Dong Hoi – 10th June

Captain Caveman had an appointment at the ultrasound clinic on Monday 10th June, first thing. I popped to the chemist to try to get contraceptive pills but none of the 3 pharmacies I tried, had them.
We went in to town afterwards and, while Captain Caveman went to the Gold shop, I went to another pharmacy. I had to settle for a different kind of pill, which I know gives me side effects but I had no choice. Here’s what I bought, prices in Dong;

Pharmacy
1 Diclofenac 27,000
1 Loperamide 27,500
5 Ibuprofen 194,000
6 Contraceptive pill 898,800
Total 1,147,300VND (£34.80)

At the WinMart Captain Caveman bought bread, crisps and 2 bottles of cheap Italian wine for when Stu and the boys arrived later. They were due back later than expected so we tried the Banh My place next to the gold shop, as recommended by Duc at Cang’s vintage clothing. It was cheap and tasty and didn’t have all the pâté in, that I don’t like. After the sandwich, we ventured in to the market just as it was starting to get quite sweaty. Captain Caveman wanted to get something specific for his cousin’s wedding which we were going to in July. Our next stop for a bit of light refreshment was our favourite coconut stall and coffee shop. The man there is super friendly and hard working so we have been going to that particular guy since we were recommended him by Thao a few years ago.

Back at the house, Captain Caveman was in charge of kitchen cleaning and feeding the dogs while I had the sweaty job of hoovering up. We cleaned the house as best we could before having our cheese sandwiches for lunch. I told each dog (separately) that their family was coming home and I think they understood. Over the 10 days we had been looking after them I’d gained their trust by telling them short stories about dogs who were scared of the people looking after them.
Stu and the boys were due in around 5.30pm but I couldn’t wait to open the wine and had started celebrating their return without them. Rodger had always listened to my stories but Terror was having none of them, until today when I told him a story about a dog who’s owner had returned from a holiday and was very excited to see his pets. Terror jumped on to the sofa and licked my face and he knew his family was coming back.
When Stu and Max returned (Jack had gone straight to meet someone at the airport), they took it in turns to greet the dogs. Rodger was first and was so excited he did a wee while Terror whined to be let out of Jack’s room. When Jack returned briefly they got excited again and were very pleased to have the boys back.
The boys drank beer, I had a bottle of red wine to myself and we ordered takeaway from Oregano, of pizza and potato gratin. It was a good welcome back, we decided to stay over one more night and Max gave us his room again. Tomorrow we would head back to Phong Nha where I had just 10 nights left before I started my journey back to Turkey.

Dong Hoi – 9th June

Sunday 9th June was one of my favourite days in Dong Hoi (possibly ever)! My plan to meet Thuy yesterday had been moved to today and I was very much looking forward to seeing my old physiotherapist from when I tore my ligaments. Our first mission was to have breakfast at the pho place. We had underestimated how busy Pho Ly Quoc Su would be on a Sunday and they had run out of 2 of the Pho Bo dishes that Captain Caveman had chosen. We managed, it was still delicious and didn’t take too long to come, despite the busy restaurant. Back home Terror had got a little braver, wanting some attention even, so I had a game of football with him before we had to leave. He only has a wooden block, no balls, but he was happy with it.

Captain Caveman and I took a Grab taxi to Thuy’s new premises in Dong Hoi just before lunch time. There were lots of plastic shower shoes on the steps to swap our shoes for, but Captain Caveman’s feet were too big for any of them to fit. We waited in reception and Thuy came to meet us to show us around her very impressive physio business. I saw the lady who worked at the old place who used to make the heated wraps and she had helped me get to the toilet a few times while I’d been having the numerous hours of physio. She was really pleased to see us as we walked round, Thuy proudly showing us all the amazing rooms and facilities. When we had completed the thorough tour of the building, we had a few photos outside then Thuy called her driver to take us to her home. Since I’d last seen her, Thuy and her family had also moved house, and it was really nice and fancy. We were given some water, fruit and yoghurt while the rest of the family got ready. I met the children, Tin and Su, who I used to spend time practicing English with, before Covid. Tin was super confident and fluent in English now and Su was doing very well as Tin chatted on. Thuy and her husband had invited Captain Caveman and I to join the 4 of them plus Thuy’s sister for lunch. This time we were not going to the bird restaurant, which I was pleased about.

Thuy’s husband drove Captain Caveman, me, Thuy, her 2 kids and sister to Geminai restaurant. Captain Caveman and I hadn’t been for about a year and it had definitely had some changes and improvements. Because I’m fussy with food, I ordered my own Prawn Pad Thai but the rest of the adults ordered dishes to share. There was one pork dish with a bone in which looked impressive as well as duck and seafood rice dishes. Captain Caveman and I had a beer and the kids were allowed a Coke, they were exceptionally well behaved. Thuy wanted Tin and Su to pose for photos with us and Su was nervous so I told her she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. She was super cute and gave me a hug and a kiss, which considering she was only 2 years old when I last saw her, was trusting. The lunch was amazing and I really enjoyed my food, as well as watching Captain Caveman don the plastic gloves to sort the meat out for the table.

I was not expecting Thuy to pay the entire bill, which was so lovely of her, but she also wanted to treat us some more. We stopped by the market so that she could buy some fruit, including our favourite mangosteens. Our next stop was the Phuc Long coffee shop where we were treated to a coffee for Captain Caveman and a peach tea for me. Tin and Su were super comfortable around us by this time and were chatting really well to me. I’m not usually a child person but I loved these two and they were so cute as well as very clever. On the ride back to Stu’s house we joked about the stinky squid drying. When we stopped to get out they all smelled the stench and didn’t get out of the car so I did hugs from inside. It had been an amazing day and I felt very lucky.

