We were up so early for breakfast on Saturday 25th May. Captain Caveman had decided on Tree House so I took my own Yorkshire tea bag and they gave me hot water and milk for free, which was kind. I went for a fruit salad which are always great at Tree House and Captain Caveman had a breakfast sandwich (which I don’t recall the contents of) with chips and a coffee. We paid a reasonable 225,000VND (£6.98) and then we cycled towards the Vegan.
Captain Caveman needed to pop in the office on his day off but he’d been invited to Phong Nha Vegan for lunch. He tried the Thai noodle soup and I had a Bun Tron, both of which were really tasty. Captain Caveman left me at the Vegan practicing my Vietnamese and English with the staff. The water delivery guy came and had a chat – surprisingly he spoke English perfectly well.
Captain Caveman had gone home to play Bridge and it was getting pretty hot by 1pm, as I lay in the hammock. I cycled back and called in to the pharmacy, who had a promotion day. I messaged Captain Caveman with the deals and to ask him if he needed anything but he never answered his phone. It was so hot that I didn’t bother waiting more than 5 minutes and cycled back to the homestay. Captain Caveman was so engrossed in his Bridge that he had stopped taking any notice of messages. I had a shower as I was a red hot sweaty mess and then a lay down. Captain Caveman had fallen asleep with his noise cancelling headphones on.
At 6pm we got to The Villas just in time as the rain had started. We were having dinner with Veronika and her friend, Deborah. Veronika had brought in a bottle of fizz for us all to share, which was really lovely and we had a fabulous meal at The Villas. I chose one of my favourites, the Duck Confit, Captain Caveman had a pizza. The rain poured down and it was pretty atmospheric. I really enjoyed the night out and Captain Caveman bought another bottle of wine for us to share. Veronika fancied a dessert so I also joined her with a really good sticky date pudding. Captain Caveman paid by bank transfer so I didn’t take note of the total bill but my duck dish was 250,000VND (£7.74) and a decent bottle of wine was 450,000VND (£13.94) so pretty reasonable for one of the nicest places in town.
After only a couple of hours sleep, I was awake before 6am on Sunday 19th May. Captain Caveman offered no apology for wearing his grumpy trousers last night, only the reason of being in pain with his shoulder which I made worse by touching him. I was not in the mood to continue arguing and left to get to Phong Nha Vegan. I’d been asked to help with the local charity event which Hoan, the owner, had organised with donations to the Love Foundation. They actually had asked me to get there earlier but I thought a 6.30am start was early enough for me. When I arrived, there were lots of helpers and I don’t think they really needed me, but perhaps having a white face there is lucky or something. Lots of mushroom congee, like a porridge, was dished out or sent by delivery to anyone in Phong Nha who wanted free soup for breakfast. This included me and Laos Quang who popped in to say hello to me. He ended up having a huge bowl of the steamy hot soup and they made him take 3 lots home. I loved it and could easily have had another bowl. A total of 200 bowls had been given out and there was still a little bit left.
The soup is transported from the kitchen
Preparing the soup bowls for delivery and take away
At 8.15am Captain Caveman arrived and took some photos for us while I decided I was going back to the homestay for a rest. He didn’t have soup as he can’t eat mushrooms. Captain Caveman had a day off today so it was unfortunate that I was busy all day, but at least it meant no time for falling out. He obviously went in to Oxalis and sorted out some stuff etc as a day off here is never a complete day off. I was back at the Vegan by 11.30am and Hoan was grateful for my help. She made me a Bun Tron for early lunch, which is one of my favourites, then we practiced some English and my Vietnamese with the staff. I was still quite tired and the heat was getting to me as Chung arrived with jack fruit. We shared it, drank tea and I noticed the man walking by. There’s a skinny Vietnamese man who looks homeless and unwashed, he walks past a few times a day and collects cans and plastic bottles. He’s clearly mentally challenged and doesn’t have a full set of teeth. I mentioned to Hoan that she should offer him some soup, even though we were finished with that charity activity. As he sat down and took his wellington boots off to reveal terrible socks with massive holes in, I went to get a photo of Hoan and the man. It then turned in to a bit of a farce as I became the person in the photos and he wanted to chat with me in Vietnamese. He was very grateful as he slurped it down super fast, he was clearly very needy. I left to wash my hands and when I returned he’d taken off with the bowl and the spoon! One of the girls ran after him and took it back, the poor man!
