Dalyan – 28th June

On Friday 28th June my parents and I had quite an adventure. Ma & Pa had booked the 3 of us on a Captain Boris boat trip for the day and I was so looking forward to it. I woke up at 6am feeling happy to have the temperature cooler than I was used to in Vietnam. By 8am it was still under 30°C outside but it was definitely getting hotter as I left for our day on the boat. Captain Boris is one of the more luxurious boat trips with exceptional food, hosted by the lovely Rebecca & Basrı. The cost was £40 per person and included a massive lunch with lots of different dishes. Rebecca was a bit miffed that they had 2 lots of bookings today and she had to go on the second boat, leaving 16 of us in the safe hands of Basrı and Anıl.
We headed out to sea and, although there were parts where the sandbanks were high, we got through. The sea was very rough and I was glad I’d taken a precautionary sea sickness tablet, as did one other passenger. After we got to a nice calm bay we had a swim stop and there were crisps and dips to help ourselves to. A BBQ and full buffet (including prawns) was served for lunch just after 1pm and it was absolutely amazing. The prawns and the chicken casserole were definitely my 2 favourite dishes. Ma & Pa stuck to beers but I had rose wine and we were all having a great time with a fantastic bunch of random people.
Just before 3pm, there was a bit of a disaster when something happened to the engine and the Captain instantly called May Day on the walkie talkie. I looked over the side and there seemed to be a fire or something causing a lot of smoke – it didn’t look good and we were out at sea in very choppy waves.

The food was fantastic

Short video of the boat

Captain Boris had to arrange for us to be rescued from our boat trip after we tried to get a tow but the waves were strong and Basrı needed to get out weight off this boat. Already he had neighbouring boats helping, including Princess of Ekincik who we were on last night and a cooperative, smaller boat. It became essential that we were going to have to climb over from our boat to the rescue one while bobbing about. I started to feel a bit worried for my parents; my mom has a dodgy leg and my Dad’s eyesight isn’t great. To be honest, I wasn’t sure my balancing skills stretched to straggling 2 boats of different heights while at sea. It was a bit of a to-do but we all made it – with all our bags! Boris and Anıl kept calm and efficient during the mini crisis and they got us all on to the cooperative boat safely.
We got took off to the beach to wait for Captain Boris to get sorted out but unfortunately, we had forgotten to bring our shoes. Ma braved a walk to the toilet on the beach but the floor was red hot so I didn’t attempt it. By 5pm we had been rescued and were back on Boris’s Boat, the way we had got on but in less choppy waters. We saw yellow boat and also another Captain, Simon, who came by paddle board to say hello. We got towed to Magic Lake and Basrı insisted on a free bar to apologise and, of course, Dad and I made good use of this to help encourage other guests (a couple were first timers). We were meant to be back by 5pm but it was more like 6.45pm when we got off the boat. My Dad was on a mission to carry on the night but my Mom was insisting he’d had enough so we all went home.

Of course, Dalyan wouldn’t be Dalyan without a bit of drama and it turned out neither my parents nor I would stay in that evening. When I arrived back at Jamie’s, the 4 fellas (Jamie, Drew, Nick & Mark) were waiting for me to join them for a drink at Lukka bar. It was their Friday music bingo night and the boys were booked in for food. My parents had a shower and Dad decided they were going to meet up with other Dalyan Dwellers in Tapa and Tez bars.
After a shower and change for me, I joined the guys for Lukka music bingo and it was brilliant. I had some cheesy chips and some wine, to see me through, I had a good boogie and a sing to the first half of the bingo. At the interval, Jamie had decided we were moving on to Sofra bar to enjoy the rest of the night but Mark and I decided to stay a bit longer to hear Joseph sing Sweet Dreams and have a sing-along to the start of the second half.
At Sofra bar the rest of the gang had met up with some of the regular characters and were having a good time. I nursed a pint of beer for the rest of the evening as I’d overdone it but I managed to have a go on the karaoke and probably did a bad Adele or something. I bumped in to Jack, Stan and Nigel and I enjoyed watching Jack perform one of my old favourites, Psycho Killer. It was gone 1am when we finally went home and it was a good job I was working flexible hours for tomorrow.

I love a bit of Psycho Killer

Dalyan – 27th June

On the morning of Thursday 27th June, I didn’t get out of bed until 8am Turkish time, but that was midday in Vietnamese time. By 10am I had set myself up for a working day at Books & Cookies, not far from where Captain Caveman’s apartment is located. It had AC, was very quiet for using it as an office, and had good Turkish tea. I treated myself to a savoury pastry for breakfast and got on with my tasks. By 1pm, I was peckish so I had a linden tea with some delicious homemade cookies. The owner was really lovely and we had a little chat. My bill came to 360 lira (£8.67) which I thought was reasonable.