Having had such a lovely day, we decided to finish off the evening with another meal out. We walked both dogs (separately) who were now very friendly and behaving nicely. Stu and the boys were due back tomorrow and were in Saigon tonight. Originally we had planned to leave on Monday morning, as Captain Caveman had his briefing that night. However, his tour had been swapped and he was no longer working tomorrow. We got a taxi to Khoi Bistro and had a really lovely meal with craft beer. Captain Caveman had a seafood omelette which, quite frankly, made my stomach turn but he enjoyed it and I had a pork dish as my initial choice of duck was sold out. It was busy with it being a weekend and there was a massive private party but the owner still found time to chat to us. Our bill came to 455,000VND (£13.80) which was very good value considering that included mussels and a 2 litre keg of beer. We really enjoyed it and to top off a fantastic day, when we got back home, Terror jumped up on to the sofa for strokes and kisses. Rodger took himself off to bed in our (Max’s) room and slept next to the fan at the bottom of our bed.

Phong Nha – 15th May

Wednesday 15th May was weigh day again and I was still trying to keep an eye on my weight and measurements. As Captain Caveman was off back in to the cave today, I hoped I could limit the alcohol syns a bit over the next 4 days. After saying bye to Captain Caveman, I took my measurements as follows;
Bust +1cm,
Waist +2cm,
Hips +1cm.
Having had 3 times the syn allowance in a week it was no surprise that I was over target on waist and hips now.
On my way to Phong Nha Vegan I called in to the pharmacy to buy some medication and use their iffy scales.

Pharmacy
Gofen 400mg ibuprofen 38,800
Total 38,800VND (£1.20)

According to the reading I was 1kg (2.2lb) heavier than last week so now I was 4kg heavier than my target. I still had 6 weeks left in Vietnam so I could hopefully achieve it. Captain Caveman and I were due to be in Sheffield in 9 weeks time too, for the first time in 2.5 years for me. When I arrived at the Vegan, which opens at 10am, everything was locked and no one was about. I messaged Chung and Hoan but neither of them were available and there was no shade.
I went to The Villa’s for breakfast where I had a fresh passion fruit juice, chicken noodle soup with extra lettuce and a pot of Jasmine tea and paid 120,000VND (£3.71).
My next stop was to meet Chung at Phong Nha Vegan for lunch and a chat, as she was now available. After sharing a Banh Xeo (Vietnamese rice flour pancake) with Chung and trying the fresh carrot and orange juice, it was time to cycle back, in the hot sun, to my homestay for a shower and a rest. I called in to the shop and got some treats;

WinMart Supermarket
Chupa Chups jellies 11,300
Peanut M&Ms 12,900
Snickers bar 19,400
Total spent 50,100VND (£1.55)

The new Snickers was a bit different but it wasn’t terrible.
When I arrived back at Phong Nha Vegan around 6pm, Hoan was there but there was no sign of Chung. She eventually arrived with a pizza box from The Villa’s which she had collected for us to share for dinner. Hoan had decided to treat us as a thanks for helping her. There was a vegetarian pizza with a half cheese on and half not – genius, vegan pizza for Hoan and veggie for the rest of us. It was delicious and we also enjoyed some hot herbal tea and some fresh spring rolls for good measure. I left the vegan about 9pm and cycled back to Phong Nha Homestay for a much needed rest. I was looking forward to a chilled out day tomorrow too.

Phong Nha – 18th April

I was feeling partially human on Thursday 18th April and had decided I was never drinking again. Captain Caveman was off in to the big cave so we were up early, having had a good rest at our latest accommodation, Phong Nha Homestay. We had 2 big double beds and a small balcony, overlooking the mountains and some wriggly tin. The bathroom was small but very functional and the place was super clean.

We went to Oxalis for breakfast where I had an orange juice and a bacon sandwich as I was hungry after hardly eating yesterday. I said goodbye to Captain Caveman who would be back out on Sunday afternoon. Almost instantly, I had a bad stomach and had to cycle back to the hotel. Luckily, I’ve found you can’t shit yourself on a bicycle so I was ok while ever I rode Bluey but it was touch and go in the supermarket. I had to leave promptly after buying sugar free milk, 5 Grains savoury biscuits and more tissues (I was still suffering with that cold from Hanoi) at a total cost of 90,000VND (£2.77).
That afternoon, I had a wedding to go to and the heat could not have been much hotter if it tried. I spent a couple of hours resting and blogging before I had to go but I really didn’t relish the temperature and humidity out there. Tatas had also arranged for a car to take the Aussies and her over to Phong Nha Farmstay for a pool afternoon and I had agreed to meet them there for dinner after the wedding.

Chung offered to give me a lift to the wedding at 3.30pm from outside my accommodation and we went with Ca Chua from Lantern restaurant and Moon from Funny Monkeys. On arrival, we met with Pe Map and Giang and we formed a girls only table. Lan looked fantastic and I was surprised that she wasn’t sweating as much as I was! I also didn’t have a nice dress to wear as they were all in the laundry at Oxalis so I wore one that had a nice colour, orange!
I was determined I wouldn’t be eating at the wedding as the outside temperature is certainly not conducive to the safe keeping of the food usually offered. However, with me being the only white Western woman on a table of friendly Vietnamese women, most of them mothers, I was not going to be able to do that! I was given prawns, chicken, beef stew and sticky rice, I voluntarily took a bread roll but managed to avoid any chillies or mystery food. I generously counted it as 10 syns, half expecting it not to stay in that long. There was no beer at our table, only water and Super Horse, until Hoan arrived and did a cheers. Chung took one for the team and I left with Moon, shortly after Giang had left. Vietnamese weddings are exciting for the first few times of going but I was really struggling to cope with an outdoor wedding in a mild heat wave.

