Captain Caveman was up early on Monday 18th March as, although he wasn’t working until the evening, he likes to go in to the Oxalis office most mornings. I had a bit of a rest, then got packed and ready for checking out of Lucky Homes at midday. I walked to The Villa’s for breakfast, another Pho Ga and jasmine tea. Ben, one of the owners of Victory Road Villas, stopped by after returning from a motorbike trip from South to North Vietnam, which he enjoyed. Captain Caveman was taking a while and didn’t arrive to meet me at The Villa’s until almost 11.30am. I was starting to get concerned that we would miss the checkout deadline as he’s not normally this long when running work errands on a day off. As he approached me at The Villa’s, his face looked different but I couldn’t tell what emotion it was. He sat down and told me some news; Oxalis were ending his contract at the end of this season and wouldn’t be renewing it next year. Captain Caveman said he was ok but I could tell that this had come as a bit of a shock to him. I was less shocked and more concerned for what this meant for Captain Caveman for 2025 and beyond. I’ve never met someone who loves his job as much as Captain Caveman loves being a Cave Expert and his last month working at Oxalis would be August, less than 6 months away. There were so many questions that we simply didn’t know the answer to and would need time for him to work out what he would do next. Being a qualified structural engineer and safety expert meant that he would find work but it didn’t necessarily mean it would be in Vietnam. We checked out of Lucky Homes, who very kindly gave us our laundry bill for free, and checked in to our next accommodation, Diep Le Homestay, just a short walk away. We dropped our bags off then had a walk by the river and called in to Funny Monkeys for lunch. Captain Caveman ordered a Huda beer, I had water. We chose a mixture of fried and fresh spring rolls with pork fried rice, to share between us. Unfortunately the fried spring rolls had chilli in so I couldn’t eat them, but I was meant to be on a diet anyway. The fresh spring rolls had hot omelette in them which I didn’t enjoy (as I don’t like egg) so I picked it out but I did like the pork fried rice. While we were there we saw a western couple of paddle boarders, further along the river without lifejackets (which isn’t allowed). On our walk back we noticed a new cafe called Xin Chao so we called in for a drink. I had a fresh coconut for a bit of a treat (about 5 syns) and Captain Caveman was on his 3rd beer. We recognised the owner and staff from Capture cafe and had a bit of a chat, it was good to see her new place which looked clean and had a good menu. We sat admiring the view and watching the paddle boarding guests from Memories Homestay. The guy was out in the middle of the river, crossing the paths of the Phong Nha cave boats, no lifejacket and the board wasn’t even attached to him. In Phong Nha there are fines for doing this and no one is allowed on the river without lifejackets, since a tragic boat death a few years ago. While walking along the river, we saw Multi at The Villa’s so we called in to have a chat. My stomach wasn’t good and, despite it not being too hot, I was sweating and in pain. Back at Diep Le Homestay, I had a bit of a rest while Captain Caveman went to get ready for his next Son Doong tour tomorrow. He had an hour of sorting stuff out at the Glass House from 4-5pm, then a party at Mr Ky’s from 5pm. The Son Doong briefing at Oxalis started at 6pm and is followed by a Vietnamese dinner with all the guests until about 8.30pm. I was still ill so I didn’t go out for dinner, instead I had some of my sourdough with some cheese and then some Vietnamese biscuits.
There was no celebrating of St Patrick’s Day for me in Phong Nha on Sunday 17th March. Captain Caveman, Andrea and I started the day with a lovely breakfast at The Villa’s. The 2 of them had Eggs Benedict and coffees while I had my favourite Vietnamese breakfast, Pho Ga, with Jasmine tea. Here the chicken noodle soup was only 60,000VND (£1.90) and I think it tasted better than others I’d had recently. After breakfast, Andrea checked out of Lucky Homes where we had all had a good stay. We waved Andrea off then went back to bed for a lay down and some forward planning for the rest of March. We had put some laundry in and it was already back, folded nicely too. Captain Caveman booked me a hotel in Hoi An, which was near to the bus station so that it was convenient. I was off to visit Caroline for a week later in the month and was going to get the bus from Phong Nha to Hoi An. Captain Caveman would meet me in Danang after completing his Saigon Children’s Charity cycle event, over 3 days. Around 4pm we had a saunter by the river to The Villa’s to meet up with our mate, Tatas. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stop long as we had been invited to a family dinner with Mr & Mrs Lucky Homes and 2 other guests. We had a feast and I got to drink fizzy grape juice while Captain Caveman took the rice wines in his stride. We had a lovely evening with great home cooked food and I even got acquainted with Lu and So, the homestay dogs.
I was late out of bed on Saturday 16th March as Captain Caveman and Andrea were ready for our cycle ride. Before 8am we had Lucky Homes’ free bicycles at the ready and I thought I might have been better off getting Bluey from the Glass House. Captain Caveman said I’d be fine on the borrowed bicycle and, obviously, he knows about these things! I wasn’t daft and was well aware that Andrea and Captain Caveman are keen cyclists so I had already got through half a litre of water and put some in my bag, just in case. The idea was that we would cycle the 10km to the Phong Nha Farmstay for breakfast, before it got too hot. I was physically and mentally ready for this torture and off we went, me at the back as I don’t like to ride side by side on narrow roads. We got about 2km down the road when Captain Caveman pulled in to Tree House. Andrea and I were surprised but he wanted a coffee. I ordered a ginger tea which took a while to drink as it was so hot, but eventually we set off. We were nearing where we used to live, not too far from the Phong Nha Farmstay, when I could no longer see Andrea and Captain Caveman. Luckily, I knew the way from where I was and soldiered on, trying my best to catch up with my fellow cyclists. Close to the turn off to Elements (our former home during Covid) I cycled through a wedding tent which was being prepared for the festivities later on. I had a view of a long stretch of the road but there was no sign of Andrea and Captain Caveman. I cycled faster, familiar with the route, and all of a sudden they appeared from a side road to my left, having taken a scenic shortcut through the rice paddies. They said they thought I had seen them turn off near the petrol station, to be honest I didn’t recall seeing the petrol station. At the Phong Nha Farmstay I had a green tea and a chicken noodle soup (without chillies), Captain Caveman had an iced black coffee and a cheese & onion toastie, Andrea ordered a cappuccino and bacon & eggs. Here are the prices before the service and VAT charges, in Vietnamese Dong; Green tea 25,000 Pho Ga 90,000 Black coffee 25,000 Toastie 70,000 Cappuccino 50,000 Bacon & Eggs 100,000 Total paid (with taxes) 408, 240VND (£13)
It’s worth pointing out that only the fancy places itemise the bill to include the tip and the extra fees separately, generally the price you see on the menu, is the price you pay in Phong Nha.