By 3pm it was hot outside as I ventured to the bank. I needed to ensure I was depositing at least 26,000 lira (£627 at today’s rate of 41.5 lira to the pound), in order to keep my Turkish residency. On my way back ‘home’ to Jamie’s, I called in to see my parents who were on their balcony, and we had an Efes shandy.
In the evening, I had booked the 3 of us on a moonlight boat trip with Princess of Ekincik. It was £30 each and included a BBQ dinner with a few swim stops in the lake and the sea. On our way to the boat my parents and I called in to check out the complex at Captain Caveman’s place to check the pool and grounds. The pool looked fine but there was no sign of any gardening company having removed old leaves or swept the floors in a while. The floor had not been sloshed down with water recently either so, I was disappointed with our pool and garden company.

On the boat we said hello to the other customers and got comfy as we sailed to Köyceğiz lake. A small Efes beer was 100 lira (£2.41) and a glass of wine was 150 lira (£3.61) which was more than what it was 4 months ago but prices and taxes had gone up a lot. To start, Ma & Pa had beers while I had a rosé wine to try it out and we had our first swim stop at just after 7pm. Our BBQ food was as amazing as I remember it being and Ismail cooked us a feast. A bottle of white wine was purchased to have with our dinner and, as I was a bit jetlagged, I felt quite tiddly.
The boat trip was amazing and we all really enjoyed it, it was past 11pm when we got back.

Phong Nha – 14th & 15th June

I woke up at 7am on Friday 14th June, having had a lovely sleep in the bed all to myself. I went to The Villas for 10am, where I had a pot of tea and paid just 40,000VND (£1.21) for a good brew. I then had to scurry off to the Vegan as I said I’d practice English with the staff. I had a Bun Tron (a vegan rice noodle dish) while I was there and Ha asked if she could nip home to see her Dad. I agreed to hold the fort for her while she rushed off, only for her to come back with some sweet treats for me and the other girls. She had obviously wanted to go to get them as a surprise and it was really kind of her. One was a mung bean paste sweet which was not dissimilar to eating a stock cube and I’m glad I didn’t shove it all in my mouth at once.
In the evening, I went back to Phong Nha Vegan where it was so hot that Ha, the waitress, went for a swim in the river. I had tempura Oyster mushrooms with crispy sweet potato fries. It was like a vegan fish and chips and so good! I also met a couple of Vloggers from America who were enjoying the food and were very nice people. After 3 hours at the Vegan, I cycled back to Son River House Homestay and had an early night.

Saturday 15th June was an exciting day as it was the first day of a new part time job. I was doing some sales and marketing work for a friend. I went to The Villas to have breakfast and work there for the day, I find it the best place to work due to the location and the AC. Captain Caveman was due out of the cave tomorrow and didn’t even know I’d got, or started, a new job. I had my usual Pho Ga, familiarised myself with some spreadsheets and started to look at some content. I had a new friend join me while I worked, it was a moth sat on the glass door who I affectionately named Motthew the third. For lunch I had a margarita pizza with extra mushroom and I saved some to take home.
My tab for breakfast, lunch and drinks was 556,000VND (£17) which was particularly good value and I always enjoy the pizzas there.

By 6pm I was at Phong Nha Vegan having a laugh with Ha. I was meant to be having a swim with her but I had no spare clothes and the staff were too busy with their customers. While everyone was having a bit of a rest near the cooler machine, I spotted the Banh Canh lady. She comes by on her motorbike shouting ‘Banh Canh’ and sells her wares of noodles, eggs and sometimes veggies. I shouted Hanh from the kitchen and Ha from the hammock to come to buy some things. There was quite a crowd and the lady did a roaring trade. Hanh just bought the Banh Canh noodles for 10,000VND (31p).

By 9pm I was back at the homestay where Chung and the owner, Linh Giang, were waiting for me to have a drink to celebrate my first day at work. We ate juicy fresh watermelon and drank chilled red wine. I was introduced to Kim and her daughter, who were staying at Son River House too and we all had a good night together.

