Dalyan & Göcek – 18th July

It was Captain Caveman’s birthday on Tuesday 18th July and he was off on a bit of a holiday within Vietnam. He’d been disappointed not to be working as he’s usually down the cave on his birthday. Luckily, seeing the monkeys and pangolins at Cuc Phuong National Park animal rescue centre managed to make his birthday a little bit different. I was sad to not be there with him but I wouldn’t enjoy the humidity and we had much more exciting things planned, including a trip that Captain Caveman had helped shape a few years ago.

I worked from 10.30am until 3.45pm because we were getting picked up by Murat Deniz at 4.30pm. Gayle and I had booked for the 5 of us to go on the Galloping Seahorses trip as a private trip with Kaptan Deniz Travel and we were both terrified. Morgan loves horses so she was so up for it, April and Neil were also playing it cool and not acting scared. All the way to Göcek, my sister and I worried and discussed the feasibilities of shitting oneself on a horse. When we arrived it was a lovely place where the horses looked well cared for but Gayle and I thought the horses looked bigger than we might have anticipated. Murat did his best to put us at ease but in the end it was just a case of getting (back) on the horse. Neil was on the biggest one first, then Morgan on a horse that liked a canter (but not donkeys we found out later on), I got the new mother who was meant to be a steady bet, April’s horse was nice and well mannered while I suspected Gayle’s horse was meant to be the one that didn’t mind taking it easy. Getting on the horses was hilarious then frustrating as my leg no longer swings over and we had to push up from someone’s knee. The horse felt so high up and I realised I had not been listening to the ‘reins holding’ instructions beyond the first sentence. I asked to get back off but Murat chucked a deaf ‘un, while my sister struggled but got on. Neil was a natural, Morgan looked like a pro and April had obviously done it before but was probably embarrassed by me and her mom being such nervous Nerys’s. Gayle and I were shaking and I saw that she looked more terrified than me, there was every chance that one of us could shit our actual pants! Before we could do anything, we were off and I did all I could to keep my feet forward and hold on to the saddle I had ended up clutching, like I was on a white knuckle ride at a theme park. A few metres in, the young foals of 2 of our horses trotted by and I was more nervous.

Murat’s video of the start of our horse riding trip

By the time we got to the ‘putting our heads down to avoid tree branches’ bit, my feet were completely numb. After almost an hour, we got to a clearing that lead to the beach and I had never been so pleased to see the sea!
I had a mini meltdown when I had to wait to be helped to get off my horse, Apache, but once on the beach I was a lot calmer. Gayle looked very stressed but we were both pleased to have made it this far. We were just celebrating the fact we hadn’t soiled our swimmers, and saying we’d probably walk it back to the ranch, when Murat explained we would be taking one of the most experienced horses in to the sea and riding bareback! Crikey, I didn’t think I could cope with this level of adventure!

Morgan went first with her horse in to the sea. She made it look effortless and it was amazing to watch. I decided I wouldn’t be trying that, I could barely stay on a horse with a saddle, never mind without. Although I had a bikini on beneath my jeggings and T-shirt, I decided taking them off for a dip in the sea without my towel (left back at the ranch) would be foolish as I’d never get them back on. Instead, I just took off my T-shirt, trainers and socks then got in the sea with April for a calming down dip. I also needed a nervous wee and asked April to keep a look out as I know Murat loves taking photos and I didn’t want to get caught on camera with my pants down in the sea. That’s when we spotted that we had an actual photographer with us! We swam up to the horse with Morgan on and they both seemed so happy in the sea. Neil was next and we were expecting some comedy struggles we could laugh at, but alas he managed it well. Gayle, April and I said no to the getting on the horse, walking it in to the sea and along.

Murat reassured us that we would be fine and I do love water (more than horses) so I agreed. It took me ages to get on the horse but once on, the horse was more than happy to take itself back in to the water. I don’t have a ‘bucket list’ and if I did this would never have been on it, however, it definitely should be. It was just such an amazing feeling that I will never forget and, at last, my fear was fading. Both April and Gayle also had a go and we were all pleased we did as it really was such a magical thing to do, on an almost empty beach before sunset.

Murat’s video of Morgan horseriding in the sea

**Photo Credit – Murat Deniz and his team**

We went back to our respective horses, had help getting back on and, this time, I held the reins properly, instead of the saddle, after rechecking with the instructor. The ride back was much more pleasant and I even managed to stop my horse, as well as get it to go around a donkey and a passing car. I couldn’t stop her from enjoying an impromptu snack from a passing tree branch though so I wasn’t quite cut out for a life as an equestrian.
Back at the ranch, we were all feeling good, some of us more from relief than anything. I had agreed to go on this trip as I knew how much Morgan and April would love it, but I actually ended the horse ride adventure feeling amazed by it. Of course I had only been walking, returning possibly on a slight trot, on my horse so I wasn’t quite a fully fledged Galloping Seahorse member (yet)!
The ranch guy and Murat made sure we had a limonata, a biscuit, some water and that we had all enjoyed our time before transferring Morgan all of the photos (there were hundreds). I didn’t have the phone memory so Gayle would send me them another day. I think we’d all built up a bit of a thirst and were ready for our dinner at one of Murat’s favourite spots.

