I was awake early on Monday 10th July and I was excited to be spending my first day back in Dalyan on a boat trip with my family. Ma, Pa, Gayle (sister), Neil (brother-in-law), Morgan (eldest niece) and April (youngest niece) and I had booked to join the Duran Duran boat trip to Köyceğiz market from 10am this morning. I’d already been to the bank then to get phone credit and had packed my swimmers, factor 50 and travel towel ready to take advantage of the sunny day. The weather forecast said 36°C for this afternoon and I wasn’t working today. Ma and Pa called on for me while Neil went to find a sun hat and I faffed about putting money for the market separate to my money for the boat trip.
We joined a group trip, but a private trip, and were sat having a hot beverage and a biscuit before 10am ready for our day out. The leisurely sail towards Köyceğiz and through the lake was lovely and calm, but we were all too busy talking and laughing to really enjoy the scenery. Once at Köyceğiz, the ladies headed for the market while Dad and Neil popped along to a lakeside cafe for a light beverage and to wait for us. I’d took my rucksack to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables but when I went to get my money out, it wasn’t there. Neither was my boat trip money so I assumed I’d left it at home and had to borrow 300 lira from mom. I didn’t buy an awful lot but I did get 2 blocks of cheese, cherries and strawberries to keep me going. We rejoined the men and had a cold beverage with them, the beers were a reasonable 85 lira (£2.58) and soft drinks were 35 lira (£1.06). We were back on the boat for 1pm so that Captain Unal could take us for a swim stop, then get ready for our BBQ lunch.
The food was delicious and catered for all of our fussy and Coeliac requirements without any bother at all. Gayle and Mom had fish and Halloumi, I had chicken and halloumi and others had chicken and meatballs. There was lots of mezes and pasta for us all to have a big portion. It was so good that I didn’t even take any photos of the food as I was too busy eating it. Around 4pm we headed to the mud baths where everyone on the boat except for April and I went in. It’s optional and we were happy to admire the view and look at some goats instead. I may have had a cheeky wine while we chatted. Once everyone was back on board, Unal served fruit and cake, Sioned (Unal’s wife) had made Gayle 2 gluten free desserts which were really good. We were back to Dalyan just before 6pm and we settled up our bills. I had to pay by bank transfer on account of ‘losing/forgetting’ my cash. My boat trip plus my drinks came to 1,075 lira (£32 approx) which was a bargain for such a lovely day out.
We stopped off at Tapa, formerly River Terrace, for a drink and got chatting to the staff there. I popped home to check I had left my money there and it was on the table, which was a relief. After a couple of drinks at Tapa, we decided to chance a table for the 7 of us at My Arancia restaurant, part of the Doğa hotel. The owner rearranged the tables and chairs to get us in at a nice table by the pool and we ordered food. We all shared a mixed meze plate for starter which was very good. April and I both had chicken shish for main, which was nice but a lot more oil than I’m used to. It cost about 300 lira (£9) for the shish and came with chips, rice and salad. Gayle had a mixed grill without the rice which is naturally gluten free. I couldn’t manage all my dinner so I took some leftovers home for another day. Our first family day had gone very well and we were looking forward to more Dalyan excitement tomorrow and for the rest of the week.
The first thing I noticed when I woke up at 6am on Friday 7th July, was that there was no internet. I didn’t particularly need it as I wasn’t scheduled to work today but it was unusual, given that Steve and Michelle work from home. On entering the living room area I saw the problem, there had been an incident involving cats, a basket from the shelf and the router getting knocked off. None of the cats were forthcoming but Trixie looked like she knew what happend and was keeping quiet. Lulu and Bella were particularly hungry today and were quite impatient for their biscuits this morning. Steve and Michelle messaged to say they were on their way so I stripped the bed and had a general tidy round. I was just getting the hoover out when they arrived back from a lovely jaunt over to Crete. Xena was beside herself with excitement that mom and dad were back, Trixie was also very happy but tried to play it cool by napping on Steve’s bag and pillow. I had a chocolatey croissant-like pastry for breakfast then it was all systems go.
Life is always more lively with Steve and Michelle around so we went out for a lovely lunch at Alabama bar. Steve and Michelle took the healthy options and had wraps which looked great, I had a very good chicken burger with chips. We all had a cheeky beer and I gave people a headache by chatting on too much, not realising we were in a rush to get back. That night was the Greek night in Lardos and I was looking forward to my first one, having not drank much alcohol this week, I was about to make up for it!
We started the night in Cuckoo’s Nest cocktail bar, my drink of choice was red wine. The measures were large and I seemed to get quite plastered as more of Steve and Michelle’s friends joined us. By 11.30pm the Tequilas were out and we were on that slippery slope to extreme drunkenness. I was tired and tried to have a little nap in Cuckoo’s Nest but Steve and Michelle’s friends were having none of it and proceeded to encourage more drunken antics over at Memories bar.
By 2.30am I had made some new friends, including a cute little dog. Michelle and I got in at 3.45am to a passed out half naked (thankfully the top half) Steve on the lounge sofa bed. It was good to have them back in Lardos and, as far as I can remember, we’d all had a fantastic night.
On Thursday 6th July I was up early, busy with plant watering and animal duties then I worked 9am to 4.30pm. After feeding the cats, getting the hang of who’s indoor and outdoor, I decided a quick trip to the shop was a good idea. I spent €13.30 (£11.41) on Prosecco, crisps and chocolate at Big Family supermarket then decided to stop at a bar. I ordered a cheeky Milokleftis cider with ice at Yamas bar and sent a message to Louise to see if she had finished work. Shortly after, she arrived and ordered a coffee but another Milokleftis and a cocktail arrived. What was a quick drink after work with a new friend, turned in to quite an impromptu evening. After a few ciders I decided I couldn’t be bothered to go home to cook so suggested we eat out.