In the afternoon, Captain Caveman and I bumped in to Hawk, an English motorbiking tour guide from Hoi An. He was arranging dinner for his tour group tonight and asked us to join, so we agreed. Before dinner, we had time to call in to another new place in town, just to see what it was like for a drink. We met the owner, Tien, of Green Point restaurant who was super friendly and he wanted to invite us for dinner. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time that evening so we said we’d be back. We had a beer and a very refreshing watermelon juice, the food menu also looked good and reasonably priced so we wanted to try it out.
We met Hawk and his all-Australian male tour group at 6.30pm, we were early and had to wait for the upstairs table at Bamboo Chopsticks restaurant to be ready. I had a glass or 2 of the red wine which was decent, Captain Caveman had Huda beer. To make it easier we had agreed to go in on the group set meal which was 200,000VND each (£6.19). As I was the only girl with more than 10 hungry guys, I would say I didn’t quite get my money’s worth. I had mainly steamed rice and a tofu dish which was lovely. Captain Caveman and I shared a bottle of wine and when the bill came everyone paid and left to go to the rooftop bar. Captain Caveman, Hawk and I went downstairs to finish off our drinks and say farewell to a couple I’d met at the Vegan. Captain Caveman had accidentally miscalculated the bill so we got lumbered with paying an extra 90,000VND (£2.79) which was missing. Here’s our part of the bill and what we paid;
Bamboo Chopsticks 1 Beer 20,000 2 glasses of red wine 160,000 2 Set meals 400,000 1 bottle of red wine 450,000 Extra 90,000 Total spent 1,120,000VND (£34.79)
I enjoyed it but it was definitely expensive compared to other places. As we were leaving, I started to feel a bit unwell, even though I knew I’d not eaten any chillies. I was in bed by 9.30pm as Captain Caveman caught up on his daily dose of Bridge.
While Captain Caveman toddled off to Dong Hoi at 8am on Saturday 18th May, I’d agreed to meet up with Hoan and Chung. I arrived at Phong Nha Vegan just after 8.30am, there was no electricity and we were told it would be back on by 1pm. Hoan made me a passion fruit juice with soda water. Chung didn’t arrive and later said she wasn’t coming if there was no electricity as her homestay had it. The electric poles were being replaced in sections so not everywhere was out at once. I had one of my favourite dishes, the Bun Tron and lots of water in the 5 hour 15 minutes I managed to endure the heat for there. I agreed to join in on a charity mission tomorrow which involved a sort of vegan soup kitchen. I also had a bit of a to-do with the pool and garden guy back in Dalyan. My parents had been to check on the state of the complex and found it to be a disgrace so I’d asked him to clean the sunbeds. His response was that he wanted to charge me £80 to use a steam cleaner. I decided I’d get a woman in to clean them, then booked our usual cleaner through the agent – she would give it a good scrub.
Captain Caveman returned from Dong Hoi and I met him at Tree House for lunch. We shared some french fries with salt on as I was definitely dehydrated and I drank lots of water, Captain Caveman had a beer or two. That evening, I was off out with Captain Caveman and we decided to eat at Ganesh, the Indian restaurant, which we both love. Captain Caveman had a chicken madras, I had a chicken tikka masala, we shared saffron rice and a garlic naan bread. We also took full advantage of their wine and here’s what we paid in Dong;
Ganesh 1 saffron rice 49,000 1 Garlic Naan 60,000 1 Chicken Tikka Masal 115,000 1 Chicken Madras 120,000 1 bottle of red wine 270,000 Total paid 614,000VND (£19.03)
The food is really good there, at a reasonable price, and we both enjoyed it. Once back at the Homestay, though, Captain Caveman had a bit of shout at me when I said I’d massage his sore shoulder. By the time I’d cleaned my teeth he was snoring away, fully clothed, on the spare bed, leaving me unable to get to sleep. This was a pain as I’d agreed to help out with the soup kitchen that Phong Nha Vegan was doing tomorrow from 6.30am.
