Day 12–

Transfer to the airport this morning for the short flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for check in. Hanoi’s rich history is closely tied to French colonialism as well as the Chinese era, both evident in the city’s architecture, cuisine, and culture. You will have lunch at KOTO (Know One Teach One) restaurant, a non-profit restaurant and vocational training program for young people in Vietnam. This afternoon, visit the Maison Centrale, Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War.

The featured shot above shows the broken glass that was used to keep prisoners inside Hoa Lo Prison. There is a very physical weight when you walk into the prison. Some rooms are hard to be in– it forces you to confront the sickening and unbelievable lack of humanity that has happened throughout history (and this was not long ago). I encourage you to read about the prison, treatment and escape if you are not familiar with Hoa Lo/Hanoi Hilton. I was not at the time of my visit and it goes to show as another example of cruelty being swept under the rug. Our history books are missing a lot.

It rained all day, which added to the somber morning. Afterwards we visited the Huc Bridge and took a rainy cycle rickshaw to see an elegant puppet performance.