I made myself a bacon, mushroom and brown sauce baguette for breakfast on Sunday 9th May as I had been awake before 5am again because of the tannoy noise which was still blaring on at 5.40am. By 9am I was so tired but couldn’t go back to sleep as it was too light. Instead I read the Corona news and lolled about watching The Big Bang Theory on Netflix. The Corona numbers, although seeming to be contained were the highest cases in a day for a while as the latest wave seemed to be spreading at a faster rate, more here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210509/vietnam-announces-record-daily-hike-of-92-local-coronavirus-infections/60817.html I was glad that back home my parents were due to have their second Astra Zeneca jab today and would finally be free to roam by the 23rd May. After being at home for over a year I was pleased about this for them and hoped Vietnam would progress the vaccine a bit quicker. I put on my Mommy Shark leopard print swimming costume and sat by the pool, had a swim and relaxed on a sun-lounger for the rest of the morning. For lunch I had dragon fruit and some grapes followed by a pot of jasmine tea and decided to try something new for dinner. I had rice noodles with blognese, instead of spaghetti and although it took a bit of getting used to it tasted pretty good. I had a very relaxing Sunday in Phong Nha, just doing nothing much.
Our friends from Saigon were booked to leave Phong Nha on Saturday 8th May, Captain Caveman had already left for his next Son Doong tour and I was busy swimming in the pool before 9am. I’d had bread and butter and then bread and jam for breakfast (very continental) because it was too hot to make pancakes. In the news there was more information on how Vietnam’s 4th wave of corona had come about, which was interesting: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/the-gales-that-fuel-vietnam-s-new-coronavirus-storm-4274470.html Just before lunch Andrea cycled down to Elements and we sat by the pool and had a chat while she had a beer and me a cider. We decided to cycle to the Farmstay taking the longer route so that Andrea could see the rice paddies, the harvesting and take some photos, then we would get some lunch before it was time for her and Rob to go to the airport. When we arrived at the Phong Nha Farmstay we were rather hot and sweaty so decided to have a Jasmine IPA beer with ice and share some lunch. We ordered the fried spring rolls and chicken quesadillas, both excellent dishes, to share and had another jasmine IPA each, none of which had any affect my tum! Rob joined us and he decided to have a drink and a last minute veggie curry, which he had enjoyed at the Phong Nha Farmstay before. I was going to miss these guys and after I’d said my goodbyes I cycled home the short way in 9 minutes 58 seconds and then got in the pool as it was boiling, it was so hot that the pool water was like a warm bath. I always forget how hot the summers are, here in Phong Nha, and the forecast for the week looked hot, hot, hot. I had a shower and a rest, watched something on Netflix and made some popcorn. I was glad of an early night as I was going to be up very early tomorrow morning!
Captain Caveman went off early to Phong Nha on the morning of Friday 7th May having made arrangements to see me at East Hill at 11.30am and he had told Rob the plan too. I messaged Veronika, who had gone walking with Sue, to let them know we would be cycling from Elements Collection at 11am to go to East Hill for lunch, should they still want to come. I also messaged Andrea and she was up for cycling to our place first, with Rob and Anthony and then on to East Hill with us. It was even an added bonus that one of them would ride my bicycle, Bluey, who’d I’d left in the car park at the Farmstay, as Rob’s bike was already at our place. At 10.50am people were downstairs waiting for me to go to East Hill so I went downstairs, Rob had forgotten the key for his bike which was locked and had cycled back to get it, Sue and Andrea were ready to cycle and Veronika was deciding if she wanted to take her motorbike or cycle with us. We waited for Rob to return, luckily, because he had to borrow Bluey’s pump and then he said he knew the way and he would catch us up because he also needed a mask. By now it was 11.15am and so I lead the way, Veronika had decided to cycle with me, Andrea and Sue but Anthony was going to cycle with Rob. When we came to the turning off the main road there was no sign, which is normally there, so I cycled past and then realised, so we all had to turn round just as 2 lorries were going each way on the highway. The ladies made it, including the detour, in 5 minutes and 12 seconds where Captain Caveman was already waiting with a shandy. Everyone but me decided they also wanted a shandy but there was no beer, nor would the guy order any and so they shared a beer and two 7ups while I had a coke. We ordered 2 BBQ chicken and rice combos and waited for Rob and Anthony to arrive, which they didn’t. Captain Caveman messaged Rob but no response and Andrea had Anthony’s wallet and phone in her bag. When they eventually arrived they had been to the Pub with Cold Beer (which was closed) and completely misunderstood where we were going! When the chicken arrived Captain Caveman tucked in heartily, as usual, Anthony just had rice as he’s a vegetarian and Rob had a lay down and went to sleep. Andrea found the chicken was too chewy for her, Sue and Veronika didn’t eat much chicken, so it was mainly Captain Caveman and I eating. Rob eventually woke up when there was just a bit of chicken left and had a couple of pieces and the rest of the rice. For the way home Captain Caveman suggested a slightly longer scenic route which Veronika and Sue didn’t want to do and set off the way we came. I also didn’t want to chance Captain Caveman’s ‘better’ way so tried to catch Veronika and Sue up but they were too whizzy. It took me 8 minutes 41 seconds to cycle back in the now blistering heat and when I arrived back Captain Caveman, Andrea, Rob and Anthony were just a couple of minutes behind. All but Rob and Anthony got in our pool and they all had a drink to cool down before cycling back to the Farmstay.