Our next bout of cycling was to visit René at Greenfield Ecostay, where Andrea, Captain Caveman and René all had beers but I resisted and had a rum and coke. René’s place was looking really good and I made a note that we needed to stay here while I’m in Phong Nha, to try it out.
We decided to break up the journey on the way back with a stop off at a newly opened cafe/restaurant, called Lotus. We know the owner and staff from a previous restaurant and were keen to visit this new place in the Cu Nam area of Phong Nha. My fellow cyclists had more beers and I treated myself to a hot chocolate. We paid less than £2 for 2 Huda beers and a gorgeous hot chocolate and it was another place to add to my list to come for food.
From Lotus, we cycled all the way back to Lucky Homes where I was desperate for a shower, after managing the 22km total cycle. I think both Andrea and Captain Caveman were reluctant to suggest we cycle out for dinner, in case I had a melt down, and suggested the short walk to The Villa’s. Captain Caveman got word from one of the cavers, who were back from their caving expedition, that the wrap party was happening at Mr Toan’s, so off he went to that. He did invite us but we were already looking forward to Andrea’s last night in Phong Nha. We shared a half and half pizza (Margarita and Showstopper) with a garden salad and a bottle of wine and had a lovely evening. Captain Caveman arrived back at The Villas, a bit sozzled and near to the 10pm closing time. We pushed it again and didn’t leave there until almost 11pm, with arrangements made to be back again for breakfast at 8am.
Captain Caveman and I had plans for Friday 15th March which included our friend, Andrea. She was due to fly from Saigon on the same flight I’d taken 2 days ago, arriving in to Dong Hoi at 9am. We had arranged to meet her at the airport to pick her up and go to Phong Nha. But first, for breakfast we went to Mr Bull’s for Bo Ne again and, while we were there, Andrea messaged to say her flight was delayed. We thought it might be, as there was fog in Dong Hoi. At 10.15am we were sat in Dong Hoi airport waiting for the flight to come in. I noticed that the cafe sold pho for only 55,000VND (£1.73), which is reasonable. Once Andrea had arrived, we drove the 50km by private car, which Captain Caveman had booked through Oxalis, to Phong Nha. Captain Caveman had also booked 2 rooms at Lucky Homes for the weekend and we were able to check in before 12 noon, which was nice.
We were given a downstairs family room which was lovely with a massive bathroom. Andrea had an upstairs triple room and I gather we got the last 2 rooms of this perfectly located homestay. We have known Mr and Mrs Lucky Homes for 7 or 8 years, have eaten and drank at their riverside restaurant quite a lot but we’ve never stayed in their homestay. Captain Caveman already rents a room at the Glass House but it wasn’t in an ideal state for me to stay there at the moment so he preferred we stay in other places during my visit.
By 1.30pm Captain Caveman and Andrea were on the Huda beers at The Villas, which is a restaurant within Victory Road Villas hotel, owned by our friends Ben and Bich. I had a jasmine tea, determined not to have beer. The drinks were 30,000VND (95p) each which was still very reasonable given the location and quality of service.
Back at Lucky Homes we borrowed the free bicycles for guests and cycled to Tree House in town. We shared some wine; a bottle of the Francis Gillot red was 400,000VND (£12.79) and the Benjamin Mendy 450,000VND (£14.39) so quite reasonable. I preferred mine warm but Andrea and Captain Caveman popped ice in their red wine!
We cycled back to Lucky Homes to unpack and freshen up but then cycled back again to go out for dinner. Captain Caveman had chosen Ganesh, the only Indian restaurant in Phong Nha, and a massive favourite of ours. We had a feast to share between the three of us. These are the dishes and drinks with prices in Vietnamese Dong;
1 Huda beer 25,000 1 soda water 25,000 Saffron rice 49,000 Vegetable Samosas 60,000 Garlic Naan bread 60,000 Onion bhajis 85,000 Taka Dahl 98,000 Chicken 65 115,000 Chicken Tikka 120,000 1 bottle of red wine 270,000 Total spent 907,000VND (£29.00)
I’ve not had an Indian meal for a while so I wasn’t sure if that was good value but it seemed it to me and there was more than enough food for the 3 of us – we even took some back to the homestay. On our way back we had to have a couple of drinks at The Villas again for good measure. Andrea and I had margaritas which were still as good as I remembered them, 180,000VND (£5.78) each. Captain Caveman had gin and tonic. It’s worth noting that the bar closes at 10pm and we were certainly pushing that deadline a little as we paid up and went off to get some sleep. I didn’t know it at the time but Andrea and Captain Caveman had plans to wear me out tomorrow.
It was quite cold in Dong Hoi in comparison to Saigon so I wore my jeggings on Thursday 14th March. Obviously, Captain Caveman was up early but I managed to stay in bed until 7.30am. As I’d missed (Not So) Fat Club in Dalyan yesterday, I did my measurements to find that the results were terrible; Bust +1cm, Waist +3cm, Hips +2cm. I put it down to having had 298 syns in the week and water retention. Humidity was much higher here and I could feel my ankles swelling already and I was quite tired. By 8am I was on my way down in the lift to meet Captain Caveman at Mr Bull, as he’d gone on ahead. We only had one more day and night in Dong Hoi so we had a very full itinerary today. Mr Bull is one of our favourite places for breakfast in Dong Hoi as it has the best Bo Ne. The Vietnamese breakfast dish comes on a sizzling skillet and comprises, steak, sausage, pâté, onions, salad garnish, fried egg and a baguette. I obviously donated the ingredients I don’t like to Captain Caveman who ended up with a massive portion of it and I just had the steak, onion and bread.