Phong Nha – 27th May

Our week started on Monday 27th May with Captain Caveman suggesting a bit of a cycling mission. I (mistakenly) thought the weather was suitable to agree to take Bluey all the way over to Greenfield Ecostay to visit René and Ngan. Along the way we had to stop at Lotus restaurant for brunch where Captain Caveman surprised me with his meal choice. He ordered a jacket potato with cheese, bacon and fried egg while I had a huge portion of pancakes with mango and pineapple. The food was good and I had a pot of lotus tea to go with it, as well as some water. Here’s what our bill looked like, prices in Dong;

1 water 5,000
1 iced black coffee 25,000
1 pot lotus tea 30,000
1 coconut coffee 40,000
1 passion fruit soda 40,000
1 potato with bacon, cheese & egg 50,000
1 pancake with fruit 50,000
Total cost 240,000VND (£7.46)

It’s a great place, a little out of town but ideal for a stop along the way when out for a cycle and the prices are very reasonable.

Back on the road, I was so hot cycling to Greenfield that I had to drink a Revive when we got there. Captain Caveman was cheeky and asked for a swim, I was that sweaty that I would not have been able to change in to swimmers. We missed staying at Greenfield as it’s just so beautiful and it was very calm and quiet, until we turned up! On the way back from René’s, the sun was hot and we had to stop at Lotus again, this time we each had a cold beer but I couldn’t finish mine.

Captain Caveman was glad to be going on his next Son Doong tour with Tatas so off they went to Oxalis for the 6pm briefing. I spent 3 hours and 15 minutes at the Vegan where my Vietnamese certainly got tested that night as it was absolutely rammed full. The owner was away, Chung was at her busy homestay so I had to help Ha, the only waitress and drinks maker there. In the kitchen they were also short staffed (4 less people than usual) with only Hanh, the chef, and Yen the 16 year old helper. They managed to get through it but I was absolutely knackered by the time it reached 9pm so I can only imagine how the staff felt. I got to Tree House at 9.30pm where I had 2 slices of Captain Caveman’s Hawaiian pizza and a Strongbow, before going back home for a much needed shower.

Phong Nha – 14th May

As Captain Caveman was off back in to Son Doong on Tuesday 14th May, we were up early. Our last breakfast at Greenfield Ecostay was had together, Captain Caveman had omelette and I had pineapple pancake. Ngan also gave us mango and dragon fruit to eat and, of course, I had my last Yorkshire tea for a while. I said bye to Captain Caveman and sat by the pool catching up on some writing. On his way in to town he dropped my bag at my next accommodation and messaged to say I could check in from 11am. Around 10.30am I decided to say my farewells and thanks to René and Ngan, it had been one of the best stays we’d had. I’d already written a quick note of the things I would miss most about Greenfield Ecostay;

1. The owners, and their amazing hospitality.
2. Being in such a relaxed and tranquil place.
3. Mina, the extra shy and timid dog.
4. The delicious food that is so well prepared, varied and plentiful.
5. How clean the place is despite it’s closeness to nature.
6. The feeling of being so welcome and relaxed.
7. The swimming pool, probably the cleanest and best in Phong Nha.
8. The attention to detail that the owners and their staff make to ensure the most comfortable stay; from making sure the pool towels are ready to tidying and cleaning.
9. The wine/beers with René of an evening.
10. Being away from any stresses and feeling like we are on holiday in Captain Caveman’s home town.

I arrived in Phong Nha town just before 11am and decided to go to Tree House for an early lunch. I had a bottle of water, a fresh coconut and a cream cheese & salami sandwich for 150,000VND (£4.64). There was rather a lot of salami in the sandwich and the bread was a bit clumpy but I managed it, with the lettuce from the salad too.

At 11.50am I checked in to Phong Nha Homestay, for the second time of my trip. I was given the same room as the last time but this time there was no kettle in the room and 2 less pillows on the bed. I’d found out recently that some Vietnamese people believe that if you have a second pillow in bed you are inviting the dead ancestors to come to sleep with you!
I chilled out in the room for a bit and the weather forecast predicted rain that never came so it was hot and humid. I had fruitcake and cheese for lunch which was nice but a bit rich. More news came from Turkey which meant that if I wanted to go for long-term residency, it would be a few more years yet as I no longer qualified. The pool pump and filter had been fixed which we all had to pay our share of and would have been cheaper if we’d had it done last year.

I spent about 2 hours at Phong Nha Vegan in the evening and I had the fake pork with rice, vegetables and tempura Oyster mushrooms. It was delicious and I cycled back to the homestay for a much needed early night. Tomorrow was weigh day again and I knew it wasn’t going to be a good result, I’d had 331 syns this week, 130 of which were on alcohol. I needed to get back on plan while Captain Caveman was away and I was back to being on a strict budget.