As Captain Caveman was off back in to Son Doong on Tuesday 14th May, we were up early. Our last breakfast at Greenfield Ecostay was had together, Captain Caveman had omelette and I had pineapple pancake. Ngan also gave us mango and dragon fruit to eat and, of course, I had my last Yorkshire tea for a while. I said bye to Captain Caveman and sat by the pool catching up on some writing. On his way in to town he dropped my bag at my next accommodation and messaged to say I could check in from 11am. Around 10.30am I decided to say my farewells and thanks to René and Ngan, it had been one of the best stays we’d had. I’d already written a quick note of the things I would miss most about Greenfield Ecostay;
1. The owners, and their amazing hospitality. 2. Being in such a relaxed and tranquil place. 3. Mina, the extra shy and timid dog. 4. The delicious food that is so well prepared, varied and plentiful. 5. How clean the place is despite it’s closeness to nature. 6. The feeling of being so welcome and relaxed. 7. The swimming pool, probably the cleanest and best in Phong Nha. 8. The attention to detail that the owners and their staff make to ensure the most comfortable stay; from making sure the pool towels are ready to tidying and cleaning. 9. The wine/beers with René of an evening. 10. Being away from any stresses and feeling like we are on holiday in Captain Caveman’s home town.
I arrived in Phong Nha town just before 11am and decided to go to Tree House for an early lunch. I had a bottle of water, a fresh coconut and a cream cheese & salami sandwich for 150,000VND (£4.64). There was rather a lot of salami in the sandwich and the bread was a bit clumpy but I managed it, with the lettuce from the salad too.
At 11.50am I checked in to Phong Nha Homestay, for the second time of my trip. I was given the same room as the last time but this time there was no kettle in the room and 2 less pillows on the bed. I’d found out recently that some Vietnamese people believe that if you have a second pillow in bed you are inviting the dead ancestors to come to sleep with you! I chilled out in the room for a bit and the weather forecast predicted rain that never came so it was hot and humid. I had fruitcake and cheese for lunch which was nice but a bit rich. More news came from Turkey which meant that if I wanted to go for long-term residency, it would be a few more years yet as I no longer qualified. The pool pump and filter had been fixed which we all had to pay our share of and would have been cheaper if we’d had it done last year.
I spent about 2 hours at Phong Nha Vegan in the evening and I had the fake pork with rice, vegetables and tempura Oyster mushrooms. It was delicious and I cycled back to the homestay for a much needed early night. Tomorrow was weigh day again and I knew it wasn’t going to be a good result, I’d had 331 syns this week, 130 of which were on alcohol. I needed to get back on plan while Captain Caveman was away and I was back to being on a strict budget.
Breakfast on Monday 13th May was quite a feast, Captain Caveman had his usual and I had Yorkshire tea, pineapple and honey pancake, a banana, dragon fruit and jack fruit. We made the most of our last full day at Greenfield Ecostay and I was sad to be leaving. We swam in the pool, watched a risky rice harvest and some cows settling a dispute.
Video of the motorbike being loaded
A push to get done before the rain started
The cows were a bit restless
Another attempt
Our last lunch, prepared by Ngan, was a squid fried rice for Captain Caveman and a prawn fried rice for me. There was more dragon fruit and jack fruit and then some stormy weather in the afternoon. Mina, the dog, was scared of the thunder and hid behind the bar. Instead of going to Phong Nha with Captain Caveman, I packed my bag for leaving tomorrow. He went to his Oxalis briefing as he would be going in to the cave tomorrow. I had a couple of white wines but no dinner, as we hadn’t ordered it for tonight as I’d planned to go to Phong Nha Vegan. Instead, I nibbled on the Banh Hoa which Chung had given us. Back in Dalyan, the pool was finally fixed but a little too late for our dissatisfied tenant who had flown back home to the UK, having not even been in the pool. They were returning to Dalyan soon and hoped it was sorted by then. I messaged our agent to check she had spoken to the tenant in person to straighten things out and give assurances. They had not met up at all but had corresponded via text. It was hard not having any control over what was going on there, but I would be going back to Turkey at the end of June for a quick visit. By the time Captain Caveman arrived back from his briefing, I was already in the room ready for bed. Captain Caveman had got the cash out to pay René tomorrow and I was very pleasantly surprised to hear that our total bill for 15 nights’ accommodation, food and drink came to a grand total of 15,000,000VND (£464). We could not fault the place and I was sad that I might not get to come again – it was one of my new favourite places!