As Captain Caveman’s birthday was ending in Vietnam, Murat and his driver took us for dinner at a lovely restaurant. Dalya Life Göcek Hotel, where I’d last been for a breakfast with my parents and John B on a trip not long after Covid ended, was a great place. I think my sister, Gayle, was just so happy to have survived the Galloping Seahorses trip that she wanted to celebrate. The girls ordered soft drinks but Gayle, Neil, Murat and I ordered the national drink of Turkey, Rakı. I’m not a fan of aniseed flavoured anything, but when in Rome! We had a couple and ordered food then a bottle or 2 of wine. The first one, wasn’t to our liking so we ordered a different one and we paid for the remainder of the trip and the photographer. We all agreed it had been a lovely thing to all do together and I definitely would not have done it otherwise (even Captain Caveman was expecting me not to survive it unscathed). Gayle ordered fish, Morgan had pasta, April steak with samphire, Neil something meaty that I forgot to make a note of and I went for the meatballs. I tasted some of April’s samphire and that was lovely and we all had a good meal. The journey back home was hilarious, with my sister singing along to Smokey’s ‘Who the F is Alice’ and then us all having a right old laugh at her. Murat dropped us all off at Mutlu Villas and I went in for a night cap. Gayle was that trollied that we pretended to give her gin for her second drink which was really water and she didn’t notice straight away.
It had been an incredible day, one that I don’t think any of us would forget – probably not even our tour guide, Murat!
I walked home just after midnight, slightly pleased that I had some work to do tomorrow while the family did yet another trip.

Dalyan – 16th July

It was the wedding of friends, Pamela and Glynn, on Sunday 16th July and it was a rather hot day to be dressing up. I didn’t wear the dress I bought in Germany, specifically for the wedding because it was too heavy and I would be too hot in it. Instead, I wore a flouncy trouser suit thing which was a lot cooler. Before the ceremony, the bridal party were all in the hairdresser’s getting hair and makeup done while drinking champagne. Kate had made the cake and sausage rolls (which I was looking forward to later) but it needed taking to the reception venue, The Rock Bar. When I arrived, Kate and I carried the cake up the street then I asked Big Alp to take the sausage rolls etc up on his mobility scooter as it was a tad warm. He obliged but first had to sample one, just to make sure they were good enough. I could’ve wrestled it off him as I was rather peckish, only having had fruit and quark to eat. The wedding itself was on a boat with their friend, Ali – in fact, there were 2 boats. Ordinarily, I would have been on the friends boat but as I was required for my tech skills (oh dear), I was on the main boat. It was important that Pamela and Glynn’s relatives back home could see the ceremony over the internet but the 4G and WiFi didn’t seem to be working too well at first.

It all worked out in the end, Rach and one of the bridesmaids filmed it. For the music part of the task, I was lucky that the other Jo had also been asked so we worked together; making sure Pamela’s playlist, played on shuffle but didn’t play the actual wedding song or the songs the live singers were doing, before they were needed. It was a lovely wedding ceremony, where the bridal party looked fantastic. Trish got up and sang acapella and it was moving and very impressive. Three of the bridesmaids sang tonus while doing a choreographed routine which went well despite it being on a boat after a Jo and I took our roles seriously and didn’t even have an alcoholic drink until after our stressful tasks had been completed.

The evening do was at the Rock Bar where there was live music, curry, and a fingerprint tree with paint which proved to be a bit of messy fun. I had some of the vegan curry which was very nice, I never did see a sausage roll so that saved me some syns as I was going to have one. The wedding cake, which Kate had made, was delicious and I had 2 pieces. By 10.30pm I was ready for home as it was a school night for me. I’d managed to have less then 3 wines at a wedding – could that be a first!?

Here’s Pamela’s wedding collage video for those of you who can view it on Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10227326639088993&id=1151065420&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=I6gGtw

Photo credit – various

Dalyan – 15th July

On Saturday 15th July we had entered a heatwave coming from Morocco and were advised by the authorities to stay indoors during the daylight hours. Of course, we decided to ignore that and actually it didn’t feel quite as hot as Vietnam so I was doing ok.
I decided to go to the market in the midday sun, which is about a 15 minute stroll away. I had my sunhat on and took water with me. On the way I saw the homeless guy, wearing black and looking very warm. I bought him a peach and some water and helped him wash the peach. The market had been exceptionally empty when I got there at about 12.30pm so it was easy to grab what I needed and get back home quickly. I bought cherries, peaches, courgettes, aubergines, carrots and mushrooms so spent less than 200 lira easily. On the way back, I called in to Bim supermarket where I picked up a loaf of bread and a pack of nan bread for just 27.50 lira (82p). I noticed they had air fryers in for 1800 lira (£54), a few people from Fat Club were in to them so I was tempted and I know my mom fancied one.

By 2.30pm my mom and I were back in Bim on Atatürk Road buying the last air fryer then over to the other Bim in the Turkish quarter to buy another one. They were reduced to 1699 lira (£50.76) so we decided to get one each. The bank had been out of order, I only had card so my mom paid for both. They weren’t heavy but in the heat it was hard to walk about carrying the bulky boxes. It was unfortunate that my parents wouldn’t get to try it out just yet, though, as they were leaving late tonight, going back home to England.

That night we decided to celebrate in style and had booked a table for the 7 of us at Bistro Blue, one of our favourite restaurants. Beforehand, we met at one of my parents’ new favourites, Tapa, for drinks. I called at the bank to find that they were temporarily limiting withdrawals to 250/300 lira which is less than £10 per time so it was taking ages for people to get enough money out and it was all in small denominations – I’ve never had so many 10 lira (30p) notes!
The drinks at Tapa aren’t the cheapest in town but, despite it’s river location, it is also not the most expensive. The wine is a good one, Angora, for 95 lira (£2.84) per glass. A Turkish cider cost 150 lira (£4.48) which I don’t think is worth it so I no longer drink cider in Turkey. Our drinks bill came to 1,380 lira (£41.23) for 10 drinks, including 4 ciders, 4 pints of Efes and a Tequila Sunrise, which was definitely cheaper than what my family would have paid back in Sheffield.

