Over the weekend I've looked - at no great pace - into various options available for longer term accommodation - house, apartment in a villa, apartment in a large block. Getting started in this not easy without some contacts.
The search started by riding around with Lao looking for signs on houses and for posters on walls advertising places for rent. Not the most productive way of doing it, although it did yield a $300USD per month 2 bedroom house in the Vo Thi Sau area back towards Vung Tau town from Back Beach. Currently rented by an Australian guy who came to teach English in a primary school but is now moving on to the Mekong delta. Bit too dark and dingy for my liking but is a fairly good price.
I chanced on an agent outside a 4 level, 3 bedroom house for rent in the same area . The house was $800 USD per month, plus electricity, bottle gas, etc and out of my budget. Hanh has since shown my a very large studio apartment in a villa and secured a reduction in rent from $400 to $350 USD per month, but it is still rather a lot to pay for 1 bedroom. The price reflects the mod-cons that come with the place.
Also showed me something more suitable - $400 USD for a 2 bedroom apartment in a large complex directly opposite ILA Vietnam on Nguyen Thai Hoc and above Coop Mart Supermarket. Has some great views over Vung Tau from Front Beach, across Nui Lon (Big Mountain) and the Thich Ca Phat Dai temple complex and across to the port. The only downside is that this area is a fair distance from Vung Tau town and either of the main beach areas. Besides I've lived close to work before and we all know what happens then!!
Another option in the same area is $200 USD for a 1 bedroom unit in a smaller complex.
However, knowing that I'm a teacher is getting some favourable response. Hanh's son is a student at ILA Vietnam, and she understands that our salary is comfortable rather than big-end of the expat spectrum.
The intermediate decision has been to stay on at the Lam Son Hotel for one month at 4 million dong plus electricity and take a bit more time getting settled.
PS are you bored yet? How can I dress up this story? Well, the end of the round of visits was that Hanh took me for breakfast - banh khot - and then for coffee. At both stops we were joined by Vietnamese clients of hers, including a couple from HCMC, the husband being a feng shui consultant. At one stage talk turned to the SOS Villages in Vietnam, and I was able to say that I did know what they are via my involvement with IVP because we have been sending volunteers to work in them - check the list of workcamps available through the SCI workcamp search engine.
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