Phong Nha – 13th May

Breakfast on Monday 13th May was quite a feast, Captain Caveman had his usual and I had Yorkshire tea, pineapple and honey pancake, a banana, dragon fruit and jack fruit. We made the most of our last full day at Greenfield Ecostay and I was sad to be leaving. We swam in the pool, watched a risky rice harvest and some cows settling a dispute.

Video of the motorbike being loaded

A push to get done before the rain started

The cows were a bit restless

Another attempt

Our last lunch, prepared by Ngan, was a squid fried rice for Captain Caveman and a prawn fried rice for me. There was more dragon fruit and jack fruit and then some stormy weather in the afternoon. Mina, the dog, was scared of the thunder and hid behind the bar. Instead of going to Phong Nha with Captain Caveman, I packed my bag for leaving tomorrow. He went to his Oxalis briefing as he would be going in to the cave tomorrow.
I had a couple of white wines but no dinner, as we hadn’t ordered it for tonight as I’d planned to go to Phong Nha Vegan. Instead, I nibbled on the Banh Hoa which Chung had given us.
Back in Dalyan, the pool was finally fixed but a little too late for our dissatisfied tenant who had flown back home to the UK, having not even been in the pool. They were returning to Dalyan soon and hoped it was sorted by then. I messaged our agent to check she had spoken to the tenant in person to straighten things out and give assurances. They had not met up at all but had corresponded via text. It was hard not having any control over what was going on there, but I would be going back to Turkey at the end of June for a quick visit.
By the time Captain Caveman arrived back from his briefing, I was already in the room ready for bed. Captain Caveman had got the cash out to pay René tomorrow and I was very pleasantly surprised to hear that our total bill for 15 nights’ accommodation, food and drink came to a grand total of 15,000,000VND (£464). We could not fault the place and I was sad that I might not get to come again – it was one of my new favourite places!

The rain was welcome

Phong Nha – 12th May

We had a bit of a mini adventure on Sunday 12th May after we had our breakfast, of course. Captain Caveman had omelette with a coffee or 2 and I had Yorkshire tea with my mango and honey pancake. I’d asked a few friends to join us on our outing but most people were busy. Luckily for us, Veronika, Chung, Uy and the kids were free and would join us for lunch at the Pub with Cold Beer. Captain Caveman was toying with the idea of cycling but I reminded him how much he hates me moaning I’m too hot and it’s too far. He drove us there on Trigger and we decided to stop off at the Duck Stop. This is a brilliant tourist attraction where you get to feed ducks and get a natural massage from them. It’s really good and when a fellow caver came to visit she said it was one of the best days of her life (she’s only young)! We only stopped for a drink, not to see the ducks as we have been before and it was already getting busy with customers. We got to say hello to Quynh, the owner, and chill out a little before getting back on the motorbike to the Pub with Cold Beer.

There, Captain Caveman dropped me off so that I could order 2 chickens with rice, morning glory and peanut sauce before our guests arrived. He went to see Cuong at the Wild Boar farm just up the road. The pool at the Pub with Cold Beer was being cleaned and Quy told me it would be about 15 minutes until it was ready. Just 5 minutes later the French guests from Greenfield Ecostay arrived and I managed to tell them in French about the pool. It was ready in 10 minutes and everyone got in while I sat and chatted to Huong, their tour guide. Captain Caveman returned, Chung and family arrived closely followed by Veronika. We had a wonderful day, chatting with our friends, eating the delicious BBQ chicken and playing with the kids in the pool.

Back at Greenfield Ecostay we joined some German and Lithuanian guests who were very interesting and we had a really lovely dinner. Ngan had made cabbage rolls, pork, green beans, carrots and steamed rice and I washed it down with a glass of wine. Our Sunday had been great but tomorrow was our last night at Greenfield, Captain Caveman’s holiday was coming to an end.

Phong Nha – 11th May

Captain Caveman and I were still enjoying our amazing staycation at Greenfield Ecostay on Saturday 11th May. We were now on our 13th day of being there and we loved it. Of course, we’d got ourselves in to a bit of a routine as we had the same choices generally for breakfast. We lounged around the pool and today there was lots of activity in the fields as the rice harvest was coming to an end and rain was due. The locals were in a rush to get the harvest dry and stored, while the cows and buffalo were intent on eating in as many fields as they could access.
At lunch time Captain Caveman had not requested for us to dine at Greenfield so we had some 5 Grains cracker biscuits with some of the remaining Red Leicester cheese – we were still saving the fruit cake for Veronika as I’d forgotten to take it to the Farmstay.
By 2.30pm René had made sure we had a cold beverage as we admired the view across the pool. We could also see farmers burning sections of field where the rice had been harvested. They do this to prepare it for the next harvest and it’s often done before rain is due so that the fires don’t get out of hand.
Captain Caveman had been playing Bridge since just after breakfast, with a couple of swim breaks. But at 3pm the rain started and it was time to move in to the bar area. By 6.30pm, because of the rain, the temperature was down to a chilly 28°C and it felt amazing! At 7pm we sat down for dinner with a glass or 2 of white wine and Ngan’s rather delicious home made spring rolls which came with salad and chips. It was such a lovely day and I was feeling very relaxed by the time we went to bed.

