Day 60 of The Big Adventure, according to Sarah. 
Our alarms went off at 8.30am as we’d decided to go and listen to a talk put on by the hostel about the caves and what there was to do in the area. Our forth roommate, Denise, had arrived after we’d all fallen asleep last night so we introduced ourselves and made friends. We all headed down to the talk at 9am who was given by a lovely man named Sam. 

He told us all about the history of the area and how it had been affected by the war with America. He showed us what some unexploded bombs looked like and told us that more bombs had been dropped on this province and the one below than in the whole of Europe in WW2. Then he told us about the different caves that we could go and see and the different activities in the area. 

We decided to go and visit Phong Nha Cave and Ton Sien Cave as apparently there was a great view. We had to get there by dragon boat which could could seat 12 so we had to try and find a group of 12 of us who were keen so that the boat was cheaper. We talked to a few people who were also at the talk and soon found ourselves a group of 12. We walked down to the tourist centre and bought our boat tickets and we all piled onto the dragon boat. 

It was about a half an hour journey to the cave and the boat went right inside and did quite a big loop. 

Then he dropped us off so we could explore some of the cave by foot and then walk up 450 stairs to the Ton Sien cave. 

The walk was very very hot and rather uncomfortable and thankfully the cave was cool and damp (it almost felt like it was air conditioned) which was very welcome after all those stairs. We made friends with a lovely pair of English girls called Yasmin and Megan who were hilarious and kept us laughing the whole way. 

When we’d seen it all we headed back down the stairs to the dragon boat for the return journey. 

We were all pretty hungry by this point and someone in our group piped up that they’d had some ‘Wonderballs’, in a cafe across from the hostel, that were delicious and that we all absolutely must try them. So all 12 of us rocked up to Bamboo Cafe and pulled a few tables together and ordered Wonderballs all round. They were essentially mashed potato with other vegetables, all mushed up and rolled into a ball and then fried (similar to croquettes). Everyone loved them. 

After our hot morning we all decided to head back to the pool to cool off. We sat around the pool and chatted and planned what everyone wanted to do the next day. Parker and Freya signed up to do the Dark Cave with Yasmin and Megan, and Denise and I decided we’d do something (although we hadn’t quite figured out what) together. 

It was happy hour for Gin and Tonics so we all had a couple and this is where, I suspect, the night took an unexpected transformation into BNO. 


After gin and tonic happy hour came beer happy hour (I sat that one out) and before we knew it we were all merrily sat around a table drinking everything and anything. 

Megan had decided she fancied a one night stand and took quite a shining to a young unsuspecting Australian man. 

Sam, the man who had given us the talk on the caves earlier, came over and asked us how our day had been and what we’d been up to. Then he introduced me to his friend from Cornwall and we all had a disgusting shot together (I was later informed it was fermented rice wine and vowed to avoid it at all costs in the future).

A live band was playing where anyone could go up and sing and people were dancing and then, before we knew it, the bar was closing and the lights were being turned off. 

The girls were keen to carry on somewhere else but i was definitely ready for bed (BNOs aren’t really my thing) so I waved them off to Why Not? bar and headed upstairs. 

I had been trying to send videos of Angkor Wat to Mummy Clark for weeks but nowhere seemed to have a computer with Internet that was good enough. I spied a computer in the corner and decided now was the best time to try because everyone was either out at Why Not bar or asleep, so I went up stairs to grab my GoPro and came back down to try the computer. 

Sam was helping kick everyone out and then he came over and we had a nice little chat while I waited for my videos to upload. 

It turned out he was from Melbourne and had only been here 3 months and loved it. He’d come as a tourist and then fell in love with the place and stayed. Very brave. 

Then we got onto how difficult it is to get around Asia if you don’t ride and scooter or a motorbike and how he’d seen some horrendous accidents just in the time he’d been here, usually involving tourists who didn’t have a clue what they were doing.

He offered to give me a lesson on his bike when he finished work the next day so I happily agreed.

My videos finally finished uploading so we said goodnight and I headed up to bed. 

The girls were supposed to be getting up at 6.30am the next morning to do their tour of the cave and I was not jealous in the slightest.