Wednesday 6th September was a much less hectic day. Captain Caveman and I started the day with a short walk round the block with Xena, the dog. We did 4km and were back home before 8am, for me to get ready for work and to feed the cats. As it was Fat Club day back in Dalyan, I got weighed on Steve and Michelle’s scales to find I was 1.3kg lighter than when I was last here, a month ago. Captain Caveman was 1.5kg more than last time. My measurements weren’t so good though, as I had lost 2cm from my bust but put on 4cm on my waist and 1cm on my hips. For breakfast we were rather naughty and had croissants from the Lardos bakery on the way back from ABC Supermarket. Here’s what we bought at the supermarket and the prices in Euros: Bag 0.15 Tomatoes 0.62 Pasta 0.79 Potatoes 0.89 Red Onions 1.03 Peaches 1.85 Hummus 2.37 Baba Ghanoush 2.50 Yoghurt 3.54 Gluten Free Sausages 4.58 Coffee 5.31 Total Spent €23.63 (£20.53)
As expected, the shopping basket in Rhodes is more expensive than what I’m used to in Turkey, but it wasn’t ridiculous. After working for a couple of hours, I had a break for lunch with Captain Caveman, we had salad with the hummus and Baba Ghanoush and some lovely sourdough, also from the bakery. I went back to work until 6.15pm then had a break and another walk. On the way back home we called at a different supermarket to buy the following: Washing Powder and Fabric Softener €9.79 3 boxes of passata €1.78 Toothpaste €1.35 Total Spent €15.55 (£13.51)
Toothpaste is more expensive in Dalyan but washing powder is almost half the price and it’s always interesting shopping in foreign supermarkets you’re not familiar with, while trying to pick out some bargains. For dinner, Captain Caveman made sausage and veg pasta in a tomato based sauce, which was really delicious and had some leftovers for tomorrow.
August had been a great month in Dalyan, September would see me spending time between Dalyan and Rhodes with maybe a quick trip to somewhere in Europe thrown in for good measure! Kelly had been fortunate, or unlucky, to get stuck in Dalyan for a bit longer but her flight had gone ahead this morning and she was on her way back home. On Friday 1st September the ferry tickets to Rhodes for Captain Caveman and me were sent through from Steve. We were getting the same time ferry as Jamie & Drew and, as luck would have it, Nanny Kay had decided to join us too. We were going early on Sunday morning and Jamie had kindly offered to drive all of us to Fethiye, where the port is. The 3 of them were just having a couple of nights in Rhodes but Captain Caveman and I were staying on for a bit longer. At lunch time we popped over to Jamie’s Villa to check on the dogs, Norman and Edna, for him while he was out for the day. Neither of the pooches were even bothered I was there and Norman had to be woken up to go pay a visit in the garden. I stayed for a bit to give them some love and check they didn’t need letting out again. Captain Caveman doesn’t waste an opportunity and, when the wind blew a toy water gun in to the pool, he was in having a quick dip. Back at home, I made airfryer Slimming World style pizzas using small wraps. They were very nice and meant we were using up fridge items.
For dinner Captain Caveman and I joined our friends, Rach & Nuri, at Balıkçım for a night out. A bottle of rakı was purchased, mezes decided on and ordered before we got chatting about each other’s forthcoming travel plans. When Captain Caveman tasted the octopus he was very impressed, so much so that the 3 of them ordered another portion of it to share. As Balıkçım is a fish and seafood restaurant and I tend not to eat fish, I was able to order the Beef Shashlik from Meet Meat. It was absolutely gorgeous so we all had one of the best meals out with plenty of rakı to wash it down with. Our share of the bill came to just 1,850 lira (£54.24) which was reasonable considering what we had. By 10.40pm we were in the Rock Bar with more raki, and a fruit and cheese plate, courtesy of Nuri. We had a lovely evening, pleased to have managed to spend time with Rach and Nuri at one of the best eateries in town too.