Our next adventure was to go to the cinema as Captain Caveman wanted to watch Dune 2. I was reluctant as I don’t like that genre of film and haven’t seen Dune 1. But when I was told we were loading up on treats and it was 3 hours in a comfortable seat, I changed my mind. I wasn’t allowed Dairy Milk chocolate bars which were only 20,000VND (63p) but Peanut M&Ms and Korean crisps were in the basket. We paid 180,000VND (£5.71) for 2 cinema tickets and we needn’t have been tight by smuggling in our own snacks as the popcorn, drinks and hotdog combos were reasonably priced. As we took our allocated seats I knew I was going to have a bit of a nap as the massive seats were so good. Captain Caveman loved the film, I thought it was a bit boring and went on for far too long. I had a couple of naps and got confused that Josh Brolin’s character wasn’t the same person as Javier Bardem’s. After the film, we went to the Gold shop so that Captain Caveman could change some money. We walked through the market to the bag repair man so that I could get my bag stitched where it had torn. We left the bag there and said we would come back after lunch.
Ngon Saigon Deli is another one of our go to places for a cheap and tasty lunch. We both had pork, broken rice and veggies for 42,000VND (£1.33) and Captain Caveman had his with a fried egg for an extra 7,000VND (22p). He had a cold Huda beer at a bargain 15,000VND (48p) and I had a peach and lemongrass iced tea for 25,000VND (79p). A small vegetable soup each was served for free. We both really enjoyed our meal which was less than £5 for everything and I couldn’t even finish all of mine. Feeling full, we still had lots more errands to run so we got a taxi to the porter sandal shop where we both got a new pair for about 140,000VND (£4.44). We tried to call in to see Thuy, the physio, but the premises had moved. On the way back in to Dong Hoi, we called at the bike shop so that Captain Caveman could buy a new cycling helmet, the wine shop where we picked up 2 bottles of red, the pharmacy where Captain Caveman stocked up on essential medications and then the phone shop. I needed a Viettel SIM card and the staff member took my passport and my photo, more than a few times, but couldn’t get them to match up. We were in there about 40 minutes before she wrote in Google translate on her phone that they were sorry that at this time I could not get a SIM card as my face in real life and the one in my passport don’t match. My passport photo is 7 years old and I know I’ve lost weight but I had managed to get on 4 flights this month with it, fine. I wasn’t too happy but there was nothing I could do about not having a phone and we would try again in Phong Nha, this weekend. Before we went back to the hotel, we went to collect my bag which cost just 10,000VND (32p) to get fixed and then we walked round the corner to have a fresh coconut before getting a Grab back to the Minh Quang hotel.
We had arranged to meet Stu, Max, Jack and Aussie Pete at a fancy new bar in Dong Hoi in the evening. Captain Caveman had been to Regal Legend once before and it was like a very small version of a Marina Bay Sands style rooftop pool and bar. On walking up the stairs to the bar, we were met by 2 staff who presented us with a big board showing the drinks menu. Captain Caveman chose a Huda beer and I opted for a margarita. We sat at a nice table by the pool and I took a few photos of the lovely new place, while waiting for the drinks and our friends. We’d hoped for a sunset view but it was cloudy and Captain Caveman was left disappointed when the bar man explained that they didn’t have any Huda beer, only Tiger Crystal. He had that and I was totally taken off guard by my margarita, which seemed to be more like a vodka martini with Cointreau and lime juice in it. The alcohol content was high so I didn’t complain but I didn’t have another one. When Aussie Pete arrived he was also a bit perturbed that he couldn’t get a Huda beer and had to have the more expensive Tiger Crystal at 22,000VND (70p). I decided I wanted to have a glass of wine but they didn’t serve it by the glass, only the bottle, with the cheapest one being unavailable and the next cheapest red being 618,000VND (£19.52). Captain Caveman was up for treating me so I went over to the bar to look at the bottles where the 2 bottles I checked had been opened. I decided against the wine and chose a whiskey coke from the menu which started a chain of confusion. Neither of the staff were happy with my choice as they didn’t have any coke. I didn’t believe this and decided to nip to the toilet downstairs while the staff tried to find me my ‘cocktail’ ingredients. At the same time Aussie Pete and Captain Caveman ordered 2 more Tiger beers.
At the bottom of the stairs was a fridge, interestingly it’s contents were 2 shelves of Pepsi, one shelf of 7Up, one of water and the last of cold Huda beers. The bottom shelf of Huda beer had just 2 Tiger beers left, which the waitress was getting out. I went to the loo where staff were taking selfies and drinking coffees in there. I went back upstairs to reluctantly let the guys know there was Huda in the fridge. Jack had arrived and Stu was on his way but we all were laughing at the beer situation. I’d been given a large Jack Daniels and 3 staff were now arguing about not having a coke, with a Pepsi in their possession. I took the can, they looked confused and the guys all ordered Huda. When they said there was none, I produced a photo to show the fridge and they dutifully brought them. We weren’t allowed to knock up a tab and had to pay as we went but Huda beers were only 15,000VND (47p), which was ridiculously funny for Stu and Aussie Pete who didn’t have small notes. They forgot Aussie Pete’s change, overcharged Captain Caveman and didn’t think it was weird to charge Stu on a bank transfer for one beer at once. My Jack Daniels and Pepsi was 99,000VND (£3.28) on the menu but I’d definitely ended up with a larger serving than it should have been. We only went there because Stu’s mate worked there. We learned he’d quit when he didn’t get paid over the Tet holiday so we probably wouldn’t be going back in a hurry. They didn’t serve dinner (probably a good job they didn’t) so we left there and went back to Oregano for the second day running. Just Aussie Pete, Captain Caveman and I made it for food where Captain Caveman ordered a potato and bacon pizza. Aussie Pete and I both ordered the spaghetti carbonara which was really nice for 50,000VND (£1.58). Once again, it was an early night as we would be getting up early tomorrow to pick up our friend from the airport, then head to Phong Nha.
I checked out of the Common Inn at just before 5am on Wednesday 13th March. I’d really enjoyed my 4 night stay there and for a total of 3 million Vietnamese Dong (£95.11), it was definitely worth it. By 5.30am I was checked in at Tan Son Nhat airport for my flight to Dong Hoi. Vietnamese Airlines didn’t give a stuff how many cases I had and let me check 2 in. I didn’t board for over an hour so I had a walk around the airport and noted that the Burger King Cheese Burger and fries were 169,000VND (£5.36) but the Pho at Big Bowl was only 132,000VND (£4.18) for the ordinary beef. Vietnam airports in comparison to UK and Turkey seem not to be quite as much of a rip off, but are still far more expensive than in the towns. My flight was on time and we landed before 9am. Mr Minh Quang was there at Dong Hoi airport, with a sign and a smile, to meet me. He took my bags and spoke great English as we went over to the car. Once at the hotel, around 9.20am, I was able to check-in early and I went for a lay down. I fell asleep immediately and only woke up when Captain Caveman knocked on the door. We had a late brunch at Tree Hugger, walking distance from our hotel, which I’d missed a lot. We both had the refreshing frozen lime and mint drinks, Captain Caveman ordered his favourite egg salad sandwich and I tried the yellow smoothie bowl for the healthier choice. Our meals cost 50,000VND (£1.58) and 60,000VND (£1.90) which was reasonable and I noticed that the White Russians were still the same price as last year.
