Dalyan – 1st & 2nd August

I had another healthy day on Tuesday 1st August. For breakfast I had banana, peach, strawberries with quark and a herbal tea. I went to buy another water for the cooler to find it had now gone up to 50 lira (£1.50) for 19 litres but he did deliver it quicker than last time.
For lunch I had a chicken and veg pasta then I worked for about 3 hours in the afternoon, once it had cooled down a bit. I was conscious that I was off to Fat Club tomorrow so I was trying my best to be good, it was my third day without alcohol too. I had wholemeal toast for dinner and then decided to pop out to the shops because there seemed to be an increase in the amount of ants we had in the apartment. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros supermarket

Boiled beans 16.90
Bulgur wheat 27.95
Tomato paste 32.50
Ant spray 45.25
Total spent 199.15 lira (£5.96)

Şarküteri
2 tins Heinz baked beans 90.00
Cheddar cheese 110.00
Total spent 200.00 lira (£5.98)

The English products were obviously more expensive here but I really fancied treating myself to beans and cheese.

I was on a last-ditch attempt to have lost weight this week on Wednesday 2nd August. I weighed myself on the home scales and I seemed to have done ok but we would have to go by Carol’s official scales at Fat Club. My measurements were less favourable; bust -2cm, waist +2cm, hips +3cm. This wasn’t boding well for a loss this week and I had consumed 266 syns in total, on a 110 syn allowance!
I’d done an hour’s work when I noticed the water in the cooler was only half full – it was leaking! I googled how to fix it and did, then mopped up the floor! I had slimming world friendly ‘pancakes’ for breakfast which were made from 2 of my least favourite foods; eggs and bananas mashed together and cooked. I drank 2 Lotus teas and a litre of water, I also made 3 omelettes and popped them in the freezer for egg fried rice at a later date. For lunch I had veggie pasta and another litre of water.
I finished work at 2.30pm and walked over to Fat Club. I was pleased to find that I had actually lost 0.8kg (1.8lbs) which was great. I went back home to finish off some work before heading back out to the bank and then to Rehab bar to see whoever was left of the pool gang. Mark, Kate, John and Andrea were still there so I joined them for a drink, with it being pay day. I limited myself to 2 pints of draft Efes and then joined Mark and Kate for another drink (a glass of red wine) at Rodrigo’s. Mark ordered a burger from the burger place next door while Kate and I had chicken rice and chickpeas (really tasty and healthier) from across the road.
I walked home via the river and took some photos of the boats along the way. After a cup of tea, I had an early night as I was working tomorrow and then off for a week of cat sitting.

Dalyan – 30th & 31st July

I had a day with a difference on Sunday 30th July! As it was the weekend and I didn’t have to work, I decided to take Adele up on her offer of a trip to Fethiye. We had heard some hype about the new Barbie film and had decided we would go to see it at the cinema in the Erasta centre. I had cherries and blueberries for breakfast before meeting Adele at the Dalyan bus station. It was 40 lira (£1.20) from Dalyan to Ortaca where we grabbed water and mints and changed on to the Fethiye bus. That bus was 50 lira (£1.50) and took almost an hour. The cinema tickets were 105 lira (£3.14) each and the next showing wasn’t until 4.45pm. We went to a cafe where I had chicken, salad and pasta with a sparkling water, Adele had soup and a dessert. My food came to a very reasonable 150 lira (£4.49) and was very nice. We also bought cherries to eat in the cinema but we were too full to manage them. In the chemist I bought a Dove deodorant stick which was on offer for 94 Lita (£2.81) and comes in handy to roll on thighs to prevent chub rub on a hot day.
The film was weird and I wasn’t sure I’d have carried on watching it, if it had been on the TV but it was certainly interesting. A handful of people walked out which is a first experience for me to witness. We also saw some trailers for other films which looked of interest and hoped to come again.
On the way back to Dalyan, the prices of the buses were slightly different; the bus from Fethiye to Ortaca was 48 lira (£1.44), then the bus to Dalyan was only 20 lira (60p) which was half the price of the way there.
I had cheese and biscuits for a snack at home and then was off to bed, ready for a busy Monday!

I managed to work 6 hours on Monday 31st July, between 10am and 9.30pm. As it was still very hot in Dalyan, I’d found it was easier to spread my hours over 3 or 4 days rather doing it all in 2 days.
I had a cup of Yorkshire tea, fruit and quark for breakfast, then made a veggie wrap pizza for lunch.
When I finished work, I wasn’t hungry so I just did a chicken schnitzel in the airfryer.
The year seemed to be going so fast but this did mean that it was only one more month until I saw Captain Caveman again and only 30 days until I could start to apply for my Turkish residency renewal appointment date.