Moon very kindly dropped me off at Phong Nha Farmstay and I headed over to the pool, where Tatas and the Aussies were having a dip. We all chatted and caught up with all the goings on, before ordering some dinner. Greg had got so drunk on Raki in Istanbul with our friend, Murat, that he was also never drinking again, Amanda didn’t drink but Tatas had a G & T for happy hour and a beer with dinner. I stuck to soda water with my beef in bamboo, Greg ordered the Nem Lui, Amanda thé Tofu curry and I think Tatas had a salad. The food was great and we had a good night, getting the taxi back around 10pm. My meal and drink came to 235,000VND (£7.24) but at the Farmstay they add service and tax on to the total bill. I spent 400,000VND (£12.33), which I gave to Tatas for my share of the bill and my taxi ride back with them. It had been an expensive but fun day and Tatas was off in to a cave tomorrow for 4 days, leaving me and the Aussies to have some fun until they left on Tuesday.

Hanoi – 10th April

I slept in until pretty late on Wednesday 10th April and my cold had got a lot worse. Captain Caveman and I walked to the nearest shoping centre for breakfast and he had coffee and a cheese and ham toastie. He bought me a croissant and an earl grey tea but I could hardly taste it and kept coughing a lot. I was running out of underwear so we went to Rico where I bought 2 pairs of sensible knickers for 200,000VND (£6.38) and Captain Caveman thought it was a bit of an unnecessary expense. I rarely spend any money on clothes and when I do it’s always for practical reasons, but these were essential. I’d had my eye on one of the cute dresses they had for 400,000VND (£12.31) to take on our trip to Thailand but I was too sick and the budget didn’t include clothes to make me look pretty. On the way back to Aisha hotel we called a the shop for more essentials, here’s what we got and the prices in Dong;

Winmart Supermarket
1.5l water 10,600
Revive isotonic drink 11,800
Lays crisps 12,100
Japanese Crisps 19,000
Fridge cost 500
Total spent 54,000VND (£1.69)

Once back, I decided I needed to get back in bed and Captain Caveman was going to meet a friend for lunch, without me, but bring me something back to eat. As it was weigh day, and the 5th Fat Club in Dalyan that I’d been away for, I did my measurements. We had no scales but I’d put 1cm on my bust and waist, my hips had remained the same – maybe I didn’t need clothes in a smaller size if I was going to fill my baggy clothes again!
When Captain Caveman returned from a nice lunch at a yoga retreat with Cuc, he had brought me back a beautifully presented takeaway box. He told me they were fresh veggie spring rolls with a pesto dip. I bit in to one and it was super slimy and I had to spit it out. Unfortunately, he had brought me avocado rolls with some guacamole dip and had forgotten I hate avocado. Instead I ate crisps but I was still hungry.
That evening we were meeting our friend and Vietnamese teacher, Lien, for dinner but she had to rearrange plans and we met at Oriberry cafe. They do food but there was nothing I liked on the menu so I had a herbal tea and a slice of banana bread which Captain Caveman had half of and it was more like cake. It was only a brief meet up with Lien but it was good to see her, she looked really well. Captain Caveman decided we were going to go to an old favourite, Dalcheeni Indian restaurant, for dinner but Lien didn’t want to join us. I was a snotty mess and took ages to decide what to order. My eyes were streaming so I could hardly see the menu. I wasn’t having a good day where food was concerned as the samosas and my chicken tikka were too spicy so I ate the rice, naan bread and some of Captain Caveman’s chicken starter. Luckily Captain Caveman was able to eat what I had ordered without any complaints.
We walked back to the hotel, via the same shop where we bought the following;

Winmart Supermarket
1.5l water 10,600
Tissues 30,500
Total spent 41,100VND (£1.29)

Strangely, there was no extra cost for drinks from the fridge this time. Back at the hotel, I took some medication and went to sleep, hoping to feel better in the morning.

Phong Nha – 21st March

I slept in until 7.30am on Thursday 21st March and went for the homestay breakfast at 8.30am. This time I requested the vegetable noodle dish without butter and a green tea. The views of the river were good, the temperature was cool and the rain had gone. I felt a bit out of sorts and couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong. My skin had started to itch again and I thought either my eczema was coming back or that I had ring worm. My stomach wasn’t great and it took a lot longer than I’d expected to buy a bus ticket.
Captain Caveman had instructed me to purchase my Phong Nha to Hoi An bus ticket from the Diep Le Homestay so I attempted that. We used Google translate and I thought I’d booked the 7am bus on Tuesday at a cost of 400,000VND (£12.62). I thought that seemed expensive but I had no reference point, having not bought a bus ticket since before Covid. I am also not a fan of the bus journey which takes 8 hours, changes in Danang and the drivers can be a bit iffy.

I cycled on the borrowed homestay bicycle to the pharmacy as I wanted to get some medication, it cost me 75,000VND (£2.38) for imodium and fungal treatment which would have been 5 times the price in Europe or Turkey. In the queue, I started to feel unwell so I popped next door to Lantern restaurant for a green tea and to be near a toilet. When I recovered, Tatas joined me there for lunch and we both had vegan pho, her’s with extra chillies and mine with random pineapple in it. Lunch was cheap at 60,000VND (£1.90) for my tasty soup and drink, which Tatas paid for.
My next stop was to call at the supermarket, here’s what I bought and the prices in Dong.

Winmart Supermarket
Goûté biscuits 30,100
3 cereal bars 34,000
6 apples 105,512
Total spent 169,612VND (£5.35)

I’d completely forgotten how expensive apples are in Vietnam, compared to Turkey and the UK, so I bought them without thinking. At 55p per apple I probably wouldn’t be buying them very often.
I headed back to the homestay and had a video call with Vanessa. We had a great chat and she was still making good progress on her recovery.