Later that evening Captain Caveman had his briefing while Andrea, Rob and I joined Veronika and Ben for The Villas’ pizza night, which I’d not been to since the 26th March, 5 weeks ago! I managed 6 slices including a ham & mushroom, 2 showstoppers, 1 capture, 1 Momma D’s and 1 veggie – luckily Ben and Rob liked the smoked salmon ones. Andrea and I shared a bottle of red wine and then had an extra glass when Captain Caveman joined us for a drink at the end, once he’d finished work. We got the shuttle bus back with Ben while Captain Caveman cycled his bicycle home.
The loudspeaker was doing it’s thing at 5.09am on Thursday 6th May and so by 6.30am I was on my 2nd gluten-free pancake with banana and honey – it was far too early! It was rice harvesting season in Phong Nha and so when we cycled up to the Farmstay it took me 10 minutes 27 seconds because of having to go over the tarpaulins of drying rice in the road. Bruno had arranged to meet for an early lunch before heading off to the airport for his trip back to Saigon. I was really thirsty after cycling in the heat so I managed to polish off an orange juice and a ginger beer pretty quickly. For lunch I ordered some vegetarian fried spring rolls and a coconut as the group that had been on the Tu Lan 4 day tour spoke about how much they enjoyed it. Captain Caveman had an impressive looking burger for his lunch and there was a discussion about the forthcoming Saigon Children’s Charity cycling event that a few, including Captain Caveman, Andrea and Rob, were going to be doing to raise more money for the charity in July, ending on Captain Caveman’s birthday. After we said bye to Bruno, we cycled back home, it took me 10 minutes 5 seconds and it was so hot that I got a bit of sunburn, even though I had a high factor suncream on. Captain Caveman did his dutiful filming of me riding Bluey and I looked pretty much back to normal apart from still having my seat low so that if I had to stop I can put both feet on the floor. That evening Captain Caveman and I joined Rob, Andrea, Veronika and Sue (a returning guest from Hanoi) back up at the Farmstay after a 10 minute 28 second cycle, including getting off to walk across one patch of drying harvest. I decided to have mushroom soup for a starter and the duck à l’orange for my main course at dinner, plus a few (4!) glasses of red wine. There was talk at the dinner table of going somewhere nice for lunch tomorrow with our friends and Phong Nha Farmstay guests and I suggested we could maybe see if we could organise a trip to the Pub with Cold Beer, a trip I’ve been on many times. Everyone agreed and would like to go around 11.30am, after Veronika and Sue had completed their walk and the others had finished their morning’s work. It didn’t work out though, as only Sue and I would need transport as the others were happy to make their own way there by bicycle or motorbike. When I checked with Ben he had a trip he could organise which left at 9.30am and returned at the latest by 2pm, by jeep and included a rubber tapping and pig experience as well as lunch at the Pub with Cold Beer for 300,000vnd. Unfortunately the timings and activities didn’t suit our group of 7 on this occasion and we had to decline Ben’s proposal and think of a plan B. I messaged Duyet for a lift home, leaving Bluey in the car park over night, while Captain Caveman cycled back in the dark. When we got home both Captain Caveman and I decided we would go to East Hill for a BBQ chicken lunch tomorrow at 11.30am, as it was easier for me to get to, and invite people if they wanted to come – a much more simple plan.
