel room

Phong Nha & Dong Hoi – 20th June

I woke up to my alarm at 6.30am on Thursday 20th June and got on with my packing. I had already started it and had separate piles based on final destination of each item. This was confusing but I was on it and needed to be done by 8.30am as I was booked in to have my hair done. During the night, Hoan had taken a bus from Xa Lai to Phong Nha and had arrived early this morning. She was back for the Phong Nha Vegan buffet and to see me off. She had already asked Chung to delay me so that I could eat a last lunch at the Vegan before my taxi to Dong Hoi.
I had a lot to thank Chung, Hoan and the girls from the Vegan for, so I agreed. It was down to them that I was leaving Phong Nha only 1.3 kg (2.9lb) heavier than when I arrived in March and I was grateful for all the amazing food I’d eaten because of them. I was only 1cm over my hip and waist target measurements, which I was pleased with. I still wasn’t a vegan convert but I was definitely a strong advocate of vegan dishes and eating less meat. These girls had become such good friends, especially since I’d become the only female Western woman living in town.
Once I’d finished packing, I took photos of each bag and started to move them to the Glass House, ready for Captain Caveman to do his thing with them tomorrow. I took my motorbike helmet, 3 bags and a rather heavy suitcase (with a patched up wheel) the few hundred meters to the house. By 8am, I was walking back to Son River House Homestay and it was incredibly hot and sunny. It was not the best day to have a hair appointment and an all you can eat vegan buffet but, I soldiered on. Chung moved the taxi from 11am to 1pm and we called ‘Onion’ to check she was definitely there today. I wasn’t bothered if she cancelled now as it meant I could go back to bed but she was going to meet me there. I let Chung know I was all packed and brought my bags down to reception. As is usual in Vietnam, when a friend goes away, she saw my full bags and gave me 4 packets of Banh Ep, a fragile pork, shrimp and spring onion cracker type product, to take with me. She had even had her ex boyfriend put them on the bus from Hue for her as she knows how much I like them. How sweet!

Once at the hairdresser’s, she cut my dry hair first while I sat in front of a fan. I was not entirely optimistic it would turn out well but the heat meant I barely cared about anything else but staying alive. Just 1 hour 15 minutes later I had the hair dye on and was told to wait an unknown amount of time for it to take. Next I got a hair wash, conditioner, face, head and shoulder massage and the blow dry I’d said I didn’t need in this heat. Onion was having none of me walking out of her establishment with wet hair! By 10.30am I was finished and my hair looked good.
I headed back to check-out, where Chung had prepared our bill for the 9 day stay at Son River House Homestay. Captain Caveman was going to pay the 3,352,000VND (£101.79) by bank transfer when he returned from the cave. This included 400,000VND (£12.15) for the meal last night which was absolutely delicious. We did get a friend’s discount which was much appreciated and I would definitely stay there again.

Our next stop was the Phong Nha Vegan which was amazing for my last buffet and farewell to everyone. I sat with Kim and her daughter while trying to get a blast of the cooler which was set to 39°C. The food was so good and plentiful but it was so hot I could barely take the heat. Kim recommended I try different dishes which was really nice and we even arranged for me to visit her in Saigon in a few days time. Back at the homestay, I said my goodbyes and Hoan arrived to give me going away gifts of a knitted mobile phone case, some sweets and a big bag of mangosteen. In the end, Chung moved my taxi for Dong Hoi to pick me up at 1.45pm as we were running late, and she promised to take Bluey over to the Glass House tomorrow. It was a sad, sweaty goodbye as I got in to the car and drove through Phong Nha with tears in my eyes.

The drive from Phong Nha to Dong Hoi on that afternoon was comfortable and cool. It took about 45 minutes and cost me 500,000VND (£15.26). The Minh Quang Hotel had already been booked up but the owner had very kindly recommended the Dolphin hotel as a nearby and suitable alternative. It was only 280,000VND (£8.54) per night and located really close to Tree Hugger. The driver couldn’t find it at first but once I was checked in and was in the room, I realised why it was called the Dolphin Hotel. It was located bang opposite the Dolphin statue on the river front. The lady who checked me in was really lovely and the room had the best display of tourist information, I’ve seen in a while. Unfortunately, it was a little wasted on me as I was only there until very early in the morning. I had a shower and a little rest, plus a bit of a repack to get the gifts in, before going out for a stroll.

I called in at Tree Hugger where I had a mint and lime iced drink and some veggie spring rolls while admiring the view with a fan on. It was really lovely and cost just 90,000VND (£2.75) which was definitely good value.

