Chiang Mai to Danang – 30th May

Tuesday 30th May was jam-packed with activity and a bit of drama!
We left the Deluxe Boutique Hotel by pre-booked taxi, just as the sun was rising. Our flight with Air Asia was at 7.25am from Chiang Mai to Danang, we were off back to Vietnam with my 30 day visa.
At the airport we didn’t get any breakfast or a drink but instead we spent 970 of the 1,000 Thai Baht hotel deposit on Duty Free. I chose a bottle a bottle of Prosecco and a bottle of Hardy’s red wine which came to £21.55.
Our luggage allowance on the flight was only 7kg so Captain Caveman had taken most of the fresh laundry in his bag as I think mine weighed heavier because of my lap top.
We landed in Danang around 10am and went to the official taxi queue where the man with the lanyard walked us over to a car and driver. The car was not an My Linh or a Vina Sun taxi, it didn’t have a yellow plate and there was something odd about the chubby taxi driver with foreign arm tattoos. We got to the opticians where I had an appointment at 11am but we were early, when we asked how much to the driver. He tried to more than double the fare and wouldn’t let us out. Captain Caveman told him the money was in the bag in the boot so he let him out while I was winding the window down to try to let myself out but it was locked. Captain Caveman gave the driver half of what he asked for but then he got aggressive, telling him to get back in the car. I took photos so that we could (yet again) report it to the airport authorities and Captain Caveman told him to F off. Once in the opticians we were a bit wound up and this was not the first time for it to happen to me. It was concerning as this could be a reason tourists would not return to Vietnam. Captain Caveman said he would report it and I sent him the photo evidence, which I luckily got.
I had my eye test appointment and decided on transitional lenses in my new glasses to save swapping normal glasses to sunglasses all the time.
I had all the protective/glare stuff on and finally picked some lightweight transitional specs to the total tune of 3,660,000vnd (£117.12) – so much cheaper than in the UK.

Our next stop was a taxi ride to Hoi An for us to check in at the Silkian Hotel, we used Grab to be safer. Captain Caveman had picked it because it was new, had a good price and was close to Caroline’s cafe. Unfortunately, Caroline had took off on an impromptu trip to Cambodia so we didn’t know if we would get to see her this trip. The hotel was nice, the staff friendly and our room was lovely. We dumped our stuff and popped to 9 Grains (Caroline’s cafe) for our lunch because we’d had no breakfast. We both had juices, hot drinks and bacon sandwiches all of which were great and I spotted, and bought, the last bar of ‘my’ particular soap which is made from coconut and helps my eczema.
I worked from 1.30-6.30pm with super whizzy free internet at the hotel room, while Captain Caveman entertained himself and booked a table for dinner.

The Slimming World diet had not been going well of late but I really did push the boat out at Le Cabanon, one of my favourite restaurants in Hoi An. We ate baked camembert with rosemary and honey, a Cochonne pizza to share, drank 2 bottles of Viognier wine and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our bill was as follows:
Camembert 360,000
Pizza 170,000
2 bottles of wine 1,360,000
Total spent 1,890,000vnd (£60.48)

There was an offer on for wine and pizza so our actual bill was less than this in the end. It was so hot in there and the waiter was absolutely fantastic as it was very busy so Captain Caveman did leave a tip.

We decided to have a little walk to find a bar Captain Caveman had been recommended, called Mescal.
I was so impressed when we walked in as the building is amazing and it’s hard to find. Captain Caveman had an Old Fashioned while I went completely mad and ordered a trio of tequilas with a watermelon sangria. For 240,000vnd (£7.68) it was definitely up there with the most memorable drink choice I’ve ever had the pleasure of. It took me ages to drink it so Captain Caveman had a second Old Fashioned which were 250,000vnd (£8) each. I don’t recall getting back to the hotel that night!

Chiang Mai – 29th May

Our last day in Chiang Mai fell on Monday 29th May and I had scheduled in to get some work done. This meant that I would still have plenty of play time at our next holiday destination this week. It had been a bit touch and go as to whether Captain Caveman would have to go back early to be the cave expert of an extra trip this coming week but so far, so good. We had another, and final, trip to SP Chicken for breakfast which we did not regret – it is definitely one of the best restaurants we’ve ever eaten at. I took a couple of temple photos just to show willing but it was too hot to be bothered to visit any. Captain Caveman and I had toyed with the idea of doing an Elephant Sanctuary visit while in Chiang Mai but I was dubious, especially after Covid, if they were really as legit and respectful to the animals as portrayed. Captain Caveman decided to take himself off to the barbers while I headed back to the hotel to start work. I’d not walked back to Deluxe Boutique Hotel alone before so I had directions from Captain Caveman and no working phone between us. Luckily, Spiderman and an inappropriately named hostel helped me remember the way back.
By the time I started work there was heavy rain so I ploughed through from 11.30am to 6pm without a break. When I finished work, Captain Caveman was back and it was his turn to decide a location for dinner. We had wine and pizzas at the By Hand Cafe – an Artisan Pizza Lounge. They were really good, the service was good and we both liked the place, so much so that we came back later after a couple of cheeky martinis at the House of Ginger. We probably shouldn’t have drank so much, given that we were due for checking in for our flight back to Vietnam at 6am tomorrow morning.

Sapa – 24th May

Wednesday 24th May was another lovely day in Sapa, which started with me getting weighed and doing my measurements. Even though I was on holiday and knew I’d be veering off the Slimming World diet, it was important for me to still keep track. Miraculously, the scales showed I was 1.3kg lighter than when I got weighed 2 weeks ago on Steve and Michelle’s scales but, obviously, they weren’t Carol’s scales so we didn’t know if either of them were accurate. My measurements showed that I’d put 3cm on my bust but lost 1cm off my waist and hips. I thought I’d log on to the work system early so that I’d be free when Captain Caveman returned this afternoon. Unfortunately, the system wasn’t working and I couldn’t access anything. I sent an email to my boss but it was 4am where he was, and 2am in the UK, so nothing would be done until office hours started.
I went for the hotel breakfast and it was so good, on the way back I took photos as there were mysterious clouds around the hotel – someone had stolen the mountain view. After breakfast I kept checking the system to see if I could do any work but I couldn’t. Over the next 4 hours I kept checking as I didn’t want to be working in the afternoon but I had no luck. My boss was grateful for the alert despite no output and told me I didn’t have to work for the rest of the week so that we could enjoy our holiday together instead.
Captain Caveman returned having had a marvellous time shimmying up and down the mountain but needed a shower. He got weighed on the scales and was the same as he usually was so I assumed my weight was correct.

