Phong Nha – 9th August

This was the day that I should have left Vietnam but because of the nice immigration man I was told I could stay for 1 more month. I’d not heard anything further since my request to do the visa extension without the flight booking I had been asked for. I decided not to bother asking as I was at the point now that if the passport got returned without the extension, or less days than I’d been promised, I would just leave – In some ways it would have been better to leave today, in others it would not have been so easy.
Today was also Captain Caveman’s first day in his new role at Oxalis as the Safety trainer for the Tour Guides, he’d done some planning over the weekend and was really looking forward to it. I had buttered toast for breakfast and 3 mangosteen while checking the Corona data. Our province, Quang Binh, had 47 positive cases which was a little concerning and I read that Turkey was struggling to reach 70% fully vaccinated as cases reach 25,000 per day, more here: http://sabahdai.ly/_vdg
By the time it got to 3pm I was rather peckish; I had steamed chicken, rice and sweetcorn all cooked together in the rice cooker which was a first for me to steam the chicken. I’m glad I did, as it tasted so healthy and fresh – I really enjoyed it and there was nothing to upset my weak stomach! At 3.30pm in our bedroom it was 29°C despite having the Aircon set at 25°C and I was just too warm, even the swimming pool was like bath water! Captain Caveman arrived back at 5pm in readiness for our Monday night out and this time it wasn’t for Curry Night at the Farmstay!!!

Often, in Phong Nha, Mondays have been our Saturdays and Monday 9th August was one of those times! Instead of cycling there, as was Captain Caveman’s preference, we decided to walk to the Lake House. We had made arrangements to have a few drinks and dinner with Tony and Tham who had reopened their hotel and restaurant at the weekend, after being closed for 2 weeks in accordance with the Corona guidelines. We also had an order of freshly baked bread and croissants to pick up so we could do it all at the same time. I forgot to time the walk there but I think it was about 20 minutes and mainly uphill so coming back would be easier. It was still hot and humid after 5.30pm and I arrived a sweaty mess, so much so that I had to have a wash in the toilets, just so that I could see. We had a refreshing iced lemon juice and I felt bad that Tony moved the massive fan on to us from his daughter, who was enjoying being sat in front of it. While Tham was busy doing stuff the 3 of us chatted about the construction industry over a couple of beers and some nicely made bruschetta style snacks. Tony decided to open a bottle of fancy wine which was from an area of Italy we love and it was absolutely amazing! Captain Caveman ordered chilli con carne for dinner and I had beef luk lak, both of which were so good that I completely forgot to take a photo, plus we were busy chatting and enjoying the Primitivo too much. Of course we had no will power to say no to a second bottle of wine, which went down well and we had a good laugh with Tony and Tham. It wasn’t too late when we went home but it was pitch black and I had the head torch in my hand while Captain Caveman carried the paper bags with bread and croissants in. It may be quiet in Phong Nha at the moment but we had really enjoyed an exciting Monday.

Phong Nha – 6th to 8th August

On Friday 6th August, while I ate buttered toast for breakfast and Captain Caveman rested on the bed, I saw that Vietnam had almost 400 deaths in a day yesterday and that we had a warning text from the authorities for us all to observe the rules and be careful. As Captain Caveman was still feeling a bit tired from the effects of his 2nd vaccine I decided to cook a chicken dish for lunch, with a sauce, the last of the cashew nuts and the steamed rice. He said he also felt a little bit unfocused and he couldn’t remember what he came downstairs for, Veronika and I do that a lot but it was unusual for Captain Caveman! After eating our food I was sat at the bedroom table when I heard a cracking noise near my right eye and ear. I put my hand up to try to feel what it was and my glasses fell off in to my hands, having broken at the part where the arm is joined to the frame – maybe I was turning in to Carrie!
It was finally Captain Caveman’s pay day so we sat down and did some budgeting together – it was going to be a tough month. He paid for my visa, a total of 2.3 million vnd (£73.60) and we had requested from the Phong Nha Farmstay receptionist our bill.
Pizza Night, which was at the Farmstay again, was a good one; we were joined by Stu and the kids and we had a good laugh. We also ordered a 3rd pizza to share and Captain Caveman had eaten 4 slices of it by the time I got back from the loo, I took 2 pieces home for the next day.

