Sunday 4th June was a very long day with a memorable and unpleasant journey. We had some breakfast in the Emm Hotel which was very busy, then we packed and psyched ourselves up for the drive back to Phong Nha. Captain Caveman had booked us 2 seats on a minibus for the 210km which was estimated to take 4-5 hours. The pick up was from the DMZ bar in Hue so we took a Grab to there to get some lunch before the 1pm pick up. I had the local dish, My Quang, which was really good, Captain Caveman had spring rolls and potato skins. A driver arrived a little later and we were ushered in to a car with 3 European tourists. They drove us to the nearest bus station where we were crammed on to a bus and I was forced to sit on the back seat. The journey was up there in my top 10 of terrible journeys as the AC duct was broken and hot air was blowing on to me. The guy next to me had very big and open legs when he slept so I was a bit squished and far too hot to deal with it. I managed to get as far as Dong Hoi before dehydration got the better of me and I had a funny turn. We had to stop the bus and everyone had to wait for me while I found a toilet. We were in the middle of the main road but no obvious buildings, the driver pointed to what looked like a disused school but when I got there it was padlocked. I found an alternative but someone was already in and by this point passengers on the bus were calling out to try to help. I was in excruciating belly pain and spasms I’d not had since gastroenteritis in Goa! Once back on the bus feeling somewhat embarrassed, Captain Caveman realised where he was sat was not as hot as my back corner seat!
We arrived in Phong Nha at 6pm and got dropped off at Central Backpackers Hostel, we said bye to our fellow passengers and walked as far as Tree House. We passed a new bar which was called Dubai and looked really out of place in such a rural town. Captain Caveman plonked me down with the bags, had some water and then went off to go get the motorbike from Oxalis so we could get home. I was an absolute dehydrated mess so I drank a litre of water, a vanilla milkshake, a soda water with lime and a fresh coconut. It was actually hotter at Tree House cafe than on the bus but at least I had a fan.
We had no food in at home so we decided to go for an Indian and I vaguely remember being there but by this time the headache had kicked in. I drank salted lime drinks and ate some chicken tikka and rice before getting on the back of Captain Caveman’s motorbike to go home to sleep. Tomorrow would be my last day with Captain Caveman before he went back to work so I had taken the day off to do something together.
Captain Caveman was far more hungover than me on the morning of Saturday 3rd June. He had gaps in his memory from last night and wasn’t too chatty. We checked out and walked to the limousine bus company for our 2 hour (92km) drive to Hue. The bus was departing at 9.50am but it may as well have been 6am as we were both feeling fragile. Captain Caveman had booked us in to Emm hotel for our last night of holiday before taking another bus back to Phong Nha. I was so glad we weren’t taking a bus the whole way in such a hungover state. Captain Caveman slept and sweated all the way to Hue and when we checked in, fortunately our room was available early and we had an upgrade. Captain Caveman got straight in to bed and I had to top up his water. I ate mangosteens which we had brought with us and are my favourite fruit. The day was ruined because of too much frivolity last night but by 5pm, I’d had a nap and I was hungry. We got a Grab to a Vietnamese restaurant, called Chan, and I forgot to say ‘no chillies’ and had to eat round them on almost every dish. The food was good but I did get a reaction and had to stop eating. Our bill came to 411,000vnd (£13.56) for 3 soft drinks, 2 sticky rice, spring rolls, morning glory, pork and duck. The reason for booking the Emm hotel was so that Captain Caveman could visit the Imperial Craft Bia place nearby. Unfortunately, we had to force a beer down and then we went back to the hotel and straight to bed. Tomorrow we were off back to Phong Nha, the holiday was almost over!
Friday 2nd June was another busy and a pretty exciting day for us in Danang. After finishing work for the week, it was time for a spot of lunch. Captain Caveman had been to the shop on the corner and bought the following:
We called at the bus limo service office and Captain Caveman booked us our next trip which would be for tomorrow morning. We had a lovely lunch at Poomba’s Smokehouse where they have a great air conditioned room up a ladder style staircase. Captain Caveman had a Reuben’s sandwich, I had a slider trio and we both had beer. It was a ‘feels like’ temperature of 42°C outside, no breeze and high humidity so I was so grateful of the air con. On the way back to the hotel, we bought more stuff at the corner shop – 3 tubes of sensodyne toothpaste and 1.5l of water for 264,000vnd (£8.45). We had a bit of a rest in the AC at the hotel and then we got ready to go meet Caroline, she was back from Cambodia and it was about to get messy!
