Breakfast was tea and toast again on Friday 4th October after I’d given Norman & Edna their biscuits. Captain Caveman was due to leave for the airport at 1.30pm Turkish time so I was getting excited for his arrival. I spent the morning cleaning up and moving my stuff to accommodate some free space. I saw that Captain Caveman had already invited people to a Sunday Walk in Dalyan, on Facebook and thought it wise for me to accept the invite so that I could be sure I would get to see him this coming weekend. He’d already said for me not to bother meeting him when he arrived as he would probably have a shower and a sleep while I looked after the dogs tomorrow. I got the feeling that Captain Caveman wasn’t looking forward to seeing me as much as I was him. While Norman had a mid-morning snooze, Edna helped me with some writing. I had a Slimming World pizza wrap for lunch and was about to go out when Jamie called to say a delivery he had ordered was on its way. After taking the delivery from the man who refused to bring it in to the house, I nipped to the bank. That evening I tried a new Slimming World recipe; a courgette risotto and it was amazing. After the dog walk, both dogs cuddled up and we watched a bit of TV, The Chase as it’s one of Edna’s favourites.
On Saturday 20th July the weather was glorious which was a shame as I was catching up on work, having taken yesterday off. I’d done 2 hours work before Ma got up and I was having Shreddies and a cup of Yorkshire tea for breakfast. Ma and Pa had no set plans for the weekend but we were thinking we might see Gayle and family as Neil, her husband, was back from working in Scotland. Ma got the washing out as the sun was out and ideal for getting the bedding dry. Lunch time bacon sandwiches from Mom were much appreciated even though I was on 50% more syns than at the same time last week. I managed to get 7 hours of work under my belt before the garden furniture cushions needed putting out. Gayle was popping over for a cup of tea but I knew what that really meant. Dad had already been checking the wine stocks in each fridge. Captain Caveman was getting his flight from Heathrow at 5pm and had already checked in when Gayle arrived with cakes for the cup of tea. I don’t think she even got offered a tea as I cracked open the Prosecco, another thing on the must do list. We all sat outside, ate the cakes, drank the fizz, went on to the other wine and then started snacking on mini cheddars or Seabrook’s salt and vinegar crisps. There was discussions about an impromptu BBQ or pizza for dinner but with Gayle being coeliac Ma wasn’t sure if she had any suitable foods in. She decided we should ring Neil and the kids and see if they fancied an Indian at The Vine in Mosborough. Before Dad could enquire about whether he should open the Chardonnay, we were booked in and it was all systems go as we needed to get there. April was working and couldn’t make it, but Morgan and Neil didn’t need asking twice.
The Vine was absolutely packed full and we had been lucky to get a table for the 6 of us. The food was amazing, both Gayle and I tried something different due to us being a bit tiddly. We all had drinks, starters, mains and sides and it came to £35 per person, which was the most expensive meal I’d paid for so far but I did get a really good doggy bag to take home and I’d thoroughly enjoyed my 4th curry in the 12 days of being in England.
It was Captain Caveman’s last day off on Sunday 21st July as he landed in Saigon just before midday. He had his next Oxalis briefing tomorrow evening and I think he was happy to be going back for his final few weeks of this year’s season. The UK is 6 hours behind Vietnam so he had already landed before I woke up. There was some issue with his flight from Saigon to Dong Hoi that afternoon being cancelled, meaning he had to stay overnight in Saigon. I was a bit hungover and I just had tea and toast for breakfast. I’d been invited to a music event in Leopold Square in Sheffield but I was working today so I declined. My parents were invited but they prefer not to go in to town and didn’t accept either. For lunch I had my left over curry which was still as delicious as last night. For dinner Mom cooked pizzas and garlic bread which were very nice but I was now on 430 syns for the week already and it was still Sunday. At 7.15pm I met my friend, Kerrie, who I hadn’t seen for 2.5 years but it felt like longer. I was still hungover and she was driving so I had a nice cup of tea and then we went on to the alcohol free Erdinger beer which was only £3.50 for 500ml. We had a good catch up and a laugh while reminiscing and then it was time to say bye but with plans to meet up again. I wrote down Kerrie’s availability for the next week or so which I could refer to as she’s usually such a busy person. It wasn’t a late one as we both had work in the morning and I’d got plans to go clothes shopping in the afternoon.