It was a very relaxed day on Saturday 7th August, and at 7am it was cloudy and less than 30°C (but not for long). Vietnam’s Corona deaths continued at a high rate and now the total deaths, since the pandemic had began, were over 3,000. The mortality rate was 1.53% which was worse than in Turkey and catching the UK up. Only 31.6% of the cases had recovered which was lower than we had been used to, so far. I had my leftover smoked duck pizza for breakfast and Captain Caveman cycled in to Phong Nha. When he returned he had fixed my onyx ring so that you couldn’t even see or feel the join and I was so pleased! Unfortunately the glasses didn’t hold at all and were completely broken. For lunch I ate a dragon fruit and an apple but then needed a snack later because I was still hungry so I ate the last of the gluten and dairy free brownie I had in the freezer, while Captain Caveman swam in the pool.
For dinner we had chicken with steamed rice, carrots, green beans and peanut salt but while I was stirring the chicken my onyx ring broke again and landed in the pan!

Our alarms went off at 6.45am on Sunday 8th August and I was still very sleepy. Bluey didn’t need her front tyre pumping up but her back one had gone down quite a bit so Captain Caveman obliged. I managed to cycle to the Farmstay in 9 minutes 4 seconds which was a minute faster than my last ride there. Captain Caveman ordered Eggs Benedict and I went for Pho Bo for our breakfast while we waited to say our farewell to the lovely Czech family, Lucie and her son, Martan. She was able to get her 2nd vaccine and so they were travelling back home to Hanoi with 2 other Phong Nha Farmstay guests. Because there were still no domestic flights or trains from the nearest town of Dong Hoi to Hanoi they were sharing a private car to travel the 500km North, this was also what the cavers would have to do and probably what I would need to do, when we left. After our delicious breakfast we cycled back in a hot headwind which I found difficult and it took me 10 minutes 3 seconds!
Captain Caveman mentioned that when he had picked up the mangosteens from Mina he had been given the mushrooms that I had ordered but I needed to check because I had accidentally ordered embryos. When I looked in the bag there were 2 fairly substantial mushroom embryos so that we could grow our own. Captain Caveman found it hilarious that I had now accidentally become a mushroom farmer of mushrooms I would probably never get to eat as I would have left! My friend Khanh Linh, Mina’s colleague, sent me the instructions in English on what to do and I set a plan of watering and watching them.
The housekeeping staff had been and done a little spruce up of the bedroom, made the bed and straightened the towels, they didn’t know they may also be helping grow mushrooms this time next week. Later Eric, the bee, stopped by for lunch and while Captain Caveman had a sandwich I made myself vegetable and egg fried rice. It was Watto’s birthday today and so there was a party at Bom’s River House for him. Captain Caveman went there but I didn’t, the return taxi fare is 300,000vnd (£9.60) which, to put it in perspective, is more than a crate of 24 beers, so he went by bicycle and planned to stay over at the Glass House. I made myself some veggie pasta for dinner and had a diet coke while watching a bit of Netflix.

Phong Nha – 5th August

We woke up at the Belafonte very early, and extremely thirsty, on Thursday 5th August – I had a terrible hangover, Captain Caveman was fine. After a drink of water at the kitchen table with Stu, who was up bright and breezy because he doesn’t drink alcohol, we decided to walk home before it got too hot – I wish I’d brought my sunglasses. I’m sure I would have appreciated Captain Caveman’s discovery of a shortcut much more if I wasn’t feeling so fragile as we wandered on paths that cut through the rural countryside. We even saw MAG (Mines Advisory Group) in the area, clearing unexploded bombs, workmen building an archway at a school gate, and a woman ploughing her field with a cow.

When we got to the Phong Nha Farmstay we needed breakfast and so we had a pitstop where we found out people were worried about us because they hadn’t seen us again since last night, even the Elements staff were concerned we hadn’t gone home, according to our waitress. We had messaged Veronika to tell her we weren’t coming home so she could lock the door, but nobody asked her where we were. Captain Caveman ordered one of his favourites for breakfast, Eggs Benedict and an iced coffee, I had my favourite of Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) with lemon juice. It was incredibly windy which I noticed every time I tried to get my soup on my spoon and it blew off, what I did manage to eat was very tasty.