Captain Caveman had arranged for us to meet our friend, Caroline, at the Paradise Beach bar in Danang for sunset drinks. The traffic was bad but we had an over keen Grab driver who was determined to get us there without being concerned for anyone’s safety. We took a seat, not on the beach as I’m not keen on sand, then ordered cocktails while we waited for Caroline to get over from Hoi An. Service was pretty slow and it appeared that there was only one bar tender making cocktails but numerous other staff milling about. I realised I had mistakenly left the hotel wearing the shower flipflops, which didn’t really set off Carol’s (from Fat Club) dress too well. Caroline arrived and we had far too many frozen margaritas for us and long island iced teas for Captain Caveman while we caught up on what’s been going on.
At 8.30pm we had a table booked at Le Comptoir, a really lovely french restaurant and I insisted we ate inside in the AC as it was still boiling hot. We decided to have the Tasting menu with wine pairing as well as extra oysters for Captain Caveman and Caroline. We started off well but by the main course it was carnage; Caroline and I had an extra red wine while Captain Caveman lagged behind, when the main course came those two had disappeared and I had to ask for their food to be kept warm while I tucked in to mine. I ended up having 2 of the puddings and yet more wine before we staggered out in search of the nearest cocktail bar.
At the Craftsman I remembered having a lychee martini, Captain Caveman was wasted and Caroline wasn’t much better. We also were hoping to see our Phong Nha friend, Smiley Fox, who worked here but he wasn’t there. He messaged back to say he was actually in Phong Nha! We all went off in our Grab taxis very much worse for wear but having had an amazing night. I was not looking forward to the early alarm tomorrow and I suspected Captain Caveman may be slightly less enthusiastic about our arrangements than he usually would have been.
Photo credit – some photos by Caroline and Captain Caveman
I had planned to work my last 3 hours of the week on Thursday 1st June, however, it made sense to finish them tomorrow. Instead, we had breakfast at the Silkian Hotel then got ready and packed to check out before noon. We had an expensive day ahead of us as we were heading over to Danang for a couple of nights. But first I was off shopping at one of the best swimwear places in Hoi An. During Covid lockdown, Mommy Shark had helped me out with getting some swimmers and shorts sent up to me in Phong Nha (without having been in the shop) and they had fit. Now we were actually going to the shop which was a bit tricky to find but did have AC and a fan. Na and her mom greeted us and welcomed us in to the overstocked shop. I explained what I was looking for, she plonked Captain Caveman down on a seat with a fan and then started to sift through piles of items for me to try on. I tried a lot of bikinis and shorts on, some of which looked good, others that didn’t suit me or Captain Caveman didn’t like. We both loved the cycling shorts with hidden pockets in though and their matching bra tops.
Here’s what I bought at Mommy Shark and the prices in Vietnamese Dong: 1 red & white bikini 350,000 1 floral bikini 450,000 1 zebra print bikini 680,000 1 black bikini shorts 220,000 3 cycling shorts 750,000 2 sports bra tops 600,000 Total spent 3,050vnd (£97.60)
I wasn’t planning on buying so much but after losing weight, there was so much more stuff that fitted me and it’s better to get it when you can. I thought the prices were extremely good value too. We said our goodbyes and called a grab to head to the Meliora Hotel in Danang. We were a bit early for check in so the receptionist gave us a bottle of water and we sat in reception to wait, it was melting hot outside. Once in the room we made use of the washing machine and I got my Mommy Shark purchases out. We had to hurry along though as we had places to be and people to meet, as is usual.
After drinking 2 cold beers, which I’d got from the shop next door for 11,818vnd (38p) each and waiting for the washing to finish, Captain Caveman and I decided to visit an old favourite restaurant. The Nomad Kitchen, which was within walking distance from our hotel, had changed premises and no longer had AC. It did have a roof top with a bit of breeze and some fans so we went up there. We each ordered a glass of wine, I fancied the chicken salad as I had bikinis to look good in, Captain Caveman ordered pasta. The food was great, more wine was had (we should have ordered a bottle) and then his friend and former colleague came to meet us. Katie, her husband Sasha and her little baby, Sam, are really lovely and we spent a couple of hours with them chatting. We had a complimentary cheese cake, said hello to the owner and our friends shared a generous portion of fish and chips which looked great. I forgot to take a note of the bill as Captain Caveman paid online.