On Tuesday 25th June Captain Caveman was heading back to Phong Nha as he had a briefing in the evening. I was saying bye and flying back to Dalaman via Saigon, Bangkok and Istanbul. We ate the rest of our Mangosteen from Hoan for our breakfast and Captain Caveman decided he would come to Danang airport to see me off. We got a Grab taxi and went to check-in but, unfortunately, the woman on the Vietnam Airlines desk was not my friend. My allowance for all my flights was 25kg hold and at least 7kg for hand luggage. The domestic flight from Danang to Saigon didn’t specify that my 25kg had to be in 1 case but that rule was enforced as I tried to pass my 2 cases through. Captain Caveman came into his own when she refused them and instantly went in to ‘super-packer’ mode at top speed! I tried to hastily move my lacy red knickers and random dirty washing as he squeezed the contents of a case at 18kg and one at 7kg into the one case, with the laundry from my hand luggage. He triumphantly set it back on the scales and I thought he looked like he wanted a badge in recognition for it weighing 24.9kg. I managed to get an aisle seat so I was happy but I would struggle to carry that case at the other side. My international tickets both allowed me to take 25kg over 2 pieces so I could do a repack in Saigon. We said our goodbyes and Captain Caveman went to get a taxi to the train station for the 10.22am train to Dong Hoi. I went through the passport control and stopped at a shop to get a snack. I bought a croissant for 35,000VND (£1.09) and a pack of pomelo for 70,000VND (£2.18). The flight departed a little late and we landed in Saigon at gone 11am. I retrieved my bags and then rationalised the space a bit better by splitting the 25kg case back in to 2. I was meant to be getting a taxi to Kim’s house to go to eat pho, made by her mother. Keith (from Grimsby) was on standby to meet for a farewell drink too. The left luggage queue was chaos and it took me a long time to get to the front of the queue. When I reached the front there was a sign, pricing left luggage per item and a few ‘at owners risk’ notices displayed – and now I had 4 bags, 3 of which I wanted to leave. The cost of leaving luggage at the airport plus 2 taxi fares, teamed with having to check-in for the international flight in less than 4.5 hours, made me reluctant to leave the airport. I didn’t have a great track record with Saigon taxi drivers so I messaged Keith (from Grimsby) to ask his opinion. He had flown from Saigon recently and advised not to do it, the queue to leave Saigon had been long previously and had took over 2 hours to get through. I wouldn’t risk it for a delicious bowl of pho and a cheeky beer so I also messaged Kim to cancel. In the end, I had done the right thing as it didn’t feel long in the airport at all. I checked out the cost of a Burger King; a regular cheeseburger was 120,000VND (£3.74) so I didn’t bother. Instead, I spent 125,000VND (£3.90) on some cherry throat sweets and a pack of Mentos. At 4pm, I was peckish so I treated myself to a pack of crisps and a vegan baguette for 105,000VND (£3.27) from Puro Gusto and thoroughly enjoyed it. Once through security, which did take quite a while as Keith had warned, I splashed out on some Clinique moisturiser for $32 (£25) which I had been waiting to buy in a Duty Free. My next extravagance was a glass of red wine in Saigon Cafe, an airport bar, which cost a whopping 315,000VND (£9.82) and was the cheapest wine on the menu. It was very nice and I savoured it as I waited for boarding time. On the plane to Bangkok I had an aisle seat, the in-flight meal was a rather tasty chicken with veg and rice and a glass of red wine. I didn’t bother with any TV as the flight was ready to land as soon as we had eaten. We landed in to Bangkok an hour later than scheduled, it was raining outside and it was cold as we disembarked on to the shuttle bus. I only had 1 hour to get on the next plane, bound for Istanbul, which was quite a rush. I had a bad stomach so I had to go to the loo while in Bangkok airport and I was lucky to arrive at the gate in time. On the 3rd plane, I had a middle seat and I coped for quite a bit of the flight until the chap next to me, wearing a sunhat and earplugs, became more difficult to get past for toilet visits, so I moved to an aisle seat at the back of the plane. We were due to land at 5.25am tomorrow, Turkish time, where I had several hours to kill in Istanbul airport.