When we got back home I got a message to say my passport was on its way to Dong Hoi by taxi and could I pay the taxi fare of 500,000vnd (£16) return which of course we agreed to but it was probably a good job it was the last one – we couldn’t afford any more extensions. I asked for the progress on the visa situation with immigration and I was told I would have my passport back on the 9th or 10th of this month – less than a week to get it back would be an absolute first ever and made me wonder if I would even be given a full month’s extension this time! We didn’t really do much for the rest of the day, mainly because of the hangover situation. For lunch we had hotdogs and I had a couple of cookies but, obviously, was ill straight away. We played it safe for dinner by Captain Caveman doing me a gluten and dairy free meal, mushroom risotto. He was still fine from his 2nd Astra Zeneca vaccination but just a bit more tired than usual and was asleep straight after dinner.

Phong Nha – 4th August

Captain Caveman was up early on Wednesday 4th August, excited to be getting his 2nd vaccine today. I checked my phone and there was no mention of a shopping trip but then all but a handful of guests had left the Phong Nha Farmstay so there was probably less demand. We did a quick check of the fridge, freezer and cupboard and thought we could probably make do without a shopping trip this week, anyway. Captain Caveman cooked us bacon, red cabbage, pumpkin and tortilla for breakfast, which was delicious, and he put my broken ring in a bag to take to Phong Nha to fix. Even though it wasn’t an expensive ring it was sentimental to me as I bought it on a trip to Marble Mountain, Danang, when I was with friends on their last visit to Vietnam.
Vietnam now had over 170,000 cases in total, more than 2,000 deaths and 50,000 recoveries. This was the highest the mortality rate for Corona had reached in Vietnam so far, 1.16% and it was increasing very quickly. There was, however, some good news for experts coming in to Vietnam, which could possibly include Captain Caveman (and the returning cavers) if he leaves Vietnam:
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1003411/viet-nam-cuts-quarantine-for-fully-vaccinated-arrivals-to-7-days-health-ministry.html
For lunch I made myself some pasta with mushrooms and soft cheese and it was really tasty, although I had stomach ache afterwards, I wasn’t ill. Captain Caveman and his cave colleagues got the 2nd vaccine which was the same brand as the 1st, Astra Zeneca. Initially we had been told we would get Moderna for the 2nd jab but apparently there had not been approval for mix and match vaccines in Vietnam so they couldn’t do that.

When he got home he felt fine and so we got a lift in the jeep with Duyet, to the Farmstay, then walked all the way to The Belafonte, Stu’s place. We saw Bich on the way to say hello and although it was hot it wasn’t too sunny. It took 34 minutes to walk it from the Farmstay and my ankle was hurting when we got there. We had some cold beers and Multi was there on the rice wine, which Captain Caveman joined in with. Jack was keen to get me to try out his VR (Virtual Reality) game and it’s another first for me. I sat on a chair, opposite the TV with this thing on my head and eyes, then the fun started. I was in a dive cage under the sea looking at all the nice fishes and stuff which was a bit scary, the manteray made me jump but was cool to watch but towards the end a shark swam up and bit my cage and tried to eat me – it was terrifying! Stu even took videos of me screaming and putting my feet up so I wouldn’t get a leg bitten off. We had a few drinks, a delicious Vietnamese style dinner, a dip in the pool and a great night, all the way past midnight!

Video by Stu, of my first go on the VR

Phong Nha – 3rd August

I was still awake when the loudspeaker went off around 5am on Tuesday 3rd August but I pretended to be asleep so that I didn’t have to speak to Captain Caveman, who kissed my head when he was leaving and went to Phong Nha. After a little bit of sleep I got up and had dragon fruit for breakfast while reading the news, which did little to cheer me up!
Vietnam was told to prepare for the worst as this 4th Corona wave and Delta variant got worse, info here:
https://vietnamnews.vn/opinion/1002350/we-should-prepare-for-the-worst-case-scenario-expert.html
Some initial reports in the Vietnamese news of a new variant of the Delta variant in South Korea, more here:
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-detects-its-first-two-cases-delta-plus-covid-19-variant-2021-08-03/
Disturbingly the BBC published an article about what was happening in China – back to where it started:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-58066744
Before lunch Captain Caveman video called me to show me my stuff in the Glass House that I might want bringing back so I could take it to Turkey. I said I felt like shit, picked out a few things and then went to get some water. When Captain Caveman returned he tried to apologise but I told him I didn’t think he meant it, he had brought some fruit home, which he left on the kitchen table and went to have a shower after cycling. When I opened the bag there were mangosteen and longans but they were covered in ants – was this a joke!?
I put the fruit in a sink full of water and went upstairs, thinking “Get me on a plane out of here, now!” Unfortunately, there were still no flights from Dong Hoi and so I was going nowhere but in to a bad mood. I warmed up my leftover curry and rice for lunch and enjoyed the butter chicken very much.
In other news Melissa and her family of 5 had made it out of Hanoi but not before letting me know that the Paragon hotel in Hanoi, had been forced to close by the authorities.This was the one I had planned on staying in, if I need to before my international flight so was a bit rubbish.
Something strange happened as I was cooking dinner. I was cooking bacon, cabbage, pumpkin and tortilla and, as I was stirring it, my onyx ring, on my right hand, cracked and fell off. Luckily I caught it just as it was falling in to the food – how strange! Just as we were getting ready for bed, Captain Caveman got a work email to tell him to go for his 2nd vaccine tomorrow and to be ready for 1pm departure with about 40 of his colleagues. Well, that cheered him right up and he was in the best mood now – what a relief he was getting it 2 days before his 12 week deadline. There was no mention yet of tomorrow’s weekly shopping trip but it would be my turn again and Captain Caveman gave me the last of his money. I set my alarm for 7.30am so I could be ready for a call or message to confirm the shopping trip pick up time.