By 8am on Monday 14th August I was in Rob and Tracy’s apartment feeding Molly, the cat. While I was there, I took some photos, played with Molly and spoke to Captain Caveman who was at a party with some porters. We discussed me meeting him in Naples at the beginning of October but the flights went via London which was a bit of a faff and they weren’t particularly cheap. Before work, I had cheese on toast for breakfast, but no Yorkshire tea as I had ran out. I messaged our gardening company, to let them know they needed to tidy the grounds of our complex and they replied to say they would come today – they didn’t. I went back to check the cat at lunch time and, as the owners had not left enough food or cat litter in for Molly, I located the spare cash as instructed by Rob. I would check the price when I next went to the supermarket as I had no idea how much cat food was, these days. I played with Molly for a bit, she’s a lovely cat but a bit on the chunky side. I took more photos and admired the river view. Back at home, I had mantı (Turkish pasta) for lunch then got back to work. I went to meet Kate, Mark and Jamie at Sofra bar at 7pm Kate explained she’d been unable to bring me a 2024 diary back from England and she’d forgotten about the Yorkshire tea. I was back to being on a constant look out for a diary as I was getting quite booked up for 2024 already. I messaged Captain Caveman and he said he would try to get me some Yorkshire tea and a diary when he came back from Vietnam in 2 weeks. I finished my drink, kept hold of Teddy, the AWOL dog, until Ghislaine came to collect him again then I went back to feed Molly. I called at the shops for some provisions and got the following items:
It was late by the time I was going home and I’d forgotten to get anything out for dinner. I decided to have a Hatay kebab which tasted great at the time but I’m sure I’d come to regret it at Fat Club on Wednesday.
Of course I was hungover and very woolly headed on Saturday 8th July. I vaguely remembered getting involved in tequila shots the previous night, which meant I should have gone home 3 hours previous to that. While Steve and Michelle were up and about, and even quite sprightly compared to me, my day was a bit of a right-off. I actually did nothing but loll about with some of the cats and Xena, the dog. I was in bed by 10pm on my last night in Rhodes, tomorrow I was off back to Turkey.
Having had a quiet Saturday night, I was awake early on Sunday 9th July. Steve and Michelle had commitments until late so came home after I’d gone to bed. The weather was still sunny in Rhodes and the forecast showed it was hotting up in Dalyan, where I was going back to tonight. A weather warning due to the wind, had meant a lot of boats had been unable to sail so I hoped my ferry was still going. By 1.30pm Steve, Michelle and I were in Rhodes town, wasting a bit of time before I had to pick up my ferry ticket. We decided to have a Macdonald’s which was not one of my best choices. I’ve not eaten a Macdonald’s in years and, looking back, it was not the right time to reintroduce a Big Mac meal into my diet. I was convinced that I would be able to keep it down if I had a sea sickness tablet for the journey and didn’t worry too much as I shovelled it in. The Big Mac meal in Rhodes Town cost €8.85 (£7.58) so wasn’t cheap but it was one the nicest I’ve ever had. The last one I’d had in the UK had been cold and cost me less than £4 – I have no idea how much they are now. I said my goodbyes to Steve and Michelle, outside the ferry port, after another great holiday in Lardos. I wheeled my luggage across the road a little sad but we had already arranged that I would be back again in early September so it wasn’t too traumatic a goodbye. There were no sea sickness tablets left in the shop as it was so rough, they had all been taken. It was Sunday so all the pharmacies were closed, I would have to chance it. As I got on the ferry, my sister and her family were already having a relaxing first day in Dalyan with my parents. The ferry crossing was very choppy and I was lucky to be given the middle seats by a couple of kind Turkish ladies, who also offered me a lift to the bus stop when we arrived. I decided I had far too much luggage to chance a bus journey after over 2 hours of trying not to throw up a Bic Mac. The taxi was charging €70 to go from Fethiye to Dalyan which was 2,000 lira (£59), a massive increase on the 1,100 lira (£32.47) I’d paid on the way out. I got home and was absolutely knackered, there was no internet at home and my Turkish phone had run out of credit so I went to bed – tomorrow the family fun would start.
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.