**Photo credit – Captain Caveman for the Ngu Chi Son trek photos**

We decided to spend the afternoon making use of the hotel facilities. We were the only ones in the swimming pool and it was lovely to have a swim for the second time on my trip, and since I left Turkey. I loved swimming in that pool but we soon got a bit thirsty and peckish so decided to head to the Cat Cat cafe bar.

Captain Caveman had an Espresso Martini and I had a Margarita, both were good. The place was so beautiful and it was nice to see Captain Caveman relaxing but not playing bridge on his phone, for a change. We booked the free shuttle to take us in to Sapa town at 6pm so we went back to get ready, I was going to wear my new dress!

We had a fantastic time out in Sapa that evening. Captain Caveman took photos of me in my new dress from Rico, which I really liked. I took a video of the ride on the free shuttle bus in to town, trying to show how steep the streets are in Sapa. We had a bit of a wander round before deciding to eat at O Quy Ho, another recommendation from Hoa. We went upstairs where there was a nice view over the town and we ordered beers. We ordered a mixture of food to share; spring rolls, chicken and some pork which were all very tasty.

After dinner we decided to carry on our night with cocktails at Saparis. Captain Caveman had long island iced tea and I had a margarita, both were good. We had a walk back in to town where we waited for our shuttle bus back to the hotel. We made it back in time to have a nightcap in the bar at Cat Cat cafe, however, when we got there it had already closed early. We went back to the room and ordered room service which was funny. Two members of staff came to the room with a wine list to ask us which we wanted when we had already ordered the house red. The wine arrived with the two members of staff again and the main guy came in to open and pour it. We had some smoked stringy cheese to go with our wine to end a really lovely day.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Hanoi – 21st May

Foolishly, I’d hoped for quality time and extra snoozes on Sunday 21st May but, obviously, Captain Caveman had other ideas. As he had promised me a shopping trip, we had to get up early to get it done. I’m sure he gave a good reason why and it could’ve been due to the weather but I was too tired to note it. By 7.30am we were showered, dressed and in the hotel dining room tucking in to a shared fruit plate. We both had the chicken noodle soup (pho ga) and a hot drink before Captain Caveman insisted we look lively for today’s mission. At 8am it was already 31°C with a ‘feels like’ 39°C and the air quality was not good in the capital city. Just a couple of weeks ago, Hanoi had suffered a heatwave with the highest temperatures ever recorded.
We got a Grab taxi, which are really cheap in Hanoi, to the shopping centre to find we had to wait for it to open. Once inside, we headed straight for Uniqlo where I’d been online to check the choices and had taken screenshots of a few items I liked the look of. It didn’t quite pan out as well as expected because the largest they had in stock for almost everything was an L (about a size 12). Captain Caveman helped me pick out a few practical items and I headed to the Fitting room a little too optimistic.
I hate shopping anyway so I did get a little despondent when the first couple of things didn’t fit. I had to remind myself that this time last year I wouldn’t have even got in the XL (size 14 approx) if they had any. In less than an hour I had managed to spend 3,194,00vnd (£108.60) of Captain Caveman’s hard earned cash on 6 items and I was happy to have 2 pairs of skorts, which I’d never had before!
We dropped my wares off at the hotel and I had a little fashion show with my new clothes while Captain Caveman took terrible photos of me in them, from the position of him laying on the bed. I’d not even been here quite a week and he was getting bored of taking photos on demand.

Our next stop was to meet two Phong Nha friends for lunch; Leonard, the old guy who stayed at Funny Monkeys from before the pandemic, now lives in Hanoi, and our good friend Kat, who divides her time between Hanoi and Phong Nha. Both were available on the same day so Leonard had chosen one of his nearby favourite restaurants, Pizza 4 Ps.
Captain Caveman and I were the first to arrive and we decided to order a cider that came with some cheese as a pre starter! Leonard was the next to arrive with his arm strapped up after breaking his collar bone in a fall. Other than that he was on good form and it was great to see him. Kat arrived next and was only able to stay for an hour due to her having an upcoming painful dentist appointment. We were having such a good catch up that I almost forgot to take some photos and I had a weird incident in the toilets with the cleaner who wanted me to rate the toilets, on an electronic board, as ‘needing improvement ‘ and then comment on why. The toilets were fine, so I wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at but Leonard said a similar thing happened to him. The half and half pizza which I shared with Captain Caveman was fantastic, the salad was a bit too drenched in balsamic vinegar for me but I managed to get it down me with another cider (no cheese).

After lunch and walking Leonard back to his hotel, Captain Caveman and I walked to the gold shop to exchange some foreign currency and it was so hot that I was getting a bit moany. We had to make a refreshment stop at Puku cafe where, to my delight, they had the iced slushy drinks with passion fruit at 80,000vnd (£2.72) each.
Just as I thought we were off back for a siesta or a rest, Captain Caveman announced we were meeting Lien, our old Vietnamese teacher and friend. We got a Grab taxi to Oliberry cafe where Lien was already waiting. We got chatting about clothes shopping and Lien recommended a woman’s independent clothes shop nearby called Rico Clothing. Within minutes, I was on the back of Lien’s Honda Cub heading to Rico, where I picked out a few dresses to try on. Captain Caveman walked it there and caught us up to give his opinion on the clothes I tried on. I bought a lovely dress and even tried a Size L which was too big for me, I also found a couple of pairs of knickers that fit me too.
We said our goodbyes and I hoped we’d be going home to freshen up and get ready for our dinner date tonight – no, we were out out. Captain Caveman and I had arranged to meet Johan, a friend through caving and Andrea, for tapas with a bit of a difference at Pinchos. We were a little early so we called in to 7 Bridges for a pint of ale, as you do.

At Pincho’s we shared sparkling water and red wine but we didn’t go mad as Johan was on a strict regime and would be up early for boxing class before work tomorrow. Pincho’s was easily one of the best meals I’ve had and it was amazing to be able to eat so much meat and cheese. We tried quite a lot of the different tapas dishes and I only got a surprise chilli the once, luckily I could smell it. We were back to the Aquarius Grand Hotel by 9.30pm and were already setting our alarms for another very early get up. Our day had been an amazing one and when I got in I had to try my new dress on, which I liked more the second try on. The hotel room had cost 765,000vnd (£26) per night and well worth that price, which included breakfast. Captain Caveman paid our bill which also included the 400,000vnd car pick up service (£13.60) from Hanoi airport to the hotel. We also paid in advance for 2 bus tickets at 480,000vnd (£16.32) each as we were off to our next destination for 4 nights at 6.30am tomorrow!