Louise and I both love Valentina’s restaurant in Lardos and it was very close by. We opted for a white wine each then I had a carafe of red wine while Louise ordered a lemonade then a passion fruit cocktail. There was a complimentary pumpkin soup which was very tasty. We had the amazing cheese balls and some garlic bread to share for starters and we both ordered steaks with mushrooms and onions for mains. Once again we got complimentary dessert of baklava with ice-cream and watermelon ouzo shots to round off the meal. It was amazing and I was impressed with the food, yet again – I’ve never had a bad meal there. The total bill came to €79 (£67.79) which was reasonable for what we had and I went home with a doggy bag! I think Xena disapproved of me coming back drunk without her parents, but they were due back tomorrow.
Steve and Michelle had invited me to join them on a friend’s day trip on Sunday 2nd July. We were about to cruise the open sea on a private yacht with Lindos Daily Cruises and what a delight it would turn out to be. We had to be at the boat to meet everyone at 9.30am and at 9am all 3 of us were still flapping about shoving last minute swimmers and sunglasses in to our beach bags and getting in to the car. We parked up at the top of the hill, overlooking the sea at Lindos then walked down the hill. I was glad to have my porter sandals on as we hurried down the steep streets. At the bottom, we met Louise and waited for the others to turn up. The lady who had booked the boat, Tracie, was India’s mom and they had 3 friends (Jen, Ines and Izzy). Steve was the only male and instantly became our cabana boy. We had a crew of 2 fellas who were very nice and we were reminded that the yacht trip was until 3.30pm, included free drinks, lots of swim stops, snorkelling equipment, an underwater camera, lunch and fresh fruit. I felt very lucky to be invited and knew it was going to be an awesome day as Steve passed round the bubbly, white wine and got himself a cold beer. Our host, Tracie, was lovely and I liked her straight away. She told us of an adventure with some goats on a beach a few days ago and we had a good old laugh. On one of the swim spots, Tracie, Ines and I decided to swim to the beach, I think it was called Red Sand beach, for obvious reasons. Tracie and Ines raced ashore while I took my time, thinking it might be further than it first looked. When I approached the shore, there were goats and the sunbathers were feeding them fruit and sandwiches. It was so sweet and Tracie thought they might be the same goats. We decided to swim back, Ines was like an athlete but Tracie and I found it a bit harder against the current. At one point she swallowed a wave and started to cough, I thought the yacht was getting further away. We were knackered when we finally climbed back onboard and we were both desperate for water. It’s probably worth mentioning that I’d neglected to reapply my factor 50 suncream after getting out of the sea! Lunch was served and Tracie had put in a special request for traditional moussaka with salad. The food was so tasty, the portion size was absolutely huge and they were not shy with the all inclusive drinks. It was a wonderful boat trip with such lovely company and the free flow fizz meant I didn’t notice how much sun I was catching.
At 3.45pm we were having a drink at the Lindos Yacht Club all giddy from our amazing day out. That’s when I noticed I was sunburnt! The walk back to car was easier but quite hot and the car was like a sauna as we blew off the salt and sweat on the journey back to Lardos. Steve continued to be super helpful, even though his cabana boy duties were redundant, and sprayed my face with Aftersun. This was looking good for tonight’s plans that my boss had given me pink eye! Steve and the photographer had an evening meeting with a client, while I was to accompany Michelle, back in Lindos.
We arrived at Lindian House bar and restaurant which is absolutely gorgeous, in an old building with a courtyard for cocktails and a veranda with Acropolis views. They had a great cocktail and drinks menu so we both ordered a drink and sat in a comfy chair admiring the place. We spoke to one of the owners and our waitress encouraged me to take a look at the view point in the moonlight. I could have stayed all night but we had more business to take care of and to get back to pick up Steve. We decided to pop in to 404 Bar to see Louise, she was also sunburnt like me and we did look a pair! Rob played some real blast from the past tunes, which Michelle and I loved, but we couldn’t stay long. Next, we drove to Dapapa Lounge to pick up Steve and were offered shots of over proof alcohol with the photographer. I had to decline, my sunburn and heatstroke had taken their toll and I could hardly get up or down the spiral stairs to the toilet. We got home and after another dousing in Aftersun and a naked blast in front of the fan, I was good for nothing but sleeping.
Photo credit – various photos used which were taken by guests/crew onboard
Wednesday 28th June was a sad day as it meant saying goodbye to Captain Caveman. As it was a Wednesday and the hotel had no scales, I took my measurements. I found that there was no change to my bust or waist but I’d put 1cm on my hips – that wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be! We started the day with breakfast at a coffee shop of Captain Caveman’s choosing. The Workshop was up some stairs, the service wasn’t great and the croissants we ordered automatically came warmed up and with condiments. Captain Caveman had 2 Espressos with his and I had an earl grey tea. I was sad that Captain Caveman was flying back to Dong Hoi this afternoon but I was grateful he’d been able to come to Saigon. He was back to work with his Oxalis briefing this evening and in the cave tomorrow. After a leisurely breakfast, we paid the bill and headed back to the hotel, here’s what we paid in Dong.
The Workshop 2 Croissants with butter and jam 110,000 2 double espressos 150,000 1 earl grey tea 45,000 Total spent 305,000vnd (£10.07)
While Captain Caveman got packed, booked and paid for my taxi to the airport tomorrow morning and generally got ready to leave Saigon, I edited some blog posts.