In the evening, I collected my new glasses from the opticians while slightly squiffy and was convinced I couldn’t see as well as before. The optician suggested I wear them and check again tomorrow. Captain Caveman treated us both to a fantastic meal at another one of our favourite restaurants, Olivia’s Steakhouse. Here’s what we had and the prices;
1 pepper sauce 65,000 1 750ml still water 70,000 1 grilled sweetcorn 100,000 1 macaroni cheese 120,000 1 grilled asparagus 145,000 1 bottle red wine 950,000 2 250g fillet steaks 2,400,000 5% service charge 196,000 Total spent 4,116,000vnd (£131.71)
This was probably the most expensive meal we’d had in Vietnam so far but it really was worth it. We were served complimentary bread and dips, which Captain Caveman asked for seconds of and we weren’t charged for. We also got 3 shots of complimentary chocolate vodka each for our dessert. Olivia’s has been one of our favourites for a while and the new venue was a winner. We also felt really lucky to have been able to go as Captain Caveman had only just got confirmation that he didn’t have to go back to work earlier than expected. We were back at the hotel by 9pm as I wanted to be up early for work tomorrow.
Wednesday 31st May was another busy day in Hoi An; I worked from 6.45-8.15am, before breakfast. It was weigh day but I had no scales so I just took my measurements. My bust was the same, my waist had increased by 6cm and my hips by 3cm – not a good result, but hardly surprising. Captain Caveman and I ate in the Silkian Hotel for breakfast and it was ok but nothing special. I went back to work for another 2.5 hours while Captain Caveman had gone out looking at phones. I got a grab taxi to meet him for lunch at Baba’s Kitchen, the Indian restaurant. We both ordered the masala dosa but, when it came, mine had chillies in. I didn’t realise until it was too late and I’d already eaten quite a bit and had to have a cheeky lunchtime beer to help take the burn off. I got a taxi back to the hotel, I left Captain Caveman to his own devices and managed a whole hour of work before I became ill. My stomach swelled so much that it looked like I had swallowed a football or was about to give birth and I spent far too long in the bathroom. I measured my waist again to find it was 24cm bigger than when I was in Dalyan and 15cm bigger than before I ate chillies a couple of hours ago! I also had very swollen cankles! I was worried I wasn’t going to make it out tonight, as arranged, to meet 2 of our lovely friends.
Not being one to miss a night out and, after a very short rest, antihistamines and Maalox, I was ready to go out out. Looking and feeling like I was pregnant, I went to meet Captain Caveman. He was already with our friends, Steve and June, at Market Bar and I managed to navigate a Grab taxi to find the bar. It was a lovely place with 2 for 1 on gins so I had two with cucumber and two with cocoa nibs (as you do). It was great to see our friends to catch up after 11 months of not seeing them. They took us to a lovely French restaurant, Le Petit Bistro, in Hoi An, which their friend owns and it was an absolute delight. June and I ordered the rum punch and we tried some nibbles courtesy of the chef. The staff were lovely and we all ordered main meals, I had wine, the men had beer and June was on the water. My beef stew was gorgeous and not particularly diet friendly. By 9.30pm it was home time, back to the Silkian Hotel for our last night. Tomorrow we had more exciting plans!
Tuesday 30th May was jam-packed with activity and a bit of drama! We left the Deluxe Boutique Hotel by pre-booked taxi, just as the sun was rising. Our flight with Air Asia was at 7.25am from Chiang Mai to Danang, we were off back to Vietnam with my 30 day visa. At the airport we didn’t get any breakfast or a drink but instead we spent 970 of the 1,000 Thai Baht hotel deposit on Duty Free. I chose a bottle a bottle of Prosecco and a bottle of Hardy’s red wine which came to £21.55. Our luggage allowance on the flight was only 7kg so Captain Caveman had taken most of the fresh laundry in his bag as I think mine weighed heavier because of my lap top. We landed in Danang around 10am and went to the official taxi queue where the man with the lanyard walked us over to a car and driver. The car was not an My Linh or a Vina Sun taxi, it didn’t have a yellow plate and there was something odd about the chubby taxi driver with foreign arm tattoos. We got to the opticians where I had an appointment at 11am but we were early, when we asked how much to the driver. He tried to more than double the fare and wouldn’t let us out. Captain Caveman told him the money was in the bag in the boot so he let him out while I was winding the window down to try to let myself out but it was locked. Captain Caveman gave the driver half of what he asked for but then he got aggressive, telling him to get back in the car. I took photos so that we could (yet again) report it to the airport authorities and Captain Caveman told him to F off. Once in the opticians we were a bit wound up and this was not the first time for it to happen to me. It was concerning as this could be a reason tourists would not return to Vietnam. Captain Caveman said he would report it and I sent him the photo evidence, which I luckily got. I had my eye test appointment and decided on transitional lenses in my new glasses to save swapping normal glasses to sunglasses all the time. I had all the protective/glare stuff on and finally picked some lightweight transitional specs to the total tune of 3,660,000vnd (£117.12) – so much cheaper than in the UK.