In the evening, I met up with Jack, Stu’s youngest son, for a last leaving drink and meal at Oregano. We drank a Huda beer, ate potato wedges and a Bolognese pizza, which we shared. We had 2 video calls with Stu who was in Ha Tinh doing a summer teaching job and was disappointed he couldn’t join us. The food, as always, was excellent and I’d learned they had wedges on the menu. I couldn’t eat it all so I took a couple of slices of pizza with me and Jack dropped me off at Dolphin Hotel on his way home. The cost of dinner for both of us was a very reasonable 250,000VND (£7.64).
Back at Dolphin, I finished the half bottle of red wine I’d brought with me, from last night, and got ready for bed. My alarm was set for early tomorrow morning as I was getting the train to Danang.

Phong Nha – 19th June

Wednesday 19th June was not only weigh day, but it was my last full day and night in Phong Nha. I had arrived in Vietnam 15 weeks ago and would be leaving after 4 months in the country, longer than I’d expected. I was up early so that I could be ready for an appointment before work and I did my measurements. My bust was the same as the previous week, I’d lost 1cm from my waist but had put 1cm on my hips. I made a note to get weighed later when I went to the vegan.
I cycled down to see ‘Onion’ the hairdresser as Captain Caveman had booked me in for a cut and dye at 8.30am. She is actually called Nghien but it’s kind of pronounced like onion and that’s what a couple of the older cavers had called her. When I arrived, it was already getting hot, there was no sign of her. I bumped in to a young girl who was wearing sunglasses, a mask and a hooded long sleeved coat. This ninja-looking female spoke a little English and told me her mom was in town having coffee with friends. I’d also messaged her to say I was there but the reply came to the daughter to return at midday. There was no way I could take the midday heat while being in the hairdresser’s building so I asked for the same time tomorrow. The daughter didn’t understand so I just left and said I would message. Tomorrow I was leaving to go to Dong Hoi before lunch so that might be a bit of a squeeze, anyway.
Disappointed, I cycled down towards The Villas and as I arrived Onion turned up saying I could cycle back to the hairdresser’s. By this time I’d already rescheduled my work and confirmed lunch with a friend. We agreed on tomorrow at 8.30am so I would just have to get up early.
I worked from The Villas for the rest of the morning and drank a lot of water as the AC wasn’t on yet. At lunch time I logged off as I had invited Khanh Linh to join me for a catch up. We shared a Momma D’s pizza and a garden salad which was very filling. A member of staff popped the AC on and looked confused as to why it wasn’t already on. I had to try the Pina Colada as it was 50% off those on Wednesdays. It was very nice and I had a lovely time with Khanh Linh, who bought me a gift of a pair of jelly shoes. When I tried them on I was surprised to find they fit very well, too. Khanh Linh, who works at Jungle Boss, had to get back to work and it was very hot and humid outside.
I also went back to work but finished before 5pm so that I could hurry back to Son River House Homestay for a shower. The plan was to be back at The Villas to meet anyone who was coming to help me celebrate my last night.

When I got back to the homestay, I decided to chance a full shower with a hair wash – this was a mistake. I was lathered up like a soapy meringue when the water went off! It took a while to get all the bubbles off me and, of course, Vietnamese hotel towels are rather small. I was 10 minutes late to my own leaving party and Chung, who was going to give me a lift, was busy so I cycled back down. René was already there and was a bit concerned he was going to miss me as he had guests back at Greenfield Ecostay who he had to get back to. Ngan, his wife, was in Hanoi and couldn’t join us. René had a drink with me and then left with arrangements to come back if work allowed. Maxime and his 2 daughters joined us, then Bich and Luc came for a drink and food and it was so lovely to catch up. I had also arranged to have a drink and some food at Son River House Homestay with Chung and Uy. It was also their 7 year anniversary. Manu from Victory Road Villas and the girls from Phong Nha Vegan were also meant to be coming to join the small party.
Manu saw René drive past on a motorbike so I cycled back after paying my 1,200,000VND (£36.45). This included breakfast, lunch for 2 of us, 2 smoothies, 4 cocktails and a bottle of red wine to take away.
Back at the homestay, I arrived to an empty seat where René must have been sat, a fresh beer with ice and a 100,000VND (£3) note under the glass as payment. He had obviously got tired of waiting for me and left – I was surprised not to have passed him as I cycled my little legs as fast as I could on Bluey. Manu didn’t arrive as he couldn’t find it, and the Vegan girls were too busy with customers to leave early. Chung was apologetic that the local chicken with sticky rice that I had ordered for us all to share, had been boiled instead of barbecued. I wasn’t, as it was so delicious – Ms My had done a lovely job and I opened the bottle of wine to share with Chung and Linh Giang. Once again, I was the only non-Vietnamese person at the table and we had so much fun. Eventually, Uy noted the date and redeemed himself of forgetting his anniversary with a romantic speech but I was more enthralled by Motthew IV. Chung had chopped up a couple of pineapples for us to share so a big, thirsty moth came to sample it. There was a cake, more cheers and drinks but I was in bed by 10.30pm. I still hadn’t packed for Danang, Dalyan or the UK. Tomorrow was going to be a bit disorganised and rushed.