At 7.30am on Friday 7th June there was an air of excitement as it looked like Rodger was ready to go at last. I’d gone downstairs to use the bathroom and then had to shout up to Captain Caveman to hurry along and bring me a bra. Rodger didn’t want to put the lead on, even though on the label it said he was a Police Dog, but we eventually got it on and then there was no stopping him. Captain Caveman had to take him as he was too strong for me and he pulled until he got to the first corner of grass. We were all so happy that Rodger had finally done his business at last. By 8am we were walking back to the house, me in my sleepwear, Rodger looking very proud of himself indeed.
For a late breakfast/very early lunch we went to Saigon Deli where we bought the dogs food and had our usual pork dishes. After feeding the dogs their lunch, Terror seemed to also be getting a bit more friendly. Before noon we had a video call with Stu so we could share the amazing news that Rodger had managed a walk and a poo after a whole week of not going! At 12.15pm we were getting picked up as we were off on a bit of a jolly!
There was an Oxalis 13 year anniversary party which Captain Caveman and I had been invited to. He was going to be getting a certificate to commemorate 10 years with Oxalis (it was actually 11). The drive to Phong Nha involved picking up some flowers for the party and we waited in the minibus. We got dropped off at The Villas, as that’s where I’d left Bluey just over a week ago. I had a sensible cup of tea to start with but then we realised it was half price margaritas on Fridays and we just had to indulge. We were peckish by this time so we ordered lunch which was rather filling. I had the chicken and bacon sandwich (with chips) and Captain Caveman ordered the salmon.
During our visit, we bumped in to a Victory Road Villas guest, called Meyer, who also enjoys a drop of Tequila. We got chatting and he brought his very own bottle of Tequila out. We shared a shot or two with this rather interesting Australian fella and had a great time. After our margaritas and a couple of tequilas with Meyer it was almost time to go to the Oxalis party. We paid our bill which was a very reasonable 1,120,000VND (£34.10) for cocktails, tea and our lunch.
Of course, we should have got on our bikes and cycled to Oxalis for their 13th anniversary party, however, we were beckoned over by the disabled family across by the river, who own the small cafe. We were joined by shaky-hand girl, so called because she loves to shake hands with people for the longest time and is very friendly. Captain Caveman had a Vietnamese drip coffee and I had a fresh coconut and then we decided to visit Tuan on the floating boat restaurant and bar, as we were in the vicinity.
Nha Be Noi Song Son (the Vietnamese name) is so lovely, primarily known for its fresh seafood and catering to large groups, but is also great for a couple of pork spring rolls and a beer. The owner, Tuan, had been swimming in the river but came to join us, along with shaky-hand girl.
We cycled to Oxalis just in time to join the anniversary party where it was good to see staff being recognised and rewarded for their continued service. As Oxalis was very busy with tours there wasn’t everyone there but I saw a few familiar faces. Chau, the owner, was on a TV link up from Saigon, having left his brother in charge of the proceedings including the certificate and gift presentation. Luckily, it wasn’t a late one and we got a lift back to Dong Hoi with some of Captain Caveman’s colleagues. At 10pm, after letting the dogs out (still separately of course) we were in bed. I fell asleep on the sofa and Terror made some progress as he started to give me licks. Rodger was my new best friend and he came to sleep in our room easily, he even let me give him a stroke.