Dalyan – 26th to 28th July

On Wednesday 26th July I made a concerted effort to get back in control of the diet and budget. I had a month until my friends from England visited and I wanted to be able to lose a bit of weight and save some money before they arrived. The last few weeks had been very slack in both those departments and I needed to get back on it.

I had strawberries, cherries and quark for breakfast with cinnamon tea then I remembered to take my measurements. I’d put 1cm on my bust, stayed the same on my waist and lost 1cm from my hips.
I had cheese, rice crackers and olives with more cinnamon tea for lunch and I worked until 2.35pm.
At 3pm I was at Fat Club to face Carol’s scales and start again on my weight loss journey. To my absolute amazement, I’d lost 0.3kg this week and was able to rush back to my laptop feeling quite motivated. I finished work at 5.35pm and went to see which reprobates were left at Rehab bar after pool. It was just the hardcore few so I had a couple of pints of Efes with Mark and Kate who I’d not seen properly in ages and I’d missed them. We took a photo of the 3 of us to send to Steve and Michelle, in Rhodes, who were really going through some horrendous fire situations and we wanted them to know we were thinking of them.

I got a lift with Mark and Kate, on the puff truck, round to Jamie’s where I had been invited over for an impromptu BBQ. I tried to be good and only drank half a bottle of red wine, had plain chicken, beef and salad. Unfortunately I found it impossible to resist Drew’s homemade croutons, nan bread, peanuts and Nanny Kay’s brownie. I’d been feeling a little sad, worrying about Steve and Michelle, their friends and all the animals affected by the Rhodes fires. Everyone did their best to cheer me up, Nanny Kay even wore her sandals which she’d got from Rhodes and we sent love to Steve and Michelle to try to show support. Towards the end of the night we even discussed a mini break to Rhodes with my friends.
As we were leaving, Ann suggested a nightcap in town so she and I popped to Cafe Ivy for a drink. I got home and went straight to bed, looking forward to a lazy day tomorrow.

I helped a friend with a holiday itinerary on Thursday 27th July and did a few chores at home. I popped a beef and pumpkin curry in to the slow cooker for dinner too. It was far too hot to go out but I did need some provisions. I made a shopping list for when the sun had gone down. Steve and Michelle were back home but there was still a chance of resurgence as the winds were unpredictable in Rhodes. I had fruit for lunch and drank lots of water and herbal tea.
By 7pm I’d been to the bank and was swanning round Migros getting some shopping in. They didn’t have all that I had on my list so I also had to go to Şok, here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros supermarket

2 Quark 23.80
1 Tupperware box 25.37
1 pack Linden tea 27.50
Blueberries 29.90
Bananas 34.44
Rice 41.50
Kitchen roll 48.77
575g mince beef 109.00
Total spent 340.28 lira (£10.23)

Şok supermarket

Chicken meatballs 27.50
Jasmin rice 29.50
Chicken burgers 33.50
Oats 34.00
Cheese balls 42.50
Basmati rice 44.50
Pizza wraps 44.90
Total spent 256.40 (£7.71)

My beef curry was lovely, I had plenty left for the freezer and I was ready for another early night.

On Friday 28th July my friend, Annie, let us know that she was on her way to Dalyan. As I ate my breakfast, she suggested that her and I join a boat trip tomorrow as the weather forecast for the next few days was scorching hot with very little breeze. Of course, what kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t go one better than joining an existing boat trip. Before lunch I’d arranged a private boat trip with Princess of Ekincik and invited a few friends to join us.
I had fruit for breakfast, and a pizza wrap in the airfryer for lunch because the AC man was due over. I’d asked Leanne at King Emlak if we could get a workman round to service the units as they didn’t seem to be working properly. She’d just messaged me to say he would have to come over the weekend, when he arrived. He proceeded to drag the TV, which is directly beneath the living room AC unit, from the wall. This ripped the wires out of situ and disrupted the small DVD cupboard as it’s all attached. He was not careful at all so I rushed in to help, wearing what can only be described as beachwear. In the end, I had to go and sit on the balcony as he was making a bit of a mess and I was annoyed that he’d pulled all the wires out for the TV and internet out when I had no idea how to put them back.
He took a while, had to replace two broken capacitors and I still wasn’t sure how much more than a service it was going to cost me. When he left he didn’t even clean the floors and told me to get the mop out! Luckily, he did fix the cupboard and TV, making sure that and the internet worked, so I was relieved. I tried to get Leanne to send a cleaner but she was busy so it looked like I’d have to do it. On a more positive note, the AC was working much better and it was pretty chilly. Leanne even gave me a great AC tip; put it on to dehumidifier around 25°C and it will do it’s thing!
I ate leftover beef curry, with nan bread warmed in the airfryer, for dinner. I’d had trouble getting the remaining curry in to the freezer so I took a random box of Tupperware out with pineapple in so that I could finish that off.