Phong Nha – 18th June

We were awake early on Tuesday 18th June as Captain Caveman was off in to Son Doong and I said I would see him off before I started work. It was probably the last time I would see him this year in Phong Nha and I was feeling a bit sentimental about that. Captain Caveman doesn’t do emotional stuff so it was just another day to him but at least he posed for a photo while we waited for a coffee and a watermelon juice at Son River House Homestay. We agreed that I would travel by car to Dong Hoi on Thursday, he’d booked me a room at the Dolphin hotel for that night and a train for Friday morning to Danang. He would get the overnight train after his gala dinner on Friday night and see me in Danang on Saturday morning. We would have our final celebrations in Danang before I flew back to Turkey on Tuesday. We were all organised so that it would go smoothly. Captain Caveman took himself off for spicy fish noodle soup for his breakfast, probably to escape my emotional goodbyes and me still being upset about May, the dog. Chung could see I needed a bit of support and told me to come back to the homestay once I’d seen Captain Caveman off on tour from Ho Khanh’s.
I saw Mr Nghia who works on the porter team and is Ha’s (from Phong Nha Vegan) dad. He was holding Ai’s baby who is super cute and so I took photos. I also found a creepy crawly to match his Oxalis shirt which turned out to be poisonous and had a twin nearby! Luckily I moved one to the shrubbery but then it got moved again to further afield. We said bye and Captain Caveman got on the bus with the next tour group, who also didn’t get off for a photo.
Back at the homestay, I waited for Chung so that we could go to Phong Nha Vegan for brunch. I took photos of the Son River House Homestay menu which looked very comprehensive.

At Phong Nha Vegan, Chung had spicy noodle soup, I had Banh Canh and we shared some fresh spring rolls. Ha made me a mango and coconut smoothie which was so good. I would miss this a lot when I left. I decided to work in the AC of my room at the beautiful and peaceful Son River House Homestay for today.

That evening, after work, I cycled down to Phong Nha Vegan again. Tatas came to meet me and had to wait a while until I could leave to go out for dinner. We went to The Villas for our farewell drinks and meal. We had to make do with mojitos with it being a Tuesday as they were half price. We shared a veggie pizza with a bottle of red then took the wine back to mine so that we could finish off the night. Tatas paid the total bill as a farewell gift and we had a lovely night, it was a bit emotional as I had no idea when I would see her again, although we were hoping she could get a visa to come visit us in Turkey this winter. Tomorrow was weigh day and my last full day in Phong Nha, I’d had 303 syns this week so it wasn’t looking great and I had leaving drinks planned for tomorrow evening.

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.

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 & 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.

Phong Nha & Dong Hoi – 31st May

The last day of the month, Friday 31st May, was a busy one. Captain Caveman was due back from the cave in the afternoon and we had plans for me to join him at Chay Lap that night. We had agreed to house and dogsit for our friends, Stu, Max & Jack, in Dong Hoi until the 10th of next month. They were off to Australia tomorrow morning and couldn’t leave the dogs with just anyone or put them in kennels. I packed my bag in the morning as I needed to check out and I paid the bill for Phong Nha Homestay, which was a bargain at 3,744,000VND (£115), including quite a bit of laundry, for a total of 17 nights. It was still one of my favourite places to stay in Phong Nha centre due to it being so clean, cheap and safe. Plus the family who own it are no-nonsense honest people. I left my bag for us to pick up later and I was heading to Phong Nha Vegan when I noticed it was about to rain. I had just stepped in to The Villas and shouted to the staff to let them know it had started to rain as they had the roof canopy open. While they rushed in to action to move stuff that was going to get wet, I got comfy and perused the rather hefty breakfast menu over a nice pot of tea and some homemade biscuits. I decided I was going to have the bacon and egg roll, but without the egg. It was really good and the bread was fresh and soft.
I spent the morning there as the rain poured down then I ordered the salami and prawn spaghetti with parmesan for lunch. It was delicious, although rather more generous with the salami than the prawns, so not great for that diet I was supposed to be on.
Captain Caveman arrived and had a pizza, as is his usual, and I didn’t share any. By 2pm we were taking full advantage of the summer cocktail offers and today, as it was Friday, there was 50% off margaritas! After a couple of drinks I got peckish again and ordered a Margherita pizza with more Margarita cocktails (this could get confusing). Our total bill with the summer offers came to just 917,000VND (£28.40) – great value and I was rather merry!
While Captain Caveman did the gala dinner with his tour group at Chay Lap, I played pool with the taxi driver. He thrashed me as he plays rules where you can hit any ball on any go – it made it quicker and certainly interesting. He offered to share his portion of french fries, which I politely declined, and we talked about his wife and family which was very nice.
We obviously arrived at Stu’s place quite late, and tiddly. Captain Caveman had shouted at me for not knowing the way when it turned out I did. I stormed off inside, leaving him to get all the bags, and we had a beer with Stu and met the dogs. They were Vietnamese dogs, and weren’t particularly friendly towards us. Rodger had a blood parasite and had recently had one eye removed so looked like a pirate and Terror was the son of Rodger, who hated his head being touched. The next week or so was certainly going to keep us on our toes, especially as the 2 dogs could not be in the same room at any time. Max, the eldest son, gave up his bedroom for Captain Caveman and I to sleep in and it had a decent AC unit which was very good of him.