Phong Nha – 10th May

On Friday 10th May Captain Caveman decided he was going to take us out for a meal that evening. At breakfast we let René and Ngan know we were off out and proceeded with breakfast. I had the noodle soup with greens and took out the fried egg for Captain Caveman to have. He had an omelette and we shared some fruit too. All of the guests at Greenfield Ecostay had gone out for the day so we had the place to ourselves and spent the morning in the pool or on a sun lounger. There were plenty of cows in the fields, making use of the rice harvesting residue.
Captain Caveman had said we weren’t having lunch again today and by 2pm René had brought him over a beer and me a glass of white wine as we chilled by the pool.

That evening Captain Caveman had decided on a meal at Phong Nha Farmstay so we cycled over for Happy Hour. We had a fair few 2 for 1 cocktails and ordered an olive and artichoke bread to share as a starter. Captain Caveman went for the Farmstay pizza, I had a traditional pork dish for our mains and the food was really tasty. Veronika joined us a bit later as she had been sat elsewhere with Deborah, hadn’t seen my message and didn’t end up having any food, when she joined our table. Deborah had the Nem Lui which is pork on lemongrass skewers made in to rice paper rolls with veggies and herbs. Here’s what we paid for our evening out, prices in Dong;

Phong Nha Farmstay
1 olive & artichoke bread 75,000
4 Gin & Tonics 100,000
4 Rum & Cokes 130,000
1 Pork clay pot 200,000
1 Farmstay 230,000
Total 735,000VND (£22.48)
Service 36,750VND
VAT 133,140VND
Total spent 838,320VND (£25.64)

The prices aren’t bad for 2 people with alcohol but it’s certainly not the cheapest place in town. As we were about to cycle home we saw Bich looking after someone’s baby and cycling about with it in the basket of a bicycle she was riding. The cycle home was hard work as Captain Caveman obviously raced ahead, as he does. When we got back we went straight to bed as it was already almost 9pm.

***Photo credit – some by Captain Caveman***

Bich with the baby

Phong Nha – 9th May

We were awake before 6am on Thursday 9th May but we didn’t have breakfast until gone 9am. Ngan offered us some traditional Vietnamese food called Banh Tet which is made from pork and rice. Due to overindulgence once before, I can no longer stomach it but Captain Caveman had some with fried eggs and tomatoes while I stuck to my mango pancakes and Yorkshire tea. For afters we had some of the watermelon from yesterday and bananas.

Captain Caveman drove us both in to town and I met Hoan at Phong Nha Vegan around 10.30am. She was keen for me to borrow one of the conical hats to keep the sun off me, it was red hot so lots of locals were busy harvesting and drying rice. I was given some watermelon to keep me hydrated and it was so sweet and juicy. Hoan and I had a good chat and then she made me a delicious Bun Tron, the rice noodle vegan dish which is one of my favourites. I took some photos of the Sen flower, the petals of which are used to make tea and left about 1.30pm to cycle back to Greenfield.

The sun was intense and I’d overestimated that I’d be able to do it in one go. I had to stop at Lotus, a hot and drippy mess, for a passion fruit juice and a bottle of water. It was 2.45pm when I got back and I was a mess, hoping for a sleep in the AC. That was not to be as René gave me the heads up that Multi and his daughter, Ella, were at the pool with Captain Caveman.
I did the decent thing and got changed in to my swimmers, had a cold shower by the pool and got in for a swim.

It was absolute bliss just to feel a bit cooler and then I messed about in the water with Ella, doing forward and backward rolls. When I got out, Captain Caveman, Multi and Ella did holding their breath competitions and Captain Caveman won every time but pretended Ella had won. It was just at this time that I got another update from Dalyan – the garden and complex was not looking good (again). I was beginning to wonder how hard it could be to just clean and tidy the complex. I messaged the agent and the pool and garden people who had already been paid to be doing this. It was very frustrating dealing with it from far away and with the time difference. René poured me a glass of wine, Captain Caveman got the fruitcake and cheese out and we shared it around. Ella was polite as she didn’t like the cake but Multi loved it, she loved the red Leicester cheese, though. We remembered to save some for Veronika as I’d promised her some. While the locals brought their rice in at the end of the day, we watched the sun set from the pool.
After a shower and change it was time for dinner where Captain Caveman and I had a rather tasty spaghetti with meatballs and I polished off the rest of that bottle of wine.