Phong Nha – 19th May

I was so hot that I couldn’t sleep and was still awake at 1.40am on Friday 19th May. I got up and drank a lot of water with Oresol in, to keep hydrated. At 3.15am I was checking out prices of my return flights with Scoot and they were quite pricey. I had about 6 weeks left until I was due to go back and I wasn’t quite sure how I would survive this heat. I also remembered I was meant to have applied for my next visa as I was only allowed to stay in Vietnam on the 15 day exemption until 28th May. I dozed off around 3.40am and woke up with the loud speaker at 6am, which was irritating. Of course Captain Caveman’s lost watch went off at 6.45am then I went back to sleep, despite the room being a bit warm already. I’d arranged to meet Veronika at VRV for lunch at noon, so I got myself ready for a cycle in red hot sun. I borrowed Captain Caveman’s trousers and a T-shirt to protect me from the 38°C sun and I took a dress to change in to. I have Factor 50 sun cream with me but I find it runs off quite easily.
Veronika had been looking after her eldest grandson for a whole month, while Ben and Bich were in Australia. She was eager to get out and celebrate her freedom as they were back in Phong Nha now. When she arrived she had a bottle of our favourite fizz in the fridge and she asked for it with an ice bucket and 3 glasses. Another lady, Jenny, was joining us and we decided to order lunch too. I had the courgette salad, Veronika had the duck and Jenny had a pho. All of the food was good and we were having a lovely lunch when a customer started chatting to us. It turned out that the customer and her lively young son knew the Wiringi family and had come here on Melissa’s recommendation.
Captain Caveman arrived back from his Son Doong tour and came to join us around 3pm at The Villa’s restaurant before he had to go to his Gala Dinner at 5.30pm. He was a bit cross with me that I’d still not got round to applying for my 30 day visa so he did it for me, he also brought me a backlight for my cycling home in the dark. Veronika had booked to stay the night at VRV so she went for a Nannan nap, Jenny went for a swim and I started work. I only had 2 hours left to work this week so planned to work 4-6pm and today I was working on something new. At 6pm, Veronika came back to join me, as well as Tatas, Jenny had returned to the Farmstay. I decided to be naughty and ordered my favourite Villa’s pizza, the Showstopper. It had salami, blue cheese, fig jam and spring onion on and is not in the least bit Slimming World friendly. It was delicious and we had a great night. Captain Caveman rejoined us after he’d finished work. I had some work queries and corrections which needed finishing so I had to do another hour’s work from 8.30-9.30pm so that the task wasn’t left until Monday. This meant I would only work 15 hours next week which was fortunate as Captain Caveman now had at least 2 weeks off, with a possibility of it being 17 days holiday. This was great news, as he had been working a lot recently and he really was ready for a break. He’d also planned a really great holiday for the two of us, including a trip to Thailand, starting from tomorrow!

My bill for today’s food and drink at The Villa’s restaurant was as follows:

Mango Lassi 85,000
Pot of Jasmine tea 50,000
Zucchini salad 175,000
3 Huda beers 105,000
1 7up 25,000
Showstopper pizza 240,000

Total spent 680,000vnd (£23.12)

Phong Nha – 18th May

On Thursday 18th May, after not much sleep as I was finding it hard to adjust to the heat, I cycled Bluey to Victory Road Villas (VRV) again. I had an orange juice, a pot of Jasmine tea and a litre of water to keep hydrated. I decided to have the beef noodle soup (Pho Bo) for breakfast today. It wasn’t quite as good as the chicken one but still did the trick. I got on with work but at 2.45pm there was a power cut to the whole of the town. I was very lucky that VRV had a generator so we didn’t have to wait long until the electricity was back on. I took a brief look outside by the river, it was hot, there wasn’t any breeze and I was struggling acclimatising. I ordered a fruit salad with yoghurt and muesli for a late lunch, with a Bang soda. The fruit salad had banana, watermelon, mango and dragon fruit in and was very refreshing in the heat. Even in the AC dining room, it was 29°C and I was constantly too hot.
I went back to work until 7pm when I decided to relax with a fresh coconut juice and check my Facebook/messages etc. Rather than go home, I stayed at The Villa’s restaurant for dinner and a glass of red wine. I chose the penne carbonara and it tasted lovely but I suspected it had a bit too much oil in for it to be diet friendly. I then completely blew the diet by having the chocolate brownie with ice cream. I gave myself the excuse that I needed to try it again to check if it was still as good as I remembered – it was!

My bill for the day at The Villa’s was as follows:
Orange juice 60,000
Pho Bo 75,000
Pot of Jasmine tea 50,000
Bang soda 25,000
Fruit salad, yoghurt & muesli 95,000
Fresh coconut 50,000
Glass of red wine 90,000
Penne carbonara 200,000
Brownie 100,000
Total cost 745,000vnd (£24.72).

I thought that was a bargain considering what I’d had, and I had been there all day.
I got ready to cycle home, I had no bike lights and had not realised that the power cut was still happening.
I was a bit nervous cycling with it being so dark and I went very slowly. I’d not gone far when a motorbike came up behind me and was following me really slowly. I tried to look to see what was happening, only to see it was the one eyed cleaning lady from Jungle Boss. She was riding passenger with her husband, holding a baby and was shouting me. There was obviously nothing wrong with the eye that had not been lost in a bomb explosion! We both got off our bikes and hugged, it was so good to bump in to Tửu like this. She speaks no English but was trying to tell me something, so beckoned over someone she knew from a property nearby and asked her to translate for me. They said that if I cycled slowly I would be ok, and not to be scared of the dark because the power was back on at the Glass House. Tửu’s husband then followed me a bit with the light of his motorbike to make sure I didn’t inadvertently cycle over a snake or into a cow (not common but it does happen).
When I got home I was so sweaty that I had a shower, luckily the water temperature was cooler again now that it was dark. The tank on the exposed roof gets so hot that we have to time when to shower, when the water is not going to be scorching hot. My eczema was not liking the heat and humidity, it was definitely starting to flare up even worse. I went to bed early and was looking forward to Captain Caveman returning tomorrow.