Captain Caveman’s video of me cycling from Phong Nha Farmstay to Elements CollectionCaptain Caveman’s video of my cycling – my leg much strongerCaptain Caveman’s video of me and Bluey arriving home
I woke up at 6am on Wednesday 5th May feeling like I could drink a dirty puddle and did not welcome the leftover Jameson’s nightcap on the bedside table next to my pillow or the amount of daylight streaming in to the room at Phong Nha Lake House. Tatas was still fast asleep, in the bed next to mine, completely under the cover and grinding her teeth. Luckily there was water in the fridge and I had slept in the robe provided rather than my own dress so I drank water then tried to go back to sleep and couldn’t. Tatas had her overnight bag with her because she had planned to stay at mine but I had nothing but a short backless dress to go to breakfast in! Tatas said she would be ages getting ready so I went without her and had a pho bo and an apple juice trying to sort out my hangover from hell.
I remembered that I had agreed to go to Dong Hoi on a shopping trip with Veronika in less than 2 hours! Tatas said she would give me a lift home on her motorbike and when we arrived at Elements Collection the gardening lady, who had seen me go out last night, saw me arrive in last night’s clothes – I’d be the talk of the village again! I went to get a shower but there was a huge spider in the bathroom so I had to message Duyet to come and get it, with his gloves on! I had just a bit of time for a lay down on the bed until 11am when we went to sit outside to wait for Bich to pick us up.
A firm favourite, Tree Hugger cafe in Dong Hoi was our first stop, for lunch. Veronika was tetchy because she hadn’t had any coffee and was being a bit demanding about having her coffee immediately, but the waiter had to come back upstairs to the table to say they didn’t have my chicken salad, only beef salad and she asked he get her coffee now! I shared my salad and some spring rolls with Bich who had a mixed smoothie with extra ice-cream in.
The afternoon was a long one as we went to every supermarket and organic shop in Dong Hoi for the next 3 hours. Medicare, VinMart, Toan Viet Gourmet, Thinh Tien, An Nong and Co-op Mart all with a hangover still and a tight budget, but I managed to get most things on my shopping list. Captain Caveman had returned from his 4 day Tu Lan trip and had gone straight to Chay Lap for the after party that night and so he decided to stay at the Glass House. I had some bread and butter with crisps for my dinner, 2 of my favourite foods and didn’t get a bad stomach! I tried to go to bed early but couldn’t sleep and so I finished watching Below Deck on Netflix.
For those of you who like a list and love to know how prices and produce can vary in a different country, here is what I bought, while hungover and not too focused on what I was doing, on Wednesday 5th May:
Prices are in VND I’ve listed the cheapest thing first in each shop. (£1 is around 32,500vnd).
VinMart supermarket A baguette 9,000 1kg of carrots 14,504 10 eggs 26,700 2 cans of Strongbow cider 37,000 M&Ms 75,400 270g mushrooms 75,522 250ml extra virgin olive oil 91,300 700g of green grapes 96,466 400g pasta sauce (Bolognese) 122,000 250g butter 137,000
Tuan Viet Gourmet supermarket 1 pack of plain crisps 11,000 Green beans 14,100 Tissues 15,000 500g Rice noodles 25,000 1 red cabbage 33,000 Spaghetti 59,000 Pasta sauce (tomato) 99,000 GF crispbreads 105,000
Tinh Tien supermarket Wild berry boiled sweets 65,000 2 jars of popcorn kernels 104,000 1 bar of 85% dark chocolate 105,000
An Nong Organic shop 1 small white cabbage 18,560 1 tin of coconut milk 40,000 6 bananas 40,275 1 chicken thigh fillet 87,500 1 box of brown rice crackers 90,000 1 chicken breast fillet 102,675
Co-op Mart I spent nothing as the only things on my list that I still had to buy weren’t available – BBQ sauce and pickled onions.
The shopping total came to 1,671,867vnd which is £51.83 in English money. My lunch and a coke cost me around a fiver so quite an expensive day but a fuller cupboard and fridge. How does this compare with your shopping? Did it surprise you that butter is so expensive here?