After an hour I had to leave to go meet Veronika who had yet another treat in store for me. She’d only brought her own quality red wine with her to The Villa’s and had put the grandchildren (who she was in charge of) on a separate table so we could have dinner and wine together. We shared a green salad and a Momma D pizza which was lovely and before we’d hardly started, we had company.
Aussie Pete arrived and proceeded to commence his ritual of asking the staff for a cold Huda and a glass with ice. As we were getting on with our evening we had another visitor; Marc (from Germany), had decided to surprise us. Once Veronika and I had got settled in to our dinner ‘date’ with Aussie Pete and German Marc, there was a call from Bich, Veronika’s daughter-in-law. She wanted to check on how the kids were doing and what they were up to. Unfortunately, they weren’t supposed to have been left to their own devices in the room watching Netflix, so Veronika had to resume babysitting duties and leave us. Tatas arrived in time to save the dodgy looking soirée and another bottle of wine was consumed. Before 9pm Aussie Pete fell asleep (standard practice) and we got kicked out at 11pm, an hour after closing time. As Veronika had provided wine for 2 nights running I paid for her meal too, a total of 595,000VND (£18.90) including tip, which was reasonable.

Thao Dien – 11th March

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.

Dalyan & Istanbul – 7th & 8th March

I was up and about early on Thursday 7th March making sure that I was organised for my departure. The baking paper had been forgotten about yesterday and then I had not had chance to go shopping before Migros closed last night so I went early in the morning. I bought the baking sheets which were on offer for 48.96lira (£1.20) as I needed to get the fruit cake started pretty sharpish so that I could pack it. Back home, I just had fruit for breakfast and a cup of tea before getting my mixture in the slow cooker. After 4.5 hours it was done and I left it to cool before cutting it up.
I’d almost finished my packing and had also packed up our belongings to be stored in the lockable cupboards while we were renting out our apartment. I didn’t go to Zumba as I had too much going on but I did manage beef stew with Yorkshire puddings for a late lunch/early dinner. I attempted to drink some rosé wine which was in the fridge from when Jamie came round but it tasted terrible and I poured it away. I don’t like to consume anything that might make travelling difficult.
Before bed, I made Carol’s Slimming World friendly cheese pasties to take to the airport tomorrow. Dalaman airport is one of the most expensive airports for food and drink so I made plenty. Jamie was giving me and his brother a lift to Dalaman airport in the morning so I shared some pasties and some cake between the 3 of us.
I didn’t end up going to bed very early, I think I was excited to be going back to Vietnam, even though I wasn’t due to see Captain Caveman for another week. I set the alarm for 6am so that I had plenty of time to be ready to leave at 8am. I was flying from Dalaman to Istanbul, then to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) via Bangkok with Thai Airways.

The weather conditions weren’t good on the morning of Friday 8th March and I was half expecting a flight delay. I made a cheese sandwich to have with the rest of my packing up and stored the rest of my belongings away. I bought 1 day of phone credit with data for 91 lira (£2.22) just in case I should need it while still in Turkey. The rain was tipping down and at 7.30am there was a little wobble of an earthquake. Jamie messaged to say he was on his way, 10 minutes early. The drive to the airport was swift and I hated saying goodbye to Jamie as I was going to miss him the most.
My flight was first at 9.50am to Istanbul, Barney was slightly later to Sabiha Gökçen. I had booked the flight for just less than £30 which included 20kg hold luggage, 8kg hand luggage, a booked seat (12C), a sandwich, water and a hot drink. I said bye to Barney and went to the gate ready to board my flight which was on time. I had 5 hours in Istanbul as my flight landed at 11.20am but the next flight wasn’t until 4.30pm. I’d been tempted to book a lounge but I couldn’t justify paying for it when I couldn’t check in at Istanbul until 1.30pm which, by the time I got through security, would leave me with only 2 hours in the lounge. I found a nice spot to sit in the airport where I ate my pasties and some cake. A couple came and sat next to me and gave me a piece of baklava, which was kind.
Captain Caveman had booked my one way ticket with Thai Airways from Istanbul to Saigon for £425, which included seat selection, meals with alcoholic drinks, a 10kg hand luggage and 23kg hold luggage (not that they checked and I was allowed to check-in 2 cases which totalled 24kg). My second flight of the day, Istanbul to Bangkok, took off on time and I was pleased to find myself with a row of 3 seats all to myself. By 5.45pm I had an inflight meal and some red wine, all of which was very nice. I watched some random film with Rebel Wilson in which was a bit rubbish and then watched old episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Thai Airways, for a budget flight, was pretty good so I was pleased Captain Caveman had booked me this one. I was due to land in Bangkok airport at 5.35am tomorrow, which would be 1.35am Turkish time.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th March

I didn’t sleep well and still had a bad stomach when I woke up on Sunday 3rd March. I put it down to the sausages I’d brought back from Rhodes and they had to go in the bin. I managed a cup of tea and a banana but had to cancel any plans to join Mark, Kate and the Aussies for Turkish breakfast at a museum. There was also the Sunday walk which Carol had organised to go from Ley Ley restaurant which I skipped too.
I was hoping to be ok for later as I’d organised that tonight would be my leaving meal and drinks with an eclectic mix of just a few friends. During the day I managed to eat a fruit salad, some broccoli and potato soup, a small pasta Bolognese and lots of oresol, water and herbal teas. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was heading back in to the jungle on his Laos/Vietnam month long cave expedition that he was half way through. They had found some new cave which was good and it was nice to talk to him after a couple of weeks of him being in the Laotian jungle. This might be the last phone call until I saw him in Phong Nha in 12 days time.
I arrived at Mahir’s kebab place at 7.30pm to find that Jamie and Drew were already there and a random bag and jazzy jacket were placed on the middle seat so I moved it along one space to my left and sat down next to Jamie. Jaxx sat opposite me when she arrived, as Bill was away, then Carol (from Fat Club) arrived with Ian and moved the bag to sit next to me and Jaxx. I’d now worked out the stuff on the seat was perhaps Adele’s. She sat next to Carol which left the 2 seats at the end for Amanda and Greg, who arrived last and instantly got on with Adele. Mark and Kate had declined the invite as they had already eaten out today and they didn’t fancy the leaving drinks.
A few of us ordered the fish and chips at Mahir’s. I tried to be good and took most of my batter off, mainly because of my stomach more than the diet. Jaxx and I went thirds on a bottle of wine with Adele, then shared a bottle between the 2 of us. We had a lovely meal, I seemed to have made a full recovery and was feeling well enough to move on to the after party at Sofra bar. Adele, Carol and Ian went home as they had to be up early on Monday morning but the rest of us decided to move on for a bit of a drinking sesh.
As it happened, Mark and Kate were still out and were the only ones waiting in Sofra for me. Of course, it turned in to one of those nights. Jamie and Drew had been sensible and gone home once it started looking messy.
Greg took Mark and Kate home then returned to Jaxx and I where we put Jaxx in a taxi then Greg insisted that they drove me home. The night turned in to a very very late finish! Amanda and Greg were still at mine after 4am! Once upstairs I realised I’d left loads of coat hangers on the bed and then at 5.30am (9.30am in Vietnam) I had a drunken video call with Captain Caveman who had popped back to Phong Nha in between cave expeditions. We were both glad I had decided to have the leaving drinks in advance of my leaving date.