Phong Nha – 8th May

At breakfast on Wednesday 8th May, Captain Caveman asked René if we could stay until the 14th so we had another 6 days of staying at Greenfield Ecostay. I was very happy about this as the place is beautiful with everything we need. The only downside is that it’s is so far away from Phong Nha Vegan and I’m not insured to ride a motorbike. Fortunately, René and Ngan could fit us in and we could keep the same room.
As it was yet another weigh day, I took my measurements expecting to have put on weight, due to us being on holiday and eating such lovely food every day. My bust was still the same but I’d put 1cm on my waist and 2cm on my hips. Nevertheless, I was still under and on target for bust and hips with only 1cm over my waist target so I was happy with that. While Captain Caveman stayed at Greenfield playing Bridge, I cycled the 8km in to town in the heat. I decided to call at the new Pharmacy in town and get on the scales. I had lost 1kg (2lb) so that was good news, if the scales were correct. I also tried to buy Cerazette pills as I now didn’t have enough to last me until the end of June but the pharmacy didn’t have any. Here’s what I did buy and the prices in Dong;

Pharmacy
1 pack antihistamines 2,000
2 packs Himalayan salt sweets 13,000
Total paid 15,000VND (46p)

The antihistamines I got were the drowsy ones, which they warned me about, but I find they are good as well as cheap.
My next stop was the Vegan where I met My Linh for the all you can eat buffet. It was so busy and we had to share a table inside. The food was incredible, as always, and for 49,000VND (£1.50) it is an absolute bargain. The buffets are only held on the lunar full and half moon dates, or thereabouts, but I try my best to attend so I can try any of the new dishes too.
My Linh invited me to her homestay afterwards so I went to Green River Cosy Homestay 2, just around the corner from Phong Nha Vegan. She wanted advice about some changes at her already popular homestay which mainly caters for backpackers in dorm rooms. The place was nice and I sat and chatted for quite some time. I also saw the place next door called Cherish Homestay which is owned by a family member of her’s.

It got quite hot in the afternoon so I went to The Villa’s for a pot of tea instead of cycling back to Greenfield. I stayed there most of the afternoon and ended up having a Margherita pizza which was great. While I was sat having a peaceful afternoon, a Scottish woman came in, ordered a drink and proceeded to watch Baby Reindeer on her phone at a very loud volume. What is wrong with people!? I moved outside as far away as I could get and enjoyed chilling on a sun lounger until it was time to leave. Here’s the prices from the menu, in Dong;

The Villa’s
1 soda water 25,000
1 pot of tea 50,000
1 Margherita pizza 150,000
Total 225,000VND (£6.91)

I cycled back to Phong Nha Vegan, Captain Caveman and Tatas arrived and had food together. Tatas had a passion fruit juice and some fresh spring rolls, then ordered extra chillies. Captain Caveman ordered a mango & coconut smoothie with a vegetable tempura and also asked for fresh chillies to go with it. I didn’t eat anything with them as I had already had the pizza earlier. As I was chatting with the staff, Tatas and Captain Caveman left before me and I met up with Captain Caveman at The Villa’s around 9.30pm for a quick cold drink; 1 Coke was 25,000VND (77p) and 1 Huda beer was 35,000 (£1.08). Manu, the manager, invited us to have a drink with him but as Captain Caveman was driving we said to do it another time. Phong Nha was no longer like the old days where we would be drinking until late, most places close by 10pm and locals were in bed very early. I left Bluey at The Villa’s and got a lift back with Captain Caveman, I’d have to come get her tomorrow.