Our next stop was a taxi ride to Hoi An for us to check in at the Silkian Hotel, we used Grab to be safer. Captain Caveman had picked it because it was new, had a good price and was close to Caroline’s cafe. Unfortunately, Caroline had took off on an impromptu trip to Cambodia so we didn’t know if we would get to see her this trip. The hotel was nice, the staff friendly and our room was lovely. We dumped our stuff and popped to 9 Grains (Caroline’s cafe) for our lunch because we’d had no breakfast. We both had juices, hot drinks and bacon sandwiches all of which were great and I spotted, and bought, the last bar of ‘my’ particular soap which is made from coconut and helps my eczema. I worked from 1.30-6.30pm with super whizzy free internet at the hotel room, while Captain Caveman entertained himself and booked a table for dinner.
The Slimming World diet had not been going well of late but I really did push the boat out at Le Cabanon, one of my favourite restaurants in Hoi An. We ate baked camembert with rosemary and honey, a Cochonne pizza to share, drank 2 bottles of Viognier wine and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our bill was as follows: Camembert 360,000 Pizza 170,000 2 bottles of wine 1,360,000 Total spent 1,890,000vnd (£60.48)
There was an offer on for wine and pizza so our actual bill was less than this in the end. It was so hot in there and the waiter was absolutely fantastic as it was very busy so Captain Caveman did leave a tip.
We decided to have a little walk to find a bar Captain Caveman had been recommended, called Mescal. I was so impressed when we walked in as the building is amazing and it’s hard to find. Captain Caveman had an Old Fashioned while I went completely mad and ordered a trio of tequilas with a watermelon sangria. For 240,000vnd (£7.68) it was definitely up there with the most memorable drink choice I’ve ever had the pleasure of. It took me ages to drink it so Captain Caveman had a second Old Fashioned which were 250,000vnd (£8) each. I don’t recall getting back to the hotel that night!
Our last day in Chiang Mai fell on Monday 29th May and I had scheduled in to get some work done. This meant that I would still have plenty of play time at our next holiday destination this week. It had been a bit touch and go as to whether Captain Caveman would have to go back early to be the cave expert of an extra trip this coming week but so far, so good. We had another, and final, trip to SP Chicken for breakfast which we did not regret – it is definitely one of the best restaurants we’ve ever eaten at. I took a couple of temple photos just to show willing but it was too hot to be bothered to visit any. Captain Caveman and I had toyed with the idea of doing an Elephant Sanctuary visit while in Chiang Mai but I was dubious, especially after Covid, if they were really as legit and respectful to the animals as portrayed. Captain Caveman decided to take himself off to the barbers while I headed back to the hotel to start work. I’d not walked back to Deluxe Boutique Hotel alone before so I had directions from Captain Caveman and no working phone between us. Luckily, Spiderman and an inappropriately named hostel helped me remember the way back. By the time I started work there was heavy rain so I ploughed through from 11.30am to 6pm without a break. When I finished work, Captain Caveman was back and it was his turn to decide a location for dinner. We had wine and pizzas at the By Hand Cafe – an Artisan Pizza Lounge. They were really good, the service was good and we both liked the place, so much so that we came back later after a couple of cheeky martinis at the House of Ginger. We probably shouldn’t have drank so much, given that we were due for checking in for our flight back to Vietnam at 6am tomorrow morning.
On Sunday 28th May Captain Caveman asked me where I wanted to go for breakfast and I decided that the best thing I could go for would be SP Chicken. On the way, Captain Caveman wanted to stop off at a cafe, called Sun Ray, for a coffee. I ended up getting hangry and moany as they had an inefficient system for seating people and I hate pretentious coffee places. This time at SP Chicken, we ordered the chicken (obviously), rice and 2 plates of veggies. I always give Captain Caveman the skin from the chicken and it’s been barbecued on a spit so is reasonably healthy. It was so delicious that I said I could eat it every day! It was extremely hot, compared to what we had been used to in Sapa, so we headed back to the hotel. On the way there, Captain Caveman met an astronaut and I took his photo. At the hotel, I managed to book in at my favourite opticians back in Vietnam for Tuesday.