I had the luxury of being flexible on the hours I worked, however Steve and Michelle had to be ‘at work’ early on Monday 3rd July. I woke up still very red in places and my eyelids and back were clearly sunburned. As Steve and Michelle have bathroom scales I thought it wise to get on them. It was time to face the music and compare my weight now, to when I was last here. I was 4.2kg (9lb) heavier today than when I last used these scales back in May. I worked from 10.30am until 1pm then broke for lunch. Michelle made us burgers with cheese and chorizo wraps which were very tasty. I worked from 2pm to 7.45pm with a break to say bye to Steve and Michelle as they were off to Crete for a friend’s wedding. I was looking after Xena, the dog, the 6 house-allowed cats, a clowder of outdoor cats and I was looking forward to having a bit of a rest.
My day started with a Captain Caveman video call on Tuesday 4th July, he tried saying hello to Xena but she wasn’t receptive. I was up by 6am as Trixie wanted breakfast, and LuLu was so hot that she tried to cool her bum on the freezer door. I worked from 9am until 11am with Trixie trying to help again. After a quick lunch I did a few more hours work and decided to finish about 4.30pm for cat and dog feeding. I went to the bakery for some bread and called at the ABC supermarket in Lardos square where I bought the following;
I didn’t think the prices were too bad for Europe and I got some pork and cheese so I was happy with that. In the evening I watched TV and even got some snuggles from Milo, the (not so) pissy cat.
I was up and about early on Wednesday 5th July to feed and check on the animals. Lulu was particularly eager to get fed and Xena was happy to run about in the garden. I did my measurements to find my bust and hips had not changed but my waist had increased by 2cm. I worked from 8am until 6.30pm with breaks for meals, garden watering and pet tending. I did try to stick to Slimming World again and didn’t have any alcohol so was doing well. In the evening I watched TV and spent time with the pets before having an early night.
I woke up in Lardos at 3.45am on Saturday 1st July as it was 7.45am in Vietnamese time. I got up, had a pee and then tried to go back to sleep. I woke back up at 8.50am and checked the weather for my stay in Rhodes, it looked nice and sunny. July’s plans were already looking good (not for the diet, though) as I would be spending time with friends and family, continuing to make the most of being able to go on boat trips and live like a tourist for a little bit. It was also the month when Captain Caveman and I would start to get back to how we used to be before Covid, and be able to plan for the rest of the year and in to the next. There was so much to do, so many people we wanted to see that we really needed to get organised. I was also on the look out for a 2024 diary as I had already started to agree to some more pet and house sitting stints, but only for friends or reliable pet owners for short periods. I was looking forward to spending the next 9 days at Steve and Michelle’s house and I hoped that I could get back on with eating healthier before I went back to Dalyan, where I’d catch the last 6 days of my parents’ holiday.
As it was the weekend, Steve and Michelle were not working in their office but they did have some work to do later. I was still so tired as the last time I went to bed was the equivalent of their Wednesday afternoon!
Michelle drove the 3 of us to Pefkos and we went to the Irish pub for breakfast. We all ordered the full English and I gave my eggs and tomatoes away. The food was nice and just what I needed to sort me out. It came to about €16 (£13.68) each, including coffees and orange juice. In the late afternoon Steve and Michelle had some business to attend to in Rhodes Town so I went along for the ride. They also needed to grab a couple of bits so we popped in to some clothes shops where Michelle and I got a couple of garments each. In Zara I bought a black and white polka dot dress which I thought might be nice for Pamela’s hen party and I also saw a knitted vest which was unusual. I wasn’t going to try them on but thought the queue wasn’t too big, it turned out to be quite a long wait but both items did fit and I bought them for just under €30 (£25.66). Finished in town and each of us with a bottle of water, we set off back towards Lardos, stopping at Intersport for some holiday essentials for Steve. I spotted some canvas pumps which looked like Converse but were comfier and only €14.99 (£12.82) in the sale, so I bought them. On the way back we called for a gyros and a quick beer at a lovely cafe on the main road, Augustine’s it translated to on my phone. The food was amazing and I enjoyed the Alpha beer too. I paid the bill and here’s the prices in Euros; 1 Alpha 500ml beer 3.90 2 Corona beers 8.80 3 Pork Gyros 10.50 Total spent 23.20 Euros (£19.80) I thought the prices were very reasonable for Rhodes but still a little over the prices of similar in Dalyan.