As we were in Dong Hoi we had arranged to meet Stu and the boys for dinner and, as a treat, Aussie Pete would join us too. Stu chose the Laotian BBQ place to meet but I had to insist that Captain Caveman and I would go for cocktails at Tree Hugger first. I knew the BBQ place, which I’d never been to before, would only have beer to drink and I wasn’t going to have any. We had 2 White Russians each at only 60,000VND (£1.90) each and they were so good. On arrival at the Laotian BBQ place I could already sense that it was very basic and I was concerned about hygiene. Captain Caveman, Stu and Aussie Pete were on the beers but I just ordered bottled water. Stu recommended the beef jerky and the sausage, of which Captain Caveman devoured. I couldn’t stomach trying it as it looked greasy so I just had sticky rice with peanut salt. We had some pork scratchings that come in a packet and were tasty. I needed the toilet and went in the back to find it. Unfortunately, I saw one of the staff/owners scraping animal parts (raw and cooked) in to a gutter which was congealed with fat and blood and I almost puked over the closest customer as I turned to leave. I would have had to step over the waste gunk to access the not so sparkling squat toilet and I just couldn’t face it. When Captain Caveman ordered and ate chicken feet, it was game over for me. I made the mistake of comparing it to the time we’d ate at the bird restaurant with Thuy, the physio, and I had to leave. I was dry wretching as I walked back to the hotel trying my best not to be sick. I got ready for bed, expecting Captain Caveman to make a night of it with Aussie Pete. By 8.30pm, Captain Caveman had returned to the hotel to get me and we were off to Oregano for pizza and beers for him, water for me. I still felt rather queasy but did manage to share some of the lovely Hawaiian and Vegetarian pizzas. Oregano was nice but it closed at 9pm and we were back at the hotel for an early night. In Dong Hoi and Phong Nha it’s common to be in bed by 10pm.
I had my first pho for breakfast on Tuesday 12th March, it was only a Family Mart supermarket one but it was nice and I was able to leave out the chillies. I spoke to Captain Caveman who had some good news, he was not joining the others on the last trip of the caving expedition as he was going to Dong Hoi to renew his Vietnamese Driving licence tomorrow, which meant he would be able to meet me there! I was excited until I realised that he had probably remembered me saying he would miss Steak and Blow Job night on the 14th – and he does love a steak! Captain Caveman had booked us a room at the Minh Quang hotel in Dong Hoi for 2 nights and it was near all of my favourite food places. I was going to visit Soma again for lunch but then realised that Micro Boulingerie was open again today and I fancied a nice sandwich. I really like their cream cheese and cranberry one but they had almost sold out of everything as it’s so popular. I had to make do with a Bluebaba sandwich which I thought wouldn’t really be my thing but it turned out to be such a great combination. Nutella, banana and blueberries on a fresh baguette – definitely not diet friendly but it did have 2 lots of fruit in it. Given that a tablespoon of Nutella is about 4 syns, I was still within my daily allowance so it wasn’t too bad and I ate both halves despite trying to save some for tomorrow’s breakfast.
In the afternoon, I created a little more excitement for myself by venturing out on foot, without a phone or purse, in pursuit of a cash machine. Thao Dien is not a cheap district of Vietnam and it tends to have some really good international places to dine so I’d not be sticking to a budget. It was hard to know how much the car to the airport would be as well as from Dong Hoi airport to the hotel. I found a cash machine and tried 3 times, with my Turkish bank card, but to no avail so I walked a bit further on to find an HSBC. It worked but taking out just 1,000,000VND (£31.65) cost me an extra 13% which was a bit steep. I got back to the hotel and packed as I was leaving at 5am tomorrow morning and didn’t want to be faffing about. I also bought some sourdough from Micro Boulingerie to take to Phong Nha with me. That evening I got a Grab car over to District 1 to meet Quyen, I was early on purpose so that I had time for a quick beer in 7 Bridges and could find the restaurant. My 240ml Yuzu Wheat beer cost 75,000VND (£2.38) and was very nice but I was severely limiting how much beer I drank this year. I’d worked out my maximum was 3, before I noticed my waist size increase. When I arrived, Quyen was outside the closed Japanese place. Luckily, she had a backup plan and we went to Izakaya Ten, another authentic Japanese restaurant which was fantastic. We ordered lots of little sharing dishes, 5 vegetarian, 3 meat and a bottle of plum wine. The prices of them varied from 35,000VND (£1.11) to 68,000VND (£2.16) each and the 360ml of spirit was 230,000VND (£7.30). Everything was so tasty but our favourites were the pork and the steamed gyoza which we ordered a second portion of. We paid 425,000VND (£13.48) each, including tip, which was an absolute bargain and one of the best meals I’ve had. Quyen is also so lovely and easy to spend time with too, she called me a Grab car to go back in and we said farewell until next time. I was in bed by 10pm but I was watching something on Netflix to help me fall asleep. My alarm was set for 4.30am and I was looking forward to my trip to Dong Hoi.
I had a really good day on Monday 11th March and I think I made the most of it on the food and drink front, yet again. When I got up I decided I needed some exercise and to try to stick more to the Slimming World plan for the next couple of days. I didn’t want to be putting the weight I’d tried so hard to lose, back on. It had only just sunk in that I was the lightest weight I’d been in a few years so I was quite proud of myself for not giving up. I walked to Soma, which wasn’t that far but it was quite warm, for a fairly healthy breakfast. I ordered the Berrylicious breakfast for 120,000VND (£3.80) which is definitely more than I’d normally pay for a breakfast in Vietnam but it was absolutely lovely. It contained mixed berries, banana, coconut, strawberries, granola, chia seeds and cocoa nibs so wasn’t exactly diet friendly but it would do. I washed it down with a hibiscus and rose tea which was pretty powerful for 60,000VND (£1.90). I sat and did a bit of editing in the Air Con of Soma where lots of people were working on their laptops. A guy next to me ordered a detox drink which I liked the look of and a woman on the other side was boring a man to death while she talked about how good her business idea was. Neither the man nor I found out what her actual business idea was and I was surprised to see she didn’t tuck in to her breakfast straight away. I was still there for lunch so I decided to have the Masaman udon noodle soup with poached chicken as an added extra and a Red Detox juice. The soup was full of vegetables with a sprinkle of peanuts in and a bargain at 180,000VND (£5.69) and I really enjoyed the drink at 65,000VND (£2.05). I felt so much healthier but the soup did have chillies in which I picked out, only to realise the broccoli had chilli flakes all over it. Soma was lovely and I really enjoyed my meals there, the total bill with the 8% tax on came to 459,000VND (£14.68) so was a bit more than I’d usually spend but I was on holiday and it was excellent value for money.