On Tuesday 7th May Captain Caveman and I decided we needed to get planning some stuff. After one of our usually tasty breakfasts and my Yorkshire tea we sat in a shady area with a breeze and got my diary out. We knew we were booked in at Greenfield Ecostay for another 2 nights but we were already thinking it wasn’t long enough. We had no plans of where we would stay next and I still had no flight out of Vietnam booked. It felt a bit disconcerting not knowing where I would be staying once I left Vietnam, and I couldn’t return to Captain Caveman’s apartment until 1st October. What I did know is that I was joining Captain Caveman on his trip in the UK for his cousin’s wedding in Penrith in July and that I needed a new passport. Our plans revolved around me getting the passport in London on the same day as I arrived. My passport doesn’t actually expire for another 4 years but a lot of South East Asian countries take up a lot of room with visas and stamps so it was very nearly full We decided to look at flights and get booking some things in. We also still didn’t know where Captain Caveman would be working next year so I needed to take as much of my stuff back to Turkey as possible. I booked my flight from Dalaman to London on the 8th July which was €44 (£37.50), hand luggage only, going with easyJet and landing at Gatwick airport at 3am. I would then take the train to Farringdon and walk to an Italian 24 hour cafe where I would meet Captain Caveman at an unspecified time. He would have arrived from Vietnam the day before and would have stayed at his parents’ house in London. We could then get my new passport and stay in London for a few days before going North. Looking at Captain Caveman’s schedule, it made sense for us to have a short break together in Vietnam at the end of June when he had time off. We decided on Danang where I could then start my journey back to Dalyan from. Captain Caveman’s Son Doong tour finished on the 21st of June and there was a train late that night which would get to Danang early in the morning the next day. This meant we could have the weekend in Danang before Captain Caveman had to be back in Phong Nha the following Tuesday and I would go to Turkey. It was decided and Captain Caveman booked my flight from Danang on the 25th, stopping briefly in Saigon, Bangkok and Istanbul before I reached Dalyan. I felt happier knowing it was booked and we knew some plans, I was still concerned that I didn’t have a clue where I would be after Captain Caveman came back to Vietnam at the end of July and for all of August. I’d banked on being able to to do house and petsitting in August and most of September in Dalyan but I couldn’t do that any more, due to the new rules there. I also needed to be in Dalyan around the 23rd August which was when I could apply for my Turkish Residency Renewal appointment. I was about to get in the pool when Chung and Hoan arrived, with fruit and snacks. Hoan brought a watermelon and Chung brought Banh Hoa which is like a doughnut mix in a crispy snack, shaped like a flower and rather moreish. Our friends had a soft drink and a look around the pool area, Chung picked a fruit from the tree near the pool and ate some. That evening, I got a lift with Captain Caveman to Phong Nha Vegan where I tried the Mushroom Congee. I was not expecting to like what they called mushroom porridge but it was amazing. Captain Caveman had taken himself off to the Indian restaurant, Ganesh, and he brought leftovers back too. Back at the homestay we went to bed early (again) and I fell asleep very quickly.
I checked out of the Common Inn at just before 5am on Wednesday 13th March. I’d really enjoyed my 4 night stay there and for a total of 3 million Vietnamese Dong (£95.11), it was definitely worth it. By 5.30am I was checked in at Tan Son Nhat airport for my flight to Dong Hoi. Vietnamese Airlines didn’t give a stuff how many cases I had and let me check 2 in. I didn’t board for over an hour so I had a walk around the airport and noted that the Burger King Cheese Burger and fries were 169,000VND (£5.36) but the Pho at Big Bowl was only 132,000VND (£4.18) for the ordinary beef. Vietnam airports in comparison to UK and Turkey seem not to be quite as much of a rip off, but are still far more expensive than in the towns. My flight was on time and we landed before 9am. Mr Minh Quang was there at Dong Hoi airport, with a sign and a smile, to meet me. He took my bags and spoke great English as we went over to the car. Once at the hotel, around 9.20am, I was able to check-in early and I went for a lay down. I fell asleep immediately and only woke up when Captain Caveman knocked on the door. We had a late brunch at Tree Hugger, walking distance from our hotel, which I’d missed a lot. We both had the refreshing frozen lime and mint drinks, Captain Caveman ordered his favourite egg salad sandwich and I tried the yellow smoothie bowl for the healthier choice. Our meals cost 50,000VND (£1.58) and 60,000VND (£1.90) which was reasonable and I noticed that the White Russians were still the same price as last year.
As we were in Dong Hoi we had arranged to meet Stu and the boys for dinner and, as a treat, Aussie Pete would join us too. Stu chose the Laotian BBQ place to meet but I had to insist that Captain Caveman and I would go for cocktails at Tree Hugger first. I knew the BBQ place, which I’d never been to before, would only have beer to drink and I wasn’t going to have any. We had 2 White Russians each at only 60,000VND (£1.90) each and they were so good. On arrival at the Laotian BBQ place I could already sense that it was very basic and I was concerned about hygiene. Captain Caveman, Stu and Aussie Pete were on the beers but I just ordered bottled water. Stu recommended the beef jerky and the sausage, of which Captain Caveman devoured. I couldn’t stomach trying it as it looked greasy so I just had sticky rice with peanut salt. We had some pork scratchings that come in a packet and were tasty. I needed the toilet and went in the back to find it. Unfortunately, I saw one of the staff/owners scraping animal parts (raw and cooked) in to a gutter which was congealed with fat and blood and I almost puked over the closest customer as I turned to leave. I would have had to step over the waste gunk to access the not so sparkling squat toilet and I just couldn’t face it. When Captain Caveman ordered and ate chicken feet, it was game over for me. I made the mistake of comparing it to the time we’d ate at the bird restaurant with Thuy, the physio, and I had to leave. I was dry wretching as I walked back to the hotel trying my best not to be sick. I got ready for bed, expecting Captain Caveman to make a night of it with Aussie Pete. By 8.30pm, Captain Caveman had returned to the hotel to get me and we were off to Oregano for pizza and beers for him, water for me. I still felt rather queasy but did manage to share some of the lovely Hawaiian and Vegetarian pizzas. Oregano was nice but it closed at 9pm and we were back at the hotel for an early night. In Dong Hoi and Phong Nha it’s common to be in bed by 10pm.