Back home at Steve and Michelle’s, they had a work event that they needed to quickly shower and change to go to, I was begging for mercy with jet lag and said I’d stay in to look after the pets (even though they didn’t need it). I had a lovely night in front of the TV watching something I don’t remember while playing with Xena, Milo, Trixie, Lulu, and Bella. By 11pm I was in bed with a fan on as it was nice and warm. I knew I needed to be up and about early tomorrow as Steve and Michelle had invited me on a day out.
The flight from Doha to Frankfurt left on time at 01.40am on Friday 30th June. I was tired and tiddly on account of a 4 hour lounge and my head thinking it was 05.40am, which was Vietnamese time. I was in seat 45F but it was irrelevant as I dozed off before take off and woke up not knowing where I was. I watched a film and got more free food and drink on the plane but I was so tired I couldn’t tell you what I watched. I landed at 7.15am in Frankfurt, which was rather a shock to my system. I had 7.5 hours to kill before my next flight and my first impressions of Frankfurt airport weren’t very good. I had 3 pieces of luggage and the trollies could only be accessed with a Euro, which were in my cases somewhere. I found one, went to get a trolley and the machine didn’t work. It was also only 19°C so I had to unpack to get out the only fleece/warm clothing I had with me. Feeling very tired, I decided to see what time I would be able to check my luggage in, as all the cafes were upstairs and the airport was mega busy. The airport looked quite grubby too but the staff at check-in made up for all the shortcomings. I was allowed to check in straight away and was so relieved to get rid of my luggage and get row 5C on my Condor flight. Once through to the other side, I saw a sale in a shop, called More and More. There was a nice dress which would be ideal for Pamela and Glynn’s wedding next month so I tried it on. It was only €20 so I decided to get it and went to the counter. Upon paying, there was a further discount which meant it only cost me €13.99 (£11.97) so I was very pleased and even went back through the sale rack to check if there were any more suitable items – there weren’t. By 10.50am I was a bit peckish and decided there was only one thing to do, when in Frankfurt. I paid €6.50 (£5.56) for a big Frankfurter hot dog from a mobile stand – possibly the most expensive hot dog I’ve had but it was so good. I’d have probably enjoyed a second one had there not been a massive queue. I decided to buy some snacks from a shop in Terminal 1, Level B so I spent €13.14 (£11.24) on a juice, a KitKat and a packet of tapas style meat and cheese. Just before it was time to board my 3rd flight, to Rhodes, I bought a small bottle of wine and a cheese pretzel at a cost of €11.59 (£9.91). I boarded at 2.30pm and by 3pm we were off and I was nodding off.
I arrived at Rhodes airport at just after 7pm on and went to get my bags, I didn’t even bother with a trolley this time. My journey had started 41 hours ago and I was very tired but excited to be seeing Michelle and Steve again. Rhodes airport was extremely busy so I waited outside for Michelle to pick me up, as arranged. Without any WiFi or a phone that works in Europe there was no way to contact anyone so I decided being at the front of the airport near to the exit was a good spot. Michelle arrived, I shoved my luggage in to her car and we set off on the drive south to Lardos. Steve was out working and was going to join us later as it was Friday night and we were off out. By 10.07pm I was out of the much needed shower and saying hello to Trixie the cat who was waiting for me in my room. Xena, the dog, remembered me and went giddy for attention as well as wondering how much luggage I had. I was so thankful to be in a country where I wasn’t sweating profusely and even went out in jeans and a shirt. It looked like Dalyan would be a lot hotter than when I left but still manageable compared to Vietnam. Michelle and I were in Cuckoo’s Nest having a cocktail by 11pm and I really was flagging from the long journey. In my head it was already 3am on Saturday but at least I’d sleep tonight.