At Bistro Blue we all had starters and main courses, including prawns, mushrooms, liver & onions, fish and steaks washed down with several wines. It was delicious and an excellent choice for celebrating my parents’ last night. We even splashed out on a couple of the bottles of nice wine with it being a special occasion, the end of my parents’ holiday and the last time we’d probably all be together for a while. The food and service was as lovely as always and I really enjoyed my pepper steak, my parents had their last fix of liver and onions which got great reviews too. Annie & Selahı made sure we gave Ma & Pa a good send off and we all had a cheeky amaretto for our farewell drink.

After seeing our parents off, and trying not to cry, the rest of us went for another drink at Tapa where Gayle tried one of the new marshmallow martini cocktails which was a bit like a dessert and Morgan had a daiquiri. It had been a great night and I was looking forward to putting my feet up for a bit of a rest tomorrow, but of course I had another event to attend.

Dalyan – 14th July

I’d been out of Vietnam for 2 weeks on Friday 14th July and I wasn’t missing the heat. Here in Dalyan it was getting hotter and today looked to be the hottest I’d had here yet. I had a cup of Yorkshire tea, which was now on rations as I only had a few left.
At 4.30pm I was trying to work out what to wear for Pamela’s hen party tonight as the dress I’d bought in Rhodes was going to be too clingy in this heat. I went for the old faithful M&S pink number which I’ve worn quite a bit when it’s hot. My mom and sister, who were also invited, called for me and we headed up to Kaunos tea gardens to meet the rest of the hens. Kate was the maid of honour and had organised for us all to have Team Bride transfers on, ready for when Pamela arrived for us to get on the boat. There were 24 of us on a bespoke Captain Boris private cheese and wine boat trip for just a couple of hours. Of course, I couldn’t get my Team Bride tattoo to stick so I put the last spare one from Kate in my purse for later. On board we all had some champers and we got ready for a Mr & Mrs style quiz that Kate and I had organised. Pamela’s fiancé, Glynn, had refused to answer any of the more risqué questions but Kate and I didn’t let that get in the way of some comedy gold, by asking her the questions anyway!

Rebecca and Boris did us all proud with a feast of all sorts of cheeses, meats, fruits, jams, olives, crackers, bread, snacks and some lovely wine, served in decent measures. I finally managed to find somewhere to stick my Team Bride ‘tattoo’ and of course hens will be hens with a cheeky bit of bum biting from Tracy. We all loved the hen party boat trip with the copious amount of delicious cheeses and there was plenty left over to take with us to the next stop, the Rum Bar. I stuck to wine but the others tried all sorts of cocktails as we munched on left over fruit and Kate’s homemade lemon drizzle buns.

The diet had been put on hold yet again as some people went home but a few of us, including the bride to be, went to Rodrigo’s for another drink. My mom and Gayle wanted to get back to see how Dad, Neil and the kids were doing but the men were still out when they returned. I dropped some stuff off at home before bumping in to my nieces on my way to Rodrigo’s, Dad and Neil were still in Bistro Blue. I joined the remaining hens and we also met up with some of the other halves and friends.

Our last stop was one in Sofra bar, one for the road but n. I had a great laugh, mainly chatting to Harris who felt like an old mate from back home despite me only meeting him a couple of times before. I walked home by myself about 2.30am after a very good and funny evening. I’d managed to not go too mad as I knew we still had my parents’ last night and another 10 days with my sister and family.
The total amount of money I spent on the whole night was 1,215 lira (£36.30) – I don’t think I’ve ever done 9 hours of a hen do for that amount of money, it was an absolute bargain and I even had a bag of spare cheese in the fridge.

Dalyan – 13th July

I worked from 11.30am to 5.45pm on Thursday 13th July so that I could accommodate the evening itinerary. I just ate plain noodles in chicken stock for lunch as we would be eating a feast tonight. It was also the hottest it had been since I’d got back to Dalyan and the temperature was over 40°C in the afternoon. I had to put the AC on!
At 6.30pm Ma, Pa, Gayle, Neil, Morgan, April and I were joining a group boat trip. It was booked a while ago for us to join the Princess of Ekincik Moonlight boat trip from 6.30pm until bedtime and we were all looking forward to it.
This trip allowed for a few swimming stops, the first at the lake where we were joined by a turtle while we were all in the water. Luckily, I had taken Steve’s sunglasses with me as my mom had lost her’s while I’d been away, so I gave them to her.

We had a delicious BBQ meal and went to the mud baths. Gayle and Ma had a fish foot experience while I went in the hot sulphur pool. The 3 of us went in the domes where there are hot pools and it was really nice. Captain Ismail sailed to Little Dalyan next, where we could relax, swim and walk on the beach. Later we all looked up at the sky for some star gazing and a few beverages were had. When we got back it was unusually hot in the town and we’d been lucky to have had the breeze on the boat. By 11.30pm we were saying our goodbyes and I paid my bill which was 1320 lira (£39.41) for my trip and drinks. The boat trips were definitely working out better value than going out for a meal! We had a quick drink in Tez bar before going home, just to finish off the night. Tomorrow would be another fun day in Dalyan and I was already looking forward to a celebration.