Dalyan – 24th & 25th July

By 9am on Monday 24th July I was off to the bank to draw out more cash. I’d promised to pick up 3 boxes of baklava for Morgan and April to take home as gifts. I got it fresh from the bakery and went for the medium sized boxes, hoping they weren’t already over their weight allowance on hand luggage as it was very heavy. When I arrived, Gayle was still tidying, Neil was moving stuff downstairs and the girls weren’t quite ready. They had all kindly left me some spare toiletries and food which Gayle had bagged up for me. She also mentioned there was ice-cream and wine in the fridge, including the remaining half bottle from yesterday that I’d taken over. In the kerfuffle of them leaving, moving luggage and me getting the bag of gubbings, we left without the ice-cream and wine!
We had hugs, said our farewells and I was genuinely sad to see them leave. It had been lovely to share a big part of their family holiday and we’d had so many laughs. I was going to miss them a lot and the itinerary plans! If you think I’m funny, you should meet my sister – she really is hilarious! I waved Fikri’s taxi off with tears in my eyes and then walked back to mine.
I worked from 1pm to 7.30pm with a break for food and I decided I needed to spend the next week getting back to the Slimming World plan and saving money for my next adventures. I made a diet friendly pizza for dinner and had a much needed early night.

Tuesday 25th July was a quiet day for me in Dalyan. I’d been in communication with Steve and Michelle in Lardos who had managed to go back to check on things but it was still pretty horrendous over there.
I got up late, ate fruit with quark for brunch and worked from 12.30 until 8.30pm with a break in the middle to chat to a drunken Captain Caveman in Vietnam. I ventured out to buy a replacement water for 40 lira (£1.20) but the guy forgot to bring it round and I had to chase him. I had a chicken and veggie wrap for dinner with some Airfryer chips. I’d not even counted my syns this week but tomorrow I had to face Carol’s scales at Fat Club. I was bound to have put weight on but I was determined to get back on it.

Dalyan – 23rd July

It was Gayle, Neil, Morgan and April’s last day and night in Dalyan on Sunday 23rd July as they were leaving tomorrow morning.
They had planned to have a cleaning, tidying and packing day followed by lounging and swimming round the pool for their last day. They had booked to go out for a meal and I was going to have another day off. We’d had a great time and, surprisingly, not one fall out or complaint.
In the afternoon I got flight confirmation from my friends, Kelly and Clare, who were coming to visit me next month. I was looking forward to seeing them after 4 years of not being able to see each other.
Later, I went over to where my sister and family were staying and we had a dip in the pool. Some friends from Fethiye and Mark stopped by just to say hello and I met them at the gate for a few minutes.
When I went back in, the family were getting ready and said I should join them for their last dinner out in Dalyan.

I’ve not been to La Bohème this year, it was very busy but we had a reserved table by the river, overlooking the rock tombs. We decided cocktails would be a good idea and I ordered a pornstar martini. We shared the meze plate for starters and each of us ordered some really good main courses. My surf and turf was one of the best meals I’d had in Dalyan. We shared wine and had a brilliant last night celebrating a wonderful holiday. As we came to pay the bill, there was a power cut which meant we all had to put our cash in to pay.

The girls weren’t too pleased about that as they had been promised a look round the shops. A lot of the shops were unable to take card payments but we did find a couple that could so the girls could get some souvenirs.
On our walk back towards home we decided that it wouldn’t be a farewell send off without a quick drink in Bistro Blue.
We must have left about 12.30am as I have a receipt for the drinks at that time and the electric in Dalyan was back on.