Phong Nha – 29th & 30th May

Wednesday 29th May was a long day for me. I woke up having been bitten even more and my elbow was swollen, there was a dead cockroach on the floor next to the bed so I was convinced, that was what had bitten me. I took my measurements as it was weigh day again and I found that my bust was the same, I’d put 1cm on my waist and lost 1cm off my hips. On the way to Phong Nha Vegan, I called at the pharmacy and she recommended Remos gel 51,000VND (£1.59) for my bites. I was early and knew the vegan wouldn’t be open yet so I called in at The Villas for a fruit salad with yoghurt and muesli and a pot of tea. When I got weighed at Phong Nha Vegan I was disappointed to find I had put on 0.85Kg (1.9lb).
For lunch I had Com Suon, a fake pork dish with steamed rice and veggies, and the place was still a bit understaffed. I had hoped a friend would be able to come join me for lunch but I didn’t see her.
After about 2.5 hours at the Vegan in the heat I cycled back to the homestay, for my postponed video call with Vanessa.
Unfortunately, there were more complaints from Dalyan because the neighbours had random dogs and cats in the stairwell and the tenants said to Jamie that the next door neighbours had also complained. I had to leave it with the agent and go back to the Vegan as my friend was waiting for me there. She had a papaya salad and watched me run about trying to help out as there were no staff again, I managed to squeeze in some mushroom skewers before cycling home to deal with Captain Caveman’s apartment complaints. On the way back, I stopped at the fruit lady and bought 100,000VND (£3.10) worth of mangosteen. The tenants staying in Captain Caveman’s apartment had decided to have a pool day but when they went down, the pool was being filled with chemicals and they couldn’t use it. This was the 2nd time the pool had been unavailable so they weren’t happy and had had to go to a nearby hotel to use their pool. As they were paying £400 per month to have a 2 bedroomed apartment with a shared pool, they were frustrated at not getting what they had paid for. I sent a message to the pool and garden guy to complain that he could have told us in advance, but he said didn’t know about it as his workers had done it. By the time he sent me an update, the pool looked good to me but it was already 4pm there. I was beginning to wish we’d never agreed to rent the place out. I was awake until 2am but then I had to turn my phone off. It was still 32°C in Phong Nha and I had to be up early tomorrow morning.

I had another busy day on Thursday 30th May, an early start for breakfast at The Villas. I had my favourite breakfast of pho ga (chicken noodle soup) with a passion fruit juice. I paid 100,000VND (£3.10) and really enjoyed my meal before heading off to Phong Nha Vegan. They had received some good Google reviews which was nice. For lunch I had arranged to meet Veronika for a farewell meal so I didn’t need to eat at the vegan. Nevertheless, Hanh cooked me some sweet potato fries with salt and pepper.
I arrived a little late to The Villas, where Veronika and Deborah were waiting for me. They both ordered salmon for lunch but I was craving some dairy so I chose a ham and cheese toasty with a vanilla milkshake. As Veronika and Deborah were off to Australia next week, it was our farewell lunch and it felt weird not knowing when we would see each other again. After our meal, Ben was waiting to give Veronika and Deborah a lift back the Phong Nha Farmstay so we said our goodbyes and I cycled back to the homestay for a shower and a rest. I was back at the Phong Nha Vegan that evening, where it was another busy one and I met some lovely tourists. Many kept returning as the food was so good. I ate a crispy vegetable ramen dish which was so tasty. The weather forecast kept saying rain and clouds but it was very hot and hadn’t been cloudy at all. Back at the homestay, I got in bed and waited for news from Ma & Pa that they had landed in Turkey, they were heading back to Dalyan tonight and would be there when I arrived.