Dalyan – 11th July

I had another day off on Tuesday 11th July with more plans from the ‘behind the scenes itinerary’. Gayle and I had put together the plan of what we were doing most days for the following reasons;
1. We wanted everyone to have a good holiday without the hassle of deciding and trying to agree what to do each day, or where to eat for each meal.
2. Being a group of 7 in the school holidays/high season would mean activities, trips and restaurants will be busier than usual and may not have availability.
3. Neither of us wanted to deal with having to decide at the last minute, what to do or where to go, or worse – end up doing nothing!
We both felt being organised would benefit everyone better. Mom, Neil and Morgan much preferred to be more spontaneous and for us to wing it but Gayle and I were having none of that and had become a bit bossy.
At 9am I had paid the deposit for 5 of us (not ma and pa) to go on a horse riding trip next week and I was scared! By 10am the full family contingent and I were walking towards the ferry as we had a booking for Turkish breakfast over the river. I’d booked the 7 of us in at the Çandır Resort and had arranged the pick up service to take us up the mountain. They didn’t do gluten free food for Gayle but there were naturally gluten free things that she could have that she liked. I often struggle with a Turkish breakfast as I don’t like tomatoes, eggs or cucumber. The pastry and some cheeses often give me a belly ache too, so I took some tupperware to take some home. I was on the end of the table so I was the Turkish tea monitor and we all had a fresh orange juice. The cost of the breakfast for 7 of us, including the pick-up/drop off service, the juice, and a coffee was 3,395 lira (about £100) so not the cheapest but very lovely. I even brought the leftover olives and 2 pastries home with me.

On the way back we decided to call at Kaunos tea gardens for a beverage where everyone but Dad had soft drinks.
We didn’t get home until almost 3pm which didn’t leave much time to relax before our next activity on the itinerary, which not everyone was as enthusiastic about as Gayle and I.

We had decided to book everyone in for a night; Lukka bar had their music bingo night on so I’d booked a table. Joining our family were Debbie (Darling), Roy, Ann, Jamie, Drew and his 2 guests, Karen and Alicia. I’d booked the table ahead of time for the 14 of us but it meant we all had to be sat at the pool table (with a top on it). Debbie (Darling), Roy and Ann had already said they were just coming for drinks but the rest of us decided to eat there. Katrina had already sent us a copy of the menus so that we could work out the gluten free options. We got there early and introduced everyone, Jamie was already quite merry as my dad ordered a pint of draft, Mom and Neil had Efes malt, I had a glass of wine and the rest of our party were on the cocktails. When the drinks came my dad said he hadn’t ordered a pint (he did) but Jamie put him straight and sloshed the pint in front of him. I could already see my dad was not enjoying the night so far. My parents both ordered the Asian chicken, I ordered sweet and sour chicken, April chose steak, Morgan and Neil had lamb or chicken shish, Gayle opted for the salmon. Unfortunately Karen had ordered chicken curry but took my sweet and sour and started eating it, until Alicia mentioned it looked a bit like her yum yum chicken. I had to wait for a new one and Dad should have stuck to something he knew he’d like better.

Jamie was getting very touchy with Dad and I thought the night couldWhen everyone was together and the music bingo started, we all gave the ball a right old kick. As the night went on, more cocktails and wine was drunk. Most of us got up to dance and we had a great time. Our bill for the 7 of us came to 7,418 lira (£220) which worked out about £31 per person on average. By the end of the night Dad was on the brandy and we were probably going to have a hangover in the morning. It was a good job Gayle and I didn’t have much on the agenda for tomorrow, the kids had requested a pool day!

Dalyan – 10th July

I was awake early on Monday 10th July and I was excited to be spending my first day back in Dalyan on a boat trip with my family. Ma, Pa, Gayle (sister), Neil (brother-in-law), Morgan (eldest niece) and April (youngest niece) and I had booked to join the Duran Duran boat trip to Köyceğiz market from 10am this morning. I’d already been to the bank then to get phone credit and had packed my swimmers, factor 50 and travel towel ready to take advantage of the sunny day. The weather forecast said 36°C for this afternoon and I wasn’t working today.
Ma and Pa called on for me while Neil went to find a sun hat and I faffed about putting money for the market separate to my money for the boat trip.

We joined a group trip, but a private trip, and were sat having a hot beverage and a biscuit before 10am ready for our day out.
The leisurely sail towards Köyceğiz and through the lake was lovely and calm, but we were all too busy talking and laughing to really enjoy the scenery. Once at Köyceğiz, the ladies headed for the market while Dad and Neil popped along to a lakeside cafe for a light beverage and to wait for us. I’d took my rucksack to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables but when I went to get my money out, it wasn’t there. Neither was my boat trip money so I assumed I’d left it at home and had to borrow 300 lira from mom. I didn’t buy an awful lot but I did get 2 blocks of cheese, cherries and strawberries to keep me going.
We rejoined the men and had a cold beverage with them, the beers were a reasonable 85 lira (£2.58) and soft drinks were 35 lira (£1.06). We were back on the boat for 1pm so that Captain Unal could take us for a swim stop, then get ready for our BBQ lunch.

The food was delicious and catered for all of our fussy and Coeliac requirements without any bother at all. Gayle and Mom had fish and Halloumi, I had chicken and halloumi and others had chicken and meatballs. There was lots of mezes and pasta for us all to have a big portion. It was so good that I didn’t even take any photos of the food as I was too busy eating it.
Around 4pm we headed to the mud baths where everyone on the boat except for April and I went in. It’s optional and we were happy to admire the view and look at some goats instead. I may have had a cheeky wine while we chatted. Once everyone was back on board, Unal served fruit and cake, Sioned (Unal’s wife) had made Gayle 2 gluten free desserts which were really good.
We were back to Dalyan just before 6pm and we settled up our bills. I had to pay by bank transfer on account of ‘losing/forgetting’ my cash. My boat trip plus my drinks came to 1,075 lira (£32 approx) which was a bargain for such a lovely day out.