We still had one last outing to do before Captain Caveman left and that was lunch at Bandino’s with Andrea. It’s a Tequila and Taco place down an alley near our hotel, and we’ve both been a couple of times before (but not at the same time). We all shared a jug of margarita and various tacos, plus I ordered mushrooms with cheese and there was tortillas with guacamole and chillies for Andrea and Captain Caveman. The food was lovely but I was a bit sad that Captain Caveman was going as soon as we left Bandino’s. Here’s the bill for the Mexican; 1 jug margarita 560,000 1 guacamole 120,000 1 mushrooms with cheese 150,000 1 plate of mixed tacos 695,000 5% service charge 76,250 10% VAT 160,125 Total paid 1,761,375vnd (£58.13). It wasn’t the cheapest lunch at just under £20 each but it was very nice. Andrea and I arranged to meet for a drink at 4pm but I did tell her I wouldn’t be going out out as my car for the airport was picking me up at 5.30am tomorrow and I didn’t want to risk missing my flight (like on the way here). Captain Caveman and I went back to the hotel, just having time to grab his bag and say farewell. I walked with him to the taxi and I didn’t cry as he would be arriving in Dalyan in 8 weeks and 3 days. As luck would have it, after doing my packing and walking round to Malt pub to meet Andrea, it started to rain. This meant that there was no chance of staying out as Andrea had to get a taxi to her next appointment, after catching up over just the one drink, we said our goodbyes. The rain was horrendous so my plans to go out for dinner, didn’t happen and I grabbed some snacks from the nearby Circle K for 88,000vnd (£2.90) including a croissant, some chocolate, crisps and sweets for my journey tomorrow. I had a bath, set my alarm and went to bed early – after 6 weeks and 3 days it was time to go back to Rhodes!
Tuesday 27th June was the last day that Captain Caveman and I would spend together until the end of August! To say we gave the ball a right old kick might be considered a slight understatement to some. We didn’t bother with breakfast, on account that we were still full from yesterday’s gastronomic delights. Instead, we checked out of the Common Inn before noon and got a Grab taxi over to our next hotel, La Paix Boutique Hotel, in District 1 where Captain Caveman would stay tonight and I would stay for 2 nights, before our respective flights. After dropping our bags off, we went for an early lunch at a place Captain Caveman had suggested and knew I would love! Gyoza No Chikara is a small Japanese restaurant which was probably the best food I’d had all holiday – Japanese food is one of my all time favourites. We had lots of different gyoza (dumplings), beer and edamame beans and it was all fantastic. Captain Caveman paid via his bank on his phone so I didn’t see the bill but each dish was between 80,000vnd and 138,000vnd (£2.64 and £4.55) each.
Our next stop was to another shopping centre where we went to the Lock & Lock shop. I wanted an air fryer but they didn’t have the one I wanted in stock, I also was very impressed by the heated lunch boxes but could see no reason I would need one as a grown adult. Captain Caveman eyed up a very fandangled clothes rack and he bought a shower holster gadget for 138,000vnd (£4.55), for me to take to Turkey. While we had been in the shopping centre a rain spell had been on it’s way so, as we tried to walk back to the hotel, we had to take shelter. We managed to brave the rain and break the journey up by getting as far as Malt pub, which was closed but did have a small sheltered area outside. It opened at 3pm and we went in for a quick pint before making our way round the corner to the hotel to get ready for tonight’s last night out together. Captain Caveman was not impressed that I had my shitty flipflops on which were next to useless in wet weather but we made it back without any injuries.
Captain Caveman wore one of his new shirts to go out on the town so I wore one of Fat Club Carol’s dresses, still lucky to fit in it! The Racha Room had happy hour and offers on dumplings from 5pm until 8pm so we managed a couple of hours in there. We had quite a few cocktails and loads of the dumplings, bao buns and gyoza which were delicious. Again, Captain Caveman paid so I didn’t see the bill but everything we had was 50% off, so a bargain.
Captain Caveman had been given another recommendation to try so we went to Layla’s Eatery & Bar next. It was situated on Dong Du, up some rather unsafe and very worn looking stairs – if I’d been alone, I’d have not bothered going. At the top of the stairs was a massive, and rather popular with the locals, cool establishment with a great cocktail menu. For the first drink I ordered a pornstar martini, Captain Caveman had a Salted Caramel Espresso martini – they were both excellent! My next cocktail was a Pina Colada which came served in a coconut and was super strong, while Captain Caveman played it safe with a classic whisky sour. We also ordered a cheese platter and we were very impressed – it was probably the best I’d had in Vietnam. The cocktails were only 99,000vnd each (£3.27) and the cheese platter 295,000vnd (£9.74) so we were even more impressed when we got the bill. We loved Layla’s and that Pina Colada took me almost an hour to drink! I don’t remember getting back to the hotel that night but apparently we were back before 9.30pm!
My week started on Monday 26th June with a little bit of a lay in, I wasn’t missing the Casio watch alarm. I didn’t have to work, Captain Caveman had arranged another fun filled day for us, as you’d expect, but today we actually had the day to ourselves. Usually when we are in Saigon we meet up with all our friends but this time, because we were going to be apart for awhile, it was nice to just be on our own. Our first trip of the day was a short Grab ride to another one of our favourite eateries, Lubu. We ordered a lovely breakfast each and I had a pot of earl grey tea to go with mine. The food was quite fancy although I’ve never been a fan of chefs who try to jazz up baked beans by adding chopped green stuff in to them. Our bill came to 452,000vnd (£14.92) including the service charge which was a really good deal for what we had.