‘Once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern’ is one of those quotes you read on a friend’s Facebook status. On Thursday 15th June I thought of this quote when I foolishly ended up on another outing I’d not properly planned for! Captain Caveman had to be at work at 6pm for his Oxalis briefing so we had a last free day to have more Phong Nha fun. It was before 8am when I suggested that Captain Caveman and I go for a walk to the hidden lake and take a picnic, the forecast looked like it might be a bit cooler. I knew the way but, as we didn’t have a cooler bag, Captain Caveman suggested doing the walk then coming back to eat food and perhaps opening the champagne we bought at Chiang Mai airport. We got ready for a walk, the sun was shining but there were still some clouds. When we got downstairs, Bluey was there and I couldn’t walk too well so I suggested it would be quicker to cycle, especially as there is no shade whatsoever at the hidden lake. Of course we cycled the long way round and Captain Caveman seemed unsure of whether I would get us lost but I remembered the way. It was scenic, steamy hot and further than I’d remembered, plus Bluey seemed sluggish after the last 2 days of exertion.
Just as we had finished admiring the view and I set off back, Captain Caveman decided to cycle round the lake. It’s fenced off on the far side so I tried to call him back. He was having none of it and carried on, I couldn’t stand the heat and cycled towards the ‘road to nowhere’ hoping for shade. There was none and I was getting a bit moany! When Captain Caveman caught me up I was hangry so we called at the Winmart for some extra provisions and we planned to cycle back for a picnic brunch on the bed. Here’s what we bought;
Total spent 194,262vnd (£6.41) I was that hot that I didn’t realise how expensive those apples were – more than the last lot I bought.
I got a bit crotchety and needed a break so we stopped for a coconut at a roadside cafe by the river. It took me less than 30 seconds to polish it off and the cute dog came to check on me. Back home we enjoyed our picnic and a rest in the AC but we didn’t bother with the fizz as I was too dehydrated once again. I had double Oresol and did an hour of work while Captain Caveman packed for his tour tomorrow. He left at 5pm to go to Oxalis and I worked for a few hours.
At 8pm I met him and Tatas at The Villa’s restaurant where he and I had pizza and we all had red wine. We cycled home and I was actually looking forward to working from home tomorrow, I told Bluey she could have a well earned rest. We had cycled another 10km or more today so over 60km in 3 days – that was a first for me!
Of course we were up early on Monday 5th June and it was another hot day. The forecast said clouds but we could only dream of them. We didn’t have any breakfast and I walked round the house in my bikini all morning. Captain Caveman had his Oxalis briefing tonight so we decided to cycle in the hot sun to The Villas for lunch. Our efforts were unexpectedly rewarded when we arrived, as our Czech friend, Lucie, had left us a bottle of champagne as a gift. What a lovely treat that was and we decided to drink it with our pizzas. When Captain Caveman went to work I went home as Tatas had cancelled our meeting up for Margarita Monday due to work. I was also glad of a rest as I hadn’t fully recovered from the dehydration/hot bus fiasco yesterday. When Captain Caveman returned we looked at flights for my return to Turkey and found some interesting routes which may work out cost effective. I would research more while he was in the cave for 4 days.
Captain Caveman was off in to Hang Son Doong on the morning of Tuesday 6th June. He would be back on Friday afternoon then had 5 more days off. I was very pleased that he’d managed to get a schedule that allowed for this, especially as his supervisors were in England for a couple of months. I had planned a steady day of work and not much else but, as is my life, I was in for a bit of a spontaneous surprise later. Captain Caveman wanted to eat at the noodle cafe across the road for breakfast and I agreed to go with him. I seemed to recall that the last couple of times I’d been there, the food was very spicy. Captain Caveman said it wasn’t, so I was up for giving it another try. When the food came, it was fish with rice noodles and lots of chillies so I declined breakfast and gave mine to Sexy Quang. We bumped in to Vinh of Highway 20 Homestay and we had a chat, he was selling a wooden house and was also building a new homestay near a hidden lake in Phong Nha. He showed it to us on a map and I had no idea where it was but Captain Caveman thought he knew the location. Next, we walked home and picked up our bicycles for a ride to Oxalis. Captain Caveman had a couple of errands he needed to run in the office while I had a bowl of pho ga, chicken noodle soup!