I was surprisingly chipper when Jamie picked me up at 10am on Monday 4th March, despite my 3 hours of sleep. We drove to Ortaca where we got to the shop and bought 2 grey sunbed cushions for 1200 lira (£29.93) then went straight back to Dalyan. The cleaner was hard at work so I dropped the cushions off then had a wander round Dalyan. By the time it got to 11.50pm I knew I needed a bacon sandwich but Ela’s Kitchen was closed. I went to Jiks where I bumped in to 3 other Dalyan Dwellers before finally going back home to start on my packing for Vietnam.
I’d called at the bank a couple of times to sort things out and try to get holiday insurance but the computer was down and I had to go back. The lira was now at the highest it had been at 40.1 lira to the pound.
For lunch I had left over pasta Bolognese then for dinner I had chicken stir-fry with bulgur wheat and chickpeas. I had heard from one of the Fat Club that there was a restock of Quark and on offer so I went to the shop to get them and some cheese to make Carol’s pasties. Here’s what I bought and prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket

Plastic bag 0.25
3 Quark 59.85
Cheddar 76.90
Total spent 164.95 lira (£4.11)

Later, I spoke on video call to my parents which was good and we spoke about my plans for Vietnam.

Dalyan – 28th & 29th February

Wednesday 28th February was weigh-in and Fat Club day, we also had a taster session arranged at the group meeting today. I got weighed and took my measurements at home, to find I had stayed the same weight, my waist and hips measured the same as last week but my bust had increased by 1cm. I was convinced now that I just wasn’t going to lose that final bit of weight before I went to Vietnam. I had 2 bananas and a linden tea for breakfast, then a rehydration tablet in water.
Jamie popped round with Norman and Edna and my remaining bags and I was astounded at Norman running up the stairs to my door – he was like a new dog. We had cups of tea/coffee, the dogs had some water and a sit on the sofa while we chatted and waited for Drew to come from the barbers.
I ate broccoli and potato soup for lunch while attending the 3rd day of Lisa’s challenge. Today’s training was focusing more on content and it was a little easier to do the homework. My next task was to do some shopping, where I caused a bit of a furore at the check out counter. I bought a bottle of drink which was on offer but there was only one left and it didn’t have the right price on. The cashier had to get help while I bumped in to and chatted with Sioned, then a couple of women who were new to the area and then Nuri so the queues all got bunched up and it was quite the social gathering. Here’s what I ended up buying and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket

1 Quark 24.95
Pink Grapefruit drink 26.25
6 eggs 39.90
Hummus 46.25
Toilet rolls 89.90

Total spent 227.24 lira (£5.75)

At Fat Club we all placed our wares on the table and then eagerly got weighed, it was great to see the progress of everyone in the group. Unfortunately I was not as lucky on Carol’s scales as at home, I’d actually put on 0.6kg (1.3lb) and I was gutted! This meant I had to still lose 2.4kg (5.3lb) to hit target and I was not going to do that within a week. I troughed lots of delicious food at the taster session. There were cheese pasties, quiches, chestnuts, bhajis, fruit skewers and my offering of rainbow veggie bulgur wheat. This meant I didn’t need to eat my dinner that night until later than planned and I resisted any alcohol on treat day.

On Thursday 29th February I had overnight oats and a cup of tea, before getting on with laundry and some other chores. I had an apple before Zumba and then rushed back for a lunch of soup while joining Lisa Johnson on the final day of the Race Recurring Revenue challenge. This session was all about getting things launched and covered various aspects which made me realise that I needed to create a brand, think of a business name and even design a logo. I felt a bit nervous and out of my depth but I would mull it over this weekend and see what I could come up with.
I got peckish in the afternoon so I had a chicken and onion wrap, then an orange. Dinner was more of the chicken stir-fry, served with steamed rice and chopped omelette in. No alcohol was consumed and I was doing well. I added up my spending for the week, and then the month to see how that £10 per day budget had fared. It had been really difficult to keep saying no to invites where it would cost more than my budget but I was determined to survive, especially as I’d not yet found more online work. This week I’d only spent a total of 1,253.72 lira (£31.93) thus proving that you can definitely live very cheaply in Dalyan, especially if you limit the booze. Overall, my self imposed February budget of £290, which did not include accommodation or bills, had been achieved. I was actually £47.47 under so I was very pleased with myself. I wondered what my friends and family had as a daily, weekly or monthly budget and how February had gone for them. I intended to give the ball a bit of a kick this weekend as a bit of a reward for my dedication, especially as this would be my last week in Dalyan before I flew to Vietnam for 3 months.