After Lubu, we had an appointment with the owner of Masto Designs. Captain Caveman was after a couple of shirts so we went over to his house and workshop to try and select some. It was clear that Captain Caveman and I had very different tastes in men’s shirt patterns so I had to leave him to it while I looked through a bag of reversible sun hats. We had a great time and Captain Caveman chose 3 shirts and we both got sunhats.
After dropping off bags back at the Common Inn, our next stop was for lunch at El Camino’s on Xuan Thuy. Captain Caveman loves a Mexican and so do I if I ever get any of it without chillies. We had a couple of tacos each; me a fish and a pork, Captain Caveman a beef and a pork. They were delicious and I could’ve eaten more but we would be eating out again later. Our lunch bill came to 300,300vnd (£9.91) for 4 tacos and 2 soft drinks. We went back to the hotel room and had Buck’s Fizz using glasses from the communal rooftop kitchen, which was handy.
For dinner Captain Caveman had chosen the amusingly named french restaurant, Chtite Cuisine and off we went in a Grab taxi there. Of course, we ordered a carafe of red wine to get us started. He ordered some kind of cassoulet when it was a pretty warm night, I went for steak which I ordered medium but came still mooing and I had to send it back. The potatoes were covered in dried herbs which were a little off-putting so it wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had. I decided to go for a pudding though, Captain Caveman had pistachio ice-cream and I had apple pie with salted caramel and vanilla ice-cream, the most calories in one meal that I’d had all year! I was ready for bursting after eating all that and needed a lay down. Unfortunately, Captain Caveman had not told me that we were now meeting a friend for beers at Pasteur Street on our way home – if I’d known this I would not have eaten the dessert! We got there and I clearly had a face on and was not able to stomach drinking a beer. Captain Caveman ordered a pint of IPA, I ordered wine, which is not a good idea in a brewery really, and it was a large one. I’d just started to sip it, begrudgingly, when he said our friend had replied to say she was no longer coming – I was not happy! We were back in the hotel before 9pm, me with a terrible stomach ache, wishing I’d not eaten an apple pie and ice-cream.
Saigon was a bit cooler than Phong Nha on Sunday 25th June and the forecast looked like thunderstorms, usually in the afternoons at this time of year. We had breakfast from one of my favourite bakeries, Micro Boulangerie, very close to the Common Inn. Captain Caveman had picked up a cream cheese and cranberry baguette and a caprese sandwich. We had half each of both and they were delicious, not cheap at 280,000vnd (£9.24) but so fresh. By 9.30am we were getting out of a Grab taxi and walking round Decathlon looking for trainers for Captain Caveman. Within less than 12 minutes he’d bought some and we were on to the next shop of our extravaganza. I had a knee support on because I was having a few twinges and wasn’t really sure why. I was surprised to see that Body Shop sold something I’d been trying to find for years, Elderflower eye gel, so we got that and some moisturiser before moving on to stock up in the pharmacy. Here’s what we bought and the costs in Dong;
The Body Shop 1 Elderflower eye gel 229,000 1 face moisturiser 599,000 Total spent 828,000vnd (£27.32)
We decided we needed orange juice so that we could have Buck’s Fizz tomorrow but it was harder than you’d expect to find orange juice in Saigon. We tried a couple of shops before eventually getting some at Tops supermarket for a fairly steep 59,000vnd (£1.95).
We had to hurry along because we had an appointment to meet up with Phuong and her family at The Jetty for lunch. When we arrived, it looked like rain so I suggested we sit at a table undercover and we ordered some sparkling water. Phuong, her husband (Jonah) and their 3 extremely well behaved kids arrived and we ordered lunch. I decided a salad might be a good idea, given that I’d not been sticking to the diet and I ordered the Halloumi and asparagus salad. We were too busy chatting so I didn’t take many photos but I got a video when the rain came. After lunch, it had stopped raining, and I played fetch with a random chocolate Labrador while we waited for our Grab taxi. By 2pm we were back at the Common Inn to have a little break before our next lot of shenanigans.
Video of the rain at The Jetty
Captain Caveman and I arranged to meet our friend, Andrea, and her friend at 6pm, for wine and dinner. Captain Caveman and I met them at Soho wine bar, another one of our favourites, in Thao Dien. The red wine was an absolute treat and we had several before we had to leave to go for dinner at a swish little place called Okra, recommended earlier by Jonah.
The restaurant was a real hit and we tried lots of different tapas style dishes, drank Primitivo red wine and got free tequila shots just for knowing Phuong and Jonah! By 8pm we were hammered and I was asking the chef how he made the charred red cabbage which was my favourite dish of the night. On our way home we popped in to the pharmacy and bought the following; 1 bag 3,000 2 pack Loperamide 4,300 1 pack wet wipes 13,000 7 packs of salted lemon sweets 52,500 2 boxes Fexofenadine 260,000 Total spent 332,800vnd (£10.98)
Video of me, Captain Caveman and Andrea having our Tequila shots Captain Caveman’s video of me doing another shot of Tequila
After saying bye to Andrea and her friend, the two of us went to a bar Captain Caveman had been meaning to try which did unusual cocktails. 86 Proof might have been where we had one too many and we were heading home when we accidentally had a night cap at Mad Wine Bar, where 2 big glasses of Malbec was 270,000vnd (£8.91). I was definitely drunk as I had made Captain Caveman pose outside a well-known coffee shop with a funny Vietnamese name, so that I could get a photo. It had been a long day as we didn’t get back to the hotel until gone 11pm.
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.