We stopped off at Tapa, formerly River Terrace, for a drink and got chatting to the staff there. I popped home to check I had left my money there and it was on the table, which was a relief. After a couple of drinks at Tapa, we decided to chance a table for the 7 of us at My Arancia restaurant, part of the Doğa hotel. The owner rearranged the tables and chairs to get us in at a nice table by the pool and we ordered food. We all shared a mixed meze plate for starter which was very good. April and I both had chicken shish for main, which was nice but a lot more oil than I’m used to. It cost about 300 lira (£9) for the shish and came with chips, rice and salad. Gayle had a mixed grill without the rice which is naturally gluten free. I couldn’t manage all my dinner so I took some leftovers home for another day. Our first family day had gone very well and we were looking forward to more Dalyan excitement tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

Rhodes – 7th July

The first thing I noticed when I woke up at 6am on Friday 7th July, was that there was no internet. I didn’t particularly need it as I wasn’t scheduled to work today but it was unusual, given that Steve and Michelle work from home. On entering the living room area I saw the problem, there had been an incident involving cats, a basket from the shelf and the router getting knocked off. None of the cats were forthcoming but Trixie looked like she knew what happend and was keeping quiet. Lulu and Bella were particularly hungry today and were quite impatient for their biscuits this morning.
Steve and Michelle messaged to say they were on their way so I stripped the bed and had a general tidy round. I was just getting the hoover out when they arrived back from a lovely jaunt over to Crete. Xena was beside herself with excitement that mom and dad were back, Trixie was also very happy but tried to play it cool by napping on Steve’s bag and pillow. I had a chocolatey croissant-like pastry for breakfast then it was all systems go.

Life is always more lively with Steve and Michelle around so we went out for a lovely lunch at Alabama bar. Steve and Michelle took the healthy options and had wraps which looked great, I had a very good chicken burger with chips. We all had a cheeky beer and I gave people a headache by chatting on too much, not realising we were in a rush to get back.
That night was the Greek night in Lardos and I was looking forward to my first one, having not drank much alcohol this week, I was about to make up for it!

We started the night in Cuckoo’s Nest cocktail bar, my drink of choice was red wine. The measures were large and I seemed to get quite plastered as more of Steve and Michelle’s friends joined us. By 11.30pm the Tequilas were out and we were on that slippery slope to extreme drunkenness. I was tired and tried to have a little nap in Cuckoo’s Nest but Steve and Michelle’s friends were having none of it and proceeded to encourage more drunken antics over at Memories bar.

By 2.30am I had made some new friends, including a cute little dog. Michelle and I got in at 3.45am to a passed out half naked (thankfully the top half) Steve on the lounge sofa bed. It was good to have them back in Lardos and, as far as I can remember, we’d all had a fantastic night.

Rhodes – 6th July

On Thursday 6th July I was up early, busy with plant watering and animal duties then I worked 9am to 4.30pm. After feeding the cats, getting the hang of who’s indoor and outdoor, I decided a quick trip to the shop was a good idea.
I spent €13.30 (£11.41) on Prosecco, crisps and chocolate at Big Family supermarket then decided to stop at a bar. I ordered a cheeky Milokleftis cider with ice at Yamas bar and sent a message to Louise to see if she had finished work. Shortly after, she arrived and ordered a coffee but another Milokleftis and a cocktail arrived. What was a quick drink after work with a new friend, turned in to quite an impromptu evening. After a few ciders I decided I couldn’t be bothered to go home to cook so suggested we eat out.

Louise and I both love Valentina’s restaurant in Lardos and it was very close by. We opted for a white wine each then I had a carafe of red wine while Louise ordered a lemonade then a passion fruit cocktail. There was a complimentary pumpkin soup which was very tasty. We had the amazing cheese balls and some garlic bread to share for starters and we both ordered steaks with mushrooms and onions for mains. Once again we got complimentary dessert of baklava with ice-cream and watermelon ouzo shots to round off the meal. It was amazing and I was impressed with the food, yet again – I’ve never had a bad meal there. The total bill came to €79 (£67.79) which was reasonable for what we had and I went home with a doggy bag!
I think Xena disapproved of me coming back drunk without her parents, but they were due back tomorrow.