Phong Nha – 17th May

So much for catching up on my sleep and enjoying a lay in, on Wednesday 17th May. I was woken up by a cockerel, who sounded like it had a sore throat, from about 4.30am. I had a pee and managed to get back to sleep, but only until 6am. The loud speakers were definitely working and the propaganda that they spout early in the morning was very loud. I still have no idea what they are saying and can only guess that the Communist party are encouraging people to get up and start their day in a positive fashion. If anything, it makes me want to do the opposite and I was already considering where we could move to so that we did not have to suffer the torture of the awful music which followed!
It stopped after 10 or so minutes and I was going back to sleep when I got another wake up. This time, in the form of Captain Caveman’s Casio watch which he had lost years ago, somewhere in the wardrobe/shelves. It was still going off every morning at 6.45am and that was going to happen every day until I found that watch and threw it over the balcony!
By 7am, all was peaceful and I drifted back off to sleep for 3 hours!!! It was already very sunny and I could feel the heat from the roof warming up the bed. It was 27.5°C in the room and the AC was starting to struggle. Where we live, is very much in the rural village part of Phong Nha and I don’t think there are any (or many) other non-vietnamese people living in the vicinity. The Glass House, where we are staying, has 5 rooms and the other 4 all have Vietnamese families living in them now.
By 2.20pm it was 28.6°C in the room and I was feeling a bit peckish. I’d almost forgotten that it was weigh day so I got my tape measure out. We don’t have any scales here, in Phong Nha, so I didn’t know my weight. Unfortunately my waist was 3cm bigger, my hips had increased by 1cm but my bust had stayed the same.
I decided I would work from Victory Road Villas (VRV) in the afternoon/evening when it was ‘cool enough’ to cycle there. Tatas had also suggested that we go for a curry tonight at Ganesh, the fairly new Indian restaurant, so I planned to finish by 8pm. For a late lunch, I ordered fried veggie spring rolls, a mango lassie and some peanuts. I drank water and the staff put the AC on straight away today, which was nice. I had a Bang soda, which is just soda water in a glass bottle, as I finished my work for the day. Tatas wasn’t able to come to meet me as she had work commitments so I stayed at The Villa’s restaurant and decided to treat myself to a glass of white wine and some pasta. The food was good and it didn’t taste spicy but then I found a chilli in the bottom. I did complain because I’m allergic to chillies and it transpired that, although the waitress had told the kitchen, the chef had forgotten.

Here’s the food and drink prices, for those of you who like a look and compare to how it would be in your local restaurant.

Mango Lassi 85,000
Peanuts 35,000
Spring rolls 85,000
Bang soda 25,000
Glass of white wine 90,000
Prawn & salami spaghetti 220,000
Total price 540,000vnd (£17.82)

Interestingly the Vietnamese Dong and the Turkish lira were similar in that 100,000 dong was about 100 lira. I noticed a glass of wine here was the same price as when I last was in Dalyan.
Back home, it was still hot and I looked in the wardrobe of clothes I’d left here to see what I could put on to watch a bit of Netflix in. I picked out an old vest top and popped it on. To my amazement, it fitted me like a dress, albeit a rather snug one but I was pleased with that. I was desperately in need of some new clothes but our shopping trip hadn’t happened. Captain Caveman had planned a trip away at the weekend so I was hopeful to go shopping then.

Phong Nha – 16th May

I was working on Tuesday 16th May and, as there was no home internet available, I had decided to spread my hours over the next 4 days and work from Victory Road Villas (VRV). Captain Caveman had been awake and on his phone for almost an hour when I got out of bed at 6.30am. The tap in the bathroom was already annoying me as I struggled to undo the tie and replace it. There was nothing we could do now though as Captain Caveman was off in a few hours to Hang Son Doong, the biggest cave in the world, for a 4 day trip. We both went to VRV for breakfast where I had my first bowl of pho ga (chicken rice noodle soup) which I love and had missed, a lot! Captain Caveman had Eggs Benedict with bacon and we both had juices/hot drinks. It’s not the cheapest breakfast in town but it’s certainly got the quality ingredients and the staff are lovely.

I worked from 9am until 12.30pm then had a 30 minute break where I had some green tea and a fruit salad with yoghurt and muesli. I was conscious that tomorrow was weigh day but we had no scales so I was still noting a food diary and taking measurements.
I got back to work and was glad of the fan in The Villas but, as there was only me there, they didn’t have the AC on. The staff did keep bringing me free filtered water though so I was doing ok. It was still cooler here than at home, where the sun heats up our top floor room pretty well and the AC struggles to cope.
When it got to 2.30pm I was hungry again, a guest at the hotel had come in to the restaurant for lunch so the receptionist put the AC on. I decided to take an hour’s break and ordered a hot tea and a Margherita pizza – The Villa’s restaurant does excellent pizzas!

By 6pm, I’d finished work and was about to have an impromptu night with Tatas, who was on her way for a margarita! I’d already got a cold beer when she arrived but we got cocktails as well. She was looking good and was pleased to see me after 9 months away. Tatas ordered a Caeser salad as she was being healthy but it was covered in sauce. I had more food with a Nem Lui, a traditional Vietnamese pork dish from Hue. The dish has pork on skewers of lemon grass which are eaten in rice paper rolls with rice noodles and veggies, herbs and salad. It tasted really good too, as we ate and chatted then ordered a bottle of red wine. It was a good night and I was looking forward to seeing more of Tatas now that she had a day job in the office and wasn’t in the cave quite so much.

My bill at VRV for the whole day, with prices in Vietnames Dong (vnd) for those of you who take an interest…

1 Pho Ga 75,000
2 Fresh orange juice 120,000
1 Eggs Benedict 165,000
1 double espresso 60,000
1 fruit salad, muesli & yoghurt 95,000
1 green tea 30,000
1 jasmine tea 30,000
1 Huda beer 35,000
1 Margherita pizza 180,000
1 Margarita cocktail 180,000
1 Nem Lui 180,000
1 bottle of red wine 400,000

Total spent 1,550,000vnd (£51.15)

I didn’t think that was bad for the poshest place in town!

Back home the room had cooled to a more acceptable 29°C with the AC on at 11.20pm. I went to sleep for the first time in a while without setting an alarm – I decided I was having a lay in tomorrow!