I had my first pho for breakfast on Tuesday 12th March, it was only a Family Mart supermarket one but it was nice and I was able to leave out the chillies. I spoke to Captain Caveman who had some good news, he was not joining the others on the last trip of the caving expedition as he was going to Dong Hoi to renew his Vietnamese Driving licence tomorrow, which meant he would be able to meet me there! I was excited until I realised that he had probably remembered me saying he would miss Steak and Blow Job night on the 14th – and he does love a steak! Captain Caveman had booked us a room at the Minh Quang hotel in Dong Hoi for 2 nights and it was near all of my favourite food places. I was going to visit Soma again for lunch but then realised that Micro Boulingerie was open again today and I fancied a nice sandwich. I really like their cream cheese and cranberry one but they had almost sold out of everything as it’s so popular. I had to make do with a Bluebaba sandwich which I thought wouldn’t really be my thing but it turned out to be such a great combination. Nutella, banana and blueberries on a fresh baguette – definitely not diet friendly but it did have 2 lots of fruit in it. Given that a tablespoon of Nutella is about 4 syns, I was still within my daily allowance so it wasn’t too bad and I ate both halves despite trying to save some for tomorrow’s breakfast.
In the afternoon, I created a little more excitement for myself by venturing out on foot, without a phone or purse, in pursuit of a cash machine. Thao Dien is not a cheap district of Vietnam and it tends to have some really good international places to dine so I’d not be sticking to a budget. It was hard to know how much the car to the airport would be as well as from Dong Hoi airport to the hotel. I found a cash machine and tried 3 times, with my Turkish bank card, but to no avail so I walked a bit further on to find an HSBC. It worked but taking out just 1,000,000VND (£31.65) cost me an extra 13% which was a bit steep. I got back to the hotel and packed as I was leaving at 5am tomorrow morning and didn’t want to be faffing about. I also bought some sourdough from Micro Boulingerie to take to Phong Nha with me. That evening I got a Grab car over to District 1 to meet Quyen, I was early on purpose so that I had time for a quick beer in 7 Bridges and could find the restaurant. My 240ml Yuzu Wheat beer cost 75,000VND (£2.38) and was very nice but I was severely limiting how much beer I drank this year. I’d worked out my maximum was 3, before I noticed my waist size increase. When I arrived, Quyen was outside the closed Japanese place. Luckily, she had a backup plan and we went to Izakaya Ten, another authentic Japanese restaurant which was fantastic. We ordered lots of little sharing dishes, 5 vegetarian, 3 meat and a bottle of plum wine. The prices of them varied from 35,000VND (£1.11) to 68,000VND (£2.16) each and the 360ml of spirit was 230,000VND (£7.30). Everything was so tasty but our favourites were the pork and the steamed gyoza which we ordered a second portion of. We paid 425,000VND (£13.48) each, including tip, which was an absolute bargain and one of the best meals I’ve had. Quyen is also so lovely and easy to spend time with too, she called me a Grab car to go back in and we said farewell until next time. I was in bed by 10pm but I was watching something on Netflix to help me fall asleep. My alarm was set for 4.30am and I was looking forward to my trip to Dong Hoi.