I didn’t have any breakfast on Tuesday 4th May as I was too busy reading the news by the pool. The schools in Hanoi were closed, more info here: https://vietnaminsider.vn/vietnam-records-two-more-local-covid-19-cases-two-million-students-asked-to-stay-home/ The news reported that the 4th wave in Vietnam had started, read here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210504/vietnam-records-12-local-coronavirus-infections-in-24-hours/60706.html In Ha Long Bay a cruise ship had to be quarantined, more info here: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/182-taken-off-ha-long-bay-cruise-ship-for-quarantine-4272186.html I had a gluten free pancake with bacon, mushrooms and some of the leftover sausage for my lunch and then got on with some swimming. As I lay in the shade on a sun-lounger I got a message from Tatas to say she fancied a steak at the Lake House tonight so we arranged to do that. My intention was to walk up but then it rained so Tham and Tony kindly came to pick me up. It was the first time I was going out without my support bandage on my knee so I decided to wear a dress which Tatas had given me ages ago. It had been too tight but now it fit a lot better and I even had my hair down, my new glasses on and a pair of sandals (bought for me by Khanh Linh) which I could wear again now my ankle was getting better. When we arrived at the Lake House we chatted with Tony, who had been having it large this weekend, so needed an early dinner and bed. Tatas and I shared a bottle of red wine (or two), had steaks, sweet potato fries and some broccoli. We got chatting to people on the next table who had come for dinner and it so happened that Captain Caveman knew Neil, a keen cyclist and that Charmaine, from Canada, had been on the Hang En tour 6 years ago with Tatas and remembered her! Tham joined our table for more conversation and we had more wine and Tequilas. It got quite messy and we ended up having to stay the night at the Lake House, in one of the nice twin rooms, overlooking the lake! We had a great night and I really enjoyed our steak, wine and tequila night – it made us miss our friends in Danang though.
Photo credit – Tatas, Tony, Tham, the Lake House waiter
On Saturday 1st May I was unable to get to The Villas and so I delegated seeing Caroline and Vee off to Captain Caveman, who was cycling to Phong Nha anyway. The tyre on her Royal Enfield Himalayan motorbike had been replaced and she was leaving from Ho Khanh’s that morning, heading north for the next month!
Poison_I_Vee video by Captain Caveman
After catching up on the Corona news I cycled over to the Farmstay to meet Andrea and Captain Caveman for a late breakfast and I had a pho bo and an orange juice. Bruno and Rob joined us for lunch and I just shared a bit of Captain Caveman’s chicken quesadillas and then had lots of water and a coconut. I said farewell to Andrea and Bruno who were off to Chay Lap then on the Tu Lan 4 day Oxalis tour with the rest of the group the next day. My total cycling time was faster than expected at 17 minutes 3 seconds via the shortest route and I was getting better at keeping my foot and leg aligned.
Captain Caveman and Rob went cycling around the local area for a couple of hours while I put the chicken masaman in the rice cooker for later and added more potatoes and some carrots to it. When Captain Caveman returned home I had a surprise for him; as you can imagine he loves videoing my leg progress and was almost as excited as I was at my first walk down the stairs where I could step one foot in front of the other, instead of bringing one foot to the other on each step. I still had to hold on to the hand rail and the stepping wasn’t very smooth but my knee didn’t hurt at all, just my ankle was very stiff and a bit sore. We celebrated with a bottle of fizz and the masaman curry which we had to enjoy in the bedroom as it was such a hot night and there is only Aircon in the bedrooms.
Captain Caveman’s video of me walking down the stairs
Captain Caveman was up at 6am on Sunday 2nd May and really excited to be on the same Tu Lan 4 day Oxalis tour as Andrea, Bruno, Johan, Rob and Anthony, even though he was still working he would enjoy having his friends on this trip. I stayed in bed a bit longer and read the latest Corona news which had started to get a little more concerning than usual. A temporary hospital had been set up in Ha Nam ready to start treating new patients if the 4th wave got worse, more info here: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/938430/500-bed-temporary-hospital-set-up-in-ha-nam-to-treat-covid-19-patients.html Worryingly, it was confirmed that the first of the Indian double mutant strain is in Vietnam – people are worried: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20210502/vietnam-detects-double-mutant-indian-variant-of-coronavirus-for-1st-time/60677.html I cheered myself up by making gluten-free pancakes for breakfast and I made enough mixture to save in the fridge for a few more days. I did more writing and then I noticed that Below Deck had more episodes available on Netflix so I just had to watch it. I had fruit salad for lunch and had planned to go to Sunday dinner at the Farmstay but being on a budget and knowing it would be mega busy for the holiday weekend I decided to have veggie rice, a white russian and some walnuts at home – much cheaper and healthier!
