Because I just had to know what a nine dollar room is like. As you can see it’s not bad. Bigger than most Tokyo hotel rooms. It has all the essentials. A/C. TV. Minibar. Shower and toilet. There are no windows. And the large, loud analog clock on the wall is perpetually stuck at 1:48. Actually, 1:47 and 48 seconds.
I’ve been back in Da Nang, Vietnam for a week. I was here in the early Fall, briefly, when it was insanely hot. It’s cooled off nicely here, around 70 degrees F every day and hasn’t rained since the first few days after my arrival.
I’ve been looking for an apartment to rent for 3 months or more. I was staying in a place I found on Airbnb to check it out for a week before committing to a longer term. The rent is attractive ($400/month for a 90 m2 one bedroom) and the area is appealing (a short walk to the public beach, near lots of expat coffee shops, bars and restaurants). But I don’t like the building itself. It’s old, a bit dank and very loud. Loud from the huge hotel being built just a few lots away. And loud just from the design: glass front door onto a stairwell that reverberates every televised car chase and productive cough in the building.
I’ve been trying to explore different neighborhoods. It’s amazing how different a city can be block to block. But overall, I’m really starting to warm up to this city. Friendly people. Beautiful beaches. Once I rent a bicycle and head back up to Monkey Mountain, I’ll really fall in love with it.