We had a bit of a mini adventure on Sunday 12th May after we had our breakfast, of course. Captain Caveman had omelette with a coffee or 2 and I had Yorkshire tea with my mango and honey pancake. I’d asked a few friends to join us on our outing but most people were busy. Luckily for us, Veronika, Chung, Uy and the kids were free and would join us for lunch at the Pub with Cold Beer. Captain Caveman was toying with the idea of cycling but I reminded him how much he hates me moaning I’m too hot and it’s too far. He drove us there on Trigger and we decided to stop off at the Duck Stop. This is a brilliant tourist attraction where you get to feed ducks and get a natural massage from them. It’s really good and when a fellow caver came to visit she said it was one of the best days of her life (she’s only young)! We only stopped for a drink, not to see the ducks as we have been before and it was already getting busy with customers. We got to say hello to Quynh, the owner, and chill out a little before getting back on the motorbike to the Pub with Cold Beer.
There, Captain Caveman dropped me off so that I could order 2 chickens with rice, morning glory and peanut sauce before our guests arrived. He went to see Cuong at the Wild Boar farm just up the road. The pool at the Pub with Cold Beer was being cleaned and Quy told me it would be about 15 minutes until it was ready. Just 5 minutes later the French guests from Greenfield Ecostay arrived and I managed to tell them in French about the pool. It was ready in 10 minutes and everyone got in while I sat and chatted to Huong, their tour guide. Captain Caveman returned, Chung and family arrived closely followed by Veronika. We had a wonderful day, chatting with our friends, eating the delicious BBQ chicken and playing with the kids in the pool.
Back at Greenfield Ecostay we joined some German and Lithuanian guests who were very interesting and we had a really lovely dinner. Ngan had made cabbage rolls, pork, green beans, carrots and steamed rice and I washed it down with a glass of wine. Our Sunday had been great but tomorrow was our last night at Greenfield, Captain Caveman’s holiday was coming to an end.
Captain Caveman and I were still enjoying our amazing staycation at Greenfield Ecostay on Saturday 11th May. We were now on our 13th day of being there and we loved it. Of course, we’d got ourselves in to a bit of a routine as we had the same choices generally for breakfast. We lounged around the pool and today there was lots of activity in the fields as the rice harvest was coming to an end and rain was due. The locals were in a rush to get the harvest dry and stored, while the cows and buffalo were intent on eating in as many fields as they could access. At lunch time Captain Caveman had not requested for us to dine at Greenfield so we had some 5 Grains cracker biscuits with some of the remaining Red Leicester cheese – we were still saving the fruit cake for Veronika as I’d forgotten to take it to the Farmstay. By 2.30pm René had made sure we had a cold beverage as we admired the view across the pool. We could also see farmers burning sections of field where the rice had been harvested. They do this to prepare it for the next harvest and it’s often done before rain is due so that the fires don’t get out of hand. Captain Caveman had been playing Bridge since just after breakfast, with a couple of swim breaks. But at 3pm the rain started and it was time to move in to the bar area. By 6.30pm, because of the rain, the temperature was down to a chilly 28°C and it felt amazing! At 7pm we sat down for dinner with a glass or 2 of white wine and Ngan’s rather delicious home made spring rolls which came with salad and chips. It was such a lovely day and I was feeling very relaxed by the time we went to bed.
On Friday 10th May Captain Caveman decided he was going to take us out for a meal that evening. At breakfast we let René and Ngan know we were off out and proceeded with breakfast. I had the noodle soup with greens and took out the fried egg for Captain Caveman to have. He had an omelette and we shared some fruit too. All of the guests at Greenfield Ecostay had gone out for the day so we had the place to ourselves and spent the morning in the pool or on a sun lounger. There were plenty of cows in the fields, making use of the rice harvesting residue. Captain Caveman had said we weren’t having lunch again today and by 2pm René had brought him over a beer and me a glass of white wine as we chilled by the pool.
That evening Captain Caveman had decided on a meal at Phong Nha Farmstay so we cycled over for Happy Hour. We had a fair few 2 for 1 cocktails and ordered an olive and artichoke bread to share as a starter. Captain Caveman went for the Farmstay pizza, I had a traditional pork dish for our mains and the food was really tasty. Veronika joined us a bit later as she had been sat elsewhere with Deborah, hadn’t seen my message and didn’t end up having any food, when she joined our table. Deborah had the Nem Lui which is pork on lemongrass skewers made in to rice paper rolls with veggies and herbs. Here’s what we paid for our evening out, prices in Dong;
Phong Nha Farmstay 1 olive & artichoke bread 75,000 4 Gin & Tonics 100,000 4 Rum & Cokes 130,000 1 Pork clay pot 200,000 1 Farmstay 230,000 Total 735,000VND (£22.48) Service 36,750VND VAT 133,140VND Total spent 838,320VND (£25.64)
The prices aren’t bad for 2 people with alcohol but it’s certainly not the cheapest place in town. As we were about to cycle home we saw Bich looking after someone’s baby and cycling about with it in the basket of a bicycle she was riding. The cycle home was hard work as Captain Caveman obviously raced ahead, as he does. When we got back we went straight to bed as it was already almost 9pm.