I was back at Victory Road Villas again on Thursday 22nd June having the same as yesterday for breakfast; pho ga, fresh coconut and jasmine tea. It was delicious and easily my favourite breakfast – I would miss it when I left Vietnam. I had just 1 week left until my visa expired and I would be flying out of Saigon airport, heading for Rhodes! At 6am it was less than 30°C, by 8.30am it was hotting up but I really seemed to be finally getting a little more accustomed to it. I had a fruit salad with muesli and sugar free yoghurt before cycling home in 37°C, almost unfazed!
Here’s my bill from The Villa’s for my breakfast and lunch;
Jasmine tea 30,000 Fresh coconut 50,000 Pho Ga 75,000 Fruit, muesli, yoghurt 95,000 Total cost 250,000vnd (£8.25)
I worked from home in the afternoon but then got ready for my night out with several friends. I decided to wear Carol’s white dress again (no one noticed the pocket last time) and I popped Steve’s sunglasses in to my bag as I was off for sunset at the Phong Nha Farmstay. Bich, the owner, had booked me a taxi, for 200,000vnd (£6.60) each way, to pick me up at 5pm from the Glass House, I then picked up Kat from her house and Tatas from her’s. We’d all wore dresses so we looked nice and we were excited for sundowner cocktails at the Farmstay. This was my first visit this year so it was nice to be back and see everyone, including the lovely staff. Melissa and her family were there and it was great to see them again, the last time had been in Hoi An over a year ago. Bich came to join us and I got to briefly see Michael and Howie, Ben (their dad) was back in Australia. Andrew, Trang and a couple of extra kids were there to say hello and Hawk was visiting from Hoi An too. It was great to see everyone while drinking our 2 for 1 cocktails but I did feel like I couldn’t give everyone my full attention. I didn’t know it at the time but this was probably the last time I would see most of these friends this year. Gin and tonics were 50,000vnd (£1.65) for 2, my rum and coke was a little more at 65,000vnd (£2.15) so we had a few before going on to the wine. I ordered my favourite dish, the beef in bamboo, Tatas had a chicken salad and Kat chose the sausage sandwich and chips. Kat had a carrot cake for dessert and I had a spoon of it, Tatas had a chocolate brownie with ice cream which I resisted. Even though I’d put some weight back on, my new clothes still fit fine and I wanted it to stay that way.
For those wondering, here was our bill at the Phong Nha Farmstay with the prices in Dong;
4 X 2 for 1 G&T 200,000 2 X 2 for 1 R&C 130,000 Sausage sandwich 145,000 Chicken salad 120,000 Beef in Bamboo 210,000 Carrot cake 70,000 Brownie 120,000 1 bottle house wine 400,000 2 bottles (not house) wine 1,040,000 Total bill including service + tax/vat came to 2,812,425vnd (£92.81).
We didn’t leave until gone midnight, it had been a brilliant evening which would actually turn out to have been my leaving party!
On Tuesday 20th June Captain Caveman was off back in to the cave for the last time while I was in Vietnam. We were obviously up before the Casio watch alarm and I was replying to a message from my sister just after. I had booked us all in to a music bingo night at Lukka bar in Dalyan for when we were all there next month. We went to Oxalis Home but didn’t have any breakfast as Captain Caveman often just has a coffee. I went to see Captain Caveman off from Ho Khanh’s homestay and say hello to a few of the Oxalis team, including Yen who is due her third child in 4 months time. Captain Caveman left, I went back to the Glass House and had a cereal bar and yoghurt for breakfast. I got on with some work and had a cheese spread sandwich for lunch. Tonight there was another meet up of the Lazy Ladies Club (LLC), I finished work at 4.45pm so that I could have a shower and get ready. Unfortunately the bread at lunch, which is sweet, hadn’t agreed with me and I had a bad stomach!
Chung met me at Bamboo Cafe (now called Bamboo Chopsticks Restaurant) as she’d cycled to work today and was already in town. Kat also joined us and had to walk because her caver boyfriend, Buu, had accidentally taken the motorbike keys with him and wasn’t back from work yet. We were now the current CWAGs (Cavers Wives and Girlfriends) and had lots in common where our other halves were concerned. I still had a bad stomach and spent the first 10 minutes in the toilet at Bamboo and then just ordered water to drink to take my imodium with. Chung ordered fresh pork and prawn spring rolls, Kat ordered the veggie volcanoes and I had sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice. The food was great and I managed to enjoy the dinner. Buu arrived with the keys and Kat had to leave for an appointment before 7.30pm. What should have been a Lazy Lady Club healthy Tuesday evening should probably have come to a close then, but it didn’t!
I was about ready to call it a night and cycle home, when Chung suggested we go for one drink at Central Backpackers Hostel. At 7.30pm we cycled there, narrowly missing an overtaking bus and parked up in the busy car park. The first thing I noticed was that there were no fans and it was very hot and humid! Could I survive a drink in this place? We went to the bar and Chung ordered in Vietnamese for her drink and I couldn’t decide which healthy drink to go for. I asked for fresh coconut which they didn’t have so I ordered a Huda beer! Chung laughed as she had a soft drink and I was already on the booze. As we went to sit down outside, where it was just as hot as anywhere else and had mozzies, we noticed there were a lot of tourists here. Then we spotted it; it was Cocktail Night and happy hour was 8.30-9.30pm with buy one get one free. We waited until 8.30pm then tried the I Love You and a Mojito. It was a bargain at 70,000vnd (£2.31) per cocktail anyway and then we got a free one! So it was 8.36pm and we had 2 cocktails each and they were really good! The I love You was like a White Russian and the Mojito had enough alcohol in it!