Photo credit – some taken by Captain Caveman

Phong Nha – 5th May

I decided to try something different for breakfast on Sunday 5th May but I regretted it, slightly. The pork and rice noodle soup came with a fried egg on top and I don’t like eggs. Captain Caveman scooped it on to his plate and ate it but then my breakfast was a bit too greasy for me. I washed it down with Yorkshire tea and orange juice and then caught up on some blogging in the shade. Captain Caveman was now spending hours each day, playing Bridge and wearing his noise cancelling headphones. We didn’t have lunch again so by the time it was getting to dinner time I was very hungry. After saying bye to the couple we had met from the UK, Captain Caveman, René and I cycled to the Phong Nha Farmstay to meet Veronika for happy hour and Sunday dinner. Mina, the dog, followed a long as far as Elements where 2 dogs came out on the attack and she retreated off home. When we got to Phong Nha Farmstay, Veronika and her friend joined us and some of us ordered the happy hour drinks. The Sunday dinner was nice and the pork was tasty however the Yorkshire puddings looked like someone had forgotten to keep the oven door shut. Veronika shared some of her celebratory red wine and I also managed 2 happy hour rum and cokes. For afters I went completely off my diet as the dessert is included in the price and I had the chocolate brownie with ice-cream. Captain Caveman paid so I didn’t see the total bill after the service charge and VAT was added, but as a guide the roast dinner is 300,000VND (£9.20) per person. It includes a drink but we forgot to order ours as we had the happy hour drinks, then the wine. It had made a nice change to go out, especially as I had never seen René anywhere else but at Greenfield Ecostay.
We cycled back in the dark, I had brought my light which I was glad about. The small roads to Greenfield are a bit off the beaten path and my eyesight only works in daylight, unlike Captain Caveman’s. We had a last drink at the bar before going to bed, I was still coughing and full of sniffles.

Phong Nha – 4th May

It was Captain Caveman’s 6th day off on Saturday 4th May and he had another week off due to a schedule change. This was so fortuitous and great for Captain Caveman to relax, even if it did mean he was playing so much Bridge we hardly spoke to each other. It was also Tatas’ day off but she was sick so couldn’t come out to play, as we’d hoped. I had a full blown cold again which was probably as a result of getting caught in heavy rain 2 days ago. There was a storm in the early hours and morning which was quite bad and when we came downstairs, Veronika had already gone back to her duties at the Phong Nha Farmstay.
For breakfast I had a pancake with mango and my Yorkshire tea. Captain Caveman had his usual and decided we were eating too much so let René know we didn’t want to eat lunch today. I wasn’t as keen on this plan as it meant I would go from 9.30am to 6.30pm without eating. I had a cold anyway so I took it easy and let the Vegan ladies know I wasn’t cycling in today.
By lunchtime I had some hassle to deal with, regarding Captain Caveman’s pool situation in Dalyan. It transpired that something was broken and needed fixing so I got in touch with the Agent and Maintenance contacts to see if we could rectify the situation any quicker.
I had a swim before sunset and got ready for dinner, still feeling a bit unwell. For dinner Ngan had prepared fried rice with squid for everyone else, but I’m allergic to it. I was served a lovely alternative of prawn and vegetable noodles in a generous portion which I really enjoyed. I also had some white wine and Captain Caveman had beers.

Phong Nha – 3rd May

As it was the weekend and I’d only had 60 syns so far this week, I chose pineapple pancakes for breakfast on Friday 3rd May. Captain Caveman had already eaten earlier as I felt under the weather and had a little lay in. He was in the pool when I got down but he had a plan that he needed to go back to Phong Nha. I took that as a good opportunity to call in at Phong Nha Vegan so Captain Caveman said he’d give me a lift on the motorbike and off we went. Just before 11am, we had to stop at the pork shop and take shelter as a downpour came. It didn’t last long and I soon was at Phong Nha Vegan where I only stayed from 11.30am to 1pm. May, the dog from down the street, was there getting some attention from a customer as he loves some fuss. On our way back, we called at Lotus restaurant and met Multi who I shared Lotus tea with from a cute tea set and Captain Caveman had a shandy. Captain Caveman and I shared a beef Luk Lak which was very tasty for our lunch as I’d not eaten at the Vegan today.
We couldn’t stay long as Veronika was on her way to Greenfield as she had some time off from teaching the grandchildren. It stopped raining long enough for us to get back and have a swim, Veronika arrived and the 3 of us had a beer. She decided to get a room and stay over when the weather looked a bit wet again and we opened a bottle of white wine. Ngan and the team had arranged an amazing dinner for tonight- a BBQ chicken with accompaniments; 2 different types of rice, pork, peanuts, chips, fresh spring rolls, green beans and salad. It was really good and one of the best BBQ chicken platters in town. We had a really lovely evening and a few frogs joined us to shelter from the rain. Guests from York and Peterborough had become our new friends and we enjoyed sharing some great laughs together before they had to move on to their next destination.