Rhodes – 2nd July

Steve and Michelle had invited me to join them on a friend’s day trip on Sunday 2nd July. We were about to cruise the open sea on a private yacht with Lindos Daily Cruises and what a delight it would turn out to be. We had to be at the boat to meet everyone at 9.30am and at 9am all 3 of us were still flapping about shoving last minute swimmers and sunglasses in to our beach bags and getting in to the car. We parked up at the top of the hill, overlooking the sea at Lindos then walked down the hill. I was glad to have my porter sandals on as we hurried down the steep streets. At the bottom, we met Louise and waited for the others to turn up. The lady who had booked the boat, Tracie, was India’s mom and they had 3 friends (Jen, Ines and Izzy). Steve was the only male and instantly became our cabana boy. We had a crew of 2 fellas who were very nice and we were reminded that the yacht trip was until 3.30pm, included free drinks, lots of swim stops, snorkelling equipment, an underwater camera, lunch and fresh fruit. I felt very lucky to be invited and knew it was going to be an awesome day as Steve passed round the bubbly, white wine and got himself a cold beer. Our host, Tracie, was lovely and I liked her straight away. She told us of an adventure with some goats on a beach a few days ago and we had a good old laugh. On one of the swim spots, Tracie, Ines and I decided to swim to the beach, I think it was called Red Sand beach, for obvious reasons. Tracie and Ines raced ashore while I took my time, thinking it might be further than it first looked. When I approached the shore, there were goats and the sunbathers were feeding them fruit and sandwiches. It was so sweet and Tracie thought they might be the same goats. We decided to swim back, Ines was like an athlete but Tracie and I found it a bit harder against the current. At one point she swallowed a wave and started to cough, I thought the yacht was getting further away. We were knackered when we finally climbed back onboard and we were both desperate for water. It’s probably worth mentioning that I’d neglected to reapply my factor 50 suncream after getting out of the sea! Lunch was served and Tracie had put in a special request for traditional moussaka with salad. The food was so tasty, the portion size was absolutely huge and they were not shy with the all inclusive drinks. It was a wonderful boat trip with such lovely company and the free flow fizz meant I didn’t notice how much sun I was catching.

At 3.45pm we were having a drink at the Lindos Yacht Club all giddy from our amazing day out. That’s when I noticed I was sunburnt! The walk back to car was easier but quite hot and the car was like a sauna as we blew off the salt and sweat on the journey back to Lardos.
Steve continued to be super helpful, even though his cabana boy duties were redundant, and sprayed my face with Aftersun. This was looking good for tonight’s plans that my boss had given me pink eye! Steve and the photographer had an evening meeting with a client, while I was to accompany Michelle, back in Lindos.

We arrived at Lindian House bar and restaurant which is absolutely gorgeous, in an old building with a courtyard for cocktails and a veranda with Acropolis views. They had a great cocktail and drinks menu so we both ordered a drink and sat in a comfy chair admiring the place. We spoke to one of the owners and our waitress encouraged me to take a look at the view point in the moonlight. I could have stayed all night but we had more business to take care of and to get back to pick up Steve. We decided to pop in to 404 Bar to see Louise, she was also sunburnt like me and we did look a pair! Rob played some real blast from the past tunes, which Michelle and I loved, but we couldn’t stay long. Next, we drove to Dapapa Lounge to pick up Steve and were offered shots of over proof alcohol with the photographer. I had to decline, my sunburn and heatstroke had taken their toll and I could hardly get up or down the spiral stairs to the toilet.
We got home and after another dousing in Aftersun and a naked blast in front of the fan, I was good for nothing but sleeping.

Photo credit – various photos used which were taken by guests/crew onboard

Saigon to Doha – 29th June

My 30 day Vietnamese visa expired on Thursday 29th June so I was leaving and going back to Turkey via Rhodes. By 6am I was in the car to Saigon airport, which Captain Caveman had paid 400,000vnd (£13.20) for. By 6.24am I was in the check-in queue for my first flight, to Doha, Qatar. I’d previously had a bad experience at Doha airport and had not been since but now the price of the ticket had swung it. Qatar Airways is one of the best airlines to fly with too so it was time to try Doha again. I hoped it would be ok as I had a 12 hour 20 minute lay over there, which was going to hurt!
Saigon airport was easy but pricey as I paid 178,000vnd (£5.87) for a very nice ham and cheese baguette and by 9.10am I was sat in my pre-booked seat, of 34C, ready for take off. I’d been given the opportunity to upgrade to business class for about $1,000 but I didn’t take it. I actually found the economy seats on Qatar Airlines so much comfier than on the Scoot Airlines flight I had taken out here. I’d definitely done the right thing selecting a Gluten Free meal as it was pretty bland but suited me well; prawn salad to start, a chicken stew with veg, two lots of corn bread and jelly with fruit for afters. Free drinks were a godsend too as it meant I didn’t have to worry about getting enough water, which was lovely. When I landed, I knew I had to occupy myself in Doha airport until I could board my next flight at just after midnight. I have a lounge pass but was determined to not use it straight away, so I waited until I’d been there a couple of hours. I did everything leisurely and walked for miles checking out the airport – there were a lot of expensive designer shops. Doha airport has definitely cleaned itself up since I was last there and I was impressed with the garden area and the fact that you can get drinking water very easily for free.
At 3.15pm I was in the lounge and had some nice food and quite a lot of wine for the next 4 hours. It was big, but busy, and had a few too many naughty children in it to feel relaxed, despite one of the manager’s attempts to control their behaviour. I spent the last 3 hours of the day just wandering about the very empty and quite chilly airport, willing the time on for me to get on my second flight, to Frankfurt in Germany.

Saigon – 26th June

My week started on Monday 26th June with a little bit of a lay in, I wasn’t missing the Casio watch alarm. I didn’t have to work, Captain Caveman had arranged another fun filled day for us, as you’d expect, but today we actually had the day to ourselves. Usually when we are in Saigon we meet up with all our friends but this time, because we were going to be apart for awhile, it was nice to just be on our own.
Our first trip of the day was a short Grab ride to another one of our favourite eateries, Lubu. We ordered a lovely breakfast each and I had a pot of earl grey tea to go with mine. The food was quite fancy although I’ve never been a fan of chefs who try to jazz up baked beans by adding chopped green stuff in to them. Our bill came to 452,000vnd (£14.92) including the service charge which was a really good deal for what we had.