Singapore to Saigon 14th May

I landed at 5.45am in Singapore on Sunday 14th May, 6 hours ahead of Greece and Turkey (8 hours ahead of the UK). Even though I’d had some sleep, it had been a bit uncomfy and I was not looking forward to my lay over in Singapore. I would ordinarily have hammered the lounge but the thought of drinking any alcohol made me feel sick. My next flight wasn’t until 1.25pm which meant I had about 7 hours to kill. I had a little rest in a quiet spot but wasn’t there long as a load of people came and sat next to me, making a noise. The amount of people who listen to their phone on high volume instead of having earphones in makes me so angry! I do not want to listen to it!
I decided that I would go to a lounge in Changi airport to pass the time on and for a bit of peace. I didn’t drink any alcohol though, which was a first for me in an airport lounge. I just did 3 hours in there and ate some nice food before finding a reclined seat for a nap. I set my alarm and was about to drift off when the guy next to me decided he would have a very loud conversation on his phone, in the quiet area!
At the gate for my flight from Singapore to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the staff insisted that I put my hand luggage in the hold because the plane was full. This was annoying as I didn’t want to be waiting for luggage at the other end. I decided to take out all my essentials, including my laptop, in case the luggage went missing – I didn’t take any spare clothes out though.
My third flight was uneventful and took less than 2 hours, landing in Saigon at 2pm. It took me 2 hours to get through the very lengthy queues at immigration. I had a little wobble when the official asked where my visa was, I told him I was entering on the 15 day visa exemption, he said “no” and pointed to the visa area, expecting me to go to buy a visa. I knew this was not the case and stood my ground, maybe he was confused or maybe they were trying to get people to spend money on visas they didn’t need.
Anyway, after a few minutes, he let me through but by then the carousel for our luggage had been stopped and my case was not there. Great!

At around 4pm on Sunday 14th May, I found a baggage handler, in Saigon International airport, and tried to ask him where the cases from my Singapore flight were. He said ‘finished’, which was useful! The queue for the lost luggage was rather large so I grabbed a man with a lanyard who looked official, to explain my predicament. He asked if I had checked at the other end of the airport, I hadn’t (obviously) so off I toddled. I found my case sat in a corner, by itself, 10 carousels further along. Brilliant, I would have fresh clothes to wear now!
As instructed by Captain Caveman previously, I went to the domestic terminal to get the taxi and managed to be more assertive than I was last time at this airport. He tried to tell me to get in a different taxi and I said no and chose the one I would get, for myself. It was extremely hot in Saigon and very humid, I was still dressed in jeggings and trainers! The taxi cost less than 250,000vnd and took less than half an hour to get to one of my favourite hotels, The Common Inn, where Captain Caveman was staying. When I arrived he was already there and had been on a mammouth cycle ride with a brewery stop off! I had the luxury of a hot shower (I’d not had one since Friday afternoon) and popped on a dress as we were in a rush to go out. We went to Mad Wine in Thao Dien and Captain Caveman said how happy he was that I was finally here, little did he know I nearly wasn’t! Our friend Andrea arrived, who’d also been on the cycle ride and she’d been a little tired afterwards so wasn’t joining us for dinner. Valerie arrived next for just a drink and we all had a wine or two to celebrate being back in Vietnam. It was really nice to see Andrea and Valerie and I was surprised that Captain Caveman had thought to organise a reunion rather than have a quiet night in – he was even happy to take photos and I knew Steve’s sunglasses would come in handy! There’s always a method in Captain Caveman’s madness though; our flight tomorrow had been changed! It had been brought forward to 8.30am, we needed to be at the airport by 7.30am so it would be an early get up and the promised shopping trip was no more. To further smooth the disappointment of us not being in Saigon very long and Captain Caveman having to be back at work tomorrow at 6pm, he had chose somewhere nice to dine tonight.
To be honest, I could quite easily have gone straight to bed but Captain Caveman was going to be away for the first 4 days of me being in Phong Nha. We went to a place called Arto House in Thao Dien, District 2, which had been recommended by another of Captain Caveman’s cycling mates. We shared a burrata cheese starter which was amazing, then I had duck and Captain Caveman had pasta with lots of mushrooms. The food and the bottle of red wine we shared was so good and it was a great first meal in Vietnam. Our bill came to 1,567,500vnd (£51.73) including the bottle of nice wine. I noticed that Captain Caveman must no longer be suffering with his gout, like he was in December, because mushrooms and red wine are usually triggers for it.
I hardly remember getting back to the Common Inn as I was starting to feel a bit of jet lag. Captain Caveman ordered the car to go to the airport for 5am the next day and we set out alarms. Tonight I would probably dream about sleep!

Lardos & Faliraki – 12th May

Although I didn’t start work as early as Steve and Michelle, I did decide to put a short shift in on the morning of Friday 12th May. I’d only been working about an hour when Michelle put her chef skills to use with a fantastic breakfast (the diet was going well)! Xena, the dog, was also a fan of sausage so she was glad when she got some leftovers. It was a sunny day and most of the cats had to seek shade, except for one who was having a sunbath. I was struggling to remember all their names but that one looked like Dave! We all got back to work after talk of what we might do tonight. Obviously the sensible approach was to have a quiet evening and an early night, as I needed to be at the airport at stupid o’clock tomorrow morning.
In the afternoon we had a bit of a change of scenery with a couple of Milokleftis ciders at Yamas bar. A little kid went past and dropped his ice-cream so Steve very kindly bought him another one. We all had one too, from the bakery in Lardos square, where I had fruits of the forest flavour. I’m not usually an ice-cream fan but this place has lovely ice-cream. There are lots of flavours to choose from too and the people who work there are friendly.
In the afternoon, while I packed for Vietnam, Steve and Michelle went back to work.

There was live music at Ambience bar so we were heading there to celebrate the end of the holiday. Taxis in Rhodes are pricey for example I think the cost of a taxi from Lardos to the airport is about €70 – €80. We called in to a few bars along the way and it was certainly a blast from the past for me. I’d not been to Faliraki for a long, long time and it had changed quite a bit. A few of the old favourites were still there and we enjoyed a mini bar crawl on the way.