Phong Nha – 1st & 2nd May

Another relaxing day was had by Captain Caveman and I on Wednesday 1st May. I’d been away from Dalyan for over 7 weeks now but we were looking at the option of me staying in Vietnam for another 2 months. I still didn’t have a flight booked but my parents, sister and brother-in-law would be on their way to Istanbul tomorrow. I was missing Dalyan and my friends there, a few of which had kept in touch which was nice. I was definitely missing Fat Club and the accountability it gave me although I was still trying my best to track everything and make sensible choices. This week I’d only consumed 208 syns, more than 100 less than last week, and only 78 on alcohol. Today was weigh day and the 8th Fat Club I’d missed but I took my measurements. I had lost 3cm from my bust, 1cm from my waist and 4cm from my hips. I was pleased because I was under or on target for all of my measurements now. I decided I would find some scales when I next went in to town as it was almost a month since I’d got weighed.
At 8am it was 33°C and it didn’t feel unbearable as we popped our swimmers on to go down for breakfast. I had veggie noodle soup with extra greens and a cup of Yorkshire tea, Captain Caveman had an omelette with plenty of coffee. We spent the morning by the pool but at noon I got some bad news; our tenants back in Dalyan (and Jamie’s friends from his home town) were complaining about Captain Caveman’s apartment. The pool there wasn’t ready, as promised, the sunbeds and decking areas were untidy and someone on the complex was feeding lots of cats. Jamie had messaged me to tell me of his friend’s complaints with photos and to inform me that the pool wasn’t even full of water yet. He said it was hot there and they would not be happy to be without a pool when it was promised. Just what we needed, especially when I had been told by our pool and garden guy that it would be ready in plenty of time. I messaged the agent and our pool and garden man with the complaints and photos. I also let Amanda and Greg know as they had guests renting their place downstairs. Captain Caveman went in the pool at Greenfield, while I continued to try to sort all the issues out in Dalyan.
We had lunch at Greenfield which was a really nice beef and vegetable stir-fry (without chillies for me). I eventually got some time to myself and for a swim before going back to the room to speak to a friend. Unfortunately, she had some bad news about her health, and she needed surgery. This meant that her plans to come visit us would be delayed or cancelled.
In the evening, Captain Caveman drove us both in to town via the pharmacy. They had a set of old style weighing scales and I got on to find I was the same weight as when I last got weighed. I was still 3.3kg (7.7lb) heavier than when I last got weighed on Carol’s scales though, which I wasn’t convinced was true. I went to Phong Nha Vegan for 2.5 hours and the chef made me Com Suon which is fake pork with steamed rice and vegetables. She added a couple of spring rolls and I gave one to the waitress. The food was delicious and very filling. We left at 8.30pm and drove the 8km back to Greenfield as I had a video call booked in with Ma & Pa. I had one glass of wine at the bar and left Captain Caveman having a beer with René while I did the call. My parents were excited to be going back to Turkey and had a week in Istanbul before heading to Dalyan. It was good to see their happy faces as Ma got the hang of the camera angle this time.

We had the same breakfast as yesterday on Thursday 2nd May at Greenfield Ecostay. It was a bit muggy so I also drank a litre of water and we shared some mangosteen. While Captain Caveman played Bridge on his iPad, I cycled in to Phong Nha by myself. This was great as it meant that Captain Caveman had not been in to work on his day off for 3 whole days and it was doing him good. I spent a couple of hot and sticky hours at the Vegan with the girls and a couple of dogs where I had the amazing fresh spring rolls. I took half of them with me when I left as it looked like rain may come. At 4pm I had a video call scheduled in with Vanessa which I wouldn’t have time to cycle the 8km back for in time. We had already had to move it twice because of me being unavailable so I decided I would call in to The Villa’s and call from there. I mentioned to Vanessa a storm was looking likely and that I couldn’t speak for long. I had a soda water and a cheese toastie as I was peckish which I ate while on the call. It was good to catch up but we had to cut it short at only 34 minutes, for me to attempt to get back before the rain.
Of course that did not happen and I got absolutely soaked to the skin. I tried to take a short cut and ended up pushing Bluey up a muddy hill and, for the first time in weeks, I felt cold.
When I got to Greenfield, looking like I’d just got out of the shower with my clothes on, I should have gone to have a hot shower and take my clothes off. I didn’t, instead I joined Captain Caveman, Multi and René at the bar with a generous glass of red wine and then shared the fresh spring rolls with the guys. I finally showered and noticed my thighs were chafed from cycling in the rain in flimsy shorts. I ended up drinking a bottle of red wine and ate my delicious dinner. Ngan had prepared meatballs with veggies, steamed rice, peanuts and beef Lalot with water melon for afters and I really enjoyed it.