Phong Nha – 2nd August

Monday 2nd August wasn’t the best of days, I had a slice of buttered toast and was ill straight away. I went to access my online banking and wasn’t able to because my bank card had expired and so I couldn’t even check if my new card had been sent to my UK address yet. This was not going to be ideal as this meant that I had no bank card to be able to use if I needed one to leave Vietnam with – great timing but I should have left here in April 2020 when all my cards were still in date.
Captain Caveman had gone to Phong Nha and I read a strange news article about something that had happened at a checkpoint in Vietnam, more info here:
https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210801/boy-killed-family-members-injured-in-road-crash-on-way-to-hometown-in-vietnam/62361.html
When Captain Caveman returned he had some updates from his morning at Oxalis; there was still no word on the 2nd vaccine situation (of which they only had until Friday to have it), while some of his colleagues were off back to the UK, Captain Caveman had confirmed he would be staying in Vietnam for the winter. He would be delivering training to the Oxalis guide team, 3 days per week, throughout the winter season. For lunch we had leftovers from yesterday; chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and green beans which was really tasty.
We had 600,000vnd (£19.20) to last until pay day on Friday so we arranged to go to Curry night at the Phong Nha Farmstay with Stu and Jack. We had 2 happy hour beers each and a curry each which was really good, with nan bread and steamed rice. I saved a little bit to take home and it was a great night, until we got home and Captain Caveman decided to cause an argument.
I was desperate for a pee when we got in so I went for one and while in the bathroom I grabbed some Antisan cream for my 4 or 5 mosquito bites, which I happened to complain about having and that was it! Captain Caveman hates it when he hears complaints and says that I do it all the time so now he was having an argument that I talk about toilets, mosquitos and ants too much and that he was sick of me mentioning them. I was pretty sick of him losing his temper at me and that when he does, it’s always at night, after a lovely evening out and also around the time when the visa extension issues arise (I was noting the correlation and putting it down to him either being upset I have to leave soon or cheesed off that I haven’t left yet). I know he does love to argue but I don’t, so I didn’t even bother, which made him more argumentative. While I was upset he fell asleep pretty much instantly and snored like a pig for most of the night. I had no sleep until the morning but I had made a list of all the things I can no longer mention in front of him and decided I’d wait until we were on a night out with all his friends or work colleagues and then mention each topic – loads!