I walked back to the Common Inn hotel, via a quick look in the Family Mart supermarket and had a bit of a rest and a couple of video calls. My first one was with Captain Caveman who was back in Phong Nha for the night and wasn’t sure if he was on the next expedition tomorrow. He was happy as they had found a few more kilometres of new cave and hadn’t ran out of rope! My next video call was with a contact I’d made from the Race to Recurring Revenue Challenge with Lisa Johnson. We were booked in for a chat at 4.30pm (9.30am her time in the UK) to get advice about setting up an online business without having to do live/speaking on social media. Later, I used the hotel’s free washing machine and dryer to do some laundry and the security guard/handyman helped me, which was kind.
In the evening I managed to install Grab and get a car to take me to one of my favourite wine bars, Soho, where I met Andrea and her friend Wanda. We drank a lovely glass of red wine each at only 80,000VND (£2.53) for a decent portion. We walked to Blu Bar and Grill for dinner where we met Elena and had more wine with dinner. I ate pork wontons which were amazing then shared a chicken dish with Andrea. It had blue cheese in it and came with potatoes and nicely cooked vegetables. It was a lovely night and I really enjoyed myself. I was proud I had managed to get a Grab there and back without issue too, as I’m not great at maps and I still didn’t have a SIM card yet (nowhere in Thao Dien sells Viettel ones). I stopped at the Family Mart to stock up on water and snacks and ended up with a rather tasty pork gyoza for 9,000VND (28p). By 11.20pm I was ready for bed and looking forward to my last day in Saigon tomorrow.
I had no idea what time or day it was when I woke up on Sunday 10th March. My watch said 5.30am but it was hot and sunny. I just remembered getting a Grab taxi with Andrea and Elena after the first set of the band at Acoustic bar last night. I’d paid 850,000vnd (£27.19) in total for my Mexican food and drinks. I recall not paying for the glass of wine I had in Acoustic and Andrea had paid for the Grab. I remembered getting the quiet Vietnamese group next to me to dance and then we were headbanging to Highway to Hell just before we realised it was definitely time to leave. The others had work in the morning and I was starting to get a bit of jet lag. Today, wasn’t to be wasted though, as I had people to see. I met Keith (from Grimsby) and his girlfriend, Trinh, at the Bia Craft bar near to where I was staying. We had water, beer and some nibbles. I ordered BBQ pork and edamame beans which were lovely. Keith noticed the increased price of a small craft ale being 39,000VND (£1.25) now so we didn’t stay long. My total bill came to 225,000VND (£7.20) which I didn’t think was too steep. We called at a roadside bar, called Twister, for one more beer where a draft Tiger lager was 60,000VND (£1.92) so quite pricey really. Our next place to visit was a favourite of Keith’s, where he gets all his lunches from for work. Soma was really nice and we ended up chatting to the owner, Scotty, who seemed familiar but we couldn’t work out if we had met before. The food there was healthy so I made a note to come here while I was staying at The Common Inn. Scotty bought us some beers so I couldn’t work out the individual price but I remember they were less than Twister, which was good. That evening, I stayed in at the hotel and for my dinner I had a ham sandwich from Micro Boulingerie, next door, where they do the most amazing sandwiches. I also forgot that I had supposedly given up chocolate for lent and ate a chocolate cookie which I’d bought at Soma. My Netflix had issues with my device being in Vietnam, instead of Turkey, even though it’s a Vietnamese account so I had to faff about getting a code from Seamus to be able to finish off a series I’d started. At 9pm (2pm UK time) I video called my parents for my first call with them from Vietnam. I didn’t go to bed/sleep until gone midnight as my head still thought it was only 8pm.
I was served another inflight meal at 3.15am on Saturday 9th March. I almost declined it as they said it was omelette but it consisted of chicken sausage and garlic spinach with the omelette on the side so it was edible. At 5.30am (local time), I was off the plane and walking through Bangkok airport. My next flight was due to fly at 7.45am to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) so I didn’t have an awful lot of time for fannying about. We boarded my third plane at about 7am and, after taking off on time, I got given another nice Thai Airways meal; fruit salad, prawn spaghetti, a hot drink and a water. By 10am, Vietnamese time, I was in the very long immigration queue at Saigon airport. I met a nice couple in front of me in the queue who were in Vietnam for the first time and were on their honeymoon. They had the 45 day visa exemption which is available for UK passport holders. I had purchased a 90 day multiple entry visa online for $50 prior to coming to Vietnam and had it printed out ready. The man at immigration checked my 90 day visa and all was smooth with the stamp in to Vietnam, allowing me to remain in the country until the 5th June. Just 52 minutes later, I was outside in the humidity and hot sun. I got a taxi from the domestic terminal of the airport, which should have cost less, to the Common Inn in Thao Dien (District 2). I ended up paying 350,000vnd (£11.25) but at least it wasn’t as bad as the last trip where they tried to con me out of 2,000,000VND and we had to report it.
The check-in time at the Common Inn was 2pm but I was allowed in before noon, glad of a shower and a lay down. That evening, I met Andrea and some of her friends for margaritas and Mexican food at District Federal, in Thao Dien. The margaritas were great te food so tasty and we had a good laugh. It was a brilliant night, ending in watching a live band at Acoustic bar who finished the first half of their gig with an amazing rendition of Highway to Hell.