When we got to Ambience, we were a bit early and the live music hadn’t started yet but we chatted to the lovely owners and discovered they had, what I now refer to as, a Danger Wheel. On the bar, was a strategically placed spinning wheel with lots of names of drinks on it. Customers could pay to have a spin and get a random/surprise drink. It had some of our favourites on there, as well as some which were not so pleasant. It was €2 (£1.71) per spin and there was all sorts of drinks from tequila or sambuca shots to prosecco or nothing at all. Our first shot was Tequila Rosé, which I absolutely love and hadn’t had for ages. The owners joined us too and we had a good laugh before the musicians started. I hate sambuca but Steve hates Fernet Branca so we did swaps when that came up on the Danger Wheel. At some point I thought it was a good idea to order a bottle of prosecco which would turn out to be somewhat foolish.

The Danger Wheel in action – we loved it!

The saxophonist was great and I really enjoyed Ambience bar. Hours of fun ensued and we kind of forgot that I had a flight at 6.30am tomorrow, maybe we should have brought my luggage with me and gone straight to the airport. On the way home, we resisted the late bars and I took photos of a couple as well as a tattoo shop that was still open! We decided to go for a pizza/kebab and I don’t even really remember what we had but it seemed to go down well. I do remember being in the takeaway place at 12.30am, where they had a horse’s head statue on the wall. It had been a great night out and a rather lively end to a wonderful holiday in Rhodes. We even decided that I’d visit again on my way back from Vietnam!
It was after 1am when we got home so, to make doubly sure we got up in time, both Steve and I set our alarms for 4.15am and 4.30am. Check-in opened at 5.30am, the flight was at 6.30am to Athens and I was packed and ready.

Lardos – 11th May

I was up for doing more work on Thursday 11th May, even though I don’t usually work on Thursdays. I was enjoying the flexibility of being able to work whatever hours or days suited too. In the morning I transferred some money to Rebecca, from Captain Boris boat trips, for the bottles of wine I’d bought. They were already delivered and my parents had got the other half of the stash, with Ma keeping a close eye on Pa not to drink it all too quickly. I knew that prices were set to continue to rise in Turkey, especially as the election date loomed, so I was happy to splash out now at what would probably be a cheaper price.
For lunch I had fruit with greek yoghurt and honey because tonight Michelle had a girls night planned in Lardos, with dinner at one of my favourite restaurants.
I worked in the afternoon, just for 4 hours, then I got ready for a meal at Valentina’s. I’d previously been with Captain Caveman and I remembered that the carafes of wine were particularly good value so I was looking forward to my second visit. Joining Michelle and I, were her friends Katy and Tracy.
Tracy arrived after we had ordered so she didn’t eat but the rest of us shared some tasty cheese balls for starters. I just had to have pork (again) and went for the massive pork chop for main, Michelle had a steak and Katy had pasta. It was all delicious and the carafes of red wine went down well. The owner gave us a shared dessert of baklava and ice-cream as a treat, which was also delicious. The bill came to €30 each (£25.68) which I didn’t think was bad, for what we had – my pork took over an hour to eat because it was so big.
After saying bye to Katy and Tracy, Michelle and I had a cheeky Milokleftis cider in Yamas bar on the way home. It had been a great night and I was sad that tomorrow was my last day (and night) in Rhodes. Captain Caveman was excited that I would be in Vietnam in a couple of days and had arranged to meet me in Saigon with the promise of a shopping trip for new clothes.

Lardos – 8th May

Having not managed to do my plank or squat challenge yesterday I made the effort when I got up on Monday 8th May. I completed 50 seconds of squats but only 60 seconds plank then Carol, from Fat Club, reminded me that it should’ve been 60 seconds of squats so I did it again. I had an impromptu day off, had slept really well and had a slice of leftover pizza for breakfast. Xena, Steve and Michelle’s dog, was super excited to see me – Trixie, the cat, less so. My hosts were already in the office and were working hard while I unpacked and pottered about.
At 12.30pm we all went to Yamas Cafe in Lardos, which was a short walk from the house. Steve and Michelle had coffees while I had a hot chocolate (the diet was not going too well). We all had a fresh orange juice after that and then it was time to get back for lunch and back to work for some. We had left over pizza with salad and it was pretty tasty – I think the €45 was money well spent on all that pizza.
In the afternoon I met one of the other cats, Pixie, she was friendly but a little shy. There were quite a few outdoor cats which were going to take a while to learn the names of.
While Michelle whipped up one of my favourite dinners, I offered to go to the shop to buy some cheese and wine. We were having pork products, cheese and wine for dinner and I was so excited. Xena and Trixi had also heard about it and were hoping there would be some sharing going on. At the shop, I found the cheese easy to pick out and it wasn’t too expensive (compared to Turkey). The wine was very reasonably priced but I had no clue which one to pick as most only had the tasting notes written in Greek. I opted for one that had it also translated to English, sounded nice and was a Merlot.
For those of you who like to know what’s in my shopping basket and how much it cost for cheese and wine in Rhodes, look no further:

Lardos Supermarket:
330g Edam cheese 2.15
100g Blue cheese 2.58
200g Cheddar cheese 4.72
1 bottle Merlot 8.87
Total spent 18.32 Euros (£15.67)

The food was absolutely superb and I had to remind myself not to be too greedy with the pork products as I snaffled my way through the different ones! Even the selection of crackers was fantastic. Unfortunately, the wine I had bought was pretty disgusting – in fact it’s unusual for me not to be able to drink iffy wine but this was pretty rank. None of us could drink it so Michelle and I went back to the shop for another bottle of something better. This time she was able to help me pick out one of the Greek ones which she recognised as being good. It was the one I had picked up first but put back because I couldn’t read the Greek label. The new bottle was €10.45 (£8.94) and was much better! It was a lovely night and even Xena and Trixi got a little cheese treat before bed time.