We were awake before 6am on Thursday 9th May but we didn’t have breakfast until gone 9am. Ngan offered us some traditional Vietnamese food called Banh Tet which is made from pork and rice. Due to overindulgence once before, I can no longer stomach it but Captain Caveman had some with fried eggs and tomatoes while I stuck to my mango pancakes and Yorkshire tea. For afters we had some of the watermelon from yesterday and bananas.
Captain Caveman drove us both in to town and I met Hoan at Phong Nha Vegan around 10.30am. She was keen for me to borrow one of the conical hats to keep the sun off me, it was red hot so lots of locals were busy harvesting and drying rice. I was given some watermelon to keep me hydrated and it was so sweet and juicy. Hoan and I had a good chat and then she made me a delicious Bun Tron, the rice noodle vegan dish which is one of my favourites. I took some photos of the Sen flower, the petals of which are used to make tea and left about 1.30pm to cycle back to Greenfield.
The sun was intense and I’d overestimated that I’d be able to do it in one go. I had to stop at Lotus, a hot and drippy mess, for a passion fruit juice and a bottle of water. It was 2.45pm when I got back and I was a mess, hoping for a sleep in the AC. That was not to be as René gave me the heads up that Multi and his daughter, Ella, were at the pool with Captain Caveman. I did the decent thing and got changed in to my swimmers, had a cold shower by the pool and got in for a swim.
It was absolute bliss just to feel a bit cooler and then I messed about in the water with Ella, doing forward and backward rolls. When I got out, Captain Caveman, Multi and Ella did holding their breath competitions and Captain Caveman won every time but pretended Ella had won. It was just at this time that I got another update from Dalyan – the garden and complex was not looking good (again). I was beginning to wonder how hard it could be to just clean and tidy the complex. I messaged the agent and the pool and garden people who had already been paid to be doing this. It was very frustrating dealing with it from far away and with the time difference. René poured me a glass of wine, Captain Caveman got the fruitcake and cheese out and we shared it around. Ella was polite as she didn’t like the cake but Multi loved it, she loved the red Leicester cheese, though. We remembered to save some for Veronika as I’d promised her some. While the locals brought their rice in at the end of the day, we watched the sun set from the pool. After a shower and change it was time for dinner where Captain Caveman and I had a rather tasty spaghetti with meatballs and I polished off the rest of that bottle of wine.
I decided to try something different for breakfast on Sunday 5th May but I regretted it, slightly. The pork and rice noodle soup came with a fried egg on top and I don’t like eggs. Captain Caveman scooped it on to his plate and ate it but then my breakfast was a bit too greasy for me. I washed it down with Yorkshire tea and orange juice and then caught up on some blogging in the shade. Captain Caveman was now spending hours each day, playing Bridge and wearing his noise cancelling headphones. We didn’t have lunch again so by the time it was getting to dinner time I was very hungry. After saying bye to the couple we had met from the UK, Captain Caveman, René and I cycled to the Phong Nha Farmstay to meet Veronika for happy hour and Sunday dinner. Mina, the dog, followed a long as far as Elements where 2 dogs came out on the attack and she retreated off home. When we got to Phong Nha Farmstay, Veronika and her friend joined us and some of us ordered the happy hour drinks. The Sunday dinner was nice and the pork was tasty however the Yorkshire puddings looked like someone had forgotten to keep the oven door shut. Veronika shared some of her celebratory red wine and I also managed 2 happy hour rum and cokes. For afters I went completely off my diet as the dessert is included in the price and I had the chocolate brownie with ice-cream. Captain Caveman paid so I didn’t see the total bill after the service charge and VAT was added, but as a guide the roast dinner is 300,000VND (£9.20) per person. It includes a drink but we forgot to order ours as we had the happy hour drinks, then the wine. It had made a nice change to go out, especially as I had never seen René anywhere else but at Greenfield Ecostay. We cycled back in the dark, I had brought my light which I was glad about. The small roads to Greenfield are a bit off the beaten path and my eyesight only works in daylight, unlike Captain Caveman’s. We had a last drink at the bar before going to bed, I was still coughing and full of sniffles.