That evening, wearing one of my favourite dresses from a Dalyan friend, we went out to Why Ribs and Rumps. A place with a terrible name but excellent pork ribs, which we shared. I really liked it there and can’t recall the prices as Captain Caveman paid and I didn’t keep a receipt. For dessert we went to another old favourite, Cru, for wine and a cheeseboard. Aside from there being far too many tomatoes for my liking, we enjoyed it. We walked via a shop for beers and water which we had when we got back to the room, tomorrow would be our last night in Chiang Mai.
Much to Captain Caveman’s dismay, we didn’t get to a cafe for breakfast in Chiang Mai until 10am on Saturday 27th May. He ordered coffee and a şakşuka type of dish, I ordered snow pea tea (as you do) and a banana pancake. I wrongly thought it would be a healthier option as it came with fruit but it was massive. It also had on it one of the worst fruits in the world (in my opinion) – papaya. If you’ve not had it before, I think it tastes like the smell of baby sick/gone off milk.
Back at the hotel, we decided we would perhaps check out the rooftop pool and Captain Caveman sent me off to investigate the situation. It was so hot that I burned my feet on the flooring round the pool and had to come back, quick sharp. There was no shade up there whatsoever so we decided swimming was off the agenda.
For a late lunch we went to check out one of our absolute favourite restaurants, SP Chicken. It was open and not too busy so we grabbed a table and started to complete the tick-style menu. Obviously we had the chicken, which they are well known for, but we ordered veggies, pork and rice to go with it. I had a Chang beer while Captain Caveman prefers the Leo beer and had a bottle of that. The food was so good, as it always is, and when we came to leave there was a sign saying that they had run out of chicken so we were lucky.
That evening I popped on my new dress again and we were off to House by Ginger for fancy cocktails and good food. Captain Caveman had an Espresso Martini and I had a Passion fruit mojito. We shared the chef’s recommendation of the mixed Thai sharing platter which was really tasty. For main course Captain Caveman had pork and rice, I had a pork stew – both were so good and we would definitely return. Our meal with 4 drinks came to a total of 2,165,000vnd (£71.45) which included the 10% tip and was definitely good value for money.
We were the first in to the dining room of the Silk Path Grand Resort and Spa Hotel at 6am on Friday 26th May. At breakfast we made up a sandwich to take with us for the long journey as we didn’t have long until our limousine bus was coming to pick us up. As I drank my cup of tea, I realised what was missing from our afternoon tea yesterday – the tea! I’d been looking forward to trying all the teas but had not noticed that they had never brought us any tea, nor even asked if we would like some. How odd, and even stranger that I’d not noticed! We’d already packed and checked out ready to make the journey to Hanoi airport which was just under 300km away. Unfortunately, the bus was over an hour late and we had to sit in the back seats which were more bumpy. At the service stop off along the way, we saw a cute dog with red dye on it and some very interesting ladies toilets.
We arrived on time for our flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand, checked in and got a beer which was $5.50. It was the busiest I’d seen Hanoi airport and we sat at a different gate to our one to eat our ham and cheese sandwiches. We arrived in Chiang Mai, got a taxi to the Deluxe Boutique hotel and quickly checked in around 6pm. We took a Grab taxi to Gekko restaurant where we were meeting an old friend of Captain Caveman’s for dinner at 6.30pm. Sid Perou has been a caver and film/documentary maker as well as having written a book – a very interesting man. We got there as they were arriving and sat with Sid, his wife and grandson. We all had beers and I ordered Pad Thai, Captain Caveman had a masaman curry. Both meals were great and we had a good laugh chatting with our friends. It wasn’t a late one as Sid and his wife had to be up early tomorrow and it was already past their grandson’s bedtime. We had a relatively early night for our first of three nights in Chiang Mai.
It was another great day on Thursday 25th May, but sadly our last one in Sapa. I only had a 15 day visa exemption for Vietnam so I had to be out of the country before the 29th May, I also was still waiting on my next visa approval. I had a bit of a lay in until 7.30am and was surprised when I looked out of the window to see it was raining. Captain Caveman and I went for the buffet breakfast just after 8am and it was delicious. We decided that as it wasn’t great weather we would book in some hotel things to do. The hotel manager was brilliant and so on his game as we booked me in for one of the spa packages and then afternoon tea. When we got back to the room I got an email to say my 30 day Vietnam visa was approved. Captain Caveman was glad to hear this as we were flying to Thailand tomorrow. My Thai massage with Cherry was absolutely amazing and I almost fell asleep at the end. I went to Cat Cat bar afterwards to meet Captain Caveman who had brought me Carol’s (ironically of Fat Club fame) dress to change in to for our afternoon tea with a bit of a difference (I will see if you can tell what the difference was from the photos)! I’d done so well to not have put weight on this week but now I found myself shovelling sandwiches and cake down a bit too greedily. As I was already dressed for the occasion, but wearing trainers because of the rain we booked the free shuttle bus in to to town.
