Here we are, the last day of the study trip. While most daily blogs begin in the morning, this one starts at night. Not much has been said yet about the nightlife in Hanoi. In Hanoi, there are plenty of small restaurants where you can eat on the sidewalk and have a beer, but there isn’t much in terms of nightlife—except for one place. A small group from the study tour went out and experienced a police raid. Drug enforcement is strict in Hanoi. Streets are cleared, and if you’re inside somewhere, the doors are locked, and you can’t leave for a while. That sums up the nightlife in Hanoi.
The day began hectically. Peer became an attraction for selfie-hungry room cleaners, bags were mysteriously moved by housekeeping staff, and a few people were still a little hungover from the night before. We started the day with a taxi ride to the UNDP, the United Nations Development Programme. There, we received information about what the UN is trying to do for various countries. For instance, they draft papers proposing new government plans for local governments to implement. After an insightful presentation, a small intermezzo occurred. Five students, including Priority Siemen, were on the waiting list for the evening flight. Overbooked flight? No priority? No one really knew. At one point during the presentation, someone received a message that they were no longer on the waiting list, so everyone quickly started checking in. We wrapped up the UNDP session with some questions, including one from “Reasonable Rob Bemthuis.” The presenter was so impressed by Rob’s question—which touched on what the people within the UNDP personally hope to change—that it moved many.
In the afternoon, it was time for everyone to explore on their own, have lunch, and do some last-minute shopping. Shopping Sina took this opportunity to buy souvenirs. You could tell that everyone was pretty exhausted from the past few weeks. At 5:00 PM, we all went out for one last dinner together. Nienke gave a speech, Rob was in a hurry as usual, and Edy suddenly disappeared. To make things even crazier, two girls decided it would be a good idea to book a room for €60 just to take a quick shower! Afterward, it was time to pack up and head to the airport. Mr Goodieman led the way, and the monkey game was played a few more times for good measure.
At the airport, it was time for a smoke, and duty-free cigarettes were bought as if it were Black Friday. After relaxing in a massage chair and waiting for two hours, it was time to board the flight, which would take about 13 hours. And what’s better than a 13-hour flight? A flight without screens to watch movies on. Aryan’s screen got a temporary reset thanks to Peer fiddling with it, but after multiple resets, it still didn’t work. Then came the euphoric moment when Bjørn suggested, “Why don’t you unplug your charger? Maybe that will fix it.” And yes, the screen turned on. What did Aryan do with it for the next 11 hours? Absolutely nothing.
Well, that wraps up a fantastic end to the study tour. Thank you to the committee, Rob, and Carolina—it was an incredible trip!