I was up and about early on Thursday 7th March making sure that I was organised for my departure. The baking paper had been forgotten about yesterday and then I had not had chance to go shopping before Migros closed last night so I went early in the morning. I bought the baking sheets which were on offer for 48.96lira (£1.20) as I needed to get the fruit cake started pretty sharpish so that I could pack it. Back home, I just had fruit for breakfast and a cup of tea before getting my mixture in the slow cooker. After 4.5 hours it was done and I left it to cool before cutting it up. I’d almost finished my packing and had also packed up our belongings to be stored in the lockable cupboards while we were renting out our apartment. I didn’t go to Zumba as I had too much going on but I did manage beef stew with Yorkshire puddings for a late lunch/early dinner. I attempted to drink some rosé wine which was in the fridge from when Jamie came round but it tasted terrible and I poured it away. I don’t like to consume anything that might make travelling difficult. Before bed, I made Carol’s Slimming World friendly cheese pasties to take to the airport tomorrow. Dalaman airport is one of the most expensive airports for food and drink so I made plenty. Jamie was giving me and his brother a lift to Dalaman airport in the morning so I shared some pasties and some cake between the 3 of us. I didn’t end up going to bed very early, I think I was excited to be going back to Vietnam, even though I wasn’t due to see Captain Caveman for another week. I set the alarm for 6am so that I had plenty of time to be ready to leave at 8am. I was flying from Dalaman to Istanbul, then to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) via Bangkok with Thai Airways.
The weather conditions weren’t good on the morning of Friday 8th March and I was half expecting a flight delay. I made a cheese sandwich to have with the rest of my packing up and stored the rest of my belongings away. I bought 1 day of phone credit with data for 91 lira (£2.22) just in case I should need it while still in Turkey. The rain was tipping down and at 7.30am there was a little wobble of an earthquake. Jamie messaged to say he was on his way, 10 minutes early. The drive to the airport was swift and I hated saying goodbye to Jamie as I was going to miss him the most. My flight was first at 9.50am to Istanbul, Barney was slightly later to Sabiha Gökçen. I had booked the flight for just less than £30 which included 20kg hold luggage, 8kg hand luggage, a booked seat (12C), a sandwich, water and a hot drink. I said bye to Barney and went to the gate ready to board my flight which was on time. I had 5 hours in Istanbul as my flight landed at 11.20am but the next flight wasn’t until 4.30pm. I’d been tempted to book a lounge but I couldn’t justify paying for it when I couldn’t check in at Istanbul until 1.30pm which, by the time I got through security, would leave me with only 2 hours in the lounge. I found a nice spot to sit in the airport where I ate my pasties and some cake. A couple came and sat next to me and gave me a piece of baklava, which was kind. Captain Caveman had booked my one way ticket with Thai Airways from Istanbul to Saigon for £425, which included seat selection, meals with alcoholic drinks, a 10kg hand luggage and 23kg hold luggage (not that they checked and I was allowed to check-in 2 cases which totalled 24kg). My second flight of the day, Istanbul to Bangkok, took off on time and I was pleased to find myself with a row of 3 seats all to myself. By 5.45pm I had an inflight meal and some red wine, all of which was very nice. I watched some random film with Rebel Wilson in which was a bit rubbish and then watched old episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Thai Airways, for a budget flight, was pretty good so I was pleased Captain Caveman had booked me this one. I was due to land in Bangkok airport at 5.35am tomorrow, which would be 1.35am Turkish time.
I had quite a few plans on Tuesday 5th March; a hair appointment, Leanne coming over to video the apartment and meeting Becky for a leaving drink. As I went to Emrah’s for my hair appointment it was getting a bit blustery outdoors. I was nearly late on account of going back for an umbrella and me carrying a bag full of jars for Drew to pop his kumquat jam in. My hair looked good, until I stepped outside in to the wind as a huge storm was likely on its way. I had tea and a banana for breakfast and made a Slimming World friendly lasagne for lunch. I didn’t go to Zumba as it started to rain and I had a leak in the bathroom to sort out. I’d just repainted the bedroom wall but then some water came in through the Air Con and ruined it. Leanne came over and we had a chat for quite a while, she took the video for the new tenants moving in so that she could see everything was in good working order. We were using King Emlak for our long term rental and Leanne was going to be overseeing that as well as some repairs prior to the tenants moving in. I arrived late at Mono and More where I was pleased to see Becky, Jamie, Barney (Jamie’s brother), Norman and Edna. I was also glad to find that the new coffee shop now sold alcohol and I ordered a nice glass of white wine. Edna was funny as the glass table top confused her when she could see my wine but couldn’t get to it. It was nice to sit out and it was actually quite warm. The Aussies, Greg had to meet a friend but Amanda joined us. Basrı also joined us and then after it got a bit cool we all said our goodbyes, apart from Amanda who was waiting for Greg with the keys and the money. It was at this point that we wanted to get in touch with Greg to find out where he was, when the whole Facebook and Social Media crashed. We walked to their villa but no one was there, Amanda managed to call Greg who was in the barbers. Amanda invited herself over to mine to wait for him there, on account of not having her keys. We waited a while at mine and then the rain came just as Greg was walking to my place. We chatted a bit then they decided they needed some food, I only had my Slimming World friendly meals in as I was leaving in a few days. Greg decided he fancied Hatay kebabs, Amanda did too but I said I really wanted to avoid temptation. Hatay kebabs are one of my favourites but I had Fat Club weigh-in tomorrow and I had been quite good all week – the last kebab I ate gave me a bad stomach. Greg got up and left the apartment just as the rain absolutely trounced it down. He arrived back at the bottom of the stairs with 2 kebabs, chips, cokes and a massive cramp from running in the storm. Amanda had to help him as he couldn’t get up the stairs and I got him a towel out as he looked like he’d had a shower while fully dressed. It was hard watching them eat their food, but I was determined to lose weight this week. The rain got worse as I listened to their travel plans for the next month, until they arrived in Vietnam in April. It was 11.15pm when they left having invited me to join them for a Turkish breakfast tomorrow morning. I explained I was eating healthily and had Fat Club tomorrow afternoon so didn’t want to eat a big breakfast beforehand. They said they would call round first thing in the morning to say final goodbyes and pick up the paint I had borrowed as they were leaving Dalyan for a few weeks. I ate some reheated leftover Slimming World friendly lasagne then went to bed. This week I had consumed 241 syns, of which 79 were alcohol so I was really hoping I’d done enough to get a loss this week. I wasn’t confident I’d have reached my next milestone of one and a half stone loss though.