We visited Saparis bar again for cocktails before doing the short uphill walk to Ganesh, the Indian restaurant. I tried to stay as healthy as possible with a chicken tikka (no sauce), rice and a spinach dish but I did have a couple of beers to go with it. The food was nice and filling, we walked back down the hill to the bus pick up spot and to say bye to Sapa town. Tomorrow we had another early start to what might be a long day of travelling.
Wednesday 24th May was another lovely day in Sapa, which started with me getting weighed and doing my measurements. Even though I was on holiday and knew I’d be veering off the Slimming World diet, it was important for me to still keep track. Miraculously, the scales showed I was 1.3kg lighter than when I got weighed 2 weeks ago on Steve and Michelle’s scales but, obviously, they weren’t Carol’s scales so we didn’t know if either of them were accurate. My measurements showed that I’d put 3cm on my bust but lost 1cm off my waist and hips. I thought I’d log on to the work system early so that I’d be free when Captain Caveman returned this afternoon. Unfortunately, the system wasn’t working and I couldn’t access anything. I sent an email to my boss but it was 4am where he was, and 2am in the UK, so nothing would be done until office hours started. I went for the hotel breakfast and it was so good, on the way back I took photos as there were mysterious clouds around the hotel – someone had stolen the mountain view. After breakfast I kept checking the system to see if I could do any work but I couldn’t. Over the next 4 hours I kept checking as I didn’t want to be working in the afternoon but I had no luck. My boss was grateful for the alert despite no output and told me I didn’t have to work for the rest of the week so that we could enjoy our holiday together instead. Captain Caveman returned having had a marvellous time shimmying up and down the mountain but needed a shower. He got weighed on the scales and was the same as he usually was so I assumed my weight was correct.
Photo credit – Captain Caveman for the Ngu Chi Son trek photos
We decided to spend the afternoon making use of the hotel facilities. We were the only ones in the swimming pool and it was lovely to have a swim for the second time on my trip, and since I left Turkey. I loved swimming in that pool but we soon got a bit thirsty and peckish so decided to head to the Cat Cat cafe bar.
Photo credit Captain Caveman
Captain Caveman had an Espresso Martini and I had a Margarita, both were good. The place was so beautiful and it was nice to see Captain Caveman relaxing but not playing bridge on his phone, for a change. We booked the free shuttle to take us in to Sapa town at 6pm so we went back to get ready, I was going to wear my new dress!
We had a fantastic time out in Sapa that evening. Captain Caveman took photos of me in my new dress from Rico, which I really liked. I took a video of the ride on the free shuttle bus in to town, trying to show how steep the streets are in Sapa. We had a bit of a wander round before deciding to eat at O Quy Ho, another recommendation from Hoa. We went upstairs where there was a nice view over the town and we ordered beers. We ordered a mixture of food to share; spring rolls, chicken and some pork which were all very tasty.
After dinner we decided to carry on our night with cocktails at Saparis. Captain Caveman had long island iced tea and I had a margarita, both were good. We had a walk back in to town where we waited for our shuttle bus back to the hotel. We made it back in time to have a nightcap in the bar at Cat Cat cafe, however, when we got there it had already closed early. We went back to the room and ordered room service which was funny. Two members of staff came to the room with a wine list to ask us which we wanted when we had already ordered the house red. The wine arrived with the two members of staff again and the main guy came in to open and pour it. We had some smoked stringy cheese to go with our wine to end a really lovely day.
While Captain Caveman was planning on doing a 2 day trek up Ngu Chi Son, I was happy to be working on Tuesday 23rd May. The peak that Captain Caveman was about to scale was almost as high as Fansipan (the famous one, the highest in Indochina) and shouldn’t be done alone so he had his trusted guide with him and had taken some emergency provisions. Here’s a link to info about the mountain range, for those of you who are interested in finding out more: https://vietmountains.com/destinations/ngu-chi-son-mountain-the-sacred-five-fingers-mountain/ Of course, Captain Caveman was up very early and left before breakfast but there was no way I was missing the buffet breakfast spread. I didn’t want to say it, but I actually felt a bit chilly when I stepped outside to a 21°C! The breakfast was spot on and the food and beverage manager was first class and so lovely. I had a nice table looking out towards some mountains, feeling quite smug that I wasn’t climbing one. The diet had gone completely out of the window as I had cereals, fruit, juices, detox shots, cups of tea, pho ga, bread, cheese, pastries, butter, waffle, bacon and a chicken sausage! Bugger it, I’d lose the weight again when I got back to Phong Nha!