Phong Nha – 1st August

It was a weird one on Sunday 1st August, it was rainy first thing and Captain Caveman didn’t need to go to Oxalis so we had a lazy morning. I had jam on toast and a mangosteen for breakfast and then saw an unexpected message about my visa extension. Immigration said that they could only do my visa extension if I had proof of a flight booked within the next 30 days. Once they had that they would then do the extension but it would be dated to my flight date. As there were no flights from Dong Hoi to Saigon or Hanoi at this time I didn’t want to be forced to book a flight that I may have to cancel as it may mean I wouldn’t get the refund in time to book a different flight or airline. Captain Caveman had found a flight from Saigon to Singapore on 9th September for £31 which I wouldn’t use, but could book it, as a last resort just to get the extension. I replied to say I would book a flight when I got my passport stamped and we would see what would happen with that but, as it was a Sunday, I got no further messages about it. I also decided not to worry about it and if they wouldn’t agree then I would look for a flight – it would perhaps be cheaper to pay an overstay fee for up to 10 days than the visa extension fee anyway.
We had a healthy salad for lunch and a couple of gin cocktails in the afternoon, I’d already prepped the vegetables for a Sunday dinner at home, pay day was not far off but we had barely any money left to go out so we had chosen to use what we had left for tomorrow night. We inadvertently decided to take a sourdough loaf off Veronika’s hands, which she gets from Dong Hoi and are pretty big, not realising it costs 200,000vnd (£6.40), when we came to pay for it later. We needed to make better choices on spending until I leave and agreed that once pay day arrived we would plan a budget together and stick to it.
We had a lovely homemade dinner of chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and green beans that evening and it was even pretty healthy.

Top 10 ways I’m saving money

Being in Vietnam without access to my own money has meant we have had to cope with living on the one (at times reduced) wage. As a tourist in Vietnam I’m not allowed to work and so things haven’t been as easy as planned due to the Corona situation. I was meant to leave Vietnam in April 2020 so I wasn’t prepared for a prolonged stay, at all. When I get to Turkey I will be able to access my bank account there but, until I get more income I will need to be very careful. These are some of the things I’ve already tried to adopt to cut our cloth and be more frugal with the money we do have.

1. Take advantage of a bargain only when it suits what you need.
2. Stop buying new clothes or cosmetic products.
3. Drink mostly water as much as possible, all those soft drinks or juices can add up.
4. Make a daily, weekly and monthly budget and stick to it – make adjustments if unexpected costs occur.
5. Plan ahead with food shopping.
6. Don’t waste any food.
7. Limit the amount of stuff we buy which isn’t locally produced.
8. Cut out snacks and treats (good for the diet too).
9. Stop going anywhere you need to pay for a taxi to get there, unless essential or urgent.
10. Stop buying gifts for Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Weddings, Engagements, Baby showers, Anniversaries and other celebrations.

10 Reasons to leave Vietnam

After 1 year and 8 months I will be leaving Vietnam. I arrived from Turkey in January 2020, intending to leave after 3 months, and have been paying to extend my tourist visa ever since (the cheapest worked out at $60 per month and the most expensive $120 per month). My intention now is to leave Phong Nha, Vietnam, in September and head back to Dalyan, Turkey, and hope that I will be able to get back to the UK to see family and friends too. Below is a list of my top 10 reasons why I am leaving;

1. Immigration will no longer extend my tourist visa and I have to leave Vietnam by the 9th September.
2. I have no access to money in Vietnam, my UK bank cards have expired (and I’ve spent all my UK money), plus I can no longer access my Turkish bank account here.
3. It wouldn’t be ideal for Captain Caveman to have to continue to support both of us through the winter.
4. I’m running out of good underwear.
5. I need to renew my Turkish residency but can only do it when there.
6. My UK driving licence expired 2 years ago and I can only renew it from a country where I can post back the old license.
7. None of my family or friends can enter Vietnam to visit me but there’s a chance I will get to see a few of them sooner, in Europe somewhere.
8. I no longer have any insurance in Vietnam but I do in Turkey.
9. If I don’t leave in September I could be stuck here illegally for a while and may have to pay overstay fees or be denied access when I do leave.
10. My 10 year passport is going to need renewing (after only 4 years) because it’s getting full.

10 Things I will have to get used to again

The realisation that I might actually be leaving Vietnam soon made me think of all the things I’m going to have to get used to again, once I leave the sleepy town of Phong Nha, where I rarely see more than 20 people in any one day (sometimes a week). I’m not sure if I’m ready to be let back in to society or not, yet!

1. No maskers
I’ve recently seen the first couple of people who refused to wear a mask and I was so shocked. In bigger cities it’s going to happen as well as countries where masks are no longer required! I’m not fully vaccinated yet so of course it concerns me.

2. Crowds
I hate being in a claustrophobic situation anyway but I don’t think I will quickly adjust to public transport and busy buildings in a hurry.

3. More Choice
I’ve spent the last 18 months having a fairly limited choice of food, drinks, venues, friends, clothes to wear and activities but still not been bored so it makes me wonder if I’m ready to fit in more choice and how I will be able to decide.