After saying bye to Captain Caveman at Ho Khanh’s homestay, I had a look around and took some photos by the river. It looked like it was no longer being used as a cafe and the daughter, who used to run the place, was 1 week off giving birth to her second child. I didn’t see any homestay guests which was a shame as, before Covid, June was a busy month. Captain Caveman called me from the village on his tour to say a storm was coming and to batten down the hatches. I worked from 10.30am to 3.30pm, taking a lunch break to watch the heavy rain that we desperately needed. As it was too wet to venture out and I was enjoying being cooler, I just had cheese and crackers for lunch. Kat and Buu had invited me to join them on a dog walk with Muc (the dog the were looking after from Dong Hoi) at 5.30pm.
Video of the rain – it was needed and I even could put a fleece on in the AC but I didn’t turn it off
I cycled Bluey to Kat and Buu’s house, opposite Funny Monkeys, and parked her up. Luckily, the rain had not lasted long, although the road was still full of large puddles. Both Kat and Buu were wearing shorts and a top, Buu had shower shoes on so I made the assumption we weren’t walking too far and that the terrain would be easy. I couldn’t have been more wrong as we took a wrong turn in search of Vinh’s hidden lake. Halfway along we had to cross a stream with leeches in which was low on our side but a steep banking on the other. I had a dress and slippy trainers on, while carrying my overfull bag. At first I said I couldn’t cross but Kat and Buu insisted I could make it and helped me, with some dithering on my part. Next, we were walking through very wet rice paddies and trying not to get out feet wet, bit by leeches or (worse) find any unexploded bombs! We eventually got to the hidden lake, only to be met by Vinh on a motorbike pulling a trailer! There was a much easier route, obviously. We took that way on the way back and it was getting dark. Instead of drinks and dinner which normal people might be enjoying on a Tuesday evening at this time, I was drinking water and being laughed at by Buu’s landlord. Needless to say Muc, the dog, loved our adventure and shot off up the stairs for a nap. I cycled home, had a Snickers and some marshmallows for dinner, then did another couple of hours work!
When I got up on Wednesday 10th May I did my weekly measurements. My bust and waist had remained the same but my hips had increased by 3cm. This was not surprising, given the amount of calories I’d had this week. When I stepped on the scales, albeit they weren’t Carol’s scales, I was 0.5kg heavier than last week. I had tea and toast for breakfast then pottered about while Steve and Michelle were working. For lunch Michelle made us a nice mushroom, ham and pesto pasta which none of the pets got to eat any of. Strangely, I was starting to miss doing a bit of work so I decided to get the laptop out and do a few hours. Pixie decided to keep me company but she soon fell asleep when she didn’t get much attention. That night, after one of the finest spaghetti bologneses that I’ve had the pleasure to eat, (another of Michelle’s talents was definitely her cooking) we were off out. Steve and Michelle had arranged for us to watch the football and have some drinks at a lovely bar in Lardos, called Yamas. We met up with their friends who were great fun and we all had a really good laugh. The Milokleftis ciders were getting a bit moreish and I could definitely get used to those. I didn’t actually watch any football as we were all so busy joking, chatting and laughing. After several ciders, we all went to another bar, close by, called Cuckoo. They were also going to be opening a cocktail bar across the road very soon and we discussed a potential night there on my return from Vietnam. The night ended up with (some of) us playing air guitar on a walking stick and making our own dancefloor. I do love a dance so I needed no encouragement as some fantastic rock songs kept being played. It was gone midnight when we got back to Steve and Michelle’s. Steve went to bed but Michelle and I had a cuppa and a piece of Kate’s lemon drizzle while having a good natter.