I worked from 10am for most of the day but with a couple of hours breaks, and I sat in the lovely room at my handy desk. The outside temperature reached 27°C and I was reminded that it would still have been a tad warm for me to have done a trek. At 3.45pm I got a video call from Captain Caveman – he had already reached the highest peak of Ngu Chi Son (probably in record time)! He was so happy and even more pleased I’d not decided to try to do it, he said I wouldn’t have made the first 10 minutes! Back to work until 8.45pm but then I decided, instead of going in to town, that I would have a bath and order room service. This ended up being a Hawaiian pizza, which was pretty good but definitely not diet friendly and I bet I’d put weight on tomorrow, on Weigh Day. I got in the super comfy bed and tried to imagine how Captain Caveman must be doing, camping on the side of a mountain somewhere in the wilderness with just a Vietnamese tour guide to provide him with warmth and shelter. I set my alarm for 7am so that I could crack on with work before Captain Caveman returned, which was bound to be earlier than planned.
Photo credit – Captain Caveman for his trek to Ngu Chi Son
It was my first time, but not Captain Caveman’s, of visiting Sapa on Monday 22nd May. We were up too early to have any breakfast as the limousine bus was picking us up at 6.30am. The seats were comfy with massage function and there was plenty of space in the 9 seater air conditioned vehicle. Our journey was pleasant with a stop at a decent services after 2.5 hours, for a toilet break and to eat some fresh pineapple. I got talking to fellow passengers who had booked a rural homestay in Sapa and the wife was slightly concerned that she may be a bit too far out in the sticks. On previous holidays with Captain Caveman I’d also had the same concerns and knew how she felt, but not this time. We arrived at the Silk Path Grand Resort and Spa Hotel in Sapa after a 6 hour journey and I was so impressed with the look of it. Even the lady I was chatting to was impressed and wished us a nice holiday. Check it out here, Captain Caveman really had chosen well; https://silkpathhotel.com/en/Sapa/ Our mountain view room was ready early and, of course, I had to take some photos. We were booked in for 4 nights and I was really looking forward to that.
We were peckish, having only eaten a bread roll and the fruit so we got the free shuttle service in to Sapa town to look for food. Our friends, Phil and Hoa, had sent us some recommendations for eateries in the area. Sapa is incredibly hilly and it was very different to how I expected it, I loved that the temperature was so much cooler and I was impressed that my leg was completely recovered now. After a walk up and down hills we found Good Morning Vietnam restaurant and sat down inside with a menu. AC was not even needed but it was still shorts and t-shirt weather. We both ordered a Hanoi beer, Captain Caveman chose fried spring rolls and I asked if he was going to share. He agreed but didn’t want to have any of my tofu in tomato sauce. We both had another beer and I never got to try the spring rolls as Captain Caveman had snaffled the lot in record time. He often says he’s not hungry but then polishes food off quite greedily, today was one of those times. Our lunch with 4 beers came to 250,000vnd (£8.25) which wasn’t bad considering we were in a tourist town where beers were the same price as VRV.
We decided not to get the shuttle back to the hotel but to have a look around the town. We found Tag Beer, a nice bar with proper beer and a pool table. Although Captain Caveman had not played pool for over 6 months, he’d not lost his touch and proceeded to thrash me. After a couple of cheeky beers we walked up the hill to Little Sapa restaurant where we met Hoa for dinner. Unfortunately Phil had got Covid so he was isolating and couldn’t join us and we were all disappointed on his behalf. For dinner I had the sweet and sour chicken, Hoa had beef and Captain Caveman had pork. All the food was good and great value but, as Captain Caveman paid, I forgot to take a note of the price. Captain Caveman had arranged to go on a mini expedition tomorrow, while I ‘worked from home’ in luxury. Hoa had arranged for him to do a 2 day trek up a mountain with just a Vietnamese guide for company. After seeing Hoa, we sauntered back to the centre of town to get the free shuttle back up the hill to our hotel. It had been a great day and I was already quite taken with Sapa.
