ARRIVAL AT OUR "NEW HOME"...

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Time to leave the hustle and bustle of Saigon and head north to Da Nang. In relation to the "war" - Da Nang is where the first American combat troops landed in 1965 - and where the last combat troops departed in 1973. Da Nang is the gateway to the ancient port town of Hoi An 34 kms to the south - now classified under UNESCO - and one of the major tourist destinations in Vietnam.

Our home for the next 6 months is in the district of Cam Thanh in Hamlet #5. It's midway between the ancient town and the beach of Cua Dai - a distance of approximately 5 kms. It's the same area where we did a "test run" last year - and is only 300m from our last accommodation. Whilst here last year we observed this current property being built. It was almost completed when we left last October - and we actually found a tenant for the owner. The family Mekersa occupies the lower 3-bedroom unit. Our unit is the first floor 2-bedroom. We have a good view of one of the the backwaters of the River Thu Bon, and we are on a corner of the road that serves this part of the hamlet. There's a new home opposite (which we understand is owned by an Aussie expat); the landlor'ds home is next to us, and next to them is a new 2-storey house owned by one the sister of our landlord. It has just been occupied by Jim and Pia - expats from Georgie - who are also "testing the waters" for 6 months.

We arrived at around 7pm - and our landlord and his wife were there to meet us. It wasn't long before the family from downstairs came up to welcome us - and thank us for find their "home" for them. About 45 minutes of chatter, language issues, handover of keys, checking the apartment etc etc - then we settled in for our first night.

Our "home" has 2 bedrooms with ensuites and a 3rd guest bathroom outside on the back patio - where the washing machine is also located. The bedrooms have AC units and the lounge room has a ceiling fan. It's fully furnished and comes with Smart TV with cable channels as well as internet connection. Rent is approx. AU$600 per month and we just pay extra for water, internet, electricity. A nice big patio at the front will give us a relaxing area for evening cocktails as we watch hamlet life pass by in front of the unit.

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