It was Captain Caveman’s 6th day off on Saturday 4th May and he had another week off due to a schedule change. This was so fortuitous and great for Captain Caveman to relax, even if it did mean he was playing so much Bridge we hardly spoke to each other. It was also Tatas’ day off but she was sick so couldn’t come out to play, as we’d hoped. I had a full blown cold again which was probably as a result of getting caught in heavy rain 2 days ago. There was a storm in the early hours and morning which was quite bad and when we came downstairs, Veronika had already gone back to her duties at the Phong Nha Farmstay. For breakfast I had a pancake with mango and my Yorkshire tea. Captain Caveman had his usual and decided we were eating too much so let René know we didn’t want to eat lunch today. I wasn’t as keen on this plan as it meant I would go from 9.30am to 6.30pm without eating. I had a cold anyway so I took it easy and let the Vegan ladies know I wasn’t cycling in today. By lunchtime I had some hassle to deal with, regarding Captain Caveman’s pool situation in Dalyan. It transpired that something was broken and needed fixing so I got in touch with the Agent and Maintenance contacts to see if we could rectify the situation any quicker. I had a swim before sunset and got ready for dinner, still feeling a bit unwell. For dinner Ngan had prepared fried rice with squid for everyone else, but I’m allergic to it. I was served a lovely alternative of prawn and vegetable noodles in a generous portion which I really enjoyed. I also had some white wine and Captain Caveman had beers.
As it was the weekend and I’d only had 60 syns so far this week, I chose pineapple pancakes for breakfast on Friday 3rd May. Captain Caveman had already eaten earlier as I felt under the weather and had a little lay in. He was in the pool when I got down but he had a plan that he needed to go back to Phong Nha. I took that as a good opportunity to call in at Phong Nha Vegan so Captain Caveman said he’d give me a lift on the motorbike and off we went. Just before 11am, we had to stop at the pork shop and take shelter as a downpour came. It didn’t last long and I soon was at Phong Nha Vegan where I only stayed from 11.30am to 1pm. May, the dog from down the street, was there getting some attention from a customer as he loves some fuss. On our way back, we called at Lotus restaurant and met Multi who I shared Lotus tea with from a cute tea set and Captain Caveman had a shandy. Captain Caveman and I shared a beef Luk Lak which was very tasty for our lunch as I’d not eaten at the Vegan today. We couldn’t stay long as Veronika was on her way to Greenfield as she had some time off from teaching the grandchildren. It stopped raining long enough for us to get back and have a swim, Veronika arrived and the 3 of us had a beer. She decided to get a room and stay over when the weather looked a bit wet again and we opened a bottle of white wine. Ngan and the team had arranged an amazing dinner for tonight- a BBQ chicken with accompaniments; 2 different types of rice, pork, peanuts, chips, fresh spring rolls, green beans and salad. It was really good and one of the best BBQ chicken platters in town. We had a really lovely evening and a few frogs joined us to shelter from the rain. Guests from York and Peterborough had become our new friends and we enjoyed sharing some great laughs together before they had to move on to their next destination.