I had a really good day on Monday 11th March and I think I made the most of it on the food and drink front, yet again. When I got up I decided I needed some exercise and to try to stick more to the Slimming World plan for the next couple of days. I didn’t want to be putting the weight I’d tried so hard to lose, back on. It had only just sunk in that I was the lightest weight I’d been in a few years so I was quite proud of myself for not giving up. I walked to Soma, which wasn’t that far but it was quite warm, for a fairly healthy breakfast. I ordered the Berrylicious breakfast for 120,000VND (£3.80) which is definitely more than I’d normally pay for a breakfast in Vietnam but it was absolutely lovely. It contained mixed berries, banana, coconut, strawberries, granola, chia seeds and cocoa nibs so wasn’t exactly diet friendly but it would do. I washed it down with a hibiscus and rose tea which was pretty powerful for 60,000VND (£1.90). I sat and did a bit of editing in the Air Con of Soma where lots of people were working on their laptops. A guy next to me ordered a detox drink which I liked the look of and a woman on the other side was boring a man to death while she talked about how good her business idea was. Neither the man nor I found out what her actual business idea was and I was surprised to see she didn’t tuck in to her breakfast straight away. I was still there for lunch so I decided to have the Masaman udon noodle soup with poached chicken as an added extra and a Red Detox juice. The soup was full of vegetables with a sprinkle of peanuts in and a bargain at 180,000VND (£5.69) and I really enjoyed the drink at 65,000VND (£2.05). I felt so much healthier but the soup did have chillies in which I picked out, only to realise the broccoli had chilli flakes all over it. Soma was lovely and I really enjoyed my meals there, the total bill with the 8% tax on came to 459,000VND (£14.68) so was a bit more than I’d usually spend but I was on holiday and it was excellent value for money.
I walked back to the Common Inn hotel, via a quick look in the Family Mart supermarket and had a bit of a rest and a couple of video calls. My first one was with Captain Caveman who was back in Phong Nha for the night and wasn’t sure if he was on the next expedition tomorrow. He was happy as they had found a few more kilometres of new cave and hadn’t ran out of rope! My next video call was with a contact I’d made from the Race to Recurring Revenue Challenge with Lisa Johnson. We were booked in for a chat at 4.30pm (9.30am her time in the UK) to get advice about setting up an online business without having to do live/speaking on social media. Later, I used the hotel’s free washing machine and dryer to do some laundry and the security guard/handyman helped me, which was kind.
In the evening I managed to install Grab and get a car to take me to one of my favourite wine bars, Soho, where I met Andrea and her friend Wanda. We drank a lovely glass of red wine each at only 80,000VND (£2.53) for a decent portion. We walked to Blu Bar and Grill for dinner where we met Elena and had more wine with dinner. I ate pork wontons which were amazing then shared a chicken dish with Andrea. It had blue cheese in it and came with potatoes and nicely cooked vegetables. It was a lovely night and I really enjoyed myself. I was proud I had managed to get a Grab there and back without issue too, as I’m not great at maps and I still didn’t have a SIM card yet (nowhere in Thao Dien sells Viettel ones). I stopped at the Family Mart to stock up on water and snacks and ended up with a rather tasty pork gyoza for 9,000VND (28p). By 11.20pm I was ready for bed and looking forward to my last day in Saigon tomorrow.
I had no idea what time or day it was when I woke up on Sunday 10th March. My watch said 5.30am but it was hot and sunny. I just remembered getting a Grab taxi with Andrea and Elena after the first set of the band at Acoustic bar last night. I’d paid 850,000vnd (£27.19) in total for my Mexican food and drinks. I recall not paying for the glass of wine I had in Acoustic and Andrea had paid for the Grab. I remembered getting the quiet Vietnamese group next to me to dance and then we were headbanging to Highway to Hell just before we realised it was definitely time to leave. The others had work in the morning and I was starting to get a bit of jet lag. Today, wasn’t to be wasted though, as I had people to see. I met Keith (from Grimsby) and his girlfriend, Trinh, at the Bia Craft bar near to where I was staying. We had water, beer and some nibbles. I ordered BBQ pork and edamame beans which were lovely. Keith noticed the increased price of a small craft ale being 39,000VND (£1.25) now so we didn’t stay long. My total bill came to 225,000VND (£7.20) which I didn’t think was too steep. We called at a roadside bar, called Twister, for one more beer where a draft Tiger lager was 60,000VND (£1.92) so quite pricey really. Our next place to visit was a favourite of Keith’s, where he gets all his lunches from for work. Soma was really nice and we ended up chatting to the owner, Scotty, who seemed familiar but we couldn’t work out if we had met before. The food there was healthy so I made a note to come here while I was staying at The Common Inn. Scotty bought us some beers so I couldn’t work out the individual price but I remember they were less than Twister, which was good. That evening, I stayed in at the hotel and for my dinner I had a ham sandwich from Micro Boulingerie, next door, where they do the most amazing sandwiches. I also forgot that I had supposedly given up chocolate for lent and ate a chocolate cookie which I’d bought at Soma. My Netflix had issues with my device being in Vietnam, instead of Turkey, even though it’s a Vietnamese account so I had to faff about getting a code from Seamus to be able to finish off a series I’d started. At 9pm (2pm UK time) I video called my parents for my first call with them from Vietnam. I didn’t go to bed/sleep until gone midnight as my head still thought it was only 8pm.
