Hello, Hanoi!

Colorful shoes line the streets of Hanoi

With another early morning flight, we said goodbye to Saigon and headed to Hanoi to meet the rest of our classmates who arrived at the same time from Bangkok.  We wasted no time hurriedly checking into the hotel (the plush Hoa Binh I might add!) and rushed off to our first meeting with the Thai Ambassador.

I have included our itinerary in the outline below, because it is something I felt was incredibly well-planned and gives a fantastic overview about what we did here while on ‘field trip.’  While I won’t be able to detail every meeting and excursion – I will certainly do my best to provide the highlights!

ITINERARY FOR VIETNAM FIELD TRIP 2012 Carolina, Phoo Phoo and I outside Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum
Monday 26 March 2012: Orientation in Hanoi
4:00 AM	Depart Bangkok for Hanoi
10:30 AM	Arrive at hotel and rest
11:30 AM	Lunch
1:20 - 2:20 PM	Visit to Thai Embassy
2:20 - 6:00 PM	City Tour of Central Hanoi
6:00 - 7:00 PM	Reflection on group exercise
Evening	Welcome Dinner together
	The best find in the whole city - Kebab sandwiches for $1
Tuesday 27 March 2012: Understanding Development in Vietnam
7:00 AM	Breakfast at hotel
8:00 - 9:30 AM	Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
9:30 - 11:30 AM	Visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum
11:30 - 1:00 PM	Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 PM	Meeting with Asian Development Bank
3:00 - 4:30 PM	Meeting with "Pan Nature" on role of civil society in Vietnam
5:30 - 6:30 PM	Group reflection on "Development in Vietnam"
Evening	Free time in Hanoi - dinner on own
	With Vietnamese soldiers outside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Wednesday 28 March 2012: Hoa Binh Dam
7:00 AM	Breakfast at hotel
8:00	Depart for Hoa Binh Dam
10:30 AM	Arrive at Hoa Binh Dam
12:00	Lunch
Afternoon	Visit Mi and Thia villages, Yeh Mong community
5:00 PM	Depart for guesthouse in Mai Chau district
6:00 - 7:00 PM	Group reflection on "Development in Vietnam"
Evening	Dinner together
	Sampling delicious rice wine in Mai Chau village
Thursday 29 March 2012: Ethnicity and Development in Vietnam
7:00 AM	Breakfast at guesthouse
8:00 - 9:00 AM	Meet with local government agency about ecotourism
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM	"Free time" which became a climb up the mountain!
11:30	Lunch with community
1:00 - 3:00 PM	Meeting with communities in Mai Chau district
3:30 PM	Reflection and Depart for Hanoi
6:30 PM	Arrive in Hanoi
Evening	Dinner with friends in Hanoi
	Hiking up and down a mountain in Mai Chau
Friday 30 March 2012: Orientation in Hanoi
7:00 AM	Breakfast at hotel
9:00	Meet with "Action for the City" NGO - urban challenges
12:00 - 1:00 PM	Lunch
Afternoon	Meet with Vietnam National University
Afternoon	Visit the Temple of Literature "Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam"
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM	Final reflection
7:00 PM	Dinner together
	Ho Chi Minh Statue near Hoa Binh Dam
Saturday 31 March 2012: Orientation in Hanoi
6:00 AM	Breakfast at hotel
7:00	Depart for Halong Bay
11:00 AM	Arrive at Halong Bay - cruise
5:00 - 5:30 PM	Leave Halong Bay
8:30 PM	Final Dinner together - Korean BBQ!
	Halong Bay
Sunday 1 April 2012: Orientation in Hanoi
6:00 AM	Depart for airport - fly back to BKK