I’d got up early on Wednesday 6th March to apply another coat of paint on the bedroom wall beneath the AC unit. The Aussies were planning on going for breakfast at Kefal tea gardens and said they would call round to pick up the paint they loaned me. I got on the scales at home and the result was good but I wanted to wait and see what Carol’s scales said this afternoon before I got too excited. My measurements were really good as I’d lost 2cm each off my bust, waist and hips this week and I was now quite a bit under the measurement targets I had set. After strawberries and 2 bananas for breakfast I did a bit of packing and tidying up, while waiting for the Aussies. Bonnie popped round at 10am and we had a little chat. The Aussies turned up while Bonnie was there having not had their breakfast yet. I gave them the paint and gave them hugs goodbye. They would land in Vietnam in 6 weeks and were heading to Phong Nha. I helped Bonnie downstairs with a charity bag and then popped to the bank and stationers to finish off my errands. I went to have my last catch up with Adele at the Kefal tea gardens where I had several Turkish teas and some peanuts before going straight to Fat Club. Unfortunately, it meant that I had forgotten to take some of the food I was clearing out before I left for Vietnam. This was the last Fat Club before my trip so I was so glad when I had lost 1.7kg (3.7lbs) on Carol’s scales this week. I was so happy that I’d now lost a total of 10.5kg (22.7lbs) which meant that I had finally got my 1.5 stone loss sticker! I was just under my original target weight but I’d adjusted it more recently so that I still had 0.7kg (1.5lb) to lose to hit target. From now on, the group would have to be known as the Not So Fat Club, especially as lots of others were all doing well and losing weight. I’d been so grateful to have managed to lose so much and Carol had been a massive help. To celebrate I went to Ozzy’s for a bit of wine with Jamie, Ghislaine and Christine. We bumped in to Kate, Pamela, Andrea and John and I had a few celebration last drinks. That evening I joined Jamie, Barney and Nanny Kay at Mahir’s again. This time I ate the batter off the fish and thoroughly enjoyed my treat night. After dinner we had one more in Ozzy’s and I gave Kate the dress I’d been wearing as she liked it. I said goodbye to Mark and Kate who were going home on their mobility scooter. Tomorrow was my last day in Dalyan and so I planned for an uneventful, but productive, day.
I spent the morning of Friday 12th January chatting to friends over messenger and having a quiet morning. For lunch I met Nanny Kay at Lukka bar, where I had a rather tasty Spaghetti Bolognese and she had a steak sandwich. The portions were large and I took half of mine home. It tasted really good and it was nice and warm in there. For dinner I had a Slimming World Hunter’s Chicken with rice which I also enjoyed. I’d took to doing batch cooking which worked out great for avoiding any waste and kept costs right down – I was getting very good at it too.
I spent the morning of Saturday 13th January packing my bags, for another dog sitting stint at Jamie’s. Nanny Kay picked me up as I had bags and she was taking Jamie to the airport so it made sense. She was super helpful in taking me to the market on the way so I could pick up some provisions, rather than having to come back and carry it. I didn’t go mad but I bought bananas, peppers, broccoli and chestnuts for a total of 160 lira (£4.17) and we drove to Jamie’s. Norman and Edna were so excited to see me and little Norman seemed to be doing better than he was last time. Edna was just happy that we might get to go to the Waterfall to see Skippy. After saying bye to the humans, I played with Norman and Edna for a while then I ate my leftover Spaghetti Bolognese from yesterday. Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and a natter. Edna was pleased as she had worked out that the probability of a pub visit had increased. At the Waterfall, Vanessa and I had a couple of white wine and sodas before going to our respective homes for dinner. I had a beef stew for mine with 2 Yorkshire puddings (out of the freezer) and it was so tasty. At 8.30pm I got to speak to Captain Caveman. It was 12.30am already there so he was tired – we didn’t speak for long. He’d got a day off tomorrow but then was working on Monday evening, back in the cave on Tuesday. My cough had still not gone and I required 4 pillows to sleep with, I had a nice shower, got my pyjamas on and was in bed for 10.40pm on a Saturday night.
It was my first full day with Norman and Edna on Sunday 14th January. I was awake at 5.50am but I stayed in bed until 7.30am. I let the dogs out and made myself a cup of tea, I had my overnight oats for breakfast. Norman’s back legs were still a bit weak so it was necessary to make sure he got help eating, drinking and going to the toilet. For lunch I had vegetable egg fried rice which was tasty and Slimming World friendly. I got peckish in the afternoon though so, instead of something snacky, I made myself a SW veggie pizza and synned the wrap. For dinner I used the rest of the SW Hunters Chicken turned in to a pasta bake and had a small portion of that. I resisted any wine, despite the health benefits, and was lucky enough to have another video call with Captain Caveman. It’s very rare we speak 2 days in a row, but it was lovely to see that he was enjoying being back at work and in Phong Nha. The passport photos I had sent to Captain Caveman were useless as, apparently, you need to see my ears. I had to do them again so that he could apply for my visa for me. We decided I would go in a couple of month’s time and stay for the 90 days.