Dalyan – 6th May

My last full day in Dalyan had arrived on Saturday 6th May and I was a little bit torn about how I felt. It was 139 days (or 4 months and 18 days) since I last saw Captain Caveman so, obviously, I was looking forward to seeing him again. In that time, he’d been working a lot and we’d hardly had chance to chat. I’d spoke to my parents and friend, Vanessa, more times in fact! I had also been in Dalyan for 233 days (7 months and 3 weeks), since I returned with Captain Caveman from our trip to Europe last year. This was the longest I’d been in Dalyan in one stretch without at least going somewhere else for a short break and I was going to miss it. Of course I’d planned to have a relaxed and easy going day because my taxi with Fikri was booked for 6.30am tomorrow. To say I’m quite an organised person though, things still didn’t go as smoothly as they could have. It had temporarily slipped my mind that it was Coronation Day and that lots of holiday makers and expats were going to be celebrating it, here in Turkey. Obviously, for those of you who know me well, it was not something I wanted to be part of and I had declined the various invites. It was an unusual breakfast, to eat up leftovers, of falafel, cheese balls, gherkins and a bit of tahini. I did my packing, emptied the fridge and freezer then took some stuff to Jamie’s to store for me. I also gave him some leek and pumpkin soup, chicken livers for the dog shelter and various items I knew my parents wouldn’t have. The rest I packaged up for my parents who would call to get them later, including half a crate of beer which Captain Caveman had left in December. On my way back from Jamie’s, I went to the bank to change some lira to Euros and forgot it was closed. Ordinarily, I could have gone to the jewellers or a bar but I was determined not to have to be dragged in to a Charlie-crowning celebration unnecessarily. I drew out lira at the ATM and hoped I’d be able to use that or get it changed in Greece. I then went to the supermarket to pick up the essentials for Steve and Michelle. At the pharmacy I caused a bit of a to-do because there was only one strawberry lube left and I asked if they had any more. All the staff got involved, alternatives were offered and a queue had built up by the time I paid the 156 lira (£6.37) for the one I’d had in my hand. No doubt I would be the talk of the town (again)! My next stop was the supermarket and probably my most unusual shopping basket contents in Dalyan, I’m sure – here’s what I bought:

Migros Supermarket
1 Twix 9.95
Mints 12.72
2 small Nescafe Gold 119.80
2 big Nescafe Gold 199.80
2 strawberry lube 263.80
Total spent 606.07 lira (£24.74)

Back home, I finished my packing then had the rest of the courgette tortilla for lunch and the Twix!
At 4pm I got a message from Captain Caveman. He was out of the cave, sat drinking with the porter team by the river, topless, as it was very hot. He had barbecued crickets for his dinner with lots of beer. I was not envious, my parents and I had arranged to go for a nice meal at Firats for my last civilised night in Dalyan. We said we’d meet at 6pm and just hoped the rain would stop so we could go out.

The rain continued and threw a bit of a spanner in the works for us that evening. I’d had a message from Kate to come join the party with the pool gang at Rehab bar as she was having to put up with Coronation frivolities. I really didn’t want to so I said no, I also wasn’t feeling in the mood to say goodbye to all my friends in one place. I knew I’d get upset, that I would miss them and I didn’t want to be on a downer for my last night out with my parents later.
Unfortunately, the rain meant that we couldn’t go to Firats as planned as it’s mainly outdoor seating. They have shelter overhead but those covered tables were taken when we walked past. Instead we decided to have a drink in Bistro Blue and then we could decide where to eat. Ma had a bottle of Efes Malt, Dad and I had pints of draft Efes. Drinks were reasonably priced at 80 lira (£3.27) and were cheaper than a friend had been talking about yesterday. We got chatting with Annie, Selahı, Suha and Ömer at Bistro Blue and, despite it being a busy Saturday night, we were able to get a lovely table for dinner. We decided not to go for starters as the main course portions are usually plenty and this time I couldn’t be taking half home to put in the freezer! Dad chose the liver and onions, Mom went for the fajitas and I tried something new – chicken with pepper sauce. We got complimentary bread and nibbles and all ordered a glass of wine. As prices are increasing in Turkey I did keep a note but they still seemed good value; a glass of wine was 80 lira (£3.27). Liver and onions 500 lira (£20.40), fajitas 400 lira (£16.33) and chicken 450 lira (£18.37) were on the pricey side for Dalyan but I have to say it was absolutely delicious and we all enjoyed every mouthful. The service was impeccable too, with a free çay or apple tea afterwards.

What should have happened then is probably obvious to any of you reading this now, however, it was only 9.30pm! We decided to go to Sofra bar and I messaged Jamie to say we were on our way there for our last drink and to say goodbye.
More beers were had and Jamie and I were really going to miss each other a lot. We were sad but also happy to know that I’d be back in just 7 weeks. Gone were the days where the authorities of Vietnam allowed me a 90 day visa so I was planning on entering on the 15 day visa exemption. Of course it was after 1am when my parents and I left Sofra bar and we said our goodbyes. I’d had an amazing, but too short, time with Ma & Pa where we’d already started to plan some more exciting things for when my sister and family came to Dalyan in July!
I tidied up the apartment and set my alarm for 5.30am. Why do I never remember that 4 hours sleep and too much alcohol the night before a journey is never a good idea!?

Dalyan – 5th May

By this time of year Dalyan is usually pretty warm and sunny so it was disappointing that my parents weren’t getting good weather. However, Friday 5th May was a very good day. A while ago I had arranged for 11 of us to go on Captain Boris’ cheese and wine boat trip today. I’d been in touch (a lot) with Rebecca and Boris because we were in danger of having to postpone due to rain/storms. As well as myself, there were a few people who could only do this date so it was all or nothing and I’d took a risk by telling Rebecca to buy all the food. If we couldn’t go on the boat we’d find somewhere to have the cheese and wine, I’m sure.
On account of me having a Sunday dinner for breakfast, I didn’t have a second one when I got up, just a cup of Yorkshire tea and lots of water. I got a message from my boss to say he was paying for my ferry to Rhodes on Sunday and he would transfer the money – this was unexpected and very much appreciated. I booked Fikri and his taxi to take me to the Fethiye ferry port at 6.30am on Sunday which meant tonight had better be my last late night!
I had a nice treat booked in at 11am for some reflexology at BC Spa. My friends from back in England (Claire, Clare and Kelly) wanted to treat me (a belated birthday treat) and had arranged for me to book in for a treatment. It was one of the luxuries I’d given up to save money so I was super excited to be able to go. When I arrived I was shown to the massage room and my Swedish masseuse was excellent – I almost fell asleep. Although prices had gone up considerably I could see no difference in the quality of the massage or the room I had it done in so I was pleased. Back home, I made a cup of herbal tea and put my feet up, as advised, while making a packing and to do list for my forthcoming trip.
The Captain Boris boat trip was going ahead regardless of weather, and we were taking clothes for all eventualities. I had everything from swimmers to one of my favourite bobble hats and was keeping everything crossed it would turn out ok.