After Lubu, we had an appointment with the owner of Masto Designs. Captain Caveman was after a couple of shirts so we went over to his house and workshop to try and select some. It was clear that Captain Caveman and I had very different tastes in men’s shirt patterns so I had to leave him to it while I looked through a bag of reversible sun hats. We had a great time and Captain Caveman chose 3 shirts and we both got sunhats.

After dropping off bags back at the Common Inn, our next stop was for lunch at El Camino’s on Xuan Thuy. Captain Caveman loves a Mexican and so do I if I ever get any of it without chillies. We had a couple of tacos each; me a fish and a pork, Captain Caveman a beef and a pork. They were delicious and I could’ve eaten more but we would be eating out again later. Our lunch bill came to 300,300vnd (£9.91) for 4 tacos and 2 soft drinks. We went back to the hotel room and had Buck’s Fizz using glasses from the communal rooftop kitchen, which was handy.

For dinner Captain Caveman had chosen the amusingly named french restaurant, Chtite Cuisine and off we went in a Grab taxi there. Of course, we ordered a carafe of red wine to get us started. He ordered some kind of cassoulet when it was a pretty warm night, I went for steak which I ordered medium but came still mooing and I had to send it back. The potatoes were covered in dried herbs which were a little off-putting so it wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had. I decided to go for a pudding though, Captain Caveman had pistachio ice-cream and I had apple pie with salted caramel and vanilla ice-cream, the most calories in one meal that I’d had all year! I was ready for bursting after eating all that and needed a lay down. Unfortunately, Captain Caveman had not told me that we were now meeting a friend for beers at Pasteur Street on our way home – if I’d known this I would not have eaten the dessert! We got there and I clearly had a face on and was not able to stomach drinking a beer. Captain Caveman ordered a pint of IPA, I ordered wine, which is not a good idea in a brewery really, and it was a large one. I’d just started to sip it, begrudgingly, when he said our friend had replied to say she was no longer coming – I was not happy! We were back in the hotel before 9pm, me with a terrible stomach ache, wishing I’d not eaten an apple pie and ice-cream.

Saigon – 25th June

Saigon was a bit cooler than Phong Nha on Sunday 25th June and the forecast looked like thunderstorms, usually in the afternoons at this time of year. We had breakfast from one of my favourite bakeries, Micro Boulangerie, very close to the Common Inn. Captain Caveman had picked up a cream cheese and cranberry baguette and a caprese sandwich. We had half each of both and they were delicious, not cheap at 280,000vnd (£9.24) but so fresh.
By 9.30am we were getting out of a Grab taxi and walking round Decathlon looking for trainers for Captain Caveman. Within less than 12 minutes he’d bought some and we were on to the next shop of our extravaganza. I had a knee support on because I was having a few twinges and wasn’t really sure why.
I was surprised to see that Body Shop sold something I’d been trying to find for years, Elderflower eye gel, so we got that and some moisturiser before moving on to stock up in the pharmacy.
Here’s what we bought and the costs in Dong;

The Body Shop
1 Elderflower eye gel 229,000
1 face moisturiser 599,000
Total spent 828,000vnd (£27.32)

CH Medicare
1 pack Sanitary towels 22,000
1 Nivea deodorant 52,000
2 boxes tampons 140,000
Total spent 214,000vnd (£7.06)

We decided we needed orange juice so that we could have Buck’s Fizz tomorrow but it was harder than you’d expect to find orange juice in Saigon. We tried a couple of shops before eventually getting some at Tops supermarket for a fairly steep 59,000vnd (£1.95).

We had to hurry along because we had an appointment to meet up with Phuong and her family at The Jetty for lunch. When we arrived, it looked like rain so I suggested we sit at a table undercover and we ordered some sparkling water. Phuong, her husband (Jonah) and their 3 extremely well behaved kids arrived and we ordered lunch. I decided a salad might be a good idea, given that I’d not been sticking to the diet and I ordered the Halloumi and asparagus salad. We were too busy chatting so I didn’t take many photos but I got a video when the rain came. After lunch, it had stopped raining, and I played fetch with a random chocolate Labrador while we waited for our Grab taxi. By 2pm we were back at the Common Inn to have a little break before our next lot of shenanigans.

Video of the rain at The Jetty

Captain Caveman and I arranged to meet our friend, Andrea, and her friend at 6pm, for wine and dinner. Captain Caveman and I met them at Soho wine bar, another one of our favourites, in Thao Dien. The red wine was an absolute treat and we had several before we had to leave to go for dinner at a swish little place called Okra, recommended earlier by Jonah.

The restaurant was a real hit and we tried lots of different tapas style dishes, drank Primitivo red wine and got free tequila shots just for knowing Phuong and Jonah! By 8pm we were hammered and I was asking the chef how he made the charred red cabbage which was my favourite dish of the night.
On our way home we popped in to the pharmacy and bought the following;
1 bag 3,000
2 pack Loperamide 4,300
1 pack wet wipes 13,000
7 packs of salted lemon sweets 52,500
2 boxes Fexofenadine 260,000
Total spent 332,800vnd (£10.98)

Video of me, Captain Caveman and Andrea having our Tequila shots

Captain Caveman’s video of me doing another shot of Tequila

After saying bye to Andrea and her friend, the two of us went to a bar Captain Caveman had been meaning to try which did unusual cocktails. 86 Proof might have been where we had one too many and we were heading home when we accidentally had a night cap at Mad Wine Bar, where 2 big glasses of Malbec was 270,000vnd (£8.91). I was definitely drunk as I had made Captain Caveman pose outside a well-known coffee shop with a funny Vietnamese name, so that I could get a photo. It had been a long day as we didn’t get back to the hotel until gone 11pm.