I was taking out my fruitcake at 00.15am on Thursday 11th January, which was my birthday. I cut off the crispy edges and ate a piece as I stayed up until 1am looking at flights and did find some reasonable ones. Good news came from my boss, he had picked up his replacement bank card and my overdue pay would go in to my account after the weekend. From next week I was asked to work a full day on Fridays which fitted well with me. After a sleep, I woke up to a chilly 6 degrees and got myself a cup of Yorkshire tea to bring back to bed. Captain Caveman called me before 9am and wished me a happy birthday, which was nice. I stayed in bed until 10am reading my birthday messages. I felt really happy and loved, I’m so glad Facebook reminds everyone! I had a card from my parents and they’d put me some lira in for a present – how lovely. For lunch, Vanessa and I had arranged to meet up, I’d suggested Ela’s Kitchen for a breakfast/lunch. I went over to their apartment, taking Matt’s laptop to give back to him and a fruit cake as a thank you. We said bye to Matt, who was off to watch football shortly, and Vanessa had decided she was taking me for a birthday treat. At Asaf Bey, Vanessa insisted that I order the waffle (highly recommended), which came smothered in chocolate, bananas, strawberries and crushed pistachios – I was very surprised at the size of it! Vanessa had her’s with just chocolate and ice-cream. We both drank tea and had a good chat. Later in the afternoon I made a bacon sandwich with mushrooms from the Ela’s Kitchen leftovers which I had with potatoes for a late lunch. I also managed to make a slow cooker beef stew for dinner and clean the house, as Jamie and Drew were popping over later. I’d actually relished the thought of staying at home alone for my birthday. I had an unfinished biography which I’d been really looking forward to reading but Jamie said I couldn’t not celebrate my birthday at all – he was having none of it! He, Drew, Nanny Kay, Ann, Bill and Jaxx were coming to mine for a birthday drink. No fuss, no food, just a drink or two – did I even have enough chairs!? Before the guests arrived I just had time for a birthday video call with my parents, which was really good and such a shame that they had gone home before my birthday. I even got a photo with my Dad looking at the camera! Unfortunately, they had spent 87 days out of their 90 days in Turkey but the flight they could get was before my birthday and they couldn’t go any later. I could only just fit all my guests in and I was shocked to find that everyone brought me a birthday gift. Jamie and Drew went first as Jamie was so excited to give me something that he thought was ‘so me’. It was a framed print which said ‘Too Drunk to Cook’ in bright colours. It would turn out to be very appropriate as a message for one the guests later tonight. Ann had brought me a bottle of red wine and a box of baklava which showed she knew me well! Nanny Kay gave me a Maisie Moo ‘Shade of Nar’ candle which I really loved the smell of. I was so surprised to receive a very expensive face cream from Jaxx (& Bill) who made us all laugh when she said she’d been using it herself and she was actually 85 years old! Drew also brought a big chunk of his Christmas cake (with icing and marzipan) which was amazing. We had lots of wine and I fished out the cake I’d made once we’d finished Drew’s and the baklava. Jaxx said she hadn’t got the memo about not getting any dinner tonight but by that time Jamie’s present was already coming in handy! Drew fell asleep, and I was getting quite tired when Jamie decided the two of them and Nanny Kay were off. Ann, Bill and Jaxx didn’t leave until very late, I’d tried to get a taxi for them at 12.20am but couldn’t get a reply. Bill eventually got a taxi and they all said their rather merry farewells. My impromptu, and not very well planned, birthday drinks had been rather lively but I’d rather enjoyed having more cake than wine! Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of people as I was too busy being the host with the least!
Tuesday 2nd January was far from sunshine and rainbows for me, but I didn’t expect it would be. It was the day Captain Caveman left to go back to work in Vietnam for his 8 months stint. Edna had recovered, Norman was improving and they were happy to go back to bobos while I had my cup of tea, Strepsils, ibuprofen, a hot lemon and a pancake using up yesterday’s batter. I had one of the busiest days ahead of me and I felt like death, having had less than 2 hours sleep. The dogs could tell I was out of sorts and were super sweet, I was going to miss them. Captain Caveman had booked Fikri, the taxi man, for 8.30pm from his apartment where all his luggage would be. I’d told a few friends and my parents, who we’d not seen for over a week, that he would be in Waterfall at 3pm for a farewell beer. I’d also told Captain Caveman this so that he could make sure he was packed in good time to meet everyone. The 2 of us could then get some food together before his long journey ahead (about 24hrs) and say goodbye. We’d decided we’d have a romantic meal for 2 before his taxi came, somewhere like YOLO, where we had both still not got round to trying. With this in mind, I got on with my jobs; feeding and walking the dogs, packing all my stuff up, stripping and remaking the bed, getting all the bedding and towels washed and dried, emptying all the bins, sweeping, hoovering, mopping – cleaning the bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen and living room before moving my stuff back home so that it could be left there, or taken to Bill and Jaxx’s. At 9am I got a message from Greg, the Aussie, to say he and Amanda were going to head over after 10am to see Captain Caveman, as they hadn’t had chance to see him yet. He was going home after walking the dogs to pack all his things for Vietnam and move all his personal affects in to storage cupboards for when we rented out the apartment! He’d walked Big Boy and Lucy for the last time and cycled home to make a start on dismantling the bicycle to store away. I decided to put my phone on silent and get cracking. At 12.45pm I had a cup of tea and a sit down, after letting the dogs out for a toilet break. I saw some bad news on Facebook that Foreigners with Turkish residency had to put a minimum of 25,503 lira (£680.08) in to their Turkish bank account every month. This was going to affect me, if I wanted to keep my residency here. Jamie was on his way and the flight was on time so I had no time to lollygag, this villa wasn’t going to finish itself. I also needed to go home to cart my stuff back, shower and change to get back to meet Captain Caveman but it was already 3pm. I shoved more medication down my throat, told Norman and Edna that Little Daddy, Step Daddy Drew and Aunty Julia were on their way and I left.
It was 3.20pm as I got my key out to open the door to the apartment, the drugs were starting to kick in but the heavy bag I’d carried over had done me in. I’d already had a message from Nanny Kay to say Captain Caveman hadn’t arrived yet and she was sat nursing a coke. On opening the door, I saw why! The Aussies and Captain Caveman were sat in the living room having a chat. I was not happy with Captain Caveman and I let it be known that he had people waiting for him in Waterfall. I had minutes to get ready so I went upstairs to shower while shouting orders to Captain Caveman of what to bring me to wear and a towel. I hurried and came downstairs to get my shoes on, Amanda pointed out they had brought us gifts of collapsible Tupperware and Factor 50 suncream, which was amazing. It took longer than I’d have liked for us to get to Waterfall where, luckily, only a couple of people were waiting. I was away with the fairies after 1 wine and the flu medication so I don’t really remember much. Ma & Pa arrived and they were still not 100% better but doing ok. Jamie and Drew arrived straight off the plane, just to say bye, but they didn’t stay long as they were knackered. Of course, we never got to go for the meal and I had to get back for the dogs dinner time. I was so hungry too because I’d not had time to eat since breakfast. Captain Caveman must’ve been hungry and he wasn’t flying until 11pm so he needed to eat. At 7.30pm, Captain Caveman said his reluctant goodbyes and we walked to get a kebab from Hatay’s. I asked for mine without chillies and they insisted they don’t put any form of chilli in them. We took them back home with just enough time to eat some of it before the taxi. We got in the taxi together and I got dropped off at Villa Infinity where Big Boy and Lucy were desperate for their dinner! I don’t even think we had a goodbye snog as Captain Caveman was in a rush to get to the airport. I hoped to see him in a couple of months or so but we weren’t certain. Once he’d gone and the dogs had eaten their food, I popped the heater on and we sat on the sofa. I finished off my half of kebab and was convinced it had chillies in. By 9.15pm I was in the bathroom and I was not well!
joloyolo 