Dalyan – 22nd July

After a hot and humid night’s sleep, the temperature on Saturday 22nd July felt like the hottest day so far in Dalyan. It was already above 33°C when I got up and was forecast to be 43°C in the afternoon.
Today I was having a day and night off while the family went on a jeep safari and then for a meal at Alegria. Yesterday’s amazing boat trip had been paid for by Gayle and Neil so I’d only had to pay for my wine. I felt very grateful that I’d only spent 600 lira (£18) and was off to the market today for some provisions. Due to the heat and weather warnings I went at a more sensible hour. I bought 2 red peppers, 4 green peppers, 1 red cabbage, 500g of cherries, 1 punnet of strawberries and 6 peaches which cost 193 lira (£5.80) then had to call at a new cafe on the way back. It was hot and I needed refreshment so I called in to Asaf Bey which had been recommended on Facebook groups for coffee and cake. I’m not a coffee drinker so I had a juice and a water which took a good while to be served as there were already 2 other customers. It’s a nice place, the staff are friendly and they do the traditional coffee, made in sand. I personally didn’t like much on the menu but they had a fan on and it was a nice place to cool down a little. I paid 50 lira (£1.50) for my 2 drinks and a cool down in a nice peaceful environment so I was happy as I went out in to the now midday sun.
On the way home I bought lavaş wraps, cherry juice and smoked turkey at Migros supermarket for a total of 117.50 lira (£3.53). I made a turkey, cabbage, carrot and quark wrap for lunch, whacked on the AC and rested up.
The weather forecast had been accurate and it was extremely hot, the humidity had dropped though. Unfortunately, other countries were suffering the heat far worse than us and things in Rhodes had took a turn for the worse. There were forest fires which were spreading across certain areas in Rhodes and, by 2pm my friends, Steve and Michelle, were having to evacuate their home in Lardos. It looked pretty scary and I was worried about the people I knew there. I offered to put them up at our place and said if it got worse to get on a ferry to Fethiye and come to Dalyan.
For dinner I made a chicken and veg stir fry which I ate while worrying about my pals in Rhodes. I had an early night but didn’t sleep much as I was watching the Rhodes news.

Dalyan – 19th July

It was weigh day on Wednesday 19th July and I had a quiet day planned. In the last week I’d been on 2 boat trips, a hen party, a leaving meal, a wedding and a meal out last night. I’d drank alcohol 5 nights out of 7 so it was bound to not be a good result at Fat Club this afternoon. I took my measurements in the morning;
Bust +2cm,
Waist -4cm,
Hips -1cm.
I think the waist measurement was a fluke and I still wanted to lose another 5cm there.
I couldn’t work in the morning as I had internet issues but I started work after lunch. I had leftover lentil Bolognese with airfried aubergine chips and it tasted great.
At Fat Club I had put on 1kg and really needed to get back on it, once my family had gone. On my way home I called at Migros Supermarket to buy provisions and I even got some items with the airfryer in mind.
Here’s what I bought and prices in lira:
6 eggs 24.95
2 Quark 29.90
Cheese triangles 32.95
500g cherries 39.90
Beetroot 44.90
1.8kg whole chicken 88.82
Total spent 261.42 lira (£7.82).

I was pleased with the shop as I got a bag full for less than £10 quite easily.
Back home, I popped the whole chicken in the airfryer as adviced by Fat Club Carol and got back to work. I did another 3 hours of work before eating the chicken which was an absolute success. I ate chicken with courgettes and mushrooms, also done in the airfryer while I carved up the chicken. I saved the carcass and skin to make a stock for soups another day.

Dalyan – 12th July

It was another expensive day on Wednesday 12th July as well as it being my first Fat Club since the beginning of May. I did my measurements to find I’d lost 1cm from my bust, no change to my hips and I had put 2cm back on my waist. My home scales said I was 0.4kg heavier than last week at Steve and Michelle’s so I wasn’t holding out for a good result on Carol’s scales this afternoon.
I spent 520 lira (£15.50) for 2 month’s worth of internet, and 72 lira (£2.15) at Migros where I bought 2 Quark, 3 packets of pasta and fabric softener. On the way home I bought a replacement water for the cooler, which was 30 lira (89p) for 19 litres.
I worked from 12.15 to 2.45pm then popped to Fat Club. To my amazement it wasn’t as bad a result as I thought it would be; I was 1.5kg (3.3lb) lighter on Carol’s scales than I had been on Steve and Michelle’s last week. I was happy with that and had a spring in my step as I walked to the hairdresser’s. I paid 600 lira (£17.89) for a colour, cut and blow dry with Emrah then went back home to carry on working. I had the leftover chicken shish from My Arancia the night before last and it was even tastier than the original. I served it with steamed rice to try to keep healthy, for a change.
When I finished work at 8.30pm my parents and the rest of the family were still at their apartments, having some drinks after a BBQ by the pool and had invited me round. I took some soda waters so that I could be good and have a night off the booze as I had work tomorrow. They were having another boozey one but I did well to resist and I didn’t join mom and my nieces in the pool as I’d just had my hair done. I left before 11.30pm which I didn’t think was bad to say I was sober.