I was awake early on Friday 30th April and the weather was better (the garden had benefitted), good enough for a trip to the market with Veronika. I checked the news and read that, because of the man flying from Japan to Danang, who did 14 day quarantine with negative tests but then tested positive after he had been let out, Ha Nam and Hanoi would impose stricter restrictions, more info here: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/937092/ha-noi-hung-yen-record-domestic-cases-ha-nam-closes-tourism-sites.html Both Veronika and I suspected that there could be the possibility of this being a 4th wave and the likelihood of lockdowns coming. The Khung Ha market goers must have had the same thoughts as the place was heaving as we arrived by bicycle and left our bikes with the attendant. The market sells lots of fresh fruit and veg and some of the basics but I tend not to buy meat there. I didn’t have much money left until Captain Caveman got back later and I was conscious I had plans for dinner so I just bought the essentials; carrots, mushrooms, dragon fruit, mango, pineapple, potatoes, onions. I had forgotten to time my journey on the way their but the way back was 5 minutes 12 seconds. As soon as we got home Veronika had to go up to the Farmstay to babysit during the bank holiday chaos and I’d hoped for a shower but the housekeeping ladies were in. I had buttered toast (with no ill effects), half a pineapple, 1 apple and 2 pots of jasmine tea. After the cleaning had finished the staff brought in some fruit for each of us, dragon fruit and apples (my favourite) which was very nice and was from Hien, the owner of Elements Collection. For lunch I had more chicken pasta with extra mushrooms and no reaction to the gluten. The usual pizza night at The Villas was cancelled due to the holiday weekend and so we didn’t go to town that evening. It worked out fine though, as although I wouldn’t get to see Caroline and Vee, I had dinner at the Phong Nha Farmstay with Andrea, Bruno and Rob, where after several sunset ciders with Andrea, we went on to the red wine. I shared some tasty spring rolls and a fresh chicken salad with Andrea, both were lovely and better for my stomach than pizza anyway. It was a great evening, the wine and conversation flowed as usual and it was good to see friends from Saigon who were here to do some more caving with Oxalis. After Captain Caveman had finished his gala dinner at Chay Lap he went to Momma D’s, where he had left his bicycle, so I asked him to bring me a sausage roll home, it tasted bloody wonderful but I was ill before I’d even finished it (which I still did) – because of the gluten!!!
I decided to combine March and April’s list of things I’ve googled which will include some duplicates. I seem to have not made as many lists this last couple of months – here’s a treat: 1. After a bad stomach, why can’t I eat pork? 2. Baolau.vn 3. Bun mam ingredients 4. Citrus spa 5. Dong Le 6. EasyJet 7. Exodus 8. Eyedrops 9. Fermentable carbs 10. Florida Man 11. Fodmap diet 12. Foods to avoid with eczema 13. Gastropulgite 14. Ha Nam 15. Ideation 16. Israel Corona virus vaccine 17. Lao Cai 18. L’Spa 19. Lush 20. Marie Andree Leclerc 21. Newcastle Airport Hotel 22. Oxalis Adventure 23. Pagan 24. Poison Ivy song 25. Paw paw 26. Spent grain gluten content 27. Swollen ankle treatment 28. UK to Vietnam in miles 29. V-rhoto eye drops 30. Watermark, Hoi An 31. Weather 32. World Expectancy Corona virus 33. You’re so vain, Carly Simon
Veronika and I were meant to be going to the market at 7.30am on Thursday 29th April but the rain was just too heavy, we would try tomorrow. It was too rainy for me to even accompany Tatas for breakfast at the Farmstay so she left without me. Posts on Facebook showed that Dong Hoi had started to have some water on the roads that looked quite deep for the time of year. I had toast for a late breakfast and was fine so I went berserk and made a chicken pasta for lunch which wasn’t gluten free and gave me a slight reaction. Plans to go to The Villas were moved to tomorrow as there was no free shuttle and the cost of a taxi meant I wouldn’t have enough money to spend on booze – Captain Caveman’s budget didn’t stretch to transport but 9km each way is a bit too far for me to cycle. Instead I decided to watch some Netflix and try to have a relaxing day. For dinner I had a very healthy chicken, rice and sweetcorn while making plans for tomorrow, as some friends from Saigon would be in Phong Nha. Captain Caveman was due back from Son Doong tomorrow too which meant we could perhaps meet him at The Villas before his Chay Lap gala dinner. Andrea was staying at one of the Farmstay houses, as the Farmstay itself was fully booked for the Reunification day and Labour Day weekend. All in all a quiet day staying at home and taking it easy.