Another relaxing day was had by Captain Caveman and I on Wednesday 1st May. I’d been away from Dalyan for over 7 weeks now but we were looking at the option of me staying in Vietnam for another 2 months. I still didn’t have a flight booked but my parents, sister and brother-in-law would be on their way to Istanbul tomorrow. I was missing Dalyan and my friends there, a few of which had kept in touch which was nice. I was definitely missing Fat Club and the accountability it gave me although I was still trying my best to track everything and make sensible choices. This week I’d only consumed 208 syns, more than 100 less than last week, and only 78 on alcohol. Today was weigh day and the 8th Fat Club I’d missed but I took my measurements. I had lost 3cm from my bust, 1cm from my waist and 4cm from my hips. I was pleased because I was under or on target for all of my measurements now. I decided I would find some scales when I next went in to town as it was almost a month since I’d got weighed. At 8am it was 33°C and it didn’t feel unbearable as we popped our swimmers on to go down for breakfast. I had veggie noodle soup with extra greens and a cup of Yorkshire tea, Captain Caveman had an omelette with plenty of coffee. We spent the morning by the pool but at noon I got some bad news; our tenants back in Dalyan (and Jamie’s friends from his home town) were complaining about Captain Caveman’s apartment. The pool there wasn’t ready, as promised, the sunbeds and decking areas were untidy and someone on the complex was feeding lots of cats. Jamie had messaged me to tell me of his friend’s complaints with photos and to inform me that the pool wasn’t even full of water yet. He said it was hot there and they would not be happy to be without a pool when it was promised. Just what we needed, especially when I had been told by our pool and garden guy that it would be ready in plenty of time. I messaged the agent and our pool and garden man with the complaints and photos. I also let Amanda and Greg know as they had guests renting their place downstairs. Captain Caveman went in the pool at Greenfield, while I continued to try to sort all the issues out in Dalyan. We had lunch at Greenfield which was a really nice beef and vegetable stir-fry (without chillies for me). I eventually got some time to myself and for a swim before going back to the room to speak to a friend. Unfortunately, she had some bad news about her health, and she needed surgery. This meant that her plans to come visit us would be delayed or cancelled. In the evening, Captain Caveman drove us both in to town via the pharmacy. They had a set of old style weighing scales and I got on to find I was the same weight as when I last got weighed. I was still 3.3kg (7.7lb) heavier than when I last got weighed on Carol’s scales though, which I wasn’t convinced was true. I went to Phong Nha Vegan for 2.5 hours and the chef made me Com Suon which is fake pork with steamed rice and vegetables. She added a couple of spring rolls and I gave one to the waitress. The food was delicious and very filling. We left at 8.30pm and drove the 8km back to Greenfield as I had a video call booked in with Ma & Pa. I had one glass of wine at the bar and left Captain Caveman having a beer with René while I did the call. My parents were excited to be going back to Turkey and had a week in Istanbul before heading to Dalyan. It was good to see their happy faces as Ma got the hang of the camera angle this time.
We had the same breakfast as yesterday on Thursday 2nd May at Greenfield Ecostay. It was a bit muggy so I also drank a litre of water and we shared some mangosteen. While Captain Caveman played Bridge on his iPad, I cycled in to Phong Nha by myself. This was great as it meant that Captain Caveman had not been in to work on his day off for 3 whole days and it was doing him good. I spent a couple of hot and sticky hours at the Vegan with the girls and a couple of dogs where I had the amazing fresh spring rolls. I took half of them with me when I left as it looked like rain may come. At 4pm I had a video call scheduled in with Vanessa which I wouldn’t have time to cycle the 8km back for in time. We had already had to move it twice because of me being unavailable so I decided I would call in to The Villa’s and call from there. I mentioned to Vanessa a storm was looking likely and that I couldn’t speak for long. I had a soda water and a cheese toastie as I was peckish which I ate while on the call. It was good to catch up but we had to cut it short at only 34 minutes, for me to attempt to get back before the rain. Of course that did not happen and I got absolutely soaked to the skin. I tried to take a short cut and ended up pushing Bluey up a muddy hill and, for the first time in weeks, I felt cold. When I got to Greenfield, looking like I’d just got out of the shower with my clothes on, I should have gone to have a hot shower and take my clothes off. I didn’t, instead I joined Captain Caveman, Multi and René at the bar with a generous glass of red wine and then shared the fresh spring rolls with the guys. I finally showered and noticed my thighs were chafed from cycling in the rain in flimsy shorts. I ended up drinking a bottle of red wine and ate my delicious dinner. Ngan had prepared meatballs with veggies, steamed rice, peanuts and beef Lalot with water melon for afters and I really enjoyed it.