Phong Nha – 23rd June

I’d finished my working hours for the week on Friday 23rd June and Captain Caveman was due back later today. I had Camembert and peanuts for breakfast (healthy A & B on Slimming World) and had a bit of a tidy up for when Captain Caveman returned. I also had started to pack for my departure back to Europe but I was going to need a suitcase. As I didn’t know when I would be back, or if I’d even get to stay for more than 30 days at a time, I decided I would take as much back to Turkey as I could. It was also at the back of my mind that it made sense not to leave things I would want, back in a country I was hardly in, should there be any reason I couldn’t fly back. I threw out a lot of clothes too, realising that I really didn’t have that many nice things that fit me any more. Before Captain Caveman had left for Son Doong we had loosely planned that it would be a good idea to have a few days in Saigon before my flight on Thursday. Captain Caveman came home and had a couple of hours before he was off to the gala dinner, he also needed to go to the cash machine in town as I had no money left whatsoever.
We went to The Villa’s so that we could have a (very) late lunch and Captain Caveman had to call at Oxalis for some work related business, which meant he didn’t have time to go to the ATM but could pay by bank transfer. We both ordered pizza and I ate just 4 slices and boxed the rest up for tomorrow. I was meant to be meeting the Wiringi’s, Andrew, Kat, Chung and Tatas to go for food and drink in town somewhere this evening, but as the afternoon went on it was apparent that a lot of them were busy. Captain Caveman had booked flights to Saigon for tomorrow night and so this was my last night in Phong Nha, even though I wasn’t leaving Vietnam for another 6 days. He had time off so it would be good to get away from the heat for a bit by heading south! Internal flights are quick and cheap and the cost was definitely less than £50 including my luggage! Captain Caveman got picked up for his gala dinner and Kat joined me at The Villa’s for dinner. I managed to polish off 4 glasses of white wine and a spaghetti bolognese before Captain Caveman got back. Kat had a Caeser salad and a hot chocolate. When Captain Caveman returned, we shared a bottle of red wine and tried to suss out what time tomorrow I needed to have packed by!
The bottle of wine and my spaghetti bolognese came to 590,000vnd (£19.47) as decent wine isn’t cheap in Vietnam. After saying bye to Kat, with big hugs and hoping to be able to see her and Buu tomorrow before I left for Saigon, we cycled home in the dark for the last time. I went to sleep that night for the last time at the Glass House in Phong Nha.

Phong Nha -22nd June

I was back at Victory Road Villas again on Thursday 22nd June having the same as yesterday for breakfast; pho ga, fresh coconut and jasmine tea. It was delicious and easily my favourite breakfast – I would miss it when I left Vietnam. I had just 1 week left until my visa expired and I would be flying out of Saigon airport, heading for Rhodes!
At 6am it was less than 30°C, by 8.30am it was hotting up but I really seemed to be finally getting a little more accustomed to it.
I had a fruit salad with muesli and sugar free yoghurt before cycling home in 37°C, almost unfazed!

Here’s my bill from The Villa’s for my breakfast and lunch;

Jasmine tea 30,000
Fresh coconut 50,000
Pho Ga 75,000
Fruit, muesli, yoghurt 95,000
Total cost 250,000vnd (£8.25)

I worked from home in the afternoon but then got ready for my night out with several friends. I decided to wear Carol’s white dress again (no one noticed the pocket last time) and I popped Steve’s sunglasses in to my bag as I was off for sunset at the Phong Nha Farmstay. Bich, the owner, had booked me a taxi, for 200,000vnd (£6.60) each way, to pick me up at 5pm from the Glass House, I then picked up Kat from her house and Tatas from her’s. We’d all wore dresses so we looked nice and we were excited for sundowner cocktails at the Farmstay. This was my first visit this year so it was nice to be back and see everyone, including the lovely staff.
Melissa and her family were there and it was great to see them again, the last time had been in Hoi An over a year ago. Bich came to join us and I got to briefly see Michael and Howie, Ben (their dad) was back in Australia. Andrew, Trang and a couple of extra kids were there to say hello and Hawk was visiting from Hoi An too. It was great to see everyone while drinking our 2 for 1 cocktails but I did feel like I couldn’t give everyone my full attention. I didn’t know it at the time but this was probably the last time I would see most of these friends this year.
Gin and tonics were 50,000vnd (£1.65) for 2, my rum and coke was a little more at 65,000vnd (£2.15) so we had a few before going on to the wine.
I ordered my favourite dish, the beef in bamboo, Tatas had a chicken salad and Kat chose the sausage sandwich and chips. Kat had a carrot cake for dessert and I had a spoon of it, Tatas had a chocolate brownie with ice cream which I resisted. Even though I’d put some weight back on, my new clothes still fit fine and I wanted it to stay that way.

For those wondering, here was our bill at the Phong Nha Farmstay with the prices in Dong;

4 X 2 for 1 G&T 200,000
2 X 2 for 1 R&C 130,000
Sausage sandwich 145,000
Chicken salad 120,000
Beef in Bamboo 210,000
Carrot cake 70,000
Brownie 120,000
1 bottle house wine 400,000
2 bottles (not house) wine 1,040,000
Total bill including service + tax/vat came to 2,812,425vnd (£92.81).

We didn’t leave until gone midnight, it had been a brilliant evening which would actually turn out to have been my leaving party!