Wednesday 28th April was not as calm and relaxed as I was hoping. The loud tannoy announcement at 5.30am woke me up but I tried desperately to ignore it. I read the news to find it was getting worse in Cambodia for Corona cases, should Vietnam be more worried? Here’s the article: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20210425/cambodia-closes-markets-to-curb-covid19-thousands-plead-for-food/60554.html Tatas was on the train back from Hanoi by 6am and was hoping to meet me at the Farmstay later, all being well. I had been sworn to secrecy about Caroline being in Dong Hoi as she was on her way to Phong Nha to surprise people and she had booked to stay for 1 night at the Phong Nha Farmstay. I’d said nothing and agreed to meet for lunch, so I got there early (cycled the short route) and was the only person by the pool aside from a rather warm Ben, who was moving furniture. When Poison_I_Vee (Caroline and the dog on the Himalayan) arrived I managed to get a video and watched her unpack the dog from her special doggy back pack – they looked hot!
Poison_I_Vee arriving at Phong Nha Farmstay
We decided to have lunch by the pool and I ordered the bun cha, Caroline ordered a salad and just a beef patty for her canine companion and we had a glass of white wine each. Veronika joined us for lunch then a few more people arrived in the afternoon to say hello to Caroline and Vee and I decided to do the sensible thing and cycle back home while I was still sober and have a shower and change for dinner later.
I got a lift back with Duyet and I was very sensible and didn’t have the pizza I wanted as my stomach had been dodgy most of the afternoon, even though I’d not had anything with gluten or dairy in. I had the beef in bamboo for dinner which I really enjoyed with red wine and we had all eaten by the time Tatas arrived, fresh from a business trip to Hanoi. The night finished with just Caroline, Multi, Tatas and me chatting on and trying to prevent Multi from riding his motorbike home shitfaced! We even had to pretend we were going home to convince him to leave and then we came back and had another bottle of wine – this confused the staff who also thought (hoped?) we had paid and were leaving! We had a good evening and Tatas stayed at mine, the rain was very heavy as we left but we still arranged to go to The Villas tomorrow to see Caroline again and hopefully meet for a cocktail – instead of a Margarita Monday we would have a Thirsty Thursday, perhaps!?
Tuesday 27th April wasn’t filled with positive vibes at all and it was quite a sobering day! I didn’t wake up until 7am when Captain Caveman left to go on his next Son Doong tour, the rain was still heavy and had been stormy through the night. The news about Corona here wasn’t great; worryingly a report of hotel staff in Hanoi testing positive after being in contact with quarantiners from India, more info here: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/935067/member-of-staff-at-hotel-tests-positive-for-covid-19.html News of stricter measures again in a neighbouring country, Thailand: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20210427/thailand-starts-stricter-covid19-shutdown-but-experts-say-not-enough/60585.html While the Vietnamese Prime Minister stated he is expecting a spike in new cases and asks us all to be extra vigilant, more here: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/935078/pm-calls-for-vigilance-against-covid-19.html To further cause concern in my day I read that I now even had to second check my strawberries: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/business/20210427/chinesepackaged-strawberries-found-smuggled-to-vietnams-da-lat-by-air/60601.html As I started to catch up on writing my blog posts, because I was now 2 weeks behind, I heard bad news; Phuong’s Transfers had sold his vehicle and closed because he was struggling without customers. Phuong has been a big help and support to me for a long time now and I was sad for him – more and more businesses were finding it impossible to continue without the tourism. The bad news wasn’t confined to Vietnam either, today Turkey announced it would go into national lockdown from 29th April to 17th May and no alcohol could be bought or sold during this time! A lot of my Turkish friends and the businesses where we spend the winters would be suffering for even longer without tourism too. I’d only had toast for breakfast and for dinner I had a look what we had in the freezer – I decided on veggie rice in the rice cooker and got that on around 5pm. It was a relatively early night tonight as I was saving myself for a bit of a secret reunion tomorrow night!