4. Coins, a purse and a handbag
After not using any of these for 18 months, it’s just going to be really strange.

5. Staying awake later
I am often in bed by 9pm so it’s going to take some adjusting to, if I go out out I might have to have a nap beforehand to prepare myself.

6. Walking about
In my next destination I won’t have transport or a bicycle and need to walk everywhere so I will have to get used to a simple trip of walking to and from the shops. I rarely walk far now unless it involves going for food or drink so that might be a shocking change for me.

7. Kitchen appliances
I will have to remember that the oven will be hotter than the one I’ve been using in Phong Nha but I’m looking forward to being reacquainted with the slow cooker. I will have to buy a rice cooker as I can’t live without one now.

8. Doing laundry
For 10 months we have used the laundry services of the housekeeping staff who do such a good job of our laundry, I’m going to have to fit it in to my hectic schedule again.

9. Physical appearance
Being back in society will probably mean I have the chance to sort out my appearance again. For the last 18 months I’ve had my hair done once so it will be great to be reacquainted with my Turkish hairdresser as well as having my eyebrows shaped and generally looking like I don’t live in a field.

10. No Captain Caveman
I don’t know when it will be possible to see Captain Caveman again and, while we hope Vietnam opens to tourists in 2022, it could be a while.

Photo credit – various internet sources and Captain Caveman

Phong Nha – 31st July

I had leftover pizza and 3 mangosteens for breakfast on Saturday 31st July, it was raining and so we had a lazy morning. Our friends Melissa, Rimaha and their 3 children who used to live at Elements Collection, in the villa opposite us, before moving to Hoi An had decided they were going to leave Vietnam and go to Turkey. The free visa extensions were still covering them as they arrived after March 2020 but they were getting worried it might stop and, understandably, didn’t want the visa worry every month. Going back home to New Zealand wasn’t an option for them as the Managed Isolation Quarantine (MIQ), although free of charge, could not accommodate the 5 of them for months yet – it is thought that there were approximately 100,000 Kiwis trying to get home and some were spending up to 16 hours per day trying to book their place in New Zealand’s compulsory hotel quarantine facility. Melissa and her family were planning to fly to Istanbul in August but unfortunately as of tonight they were stopping all domestic flights from Danang (their nearest airport). They also had a bit of an ordeal leaving; PCR tests to fly from Danang to Hanoi for all of them, they had 35 minutes to pack to make the last flight to Hanoi, and they had to use 2 private cars and change vehicles at the checkpoint with lots of bags. When they got to Danang airport Melissa recorded a live video which told of the struggles to leave Vietnam at this time and we watched feeling sorry for them, until the part where the family find that the airport Burger King was still open – and there wasn’t even a queue! Check out their Instagram stories here: https://instagram.com/worldtravelambitions?utm_medium=copy_link
Captain Caveman was out but came back with some eggs so he made tortilla, I had one piece of it, with salad, for lunch and then I was ill – it could have been a delayed reaction from gluten or dairy but I’m convinced my stomach can’t handle egg. We had more of Mina’s mangosteen which were certainly better than the supermarket ones and cost 110,000vnd (£3.52)for 3kg. In the afternoon I was peckish so Captain Caveman served me cashew nuts with a vodka and orange by the pool. For our evening meal I chopped mushrooms and red peppers and Captain Caveman made us a vegetarian pasta meal, which was tasty and I had no reaction to the normal pasta.

July had started with a few struggles in Phong Nha, proving that it’s certainly true that it’s not always perfect in paradise. My visa extension and passport issues had improved last and I actually got the passport back in the quickest time ever. All my plans to leave had been postponed for a bit longer as we tried to work out what was going to be our plan(s) for the rest of the year. I missed a few more celebrations in the UK as my home country returned to ‘normal’ for a lot of people, as did Turkey. Towards the end of the month Phong Nha saw the closing of more places and the stopping of transport links to other provinces. We even had to sacrifice yet more holidays and Captain Caveman was sad to see his cycling event moved to later in the year, due to Corona.
August was going to be my last month in Vietnam as the tourist visa extensions were definitely going to be denied soon, so I was preparing to go back to Turkey. I was also a little nervous of what the rest of the year would have in store and whether I’d be able to get back to the UK for a friend’s wedding – I couldn’t afford the hotel quarantine in the UK, nor would I have the time to do it, so it would be dependent on restrictions being lifted.