Dalyan – 26th & 27th February

Monday 26th February was another busy day in my Dalyan world, the last day of looking after Norman and Edna who I was going to miss. They had been a great tonic for me while I did my best to stick to a tough budget and my healthier lifestyle. I was certainly feeling the benefits of being over a stone lighter too.
In the morning I had my cup of Yorkshire tea in bed and the dogs came back to bobos for one last time. They snored away until almost 11am when I got up for a fruit salad while I started to make a list for my course preparation, which started at 1pm (Turkish time). I had pasta Bolognese for lunch and got myself ready to hear what Lisa Johnson had to teach me about Recurring Revenue. It was only for about an hour but it was really interesting and insightful. I took lots of notes and we even had some homework to do. I had some gold bear jellies while I pondered over my answers but managed to complete the first task of the challenge. At 4pm I joined another live session which focused on Mindset and seemed to be quite obvious at first. Renée, the speaker made a lot of sense and it really peaked my interest even further.
After the dog walk, I took some stuff back to my place and called at the shops, here’s what I bought (prices in lira);

Migros Supermarket

Biscuits 9.50
Jelly teeth 15.50
Wet wipes 72.47
Total 98.47 lira (£2.49)

For dinner I had another Slimming World style pizza made from a wrap, a couple of glasses of wine to finish the bottle off and some chestnuts.
There was a recap session from Lisa at 7.30pm which was useful for us to check we were on the right track and I was already feeling inspired. Meanwhile, Jamie and Drew were leaving Thailand to return back home. It was hard breaking the news to the dogs but I thought I’d better prepare them for being less spoiled.

Much to Norman and Edna’s disgust, we were all up early on Tuesday 27th February. I did the usual stuff of stripping the bed but didn’t put a wash on as it had been raining yesterday and I wasn’t sure if it was going to stay fine enough to dry it. After an almost 2 week holiday I also thought Jamie and Drew would need to wash their clothes and they were due back before 10am. Nanny Kay was picking them up so we had to assume she wouldn’t sleep in! After feeding the dogs their breakfast I decided to video them both as I let them know Little Daddy and Step Daddy Drew were on their way and would be home soon. Edna was a good listener and was in the armchair looking out, Norman didn’t give a toss. After my cuppa and overnight oats, I packed my belongings up, leaving some things I couldn’t carry, behind. I had a ginger tea and half a litre of water before saying bye to little Norman and Edna, perhaps for the last time.
At home I unpacked and then went to Zumba, which was good. I rushed back to log on to the second day of the Race to Recurring Challenge with Lisa Johnson where we took our knowledge lists from yesterday and started to look at how we could share that knowledge with others. It was really interesting to me and I cracked on with the homework straight after, feeling motivated.
At 4pm I joined another mindset session with Renée who was definitely good at helping build my confidence. For my lunch I treated myself to chicken nuggets and chips as I was rather peckish. At dinner time I cooked a healthy veggie stir-fry with bulgur wheat and had strawberries with kaymak for a pudding. At 7.30pm I was back on a live summary call with Lisa and things were starting to come together nicely. It was also good to be back home in my own bed, even if it was just for 9 more nights!

Video of Edna being told Jamie and Drew are on their way home

Video of Norman’s response to being told the same news

Dalyan – 20th & 21st February

I had another healthy and relaxed day on Tuesday 20th February, just keeping out of any drama and trying not to stress about being out of work. I’d started to think about what I could do to start my own business and I’d brought my laptop over to Jamie’s so that I could update my CV. I intended to apply for some jobs which could be done in Vietnam or Turkey. I had a breakfast of champions; a crumpet with butter, Yorkshire tea, overnight oats with berries and a green tea. My back and neck were still hurting and aspirin was not taking the pain off. I was meant to be going to Zumba but I couldn’t manage it. I had some rose tea just before lunch and then warmed up the rest of the pasta dish from yesterday.
In the afternoon I went to buy a replacement water which was still only 50 lira (£1.29) at the shop Jamie uses (compared to 85 lira at my local shop). By the time I’d got home, it had already been delivered too so was great service. I went to the vets to pick up medicine for Norman and Edna, which they had ran out of. It cost 2,320 lira (£59.49) for 2 lots which Jamie transferred to me, immediately. I had leftover pasta bake for lunch, managed a dog walk without a pub visit and ate leftover curry for dinner. I made chickpea biscuits as a snack and had them with low fat yoghurt, onion, cucumber and tomato. I kept some to eat over the next couple of days in a tupperware to try to prevent unhealthy snacking. I’d done well this week with only consuming 195 syns, only 12 of which were on alcohol and I felt I was bound to have lost weight when I got on the scales tomorrow.

When I got up on Wednesday 21st February I weighed myself on Jamie’s scales. They showed I’d lost 0.8kg (1.8lb) and I’d had a good week, having not drunk any alcohol since Thursday. I was very pleased with myself and hoping for good results at Fat Club later today. I did my measurements but they weren’t as favourable;
Bust -1cm,
Waist +2cm,
Hips +2cm.
This meant my waist was now back over the goal I had set by 1cm. After feeding the dogs, I decided to try an app called Three Sixty Me where it takes a scan of your whole body to determine your measurements. It was worse than with the tape measure so I wasn’t convinced it was ideal. I had overnight oats and a Yorkshire tea for breakfast then as a snack before fat club I had 2 ginger teas and 3 of the chickpea biscuits.
When I got to Fat Club, it wasn’t great news as I had only lost 0.1kg (0.2lb) which was negligible. Of course I was disappointed as I only had 2 more Fat Club weigh-in weeks to go until I left Turkey.
After drinking 1.5 litres of water at the meeting, I popped to the shop on the way home. Here’s what I bought and prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket

Haribo Gold bears 10.50
Turkish pasta (mantı) 23.50
2 Quark 39.50
Kaymak (Turkish clotted cream) 40.95
Nuts 44.90
Falafel 62.17
Total spent 221.52 lira (£5.65)