The Captain Boris boat trips are of the best I’ve been on so I was really looking forward to the cheese and wine themed one. We met at the boat outside the Tezcan hotel at 1.30pm, on-board were the following people;
Jo (me), Anne (my Mom), Stuart (my Dad), Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Linda, Trish, Steve, Jo and Steve. So with 2 Jo’s, 2 Steve’s and 2 Ann/e’s it was going to be fun!
The boat cost £400 in total for the private trip, which included all the food but not the booze. When we set off it wasn’t raining but it was a bit cold however Rebecca kept telling us to keep the faith that it would be ok. Captain Boris had rejigged the route so that we would go down river to Little Dalyan first and then over to Çandır lake so that we could make the best of the weather. Only my mom had brought the suncream as we all thought it wouldn’t be necessary but by the time we were sipping our first Moldovan wine, the sun had come out. A few of us moved to the front of the boat and Mom shared the sun cream around the fairer skinned or bald guests as it became quite nice.

When the platters of cheese, meats, fruits, nuts, olives, crackers, dips, conserves and breads came out, it was certainly luxuriously impressive! It’s hard to believe that such wonderful presentation can be achieved in a small boat kitchen too. The sun stayed out but it wasn’t hot enough for me to swim. Lee did get in the sea for a little paddle and we all were just glad the storms had passed. At one point it started to rain but Boris was on it with his human windscreen wiper and a quick diversion to avoid the rain clouds. The boat trip was amazing and definitely one of the best ones I’ve been on in Dalyan – it’s certainly worth the money for the quality and attention to detail. Rebecca and Boris definitely know how to look after their guests and make sure everyone is looked after. I was also pleased to see the prices of wine were on a par, or cheaper, than some of the bars I drink in. The wine was so good, in fact, that my parents and I decided to order a box each of the white, red and rosé to see us through the summer.
Following the fantastic trip, most of us attempted to go to Sofra bar for a drink, I said I’d catch up as I stayed to finish wine, thank Rebecca and Boris for a lovely day and ask them to join us for a drink. When I got to Sofra, Jac and Lee were sat with a drink and the bar was very busy so my parents, Jo and Steve had gone to sit at Dalyan Lounge opposite and had also ordered a drink. I ended up at Dalyan Lounge too, followed by Rebecca and Boris.
After all the wine (I’d had 2 rosé and 2 red) I decided a soft drink would be better as we were off to Lukka Bingo with Mark & Kate shortly.
We had a good time at Lukka bingo but I did have to limit my drinks to just 1 wine and a soda water as prices were higher there at 95 lira (£3.88) for a glass of wine. Pamela and Glynn hadn’t made it out, Daisy and Tom didn’t stay out long either but the 5 of us enjoyed my last night together. Kate very kindly bought me a Healthy Eating Notebook so I could keep track of my food and drink while I was away.
I was meant to go for my leaving drinks with the girls at Rodrigo’s but it was late by the time we left Lukka and I had lots to do tomorrow before my trip to Rhodes and Vietnam. I said my goodbyes, Mark and Kate said they would see me tomorrow before I went but I didn’t think I’d be out.

Photo credit – Captain Boris

Dalyan – 3rd May

It was Fat Club day again on Wednesday 3rd May and what a day it would turn out to be for my last Wednesday in Dalyan. It was less than 13 hours until my parents landed at Dalaman airport, less than 4 days until I would be on my way to Rhodes and 10 days until I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, to meet Captain Caveman.
I took my measurements; I’d lost 2cm from my bust, 1cm from my hips but my waist (where I needed to lose it the most) had stayed the same. In another last ditch attempt to lose weight today I did 70 seconds squat, 90 seconds plank, 30 crunches and 20 leg lifts – it was very difficult! For breakfast I only had chickpea biscuits and courgette tortilla with a cup of Yorkshire tea. At 12.30pm I had an appointment with Emrah, my hairdresser, for a cut, colour and styling. I ended up having my hair washed by Mehmet instead of one of the girls, as it was busy and he did a great job. After finishing my hair, Emrah took a few photos for me and I couldn’t help thinking that Edna would be pleased I still had the cavalier look to match her.

I decided I would wear one of my newly acquired dresses to Fat Club as I had a feeling I’d be going out after, to meet the pool gang for the last time in a while.
When I got on Carol’s scales I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) so I was pleased with that. I had now lost 8.2kg (18lb) in total and it was definitely noticeable. I got a lift round to Rehab bar with Carol where I proceeded to have 2 celebratory draft beers. I bumped in to Dan, who I’d played pool with before, and he was having a daiquiri at the bar. He’d gone for a red fruit one to detract from his rather pink and painful looking sunburn. Carol and I joined Kate, Pamela, Gareth and Julie, sat outside Rehab until the sun went in. Carol was a bit giddy at how much weight I’d lost and insisted we took photos in the street. Kaan, the Tequila boat captain, stopped by to say hello and liked my new leopard print dress and my new weight loss, he even asked if I still had a husband! I obviously let him know I was still very much with Captain Caveman and was off to see him soon. After getting chatting to Gareth and Julie I was almost late for my next engagement of the day. I had been invited by Ann to her daughter, Jacqueline’s birthday celebration at Sofra bar and I was looking forward to it.

I joined Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Jamie and Drew at Sofra bar for birthday celebrations at 7.30pm. My parents were currently on their flight to Dalaman and would arrive in a couple of hours but planned to go straight to their apartment. Jacqueline and Lee had flown in from Manchester earlier today and Ann had organised a cake from Louize as a surprise. I wasn’t going to have any cake due to the fact that I was meant to be on a diet but I was ‘forced’ in to it and it’s one of the best ones of Louize’s I’ve had. I had picked up Daisy’s sunglasses when I left Rehab bar, and had them in my bag. She messaged to ask the whereabouts of them which gave me the idea to send her photos of everyone around me wearing them. My reply to Daisy being ‘do you mean these?’ Even the staff, the dogs (including a stray that wanted in on the fun), and some other friends got involved. Şükrü made Jac do a birthday shot with him and she chose apple sourz! By 10.30pm the birthday celebrations were over and everyone paid up and got ready to leave. I, on the other hand, and not had my hair done and put a frock on for me to go home early. My Mom had messaged to say they had arrived but weren’t coming out as they were tired from travelling. Mom said she would message tomorrow so we could finally see each other again.

I went to meet Wendy, from Sheffield, and friends in Rodrigo’s bar and ended up giving the ball a right kick with Wendy, Jackie, Turgay, Kirsty, Sally, Sandra, Mal, Alice, Savaş and Ozzy. It must have been about 3am when we got turfed out and made our way home.
I didn’t cook myself any random meals when I got in but I did set my alarm so that I’d be up and ready to see my parents in the morning.