I was served another inflight meal at 3.15am on Saturday 9th March. I almost declined it as they said it was omelette but it consisted of chicken sausage and garlic spinach with the omelette on the side so it was edible. At 5.30am (local time), I was off the plane and walking through Bangkok airport. My next flight was due to fly at 7.45am to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) so I didn’t have an awful lot of time for fannying about. We boarded my third plane at about 7am and, after taking off on time, I got given another nice Thai Airways meal; fruit salad, prawn spaghetti, a hot drink and a water. By 10am, Vietnamese time, I was in the very long immigration queue at Saigon airport. I met a nice couple in front of me in the queue who were in Vietnam for the first time and were on their honeymoon. They had the 45 day visa exemption which is available for UK passport holders. I had purchased a 90 day multiple entry visa online for $50 prior to coming to Vietnam and had it printed out ready. The man at immigration checked my 90 day visa and all was smooth with the stamp in to Vietnam, allowing me to remain in the country until the 5th June. Just 52 minutes later, I was outside in the humidity and hot sun. I got a taxi from the domestic terminal of the airport, which should have cost less, to the Common Inn in Thao Dien (District 2). I ended up paying 350,000vnd (£11.25) but at least it wasn’t as bad as the last trip where they tried to con me out of 2,000,000VND and we had to report it.
The check-in time at the Common Inn was 2pm but I was allowed in before noon, glad of a shower and a lay down. That evening, I met Andrea and some of her friends for margaritas and Mexican food at District Federal, in Thao Dien. The margaritas were great te food so tasty and we had a good laugh. It was a brilliant night, ending in watching a live band at Acoustic bar who finished the first half of their gig with an amazing rendition of Highway to Hell.
My 30 day Vietnamese visa expired on Thursday 29th June so I was leaving and going back to Turkey via Rhodes. By 6am I was in the car to Saigon airport, which Captain Caveman had paid 400,000vnd (£13.20) for. By 6.24am I was in the check-in queue for my first flight, to Doha, Qatar. I’d previously had a bad experience at Doha airport and had not been since but now the price of the ticket had swung it. Qatar Airways is one of the best airlines to fly with too so it was time to try Doha again. I hoped it would be ok as I had a 12 hour 20 minute lay over there, which was going to hurt! Saigon airport was easy but pricey as I paid 178,000vnd (£5.87) for a very nice ham and cheese baguette and by 9.10am I was sat in my pre-booked seat, of 34C, ready for take off. I’d been given the opportunity to upgrade to business class for about $1,000 but I didn’t take it. I actually found the economy seats on Qatar Airlines so much comfier than on the Scoot Airlines flight I had taken out here. I’d definitely done the right thing selecting a Gluten Free meal as it was pretty bland but suited me well; prawn salad to start, a chicken stew with veg, two lots of corn bread and jelly with fruit for afters. Free drinks were a godsend too as it meant I didn’t have to worry about getting enough water, which was lovely. When I landed, I knew I had to occupy myself in Doha airport until I could board my next flight at just after midnight. I have a lounge pass but was determined to not use it straight away, so I waited until I’d been there a couple of hours. I did everything leisurely and walked for miles checking out the airport – there were a lot of expensive designer shops. Doha airport has definitely cleaned itself up since I was last there and I was impressed with the garden area and the fact that you can get drinking water very easily for free. At 3.15pm I was in the lounge and had some nice food and quite a lot of wine for the next 4 hours. It was big, but busy, and had a few too many naughty children in it to feel relaxed, despite one of the manager’s attempts to control their behaviour. I spent the last 3 hours of the day just wandering about the very empty and quite chilly airport, willing the time on for me to get on my second flight, to Frankfurt in Germany.
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!
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.
joloyolo 