Back at Jamie’s, Norman and Edna cheered me up with a bit of advice for keeping the weight off. Norman instigated a game of fetch with his sister while Edna soon suggested we open the wine. Nanny Kay was meant to be coming over but she didn’t. So I had to have afternoon tea by myself; Yorkshire tea, a buttered fruit scone with fresh strawberries and kaymak, seeing as it was treat day.
After walking the dogs, I warmed up leftover chicken, pumpkin, chickpea and spinach curry for dinner, had 2 glasses of wine and some Haribo jellies. I’d not gone out on treat day but I’d certainly eaten (and drank) well, using 56 syns in one day.
Before bed, I totted up the weekly spend which I’d really tried my hardest to get back on budget with. I’d spent just 731.52 lira (£18.76) this week and I was so chuffed with myself. In total for the month so far I had spent the equivalent of £210.60 making me only 60p over budget – proof I could do it when I really tried.

Dalyan – 13th & 14th February

On Tuesday 13th February Vanessa popped round to collect her glassware and have a final hug goodbye. Vanessa is such a good friend to me and I was going to miss her. I’d actually took her pots out yesterday, they had made quite a night of it. They ended up being carried from Tez, to Ozzy’s, back to Tez and then back to mine as Vanessa forgot them at each step of the way.
Today was the day before weigh day and I needed to have started damage limitations with another speed day. I had 3 cucumber waters, a banana and a tea for breakfast.
I went to Zumba at midday and had an impromptu shop on the way home. Here’s what I bought and the price in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
Tomato purée 13.90
1 tin of tomatoes 29.90
Chicken nuggets 29.92
1 tub frozen berries 71.90
3 Quark 74.85
Total spent 220.72 lira (£5.69)

When I got back home I had a load more water with cucumber in. I took some bolognese out of the freezer and added pasta and cheese to make a nice lunch. I then decided to make a list about my current work situation, trying to look at some solutions to getting paid regularly. I had a a text conversation about this with my boss, as we tried to work out a plan. Unfortunately, due to my circumstances of needing regular payments in to my Turkish account I had to become temporarily unemployed.
For dinner I had leftover chicken dinner and later some chestnuts. I’d eaten potatoes so I had not managed a speed day but I had done a zero syns day. I’d consumed 23 more syns than last week though, so maybe I wouldn’t lose any weight at Fat Club tomorrow. As I went to bed, I expected that I would feel really stressed at no longer having any work at all but I didn’t. Instead, lots of thoughts were going through my head on what my Plan B would be. These next few weeks were going to be tight moneywise as my last pay was due tomorrow.

It was Valentine’s day on Wednesday 14th February so I’d arranged to spend the evening with Nanny Kay. We booked in for a quiet meal at Nil Lounge at 7.30pm tonight.
First thing in the morning, I did my measurements and got weighed at home to find that I had lost 0.85kg (1.9lb), stayed the same on my bust but lost 1cm from my waist and 2cm from my hips. I was now 1cm under my goal on bust and waist and 2cm under my hip goal. Great news came from Jamie that Drew had brought me 80 Yorkshire tea bags and that made my day. I had overnight oats and some orange juice for breakfast.
I had a bit of a walk in the morning and then met a lady in Jiks who was selling some Zumba trainers. I managed to get some almost new ones for 1,100 lira (£28.35) which retail around the £150 mark! She was a lovely woman and she even bought me a soda water and we had a chat.
Fat Club at 3pm was not as exciting a result as the home scales as I’d only lost 0.3kg (0.6lb) on Carol’s scales.
Captain Caveman was in Son Doong and we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day anyway so I was looking forward to my evening out. Ghislaine, Jamie and Drew were going to join us after Nanny Kay and I had eaten as there was a band on.
The meal wasn’t the best I’ve had but it was certainly adequate; I had chicken shish and Nanny Kay had chicken curry. We both limited ourselves to just 2 glasses of red wine. Nanny Kay was cycling and I was trying not to turn it in to a Wine Wednesday.
The music from the live band was good and there was a Turkish engagement party on. The groom-to-be insisted we help ourselves to some treats so we had chocolate covered strawberries and we could definitely feel the love! Jamie came up with the 3G Club idea. Our first get together would be in a couple of weeks.
It had been a lovely evening but I was glad to have stuck to just 2 wines with Nanny Kay. My syns were still 48 for today so tomorrow I was determined to do better. Jamie and Drew were off to Thailand so I had to rely on Norman and Edna not to lead me astray for the next couple of weeks.

Dalyan – 7th & 8th February

It was weigh day on Wednesday 7th February and I was not feeling confident as I got on the home scales. I was 0.15kg (0.3lb) lighter which was hardly anything. My measurements for my bust and waist remained the same as last week but my hips had reduced by 1cm. I had finally reached all the target measurements I had set for myself, but still with 2.5kg (5.5lb) to lose. In total I had lost 5cm from my bust, 12cm from my waist and 6cm from my hips so I was really pleased. I was no longer a size 16 and size 14 was baggy on me – I think I’d gone down 2 dress sizes in about 15 months!
I had tea and 1 slice of wholemeal toast with a cheese triangle for breakfast. I had a video call with Captain Caveman and we discussed flights, money and banking stuff. I’d found a one-way flight with Thai Airways from Istanbul for £419 which would be better than most of the other options. Captain Caveman said he would book it for me and pay for it, so I sent him the info. He was in Hoi An, ready for the Tet holiday, looking after a friend’s dog, Rocco. He was also going to be meeting up with Caroline and was having a few days off.
Before Fat Club, I’d drank a litre of water and had the tomato and lentil soup for lunch. The new road improvements near Çağrı were looking good as I walked to see my fellow Slimming World friends. When I stepped on Carol’s scales I was relieved to find I’d lost 0.2kg (0.4lb). It would do but I needed to make more effort if I wanted to get to the next milestone within the next month. I drank another 1.5 litres of water at Fat Club and we got to do some positive sharing of what we’ve all been trying, to keep fitter and healthier.
On the way home, I didn’t even go for a drink and decided that today’s treat day was not going to be rewarded with a Wine Wednesday, as it so often is. Instead, I popped to the shop and bought the following (prices in lira);

