Itinerary for University of Montana Vietnam Study Abroad Program. 28 December 2014 to 20 January 2015

Transcription

1 Itinerary for University of Montana Vietnam Study Abroad Program 28 December 2014 to 20 January 2015 Sunday 28 December 9:50 am 11:40 pm Monday 29 December 8:45 am 9:45 am 10:00 am 1:30 pm 3:30 pm 5:30 pm 6:30 to 8:30 pm Tuesday 30 December Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City Flights arrive, go through customs, then baggage claim, then change money (suggested amount: $100). Once ready, exit the airport and look for a University of Montana sign. You will be welcomed by Teaching Assistant Ms. Nguyen Kim Dua and driver Mr. Duc. Take shuttle to the hotel and Dua will help you check in. Victory Hotel Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City Breakfast at hotel, group check in Introduction to Vietnam (with Huynh Tam Sang, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences). Introduction to Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City. Geographical overview, history (including French and American influence) and Vietnam today (including its place in the world, and international relations), important domestic and international issues and concerns Vietnam is confronting today, overview of government system and structure, overview of the Vietnam economy. Introduction to culture, learning some basic Vietnamese phrases and travel tips for Ho Chi Minh City. *Lunch on your own near Victory Hotel Visit War Remnants Museum (a two block walk from the hotel) Return to hotel; Debrief WRM visit, discuss first essay assignment Free Time Group dinner at Nha Hang Ngon Restaurant 160 Pasteur Street. Joined by Nguyen Kim Dua, Nghi Phan, Huong, and Dang Thao Huong Victory Hotel Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City 7:00 am to 5:30 pm Visit to Can Gio Nature Reserve with Dr. Nguyen Van Be and Nguyen Kim Dua; mangrove restoration project 1

2 7:00 am 9:00 am 9:30 am 11:30 am 1:00 pm 3:00 pm 4:30 pm Depart HCMC for Can Gio Visit Center for Environmental Education, Communication and Ecotourism at Can Gio Visit Zone A of the Reserve Lunch at Rest Area Visit Shrimp project; Travel by boat through Mangrove Forest Mangrove planting and restoration project Return to Ho Chi Minh City Dinner on your own (as a group) in Ho Chi Minh City Optional: Visit Ben Thanh Market Wednesday 31 December 9:30 am 10:00 am 1:15 pm 2:00 pm 5:00 pm 5:30 pm 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm 8:30 pm onward Victory Hotel Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City Breakfast at hotel Leave for U.S. Consulate U.S. Consulate meeting: U.S./Vietnam relations and environmental issues in Vietnam. U.S. Consulate General with Malikat Rufai and others. *Lunch on own near Victory Hotel Leave for Nong Lam University Afternoon exchange with students from Nong Lam University and HCMC International University focused on environmental activities and research. Presentations by NLU Love Environment club members, IU, & UM students. Return to Victory Hotel *Dinner on your own (as a group) Water Puppet show at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater then Traditional Vietnamese Tea Ceremony at Tra Viet Tea House with Dua, Nghi, and Ngoc New Year s Eve festivities in downtown Ho Chi Minh City with Dua, Nghi, and Ngoc 2

3 Thursday 1 January 8:00 am to 11:00 am 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Day 5: Can Tho Breakfast at hotel, work on first question set, pack up rooms for departure to Can Tho Group debrief, schedule blog postings Check out and depart for Can Tho City (pick up by CTU bus) Stop for snack on route Check- in to Guest House Number 2 in Can Tho Meet Teaching Assistants Phan My Duyen and Nguyen Cam Dinh. Orientation and visit to Old Can Tho along the Mekong *Dinner on your own (with Duyen, Dinh, and Dua) 1 st Response Essay DUE Critical Review of Vietnam: Rising Dragon with focus on history, economy & political structure of Vietnam Friday 2 January 8:00 am 9:00 to 11:30 am 11:30 am to 12:30 pm 1:00 to 3:00 pm 3:00 pm 3:30 to 5:00 pm 6:30 pm Saturday 3 January Day 6: Can Tho Breakfast in Guest House Number 2 Depart for Can Tho University Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta with Dr. Duong Van Ni *Lunch on your own near University Dr. Pham Le Thong: The economy of the Mekong Delta, livelihoods of local people, economic impacts of climate change on the Mekong Delta Break Mangrove ecology and management, and climate change adaptation models with Dr. Nguyen Van Be, Director of International Relations Welcome Dinner with Can Tho University hosts Day 7: Can Tho 7:30 am Breakfast in Guest House Number 2 3