Foolishly, I’d hoped for quality time and extra snoozes on Sunday 21st May but, obviously, Captain Caveman had other ideas. As he had promised me a shopping trip, we had to get up early to get it done. I’m sure he gave a good reason why and it could’ve been due to the weather but I was too tired to note it. By 7.30am we were showered, dressed and in the hotel dining room tucking in to a shared fruit plate. We both had the chicken noodle soup (pho ga) and a hot drink before Captain Caveman insisted we look lively for today’s mission. At 8am it was already 31°C with a ‘feels like’ 39°C and the air quality was not good in the capital city. Just a couple of weeks ago, Hanoi had suffered a heatwave with the highest temperatures ever recorded. We got a Grab taxi, which are really cheap in Hanoi, to the shopping centre to find we had to wait for it to open. Once inside, we headed straight for Uniqlo where I’d been online to check the choices and had taken screenshots of a few items I liked the look of. It didn’t quite pan out as well as expected because the largest they had in stock for almost everything was an L (about a size 12). Captain Caveman helped me pick out a few practical items and I headed to the Fitting room a little too optimistic. I hate shopping anyway so I did get a little despondent when the first couple of things didn’t fit. I had to remind myself that this time last year I wouldn’t have even got in the XL (size 14 approx) if they had any. In less than an hour I had managed to spend 3,194,00vnd (£108.60) of Captain Caveman’s hard earned cash on 6 items and I was happy to have 2 pairs of skorts, which I’d never had before! We dropped my wares off at the hotel and I had a little fashion show with my new clothes while Captain Caveman took terrible photos of me in them, from the position of him laying on the bed. I’d not even been here quite a week and he was getting bored of taking photos on demand.
Our next stop was to meet two Phong Nha friends for lunch; Leonard, the old guy who stayed at Funny Monkeys from before the pandemic, now lives in Hanoi, and our good friend Kat, who divides her time between Hanoi and Phong Nha. Both were available on the same day so Leonard had chosen one of his nearby favourite restaurants, Pizza 4 Ps. Captain Caveman and I were the first to arrive and we decided to order a cider that came with some cheese as a pre starter! Leonard was the next to arrive with his arm strapped up after breaking his collar bone in a fall. Other than that he was on good form and it was great to see him. Kat arrived next and was only able to stay for an hour due to her having an upcoming painful dentist appointment. We were having such a good catch up that I almost forgot to take some photos and I had a weird incident in the toilets with the cleaner who wanted me to rate the toilets, on an electronic board, as ‘needing improvement ‘ and then comment on why. The toilets were fine, so I wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at but Leonard said a similar thing happened to him. The half and half pizza which I shared with Captain Caveman was fantastic, the salad was a bit too drenched in balsamic vinegar for me but I managed to get it down me with another cider (no cheese).
After lunch and walking Leonard back to his hotel, Captain Caveman and I walked to the gold shop to exchange some foreign currency and it was so hot that I was getting a bit moany. We had to make a refreshment stop at Puku cafe where, to my delight, they had the iced slushy drinks with passion fruit at 80,000vnd (£2.72) each. Just as I thought we were off back for a siesta or a rest, Captain Caveman announced we were meeting Lien, our old Vietnamese teacher and friend. We got a Grab taxi to Oliberry cafe where Lien was already waiting. We got chatting about clothes shopping and Lien recommended a woman’s independent clothes shop nearby called Rico Clothing. Within minutes, I was on the back of Lien’s Honda Cub heading to Rico, where I picked out a few dresses to try on. Captain Caveman walked it there and caught us up to give his opinion on the clothes I tried on. I bought a lovely dress and even tried a Size L which was too big for me, I also found a couple of pairs of knickers that fit me too. We said our goodbyes and I hoped we’d be going home to freshen up and get ready for our dinner date tonight – no, we were out out. Captain Caveman and I had arranged to meet Johan, a friend through caving and Andrea, for tapas with a bit of a difference at Pinchos. We were a little early so we called in to 7 Bridges for a pint of ale, as you do.
At Pincho’s we shared sparkling water and red wine but we didn’t go mad as Johan was on a strict regime and would be up early for boxing class before work tomorrow. Pincho’s was easily one of the best meals I’ve had and it was amazing to be able to eat so much meat and cheese. We tried quite a lot of the different tapas dishes and I only got a surprise chilli the once, luckily I could smell it. We were back to the Aquarius Grand Hotel by 9.30pm and were already setting our alarms for another very early get up. Our day had been an amazing one and when I got in I had to try my new dress on, which I liked more the second try on. The hotel room had cost 765,000vnd (£26) per night and well worth that price, which included breakfast. Captain Caveman paid our bill which also included the 400,000vnd car pick up service (£13.60) from Hanoi airport to the hotel. We also paid in advance for 2 bus tickets at 480,000vnd (£16.32) each as we were off to our next destination for 4 nights at 6.30am tomorrow!
joloyolo 