I woke up to a dead Motthew on Monday 29th April, the creature lay lifeless on the floor near the door. Captain Caveman and I didn’t have time for breakfast as we had to get packed and ready for a wedding. We were checking out of the very lovely Highway 20 Homestay as Captain Caveman had made arrangements for us to stay at a homestay with a pool. I was glad as the temperatures were certainly hotting up and a swimming pool would be so nice. We got dressed for Nhi’s wedding, me in a floaty red dress and Captain Caveman in his stork shirt which he had made in Saigon. Mr Toan, the Oxalis driver, is Nhi’s dad so Captain Caveman was keen to show up despite the horrendous heat. We parked our bicycles outside Mr Toan’s house and walked down the lane to the tent/gazebo structure in the field. It was massive and there was a queue to get in as we popped money in an envelope then shook a lot of hands with bride, groom and all the family. Everyone had scrubbed up very well and Mr & Mrs Toan looked so proud of their daughter, who is beautiful and clever. Of course, Captain Caveman was beckoned over by the Oxalis lads to sit next to Mr Tu. As I’d been brushing up on my Vietnamese a bit I was able to greet everyone and ask how they were, including the pianist guy who I sat next to. All was going well, although I was sweating profusely, until someone removed the cellophane from the squid. For some reason I could smell it and I started to feel quite unwell. I could only keep sipping water and trying not to vomit everywhere and Captain Caveman was a bit concerned I would have to leave. I couldn’t leave as at 11am the ceremony was starting and I had to focus. I ate a few pieces of pomelo and sipped water but I was feeling really awful, like I might pass out. By 11.04am Nhi and her new husband were on the stage with the families doing the obligatory red champagne rituel and I was dodging any food passed my way. Captain Caveman soldiered on, taking one for the team with all the food and beers. Many men came to do cheers with Captain Caveman, including one guy who gave him a kiss. When I asked who he was, Captain Caveman said he had never met him before! Vietnamese weddings are so culturally different and highly entertaining but I was flagging. I managed an hour then noticed some people leaving so we also decided to leave.
Photo credit – some by Captain Caveman
Video of the bridal party entrance
Riding Bluey in a floaty dress was not ideal but I suggested we stop at Oxalis for me to use the loo and grab a cold drink. I ended up ordering some sweet potato fries and putting loads of salt on, maybe I was suffering from dehydration or heat stroke. The temperature had reached 41°C by 1.25pm with a ‘feels like 44°C’ as I sipped a Revive (a rehydration type drink). While Captain Caveman sorted out laundry, swapped his bicycle for the motorbike and did some general chores, I got changed at Oxalis then had a nap next to a fan until I started to feel much better. By 4pm Captain Caveman and I had checked in to the amazingly beautiful and relaxing Greenfield Ecostay. The owners, René and Ngan, were very welcoming and they gave us a lovely double room, number 3. We had a fridge, a working kettle, cups, spoons, all the toiletries and a view over the garden and rice fields. The swimming pool was the cleanest and undoubtedly the best I’d seen in Phong Nha. After my heat related wobble, the swimming pool was the first thing we tested out and I was very impressed. We had an hour or so to relax but then I had promised to hang out with the girls at Phong Nha Vegan from 6pm.
One of the ‘lessons’ on the agenda tonight was allergies so Captain Caveman drove me over on Trigger, the motorbike. It was romantic as we drove along the rice paddies just before sunset. At the Vegan we practiced some English and Vietnamese, tried to get to the bottom of peanut allergy procedures and I ate a very tasty veggie fried rice with an iced kumquat tea. The 8km journey back was not so pleasant as I had to cycle Bluey in the dark and it wasn’t as easy to remember the way. I needed a white wine and soda when I got back and René had some nice wine in the fridge.
Captain Caveman was due back out of Son Doong on Sunday 28th April so, after a bit of a tidy up in the new room, I headed out for the day. I’d slept with my head at the other end of the bed as there was a giant moth fluttering about near the window where the pillows had been. I’d affectionately called him Motthew and was happier with him than spiders, cockroaches or cicadas despite still being a bit scared. I went to The Villa’s and had a Pho Ga and a litre of water and they gave me hot water and milk for my Yorkshire tea bag. I spent some time there catching up on some writing and had french toast with bacon for lunch/second breakfast. It turned out to be the hottest day on record so far and I was certainly not in any fit state to be cycling very far. Captain Caveman was back by 3pm and came to join me about half past. He had his usual classic pizza with olives instead of mushrooms and I didn’t have a piece because I was being good. While Captain Caveman went to his gala dinner I went to offer some very sweaty company to the girls at Phong Nha Vegan. They fed me the Mi Xao Gion which is a crispy vegetable ramen dish and was really tasty. I genuinely was loving the food at the Vegan and was finding my stomach enjoyed it even more. After the Vegan, Captain Caveman and I met back up at The Villa’s for a quick drink before it closed, then cycled back for our last night at Highway 20. I introduced Captain Caveman to Motthew and he had to get rid of a cockroach in the bathroom, this time a black one and a bit smaller. We were also looking forward to another holiday within a holiday, a staycation, as Captain Caveman had quite a few days off from tomorrow.
joloyolo 