By 9.01pm Chung had bought us another I Love You and a Pina Colada each, by this point the bar staff had started to give us plastic cups. By 9.15pm I was back at the bar, taking photos of the staff, Chung’s friends, and at 9.18pm I came back with a Cosmopolitan and a Blue Ocean each and we’d still not spent 500,000vnd, the equivalent of £16.50! We proceeded to drink through our triple parked cocktails after happy hour finished and were grateful we weren’t there on a Wednesday, for Bucket night. It’s worth mentioning we thought we were fine for cycling home, just a little merry I would say. The chef thought differently and decided to accompany us home, even stopping at Chung’s work to pick up a bag and riding her motorbike super slowly at the side of us. At one point it was too slow for me and I needed a pee so I overtook her and zoomed off on Bluey. I waited once I got to the Glass House to say bye and thanks for a great night and then realised the chef had to ride back to where she lived. No doubt, while our Cavers were away, we’d be the talk of the town as it was after 11pm! When I got in I was peckish and ate an entire bag of marshmallows which I didn’t remember doing, Chung got in and cooked a whole meal as she was starving! I lay in bed thinking it was genius to name the best cocktail ‘I Love You’ so that the bartenders were constantly hearing this!
I’d intended to work on Sunday 18th June but Chung, fellow member of the Lazy Ladies Club (LLC) had invited me for an early lunch. Phong Nha Vegan restaurant was having their monthly all you can eat buffet for 49,000vnd (£1.62) and I’d never been in town on the right day before. I met Chung there at 10.30am and it was already pretty busy. In fact, there were so many familiar faces there and I got to say hello to quite a few friends and neighbours.The vegan food was amazing and I was so surprised at how the fake pork was like belly pork. I had 2 lots of food but then was stuffed.
In the afternoon, Chung and I discussed a plan to get ourselves doing some exercise, she was doing a clean up litter picking mission but I couldn’t make it. We decided we would cycle out for drinks and dinner later tonight and arranged to meet outside the glass house at 8.15pm. We cycled down the street to Jungle Boss pub where we had a couple of cocktails and some food. Here’s our bill; 1 Tequila Sunrise 100,000 1 Margarita 100,000 Fresh spring rolls 60,000 Veggie fried rice 75,000 2 apple ciders 110,000 1 pineapple cider 55,000 Total spent 500,000vnd (£16.50)
While we were there, we got to speak to an ex Jungle Boss Colleague who was in Australia and then Kat, Buu and their friends came to join us. We had a good night and the locals were surprised to see Chung riding a bicycle. As we rode off, Kat and Buu went past on their motorbike chanting LLC. It was a fun night and I enjoyed my leisurely Sunday with Phong Nha friends.
I started my week with a cereal bar and a sugar free yoghurt for breakfast on Monday 19th June. For lunch I had my leftover rice from last night and I worked in the afternoon. Captain Caveman came back from Hang Son Doong but was rushing about as he had to speak to a colleague, meet up with a couple of friends from up North, and go to his briefing. Our friend Lucie and her family were leaving to go back to the Czech Republic so we said we would go to have a goodbye beer with her at The Villa’s. I cycled to Oxalis to meet Captain Caveman, who was saying hello to his friend, Josh, and his fellow cavers. We arranged to meet them later if Captain Caveman’s briefing finished in time for a late dinner. After hurrying to The Villas we sat and had beers with Lucie, her mom and son. They were sad to be leaving but hoped to be coming back to holiday in Vietnam soon. I had a couple of shandies with Captain Caveman as we both had work to do and we said a sad goodbye to Lucie – perhaps we will see them in Prague. I was peckish so had some veggie spring rolls and a jasmine tea before getting the bill. Four beers, 1 7Up and the spring rolls came to 300,000vnd (£9.90) which was cheap by both UK and Turkey prices. I finished work at 7.45pm after learning something new and cycled to meet Captain Caveman, we both cycled to meet Josh and his friends at Ganesh. We had a lovely evening and the food was as fantastic as always, we even shared another Sagwala but I forgot to take photos as I was too busy chatting. We were still awake at midnight looking at air fryers, they were much cheaper here than in Turkey.
Captain Caveman was off in to the cave on Friday 16th June and he would be doing 2 tours back to back over the next 8 days. I was looking forward to some quieter, less active days. In 2 weeks time I would be arriving in Rhodes to stay at Steve and Michelle’s house in Lardos. Captain Caveman and I ate left over pizza, from The Villa’s, for breakfast and then I saw him off from Ho Khanh’s homestay. I worked 10am to 7.15pm but with a couple of gaps for breaks. I ate cheese, biscuits, fruit, yoghurt and peanuts and after work I had a cheeky can of Huda beer from the fridge then watched Netflix. It felt cooler or was it because I was acclimatising after cycling in sun the last 3 days!?
For a change of scenery on Saturday 17th June, I chose to work from Victory Road Villas. I sat in the AC room of The Villa’s restaurant at the back and decided to go off piste on my breakfast order. I thought I’d try the recommendation from Captain Caveman of Bo Ne (without eggs) which was a little on the pricier side to my usual breakfast. When it came, it was different to what I imagined it to be; instead of sausage it had pâté, which I don’t like and the dish was in lots of tomato sauce, served with cucumber, which I don’t eat either. The bread was also sweet so I didn’t eat it all but I enjoyed the little hone made cookie served with my pot of Jasmine tea. I worked from 10.15am to 1.15pm then ordered an orange juice and some fresh spring rolls with prawns in. Lunch was very tasty and I washed it down with another pot of tea and got back to work. I finished around 4.15pm as I had planned to meet Lucie, who had returned from the new Jungle Boss tour. I had a soda, a lime juice and some peanuts while I waited for Lucie to get ready. Her son, and Lucie’s mom also joined us and we all ate together, we should have ordered a bottle of wine as I had 3 by the glass. The Showstopper pizza was as good as always and we had a lovely evening.