4 8:00 am 9:00 to to 1:00 pm 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm 2:15 pm to 3:00 pm 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm 5:00 pm Sunday 4 January am/pm Monday 5 January 7:30 am 9:00 am to to 1:30 pm 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm Move out of rooms in preparation for Homestay Depart for Can Tho University Development in the Mekong Delta with Dr. Nguyen Huu Chiem Agriculture and aquaculture development, management practices and environmental and socio-economic impacts Other important industries in the Mekong Delta Discuss the complex issues surrounding sustainable development in the Mekong Delta *Lunch on your own near Can Tho University Exchange with students from the Delta Youth Alliance about youth involvement in environmental sustainability initiatives Presentation from Can Tho University student members; question and discussion Presentation from University of Montana student members; question and discussion Football or volleyball game at MDI court Check-in with homestay host Homestay Day 8: Homestay in Can Tho Cultural tour with home stay family Homestay Day 9: My Khanh Commune: Biogas Digesters Breakfast with Homestay Families Families drop students at Guesthouse #2 Depart from Guesthouse #2 for My Khanh Commune Field Lecture on the sustainable development research activities in My Khanh with Dr. Nguyen Huu Chiem. Visit to a model VACB farm and examine a biogas system. Group Lunch with a household Visit additional VACB farms with biogas systems 4

5 4:00 pm Tuesday 6 January 7:00 am 8:00 am 9:00 am to 11:30 am to 1:00 pm 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm Wednesday 7 January 7:00 am 8:00 am 9:30 am to to 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm Thursday 8 January 4:00 am Return to Can Tho City Homestay Day 10: Can Tho University Breakfast with Homestay family Check back into Guest House Number 2 Depart for Can Tho University Climate change in the Mekong Delta and the work of the DRAGON Institute by Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of DRAGON institute-mekong-ctu *Lunch on your own near Can Tho University Vietnamese culture lecture and activities music and language/religion with Mr. Le Dinh Bich *Dinner on your own near Guesthouse #2 Day 11: Can Tho Breakfast at Guesthouse #2 Depart for Chau Thanh district, Soc Trang province Visit to Heifer International Projects in Soc Trang with Ms. Nguyen Quyen, Heifer Vietnam Lunch in Soc Trang Depart for Can Tho Optional: Football or Volleyball at CTU students *Dinner on your own near Guest House & free evening Day 12: Can Tho Floating market tour boat ride on the river at sunrise over coffee and local fruits watching the buzz of the river come to life 5

6 9:00 am 10:00 am to to 1:00 pm 1:00 pm onward Friday 9 January 7:030 am to to 2:30 pm Breakfast at Guesthouse #2 Group debrief discussion: Guest House dining room patio *Lunch on your own in Can Tho Free time & time to work second response essay: Impact of Climate Change on Vietnam s coastal and low-lying areas *Dinner on your own near Guest House & free evening Day 13: Can Tho Breakfast at Guesthouse #2 Visit to Son Island with Mr. Ly Quoc Dang, Mekong Delta Development Research Institute and members of the Delta Youth Alliance to discuss issues of dykes and erosion, catfish production, local livelihoods and lifestyles, lack of local infrastructure and education facilities, and health and sanitation problems. Lunch near Son Island. RESPONSE ESSAY #2 DUE Climate change impacts