Our Monday morning on 26th April started with our SE8 train from Danang to Dong Hoi being delayed by 30 minutes. We sat in the crowded train station in our masks and waited, then it was delayed further, meaning we didn’t get going until 01.35am and Captain Caveman certainly had on his grumpy trousers and was being mean. I decided not to bother talking to him any more as he was in an argumentative mood, because he didn’t get his takeaway. I was also not looking forward to the train journey because Captain Caveman had only been able to book top bunks which, even with fully functioning legs, was a struggle for me to get on. As we boarded the train the guard showed me a message asking if we wanted to get our own cabin but Captain Caveman said no, we were fine with top bunks. In our carriage on the 2 bottom bunks were a family of 2 adults and 2 kids so another guard asked if we wanted to take another carriage by ourselves but, again, Captain Caveman said no. My knee ached after climbing up but it wasn’t too bad, I had some painkillers and then tried to go to sleep. The family below us were fast asleep and quiet whereas Captain Caveman was snoring so loud that I got no sleep at all. Early in the morning I needed to pee and I really struggled to get down off the bed (it was harder than getting up) but I had to do it and I managed with difficulty to get back up again. I fell asleep about 5.30am, just as everyone else was starting to get up. The cases of Corona in Vietnam had started to creep up a bit and there were 13 today, meanwhile Turkey had overtaken the UK for total number of cases but were still lower for deaths. Vietnam was still relatively low in comparison but it was likely that the next wave could hit at any time. Our driver was already waiting when we arrived at Dong Hoi train station but I needed the toilet and to meet Kimmie with my passport who had got me another visa extension done. I was now allowed to stay until the 9th May and the agent had previously quoted me $60, it ended up being $65, but she said next month would be $60. Captain Caveman was still grumpy but I was even mardier and so tired I could hardly function. The driver had been instructed to drop us off at the Glass House in Phong Nha and Captain Caveman was trying to insist that I could wait there until he’d seen off Howard’s Son Doong tour then he would drive me home on a rented motorbike, once he’d got one. I was having none of it and insisted he at least drop me on the highway and I would walk. I wanted a shower and a sleep, where I lived, which we were almost passing anyway. Eventually he agreed and I got home, still in a mood and desperate to go back to bed.
When Captain Caveman returned from Phong Nha just after 10am I had accidentally fallen asleep after my shower. There was no more snoozing to be had, though, because we were off to meet Hanh, a friend who I was meant to meet in Hoi An but she was in Phong Nha for a couple of weeks. We decided we would go to East Hill for an early lunch of BBQ chicken and sticky rice by motorbike, even though it isn’t very far from our place. I managed the steps up pretty well and Hanh was already there, ready for our early lunch. I decided to have a pepsi and this was the first time I noticed the odd sugary fizzy drink was creeping in to my diet – it always seems to happen when the hot weather comes. Captain Caveman did the honours of cutting up the hot chicken and we tucked in, all rather hungrily. As always, the chicken was excellent and the views were stunning, it was lovely to see Hanh, who we hadn’t seen since she left Phong Nha last year, when her Bun Cha restaurant had to close due to lack of customers. Captain Caveman had a shandy so I decided a strongbow would be nice and refreshing on such a hot day. The steps back down were still a bit harder to do but Hanh helped me, then we said our goodbyes, hoping to meet again and headed home before what looked like a storm brewing.