Having not managed to do my plank or squat challenge yesterday I made the effort when I got up on Monday 8th May. I completed 50 seconds of squats but only 60 seconds plank then Carol, from Fat Club, reminded me that it should’ve been 60 seconds of squats so I did it again. I had an impromptu day off, had slept really well and had a slice of leftover pizza for breakfast. Xena, Steve and Michelle’s dog, was super excited to see me – Trixie, the cat, less so. My hosts were already in the office and were working hard while I unpacked and pottered about. At 12.30pm we all went to Yamas Cafe in Lardos, which was a short walk from the house. Steve and Michelle had coffees while I had a hot chocolate (the diet was not going too well). We all had a fresh orange juice after that and then it was time to get back for lunch and back to work for some. We had left over pizza with salad and it was pretty tasty – I think the €45 was money well spent on all that pizza. In the afternoon I met one of the other cats, Pixie, she was friendly but a little shy. There were quite a few outdoor cats which were going to take a while to learn the names of. While Michelle whipped up one of my favourite dinners, I offered to go to the shop to buy some cheese and wine. We were having pork products, cheese and wine for dinner and I was so excited. Xena and Trixi had also heard about it and were hoping there would be some sharing going on. At the shop, I found the cheese easy to pick out and it wasn’t too expensive (compared to Turkey). The wine was very reasonably priced but I had no clue which one to pick as most only had the tasting notes written in Greek. I opted for one that had it also translated to English, sounded nice and was a Merlot. For those of you who like to know what’s in my shopping basket and how much it cost for cheese and wine in Rhodes, look no further:
Lardos Supermarket: 330g Edam cheese 2.15 100g Blue cheese 2.58 200g Cheddar cheese 4.72 1 bottle Merlot 8.87 Total spent 18.32 Euros (£15.67)
The food was absolutely superb and I had to remind myself not to be too greedy with the pork products as I snaffled my way through the different ones! Even the selection of crackers was fantastic. Unfortunately, the wine I had bought was pretty disgusting – in fact it’s unusual for me not to be able to drink iffy wine but this was pretty rank. None of us could drink it so Michelle and I went back to the shop for another bottle of something better. This time she was able to help me pick out one of the Greek ones which she recognised as being good. It was the one I had picked up first but put back because I couldn’t read the Greek label. The new bottle was €10.45 (£8.94) and was much better! It was a lovely night and even Xena and Trixi got a little cheese treat before bed time.
It was Fat Club day again on Wednesday 3rd May and what a day it would turn out to be for my last Wednesday in Dalyan. It was less than 13 hours until my parents landed at Dalaman airport, less than 4 days until I would be on my way to Rhodes and 10 days until I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, to meet Captain Caveman. I took my measurements; I’d lost 2cm from my bust, 1cm from my hips but my waist (where I needed to lose it the most) had stayed the same. In another last ditch attempt to lose weight today I did 70 seconds squat, 90 seconds plank, 30 crunches and 20 leg lifts – it was very difficult! For breakfast I only had chickpea biscuits and courgette tortilla with a cup of Yorkshire tea. At 12.30pm I had an appointment with Emrah, my hairdresser, for a cut, colour and styling. I ended up having my hair washed by Mehmet instead of one of the girls, as it was busy and he did a great job. After finishing my hair, Emrah took a few photos for me and I couldn’t help thinking that Edna would be pleased I still had the cavalier look to match her.
I decided I would wear one of my newly acquired dresses to Fat Club as I had a feeling I’d be going out after, to meet the pool gang for the last time in a while. When I got on Carol’s scales I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) so I was pleased with that. I had now lost 8.2kg (18lb) in total and it was definitely noticeable. I got a lift round to Rehab bar with Carol where I proceeded to have 2 celebratory draft beers. I bumped in to Dan, who I’d played pool with before, and he was having a daiquiri at the bar. He’d gone for a red fruit one to detract from his rather pink and painful looking sunburn. Carol and I joined Kate, Pamela, Gareth and Julie, sat outside Rehab until the sun went in. Carol was a bit giddy at how much weight I’d lost and insisted we took photos in the street. Kaan, the Tequila boat captain, stopped by to say hello and liked my new leopard print dress and my new weight loss, he even asked if I still had a husband! I obviously let him know I was still very much with Captain Caveman and was off to see him soon. After getting chatting to Gareth and Julie I was almost late for my next engagement of the day. I had been invited by Ann to her daughter, Jacqueline’s birthday celebration at Sofra bar and I was looking forward to it.