Rhodes – 6th July

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.

Rhodes – 3rd to 5th July

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;

1 Bounty 0.95
1 pack wine gums 0.95
1 pack cream crackers 1.05
2 packs of plain noodles 1.28
1 pack oriental noodles 1.91
100g Stilton cheese 1.94
1 pack of sausages 2.57
1 Lurpak butter 3.57
200g Feta cheese 3.75
Total spent 17.97 Euros (£15.35)

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.

Rhodes – 1st July

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.

Doha to Rhodes – 30th June

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.

Saigon – 27th June

Tuesday 27th June was the last day that Captain Caveman and I would spend together until the end of August! To say we gave the ball a right old kick might be considered a slight understatement to some. We didn’t bother with breakfast, on account that we were still full from yesterday’s gastronomic delights. Instead, we checked out of the Common Inn before noon and got a Grab taxi over to our next hotel, La Paix Boutique Hotel, in District 1 where Captain Caveman would stay tonight and I would stay for 2 nights, before our respective flights. After dropping our bags off, we went for an early lunch at a place Captain Caveman had suggested and knew I would love! Gyoza No Chikara is a small Japanese restaurant which was probably the best food I’d had all holiday – Japanese food is one of my all time favourites. We had lots of different gyoza (dumplings), beer and edamame beans and it was all fantastic. Captain Caveman paid via his bank on his phone so I didn’t see the bill but each dish was between 80,000vnd and 138,000vnd (£2.64 and £4.55) each.

Our next stop was to another shopping centre where we went to the Lock & Lock shop. I wanted an air fryer but they didn’t have the one I wanted in stock, I also was very impressed by the heated lunch boxes but could see no reason I would need one as a grown adult. Captain Caveman eyed up a very fandangled clothes rack and he bought a shower holster gadget for 138,000vnd (£4.55), for me to take to Turkey.
While we had been in the shopping centre a rain spell had been on it’s way so, as we tried to walk back to the hotel, we had to take shelter. We managed to brave the rain and break the journey up by getting as far as Malt pub, which was closed but did have a small sheltered area outside. It opened at 3pm and we went in for a quick pint before making our way round the corner to the hotel to get ready for tonight’s last night out together. Captain Caveman was not impressed that I had my shitty flipflops on which were next to useless in wet weather but we made it back without any injuries.

Captain Caveman wore one of his new shirts to go out on the town so I wore one of Fat Club Carol’s dresses, still lucky to fit in it! The Racha Room had happy hour and offers on dumplings from 5pm until 8pm so we managed a couple of hours in there. We had quite a few cocktails and loads of the dumplings, bao buns and gyoza which were delicious. Again, Captain Caveman paid so I didn’t see the bill but everything we had was 50% off, so a bargain.

Captain Caveman had been given another recommendation to try so we went to Layla’s Eatery & Bar next. It was situated on Dong Du, up some rather unsafe and very worn looking stairs – if I’d been alone, I’d have not bothered going. At the top of the stairs was a massive, and rather popular with the locals, cool establishment with a great cocktail menu. For the first drink I ordered a pornstar martini, Captain Caveman had a Salted Caramel Espresso martini – they were both excellent! My next cocktail was a Pina Colada which came served in a coconut and was super strong, while Captain Caveman played it safe with a classic whisky sour. We also ordered a cheese platter and we were very impressed – it was probably the best I’d had in Vietnam. The cocktails were only 99,000vnd each (£3.27) and the cheese platter 295,000vnd (£9.74) so we were even more impressed when we got the bill. We loved Layla’s and that Pina Colada took me almost an hour to drink! I don’t remember getting back to the hotel that night but apparently we were back before 9.30pm!

Saigon – 26th June

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 – 25th June

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)

CH Medicare
1 pack Sanitary towels 22,000
1 Nivea deodorant 52,000
2 boxes tampons 140,000
Total spent 214,000vnd (£7.06)

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.