I had another short nap and then there was a huge downpour and a storm. Unfortunately Captain Caveman’s next Son Doong briefing was at 6pm so we shared the falafel salad (the one we brought all the way from Nomad’s Kitchen in Danang and was still really good) and then he had to venture out in the rain. He had been suffering terribly with hayfever too, since returning to Phong Nha, but luckily he had the motorbike rather than having to cycle the 9km there. While he was at work, the rain continued to pour down, it was bad enough for a frog to try to take shelter on Captain Caveman. The two-toed frog had tried to climb up his leg, maybe to take shelter under his shorts, but had to settle with a rest on his shoe! By the time Captain Caveman returned I was already in bed, all the excitement of Danang had worn me out!
We decided to take Captain Caveman for a breakfast at Pho Thin on Sunday 25th April, even though he rarely eats pho. It was my 3rd time and his first but we all enjoyed our pho bo very much. Captain Caveman was very impressed with the hotel too and loved the industrial feel and bridge artwork at Bridges Danang Boutique Hotel. In the Vietnamese news there were reports of increased risk of Corona outbreaks coming into Vietnam illegally and it was becoming a bit more concerning. Here’s the info: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/933140/health-minister-urges-localities-to-be-vigilant-for-covid-19-amid-regional-outbreaks.html
After a bit of a rest our next stop was to meet Des at Roadhouse for a cheap beer because he felt bad about last night. Roadhouse was a small place and we got there just as the friendly owner was opening up for the day. Captain Caveman had a draft pint of Huda, Des stuck with a bottle of Huda and I had a soft drink, until the next round when I went on to the red wine. We decided to order burgers and Captain Caveman hilariously actually ordered by saying he would have a ‘big black cock’ because he thought that’s what BBC stood for (it was Beef, Bacon, Cheese – OMG)! I ordered a single dad naked which was without the bread and some chips and cheese. All the food was tasty and really good value so it was a great recommendation from Des.
Next we went to meet Steve and June at Dirty Fingers and bumped in to some of the others who were already enjoying a drink. There was a BBQ on and a promise of a live band later but we already had plans for a Sunday dinner. June and I sat chatting while the boys talked about sports and we had some very nice wine before Captain Caveman and I had to go back to the hotel to pack and check out.
I’d arranged for us to have a late check out from Bridges Danang Boutique Hotel on Sunday 25th April but leave our bags in reception from 6pm, we planned to get the 00.35 train to Dong Hoi and so would be back before midnight to collect them. Hamish had arranged a table at The Nomad Kitchen for 14 of us for Sunday dinner and a rather merry Des had decided to join too – he was having a second go at his birthday celebration! Captain Caveman and I were the first to arrive and we took some photos of me outside with the angel wings and all the motorbikes in front of the painting. We ordered the carafes of wine, which were great value, for me, June and Captain Caveman. Steve and Des had beer, Hamish and Ania were next to arrive with wine and join the table. They usually come with their mates on a Sunday for the roast dinner and so they had asked Captain Caveman and I to join them to put it to the test. Unfortunately there was some short staffing issues that night but we didn’t particularly notice it as we put our order in first, most of us going for buffalo meat, June had chicken. The meat was gorgeous, so tender and the veg cooked well except for a couple of us having undercooked potatoes. This was sorted out though and we were given a couple more nicely cooked ones. The Yorkshire puddings were marvellous and I didn’t get a gluten reaction from them which was great. The portion sizes aren’t big but for 130,000vnd (£4) it’s not to be sniffed at. Captain Caveman even ordered a dessert of apple pie with cream which went down a treat! Because we were getting the train just after midnight we also decided to order a takeaway; Captain Caveman enjoyed the buffalo meat so much that he chose to have that in a sandwich, I ordered a falafel salad. The Nomad Kitchen closes at 10.30pm so we ordered the food for then but, unfortunately, Captain Caveman was told too late that there was no buffalo left and so he didn’t get a takeaway. Because he was drunk he wasn’t best pleased that he had not been told earlier and had a bit of a strop, shouting at Daniel the chef – which was a bit embarrassing! We said our goodbyes to June and Steve then left to join Hamish, Ania and Mik, at Oi Bar for one last ‘end of holiday’ drink. I had a vodka and coke to try to keep me awake and then it was time to go get our bags and head off to the station. We said our goodbyes to Hamish, Mik and Des before getting a Grab taxi with Ania back to Bridges for our bags. It had been a fantastic week and I was grateful for all our friends’ hospitality and welcome, as well as very sad to be leaving. What a week, I think I was going to need a few days off to recover!
joloyolo 