Here’s my bill at The Villa’s restaurant for the whole day;
Bo Ne 170,000 2 pots of jasmine tea 100,000 Fresh orange 60,000 Soda water 25,000 Lime juice 30,000 Fresh prawn spring rolls 100,000 Peanuts 35,000 Showstopper pizza 240,000 3 glasses of wine 270,000 Total 1,030,000vnd Discount of 206,000vnd Total spent 824,000vnd (£27.19)
I cycled home and slept very well that night, having the bed to myself.
A question I often get asked is ‘Don’t you ever learn?’ Judging by my actions on Wednesday 14th June, I think it is fair to say that I don’t . Captain Caveman and I were up early to find that the weather was cloudy and the forecast predicted thunderstorms. I think I may have been over ambitious but I suggested another outing, it was Captain Caveman’s last full day off and I wanted us to make the most of it. I quickly took my measurements after my shower and was surprised that I didn’t ache much from my cycling 23km yesterday. I measured everything and here are the results; Bust -1cm, Waist -1cm, Hips +1cm. I suggested we should visit the Pub with Cold Beer as the owner had been following all my updates on Facebook since I left Vietnam, she’s a lovely woman and I’d missed her family and their place. Captain Caveman offered to drive the motorbike and, looking back, I should have agreed. I said we should cycle because Bluey would miss me when I’m back in Dalyan and it was cloudy. I drank rehydration tablets for my breakfast to keep from having any issues as I’d been getting a bit of cramp. As soon as we got out of the door I had to put on my sun hat as the sun came out! We pretty much did the same route as yesterday but I managed to cycle all the way to the Duck Stop without a break. When we got there Quynh, the owner, gave us a free drink and peanuts – I looked like a beetroot and was beginning to wish we’d gone by motorbike.
Captain Caveman hates it when I moan, in fact he says I complain a lot, so I had no choice but to soldier on. Even Bluey was having trouble and I had to push her up the hill from the Duck Stop until I could get back on for the downhill bit. I arrived at the Pub with Cold Beer in blazing sun, another drippy mess, any sun cream I’d had on had definitely sweated off. Nhat and her daughters were so pleased to see us, they got Captain Caveman a cold beer and me a water straight away. We decided to order chicken, pork, rice and morning glory because we hoped our friends, Chung and Uy, would join us. While Nhat killed a chicken and I rested in a hammock, Captain Caveman cycled up to the Wild Boar Farm to see Cuong. I couldn’t manage any more and was regretting cycling 13km away from home, not knowing if I’d be able to make it back.
Uy and Chung couldn’t make lunch but we arranged to meet tonight for dinner as it was their 6 year wedding anniversary. For lunch we had an absolute feast, including 2 bowls of the famous peanut sauce which we both love so much. Captain Caveman said it was only 10 minutes more to cycle to the Wild Boar Farm and wanted me to go after lunch but I decided another 10 minutes in the opposite direction would be foolish. Instead, I suggested we have a swim, seeing as there is a lovely swimming pool at the Pub with Cold Beer. I went to the toilet and, as I flushed, a frog jumped up from the bowl, I’d peed on it’s head and it wasn’t thrilled. I shouted Captain Caveman over to bring a camera as this wasn’t the first time I’d been startled by a frog in my toilet, in fact it was the third! (Once, while camping in India and the other while on Safari in Kenya). When it got to 3pm we decided we had better start making our way back, we had really enjoyed our time and food at the Pub with Cold Beer. We said our goodbyes and Captain Caveman and Bluey had already decided we would go the other way back, over a narrow, grid floor, suspension bridge which I was scared to cross. At first, Bluey was going to ride us across but I had to get off and push because I was having a panic on.
We cycled back through the valley and some of it was shaded which I was grateful for, some of it was steep and I had to push Bluey uphill. We soon ran out of water and I knew I wouldn’t make it back to Phong Nha in one go so Captain Caveman pushed Bluey for a bit and suggested a slight detour. Half an hour later, we were sat in Multi and Diem’s kitchen at the Pepper House being offered rice wine. I declined and had loads of much needed water while Captain Caveman had rice wine and beer (he’s an animal)! There were kids’ swimming lessons going on in the pool and I’m sure they were laughing at my red sweaty face. We finally left Multi’s to cycle home but I was a little tender on the undercarriage. Captain Caveman could tell I might not make it home so he suggested we cycle past where we used to live in Khuong Ha and stop off at a new place, he even got another video of me and Bluey.
Captain Caveman’s video of me and Bluey, in Khuong Ha
Phong Nha Funky Beach is a new venture owned by our friend, Mo (ex Oxalis colleague) and the previous owner of Greenfield Homestay. We arrived and sat overlooking the river on one of the platform style seating areas. It wasn’t particularly comfy for my achy legs but Mo was pleased to see us and was with another colleague of Captain Caveman’s, Nu, so they joined us. We had a cold beer, Mo brought us some vegan spring rolls and Nu gave us some vegan Banh Ep. Both were lovely but I was a bit distracted as it was already gone 5pm, it goes dark around 6pm and I hadn’t brought any lights. We said our goodbyes after a brief overview of the various activities that can be done there and set back off.
Our next stop was a quick nip in to Jungle Boss HQ, the boss was still not around to say hello to, but it was a good place for me to stop off to rest and use the toilet. We were due to meet Chung and Uy at 7pm but I was a sweaty mess and needed to go home for a shower. I’d drank all of the water we had between us so we had to stop for a coconut at Tree House Cafe on the way back home. I had a shower, then a naked lay on the bed in AC before rushing to get ready to go back out for dinner.