I joined Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Jamie and Drew at Sofra bar for birthday celebrations at 7.30pm. My parents were currently on their flight to Dalaman and would arrive in a couple of hours but planned to go straight to their apartment. Jacqueline and Lee had flown in from Manchester earlier today and Ann had organised a cake from Louize as a surprise. I wasn’t going to have any cake due to the fact that I was meant to be on a diet but I was ‘forced’ in to it and it’s one of the best ones of Louize’s I’ve had. I had picked up Daisy’s sunglasses when I left Rehab bar, and had them in my bag. She messaged to ask the whereabouts of them which gave me the idea to send her photos of everyone around me wearing them. My reply to Daisy being ‘do you mean these?’ Even the staff, the dogs (including a stray that wanted in on the fun), and some other friends got involved. Şükrü made Jac do a birthday shot with him and she chose apple sourz! By 10.30pm the birthday celebrations were over and everyone paid up and got ready to leave. I, on the other hand, and not had my hair done and put a frock on for me to go home early. My Mom had messaged to say they had arrived but weren’t coming out as they were tired from travelling. Mom said she would message tomorrow so we could finally see each other again.
I went to meet Wendy, from Sheffield, and friends in Rodrigo’s bar and ended up giving the ball a right kick with Wendy, Jackie, Turgay, Kirsty, Sally, Sandra, Mal, Alice, Savaş and Ozzy. It must have been about 3am when we got turfed out and made our way home. I didn’t cook myself any random meals when I got in but I did set my alarm so that I’d be up and ready to see my parents in the morning.
After a rather boozy and cheesy last night, I decided that Thursday 20th April needed to be a good day. I made pancakes from banana and egg (nothing else) and had them with a fruit salad and chickpea biscuits for an amazing and healthy breakfast. By lunch time I was tucking in to a warmed up chicken, lentil, aubergine and cauliflower curry with steamed rice, which was also syn free and tasty. I decided that while I was in the biscuit making mood to nip to the shop to restock on ingredients. I drew more money out of the bank and popped to the A101supermarket where I bought the following;
Becel spread 17.45 Mushrooms 17.50 2 lots of chickpeas 47.50 1 pair of orange shoes 79.95 Total spent 162.40 lira (£6.70)
When I got home and put on my new jazzy shoes, then I sent a photo of them to Jamie, who had always wondered who on earth would wear such shit! On my way in, I had noticed how tidy the outside area was looking for the guests at B1. I made chicken with black bean sauce and steamed rice for dinner, another low syn meal with extra veggies in. It was an early night for me as I wanted to be up early tomorrow.
On Friday 21st April I attempted what is known in Slimming World terms, as a Speed day. This involved eating only certain veg, meat, dairy and grain – no carbs were allowed. I had an apple, an orange and some strawberries with a cup of tea for breakfast. I had leftover chicken in black bean sauce with bread for lunch and then looked in to what I could have that would fill me up for dinner. I decided to make a courgette grilled cheese ‘sandwich’ type of thing; grated 2 courgettes, and added an egg then mixed it together and put it in to pancake shapes, cooked in the oven so no oil, then melted cheese in the middle. It was so great to say I’d managed no potatoes, rice or pasta today. I collected some jars from a lady called Michelle, who was giving them away, as they come in handy. Then I went to Jamie’s to borrow his phone again to call my English bank, the complaint I had was turning in to an absolute joke and no one seemed to be able to help at all. Later, I had a walk with Jamie, Drew and the pooches where we called for a cold beverage at Bistro Blue. I had a diet coke as a treat but when we got the bill I realised soft drinks were 50 lira (£2.06) but a beer was only 60 lira (£2.48) – I won’t make that mistake again in a hurry. Of course, Norman and Edna got free water and we were all made welcome by Selahı and Annie, the owners. We bumped in to Mark and Kate who’d been out and about, both wearing summer wear. I commented on Kate not feeling cold in her short shorts and Mark asked why I was dressed for skiing, which was funny. My clothes were starting to look too baggy on me because of me having lost a total of 7.3kg (16lb) now, so I didn’t have many options of what I could wear. Back home, I was still hungry not having had any carbs, so I snacked on turkey, lettuce and gherkins before bed!
joloyolo 