My Blogs about Vietnam Experience is published on Oxfam East Asia blogs http://www.oxfamblogs.org/eastasia/?p=831
Monday 8 November 2010
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Vietnam WASH-Needs Assessment first 2 days
This is my first trip to Vietnam.. excited to see how the development took after 1975 and especially wanted to look at the most successful economic mode's ground impact, especially in central province.
26/10/10
It was normal tropical day, bit hot, brighter sunshine when i left Phnom Penh at 3:00 PM arrived 7:00 in Hanoi.. The airport is bit far from city [35 km] and it takes and hr and half to reach to central hanoi..comfortably arrived in a nice Hotel [Hotel Ariva Eden] close to Vincom Tower and close to Oxfam office.
Wanted to have a look around the area.. so got down and walked around the vicinity.. found many "Cafe" where i could see young boys and girls sitting/ chating.. enjoying cigarette and tea/coffee.. it was fun.. to walk .. temperature was lowering down and making the walk pleasant..
Of course we notice the most are motor-bikes .. this country is flooded with mobike :) , parked at every where pedestrian can walk.. so the most ignored are pedestrian.. people are in hurry.. they dont respect pedestrians at all:) well i m sure we Asian can mange this as we have always seen crowded roads with almost every one in hurry to reach somewhere :)!!
the next day was briefing at office, bit of induction and going to airport at 2:30 to start journey to provinces.
Suddenly in the early morning i realise chilling cold !! sneak under my think blanket and waited my alarm to ring.. It was very cold morning with foggy weather... hada v.good breakfast in the hotel and started walking to office [it is only 10 min walk]....
the moment i step down the hotel.. i was taken on storm by chilling cold wind!! it was too cold!!!
and I was unprepared .. just have had oxfam sleeveless jacket:) ...
I was interoduced to my team Dung and toan.. two young and enthu people.. :)
We started 2:30 pm to go to airport!! the weather was chilling cold.. wind on top of it making it more worse.. and i was in one small jacket.. my collegue [dung -- pronounced "Zoom"] was bit more prepared.. as she has house near by she brought jacket and sweater etc..
well we reached airport.. queued up for check in... the queue was not moving at all!!! finally after 10 min. Vietnam Airlines lady came in and announced that the weather in Ha Tinh is not good, it is heavily raining and there is no ground clearance for aircraft.. so pl. wait.... we moved back.. found a good place to sit.. dung went around for a walk and buy some fruits etc.. she came back and i gave her the fort.. thought i should walk a bit and look in to situation,.... the computer showing Vinh city was blank !! no people around check-in counter.. i was curious.. finally spotted a staff in VNA.. she [in broken english] explained that flight is cancelled!!
I said what????
I walked back to Dung.. explained her situation.. she double checked!! and confirmed that BAD news is true!! I called Viet / Provas and explained the situation.. Viet promised me to get both of us on train [6 hrs journey] !!! We get in to taxi and started.. journey back to office....
finally we got train ticket confirmed... we still had some time... so Dung and I went to VINCOM shopping mall and took dinner there..
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Finally it was time to go to Railway station.. not far from office.. we arrived on time.. the departure was 9:30 PM.. we found our compartment.. the train was not much different then what we have in india.. old, smelly , dusty !!! even if it was second class A/c compartment.. :) The toilets were extremely dirty.. ..
well I had top most birth and the space was so limited that one cannot sit.. so I pulled blanket ans said good night to dung .. she was sleepy too.. the train A/c was too cold!! so as the weather..
fortunately the blanket was ok so i slept.. i knew that we will reach at 3:30 so adjusted alarm 3:15... the train was bit slow [as usual]... i woke up around 2:00.. seems train was not moving.. slept again.. woke up at 3:15... no sign of station.. try to wake Dung up and ..she opened her one eye stared at window and told me that we have not yet arrived but was not able to tell me how far we are from.. and she slept again!!! i thought.. well what ever.. let me sleep again too.. so tried hard.. could not succeed .. so kept looking out side of window.. it was dark dark!! finally 5:45 the train stopped.. i asked the guy on middle birth and he confirmed it is "vinh city"!! wow!! i started collecting my lugguge .. dung woke up but still bit sleepy and slow.. so i gave her instructions that i am going ahead.... she followed...
it was a small station.. most of the people got down at Vnh city.. we went out.. Oxfam driver was waiting for us...
finally we set !! i was too tired due to shortfall in my sleep quota for 2 nights.. thought I will sleep.. but the moment we moved on high-way.. i was completely carried away by the sceneries out side... it was amazingly beautiful ..we crossed Lam river.. and it was the most beautiful and refreshing scene.. a big river and mountains !! a cold and foggy morning!!!
I wanted to get coffee or tea.. Dung was sleepy so she drifted off!! i was enjoying mountainous ride... one side river and one side mountain..
finally 7:50 we reached to Huong Khe district.. the hotel.. i had to call Toan who was waiting for us... he came down.. welcomed us.. and told me that he has fixed up meeting with district authority [vice chairman and directors] at district centre.. so we had 10 min time to get ready for meeting.. I wanted to have tea.. .but no time..
we entered DC.. the vice chairman welcomed us... called up on other officials..
it was a good meeting.. we got some pieces of information on WASH.. and surprisingly we found that we were the first team to do WASH assessment.
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we came to know that "father front land" [organisation] is coordinating the response .. so went up stair and met vice chairman, PH director and other office bearers..
our formal meeting lasted short, at the same time.. a policeman came to us and nominated himself to join us for assessment for my protection as i am a foreigner :) I was not comfortable but well this is how business is done here.. so accepted his help :)
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we started for first commune called Phoung Dien..
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finally at 10.00
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