Phong Nha – 30th July

On Friday 30th July I had bread and cheese for breakfast again but this time had no reaction and I looked for the positives in the news today.
In Vietnam the amount of recoveries was looking promising as more patients in Saigon were discharged, more here:
https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210729/ho-chi-minh-city-has-discharged-over-25000-covid19-patients/62318.html
I got a bit of perspective reading this one, and if you thought working from home in the UK, during the pandemic was bad, read this for what it could be like for many workers in Vietnam:
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1000196/hundreds-of-covid-19-cases-detected-in-binh-duong-companies.html
Plans in Saigon to vaccinate 70% of its 9 million residents by end of August were ambitious but could be doable if they got on it, info here:
https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210730/vietnam-accelerates-vaccinations-in-covid19-epicentre/62328.html
As you had probably noticed it was getting to the end of the month which meant it was time to start preparing for the next visa extension request. I checked and was told that I could have 1 more month’s extension and to submit my passport after the weekend.
Captain Caveman had gone early to Phong Nha and was picking up a load of mangosteens from my Jungle Boss friend, Mina. When he came home we had a chicken salad for lunch and a couple of drinks by the pool before getting ready for our predictable Friday night out. We’d budgeted enough for us to have a treat for dinner and we went for Happy Hour and Pizza Night at the Farmstay. It’s only 50,000vnd (£1.55) for 2 rum and diet cokes or gin and tonics so we ended up having 4 of those each and Captain Caveman had realised you could order more than 1 pizza each! We ordered 3 between the 2 of us; a salami one each (his with extra chillies and garlic) then a ham and pineapple to share. It was delicious and the ham and pineapple was my new favourite (plus I took 2 slices home) and we had a great night out for 400,000vnd (£12.40).
Back home we got to give cuddles to Carrot, the puppy, who had been sleeping beneath Cuong’s hammock – he really is so cute.

Photo credit – Captain Caveman

Phong Nha – 29th July

I decided to test something out on Thursday 29th July for breakfast, given that I’ve been able to eat pizza once per week now, I had toast with a melted cheddar slice on it and, of course, I was ill – I just don’t get it!!! Captain Caveman had already gone to Phong Nha to catch up with what was going on at Oxalis. I read in the news that there had been a lag in Corona deaths in Vietnam, probably due to the large amount and there were another 350 deaths added on retrospectively, see the 2 reports below:
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/999477/106-new-covid-19-deaths-announced.html
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/999828/233-more-covid-deaths-7594-new-infections-recorded.html
This meant that as of the previous day the death rate for Corona was at 0.5% already in Vietnam.
Once my stomach was a bit better I prepared some BBQ jackfruit which we had with chopped veg and salad for lunch. While we were serving up our lunch Veronika returned after having been razzing around the National Park on the back of a Harley Davidson with Ben, she was not impressed and said she was aching because it was so uncomfortable. In the evening Captain Caveman cooked some chicken with veg and steamed rice which we sprinkled with peanut salt. It was nearing the end of the month again and I’d managed to not worry about my visa extension for a couple of weeks but now we were back in the same situation as last month – would I get it extended or would I have to leave next week? Tomorrow I would ask the questions and see what happens!

20 things I Googled in July

The theme of my Google searches in July seemed to be fruit and travel related in the main, here’s my list:
• Astra Zeneca and Moderna mix
• baolau.vn
• canitravel.net
• Czech language basics
• Dong Hoi flight departures
• English to Vietnamese
• French to English
• Hungary
• Jackfruit
• Kirazlı
• Longan fruit seed soap
• Manavgat
• Magner’s cider
• Nationwide Bank
• online check-in, Singapore airlines
• Turkish university for international students
• UK Red list
• Vietnam free visa extensions
• weather
• worldlifeexpectancycoronavirus

This really is the most useful website for anyone wanting to work out where they can travel to right now: https://canitravel.net/