Migros Supermarket
Plastic bag 0.25
Apples 24.74
Chickpeas 29.90
620g chicken 104.78
Total spent 159.67 lira (£4.14)

Bakery
Bread 10.00
Simit 7.00
Total spent 17.00 lira (44p)

Today’s weigh day treat was bread based with a couple of slices of fresh bread and a simit, an apple, 6 olives and some cheese. I never used to eat apples or chickpeas but I was getting much less fussy as I was getting healthier.
Dinner was a Fakeaway chicken stir-fry which I added a teaspoon of black bean sauce to and added chopped omelette in to the steamed rice. Another litre of water was forced down and some rose tea as I totted up my first week of February spending. My budget of the £10 per day equivalent had certainly been tight and I really wasn’t sure I could keep this up longer term. This week I’d spent 3,693.07 lira (£95.76) even though I’d had 2 zero spend days. I was over by £25.76 and I wasn’t sure I could recoup it next week but I wasn’t defeated just yet.

On Thursday 8th February I was still on a mission to not drink any alcohol and perhaps wait until after work on Friday. I think Captain Caveman was either getting bored of my ultra tight budget updates or felt sorry for me, as he called me to ask how much money I needed to make the residency minimum. I told him the figure, less what I was due to get paid next week. Captain Caveman was able to transfer money to me almost instantly, even from Vietnam, and I was very grateful. He was also a bit out of sorts as he’d been on the Thai Airways website to book that flight and it wouldn’t let him use his Vietnamese bank card. After the call, I googled if there were system issues and there had been several reports, he would try again tomorrow.
At 12 noon I did Zumba and enjoyed it, more soup was had for lunch with bread and butter (which I synned). Before dinner time, I’d had 2 litres of water, a tangerine, an apple and some chestnuts, all on plan. I had another Fakeaway for dinner, this time with sweet and sour sauce. I added extra red and white cabbage to my egg rice to get more speed in to the meal.
I managed a bit of Christmas cake and another litre of water before an early night. I’d had 26 syns today but was doing ok compared to previous weeks.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th February

It was Dalyan’s weekly market on Saturday 3rd February and I did need a few provisions. I walked the long way round, calling at the bank for some cash and noticing that the pavement repairs were coming on near Çağrı.
Here’s what I bought at the market (prices in lira);

Onions 12.50
Peppers 42.50
Mushrooms and tomatoes 65
Eggs and pumpkin 75
Strawberries 100
Total spent 295 lira (£7.66)

Next, I called in to Şok supermarket where I bought some containers and a cheap birthday gift for a total of 109.40 lira (£2.84) for a party later. At Bim supermarket I bought more for the birthday gift, bread and chocolate milk for a total of 89.00 lira (£2.31).
Back home, I had more of the soup with veggie pasta in and a mini falafel taco with veggies and tahini.

That evening I got my gladrags on as we were off out for Aimee’s birthday, she’s Jamie’s best friend from the UK. At Bistro Blue there were Aimee, Scott, Jamie, me, Sioned, Ünal, their 2 kids, Katrina, Mehmet and Ann. I gave Aimee her small present which was a selection of my favourite Turkish chocolate bars for her to try. Jamie, Aimee, Ann and I all ordered the surf and turf which was very nice. I decided to stick to ordering a glass of wine so that I didn’t get sharing a bottle as I was pacing myself. I had just 2 red wines and the main course which came to a total of 1,160 lira (£30.13) including a tip. I thought that was a reasonable price although it wasn’t a huge portion.
I thought we were all going home after the food we went to Ozzy’s where the drinks flowed. I stuck to just 2 more wines, 220 lira (£5.71) but realised it might be time to leave when Jamie brought up a story about a broken fire extinguisher toy. I, sensibly, chose to skedaddle about 1am with the excuse that I had the Sunday walk to get up for in the morning.

I was awake before 9am on Sunday 4th February as I was getting ready for the Sunday walk. This time Carol (from Fat Club) was organising it so we had to meet at 10am at the Jandarma roundabout, out of town. This was a 20 minute walk from me so I was already quite warmed up by the time I met the others. I didn’t really feel like going after a late night but I thought I’d make the effort. I’d had strawberries and a lemon and green tea for my breakfast so I was ready for some exercise.
The walk was good but, crikey, it was the most I’ve ever done in one go – 4 hours 15 minutes I was walking for and I was done in by the time I got home.

I squeezed in beans on toast, strawberries, quark and honey for my lunch and a little sit down before my next lot of excitement, 15 minutes later.
Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and she remembered I was getting short on Yorkshire tea bags and brought some. We had a few cups of tea and a good old natter, putting the world to rights! She left just before 4.30pm for her family WhatsApp chat and I had a video call with a freshly shaven Captain Caveman. He was in a hotel and was off for a few days over the Tet holiday (Vietnamese new year).
We discussed flights and we both were thinking the return flights were a bit expensive for my budget, I’d perhaps wait for at least another payday before booking anything.
After the call, I went to the shops. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Ginger 16.09
Cream cheese 34.00
Onion powder 46.90
672g chicken 117.53
Total spent 214.52 lira (£5.60)

I’d found a new recipe I wanted to try out and it turned out really well, the chicken and mushroom pasta could be a new favourite. I had some fruit cake and cheese as an evening snack which meant I was now on 202 syns so far this week, but I’d only had 10 today. I’d have to be very careful on tomorrow’s outing.