Captain Caveman and I met Chung at the Bia Hoi BBQ duck place, next door to Victory Road Villas. Uy was still on his was so we ordered the Bia Hoi beer which was about 60,000vnd (£1.98) for a small keg. Chung ordered food without Uy as it got to 8pm and he still wasn’t there yet but he arrived, a bit merry! It certainly was one of the more unusual anniversary celebrations I’d been on and turned out not to be much better than our own last year! Uy just drank and smoked but didn’t eat and another keg of cheap weak beer was consumed, mainly by the fellas. By the end of the meal, which tasted fantastic by the way, Uy was telling Chung she needed to do more exercise because she was fat. Luckily, the events of the last 2 days meant that Captain Caveman couldn’t possibly say the same about me today. Somehow, the birth of the LLC came out right there and then as Chung and I pledged to cycle together as the 2 founder members of the Lazy Ladies Club. The BBQ duck, veggies, noodles and beers came to a total of 400,000vnd (£13.20) which was a bargain.
We said our goodbyes and then instead of going home ourselves we had a sneaky bottle of red wine (also 400,000vnd) in The Villas to finish off our night. It was a good job, so that I could stop moaning that my bits were on fire from the 28km I’d managed to cycle on Bluey today on a very hot day! That was 3km more than yesterday, the furthest I cycled since before my injury and we did it in the height of summer. On the way home, I spotted a snake in the Stick or Snake game and it was alive in the Dead or Alive game, so I shouted to Captain Caveman behind me to stop so he could take a photo. It was heading back to the river after a spot of sunbathing and was slithering across the road, it was beautiful. I was glad to get in bed that night and at least we could have an easy, restful, quiet non-cycling day tomorrow, couldn’t we!?
Captain Caveman was not scheduled to work for the next 5 days so we had a busy day planned on Saturday 10th June. Of course, a day off would not be a day off without the need to go to Oxalis to sort some work stuff out! While sat by the river, I noticed that our neighbouring apartment in Dalyan was being advertised for renting out, using old photos. It looked like the Russians who’d been there for months were no longer there or were about to move out. It was likely I’d have new neighbours when I got back to Dalyan! By 9.40am I had ordered myself some breakfast at Oxalis Home and was tucking in to a Bo Ne without the eggs, forgetting I didn’t like the sweet baguettes.
It was Stu’s 50th birthday celebrations in Dong Hoi tonight so we had decided to make a trip of it and stay at the Vin Pearl hotel, another of my favourites. We got the Oxalis staff bus and were dropped off near the town centre where we then had to get a Grab taxi to the hotel. It had changed to now be a Melia hotel and they had made a few changes. As it was the weekend, the cost of the room including breakfast for the 2 of us was 1,650,646vnd (£54.47) but, given its 5 star like status, that was not a bad price. They let us check in early, we had a good welcome and a note from the manager, which I always find nice. We decided to go to get some lunch, given that we knew we would be getting on the booze later. Captain Caveman and I both chose the pork place but it turns out we had different places in our heads. We ended up at the one Captain Caveman and Stu recommended where we ordered 2 pork dishes a lemon juice and a beer for a total of 131,000vnd (£4.32). We also got a free winter melon soup included so that was a bargain but I wasn’t a fan of the soup. My pork, rice and salad was very good though and I’d eat there again if it wasn’t for the 4 staff all being on their phones on full volume, one playing games!
Back at the hotel, we decided to have a bubble bath, the robes that I used to love so much had changed! Gone were the brightly printed ones, that Josh had once attempted to go to breakfast in, and they were replaced by the white thick towelling ones – too hot to wear. There was a knock at the door and I had to leave Captain Caveman in the bath while I answered it, still covered in bubbles, to an embarrassed young staff member. She had brought us a welcome cake and delivered it in to the room while I shouted to Captain Caveman to lower the bathroom blind. I got dressed, even dried my hair and popped on Carol’s white dress with the marked pocket. We were about to go to an unconventional 50th birthday celebration!
Stu had told us to be at the Ra Khoi bar on the beach at 5.30pm. We arrived late on account of me eating cake in the hotel but we were the first to arrive. There were some shirtless locals in the bar but they were nothing to do with Stu. We got a beer each and sat overlooking the beach until Stu, Max and Jack arrived. When they did, I was clearly overdressed and, not long after, I found I was the only female attendee. It was going to be one of those parties, as the rest of the motley crew of guests arrived and headed on to the beach. Captain Caveman and I agreed a password for emergency evacuation, just in case. We decided the first 2 items on the shopping list, used in tandem, would be the signal for us to leave if it got too lively for us!
Dong Hoi airport is very close by
By the time I’d had 6 of the small Huda beers I was getting peckish so Captain Caveman and I decided to get a taxi back to town for dinner at Tree Hugger. We both had burgers, shared some fries and had a cheeky White Russian, again the diet was clearly on hold. The food was lovely and it wasn’t even 9pm so we took a taxi to rejoin Stu’s 50th birthday celebrations, which had now moved on to his own home. One of the cool dudes from the beach was DJing, it was very hot, I had 1 more beer and danced, mainly by myself. I noticed all the guys were disappearing upstairs but not many were coming back down – it was time to wang out the safe word to Captain Caveman. I’d forgotten the first 2 things on the shopping list but then managed to get ‘Broom Crackers’ out over the music. I was surprised we had lasted until midnight on just 7 beers and a White Russian. We’d had a great time but when the fan had to be used for the decks instead of the makeshift dancefloor I was just too hot to function – I was getting old!
joloyolo 