Phong Nha – 26th May

On Sunday 26th Captain Caveman and I cycled up to The Villas for breakfast with Veronika and Deborah. It turned out that Deborah was disappointed not to be able to visit Australia because she had thought that she couldn’t get a visa. Within minutes, Captain Caveman had put her straight and she was applying for her visa, which she didn’t think she was entitled to. Unfortunately, the application needed a photo of her against a plain wall and The Villas no longer had walls which were not brightly painted. I took the photo for her in Veronika’s room and she was done in a few minutes. It would take 3 days to process but it looked like she was off to Australia, thanks to Captain Caveman. While he tucked in to one of his favourite breakfasts, Eggs Benedict, I had a Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup). I love the breakfasts at The Villas and the portions are substantial. Our bill came to 232,000VND (£7.21) which included a hot drink each. I also drank 2 litres of water then said my goodbyes as I was off to Phong Nha Vegan.

Captain Caveman went back to the homestay to play Bridge. At the vegan it was hot and muggy but I did manage to eat a mushroom fried rice and a tomato, tofu and spinach soup for lunch.
I left the Vegan about 1.15pm and went back to the homestay for a shower and a rest.

That evening, with it being a night off for Captain Caveman, we met Tatas at Tree House for cocktails. I tried the Singapore Sling, a Hurricane and a Tom Collins, Captain Caveman had 3 Long Island Iced Teas and they were all really good – if a little strong. We paid 450,000VND (£13.98) for 6 cocktails which was an absolute bargain!

For dinner the 3 of us headed over to another one of our favourite places to eat in Phong Nha, Ganesh, for a feast of an Indian meal. Here’s what we had and the prices in Dong;
Plain Naan 45,000
Saffron rice 49,000
Garlic Naan 60,000
Onion bhajis 85,000
Daal Takka 98,000
Chicken tikka masala 115,000
Chicken Vindaloo 120,000
Chicken tikka starter 120,000
2 bottles of red wine 540,000
Total spent 1,232,000VND (£38.27)

We even got a vegetarian starter for free to try and everything was so good. It’s not the cheapest place to eat in town but £13 each with wine was very reasonable to what we would pay in other countries.

Phong Nha – 25th May

We were up so early for breakfast on Saturday 25th May. Captain Caveman had decided on Tree House so I took my own Yorkshire tea bag and they gave me hot water and milk for free, which was kind. I went for a fruit salad which are always great at Tree House and Captain Caveman had a breakfast sandwich (which I don’t recall the contents of) with chips and a coffee. We paid a reasonable 225,000VND (£6.98) and then we cycled towards the Vegan.

Captain Caveman needed to pop in the office on his day off but he’d been invited to Phong Nha Vegan for lunch. He tried the Thai noodle soup and I had a Bun Tron, both of which were really tasty. Captain Caveman left me at the Vegan practicing my Vietnamese and English with the staff. The water delivery guy came and had a chat – surprisingly he spoke English perfectly well.

Captain Caveman had gone home to play Bridge and it was getting pretty hot by 1pm, as I lay in the hammock. I cycled back and called in to the pharmacy, who had a promotion day. I messaged Captain Caveman with the deals and to ask him if he needed anything but he never answered his phone. It was so hot that I didn’t bother waiting more than 5 minutes and cycled back to the homestay. Captain Caveman was so engrossed in his Bridge that he had stopped taking any notice of messages. I had a shower as I was a red hot sweaty mess and then a lay down. Captain Caveman had fallen asleep with his noise cancelling headphones on.

At 6pm we got to The Villas just in time as the rain had started. We were having dinner with Veronika and her friend, Deborah. Veronika had brought in a bottle of fizz for us all to share, which was really lovely and we had a fabulous meal at The Villas. I chose one of my favourites, the Duck Confit, Captain Caveman had a pizza. The rain poured down and it was pretty atmospheric. I really enjoyed the night out and Captain Caveman bought another bottle of wine for us to share. Veronika fancied a dessert so I also joined her with a really good sticky date pudding. Captain Caveman paid by bank transfer so I didn’t take note of the total bill but my duck dish was 250,000VND (£7.74) and a decent bottle of wine was 450,000VND (£13.94) so pretty reasonable for one of the nicest places in town.