Phong Nha & Dong Hoi – 28th July

I was awake early on Wednesday 28th July and not because it was my turn to go on the shopping trip today. I was worried about my friend who was still trying to get back to South Africa, he’d had an horrendous night and had ended up walking 5km to find water and food, which he didn’t because all shops are closed for the evening curfew in Saigon. Because this morning shops were open from 6am he found a 7-11 and got an egg and cheese sandwich which he said was disgusting but he loved it.
Captain Caveman went off to Phong Nha for work, he had given me the money for shopping, we had just over a week until pay day so things were pretty tight and I had my shopping list at the ready. We’d already had a message from Ben asking who was going and saying we would only be going to the organic shop and Co-op Mart so Veronika, after her traumatic experience last week, decided not to come along. I was told my pick up was at 8am and so I went outside ready for that, at 8.05am Duyet told me to get in the jeep to go to the Farmstay so I thought Bich may have told him to bring me there. As I was leaving Ben arrived to pick me up so I switched cars and off we went to pick up 2 customers at the Phong Nha Farmstay. At 8.45am Bich was ready to leave so off we all went to Dong Hoi and on the way she asked if we wanted to go anywhere specific and suggested Tuan Viet Gourmet so I said yes. My South African bound friend managed to get checked in for his flight to Singapore and was happy to be on his way at last. I got a few bits in the shop, including treating us to a bottle of wine for just under a tenner. Our next stop was the organic shop where I managed to get a couple of things from my list. Next, Bich dropped us at Co-op Mart and went to pick up something, I managed to get quite a bit from the list but there were no eggs or chicken and it was surprisingly empty so Veronika would have been fine. When we left the supermarket I mentioned to Bich I still hadn’t been able to get chicken or BBQ sauce so we stopped at Horeca and I got those plus some cheese. I had thought I’d get 2 lots of BBQ sauce but it wasn’t cheap so I put one back, while I waited for them to find me some frozen chicken breasts which they kept in the back of the small shop.

Here’s my list of the shopping I bought, prices in Vietnamese Dong. I bet you can see straight away the things I shouldn’t have been tempted to buy, which exceeded the tight budget rule;

Tuan Viet Supermarket
Green beans 14,500
Gluten free stock cubes 22,000
2 red peppers 26,220
6 Mangosteen 27,000
2 dragon fruit 30,360
1 packet of penne pasta 35,000
1 jar of green olives 45,000
1 bottle of red wine 310,000

Total 510,080vnd (£15.81)

Organic Shop
1 red cabbage 51,150
300g of beef 90,000

Total 141,150vnd (£4.38)

Co-op Mart
Broccoli 9,741
Carrots 11,085
2 packets of crisps 23,000
Pumpkin 27,422
Tomato puree sauce 28,400
Potatoes 36,527
2 Strongbow cider 36,600
2 packs of Mushrooms 64,000

Total 236,775vnd (£7.34)

Horeca
250g cheddar cheese slices 65,000
200g cream cheese 68,000
125g brie 90,000
2 bottles of BBQ sauce 150,000
2kg chicken breast 180,000

Total 553,000vnd (£17.14)

Is there anything you think I missed or shouldn’t have bought?

Bich had a request from one of the Farmstay guests to bring back some Banh Loc (which smelled of fish sauce so bad) and we made a new rule; whoever doesn’t go on the shopping trip has to order the smelliest food for the others to have to bring back on the 45 minute car journey!

When I got home Captain Caveman was a bit cheesed off because he had set off this morning to go on the Tu Lan take down trip but when he got to Oxalis it had been postponed until Friday but he hadn’t been told. Luckily Watto, who is going back to the UK next month, had given him a toaster – he was happy about that. So, my other half was in a mood, I was starving hungry and decided that a croissant with a slice of cheddar cheese on would be an amazing brunch – of course this made me terribly ill for about an hour.
I got a message from Tatas to say that her home isolation had ended 9 days early because her landlord had tested negative 3 times and she was already at work, in a meeting. Captain Caveman and I drank wine by the pool in the late afternoon, I snacked on crisps and longans and we discussed Captain Caveman’s plans for the off-season (September to December) this year. Vietnam has been promising that they were going to reduce the quarantine period for experts entering Vietnam to just 7 days followed by 14 days self isolation ‘at home’ but they still had not implemented it and as it stood it would be 14 days quarantine then 14 days self isolation. Given that Captain Caveman would need to be ready to work in November it didn’t leave much time for him to come to Turkey. He decided that it would be too risky to get stuck in either Turkey or Vietnamese quarantine and potentially not be able to work when needed so he would not leave Vietnam this year. We both agreed that while the pandemic was still continuing as it is, it would be sensible for him to stay in Phong Nha.
For dinner we used the leftover stew from yesterday and added the beef I bought today to have the same delicious meal we had last night. I noticed that at Horeca they had still charged me for 2 bottles of BBQ sauce so I messaged Bich to see if she could let them know so I could rectify it on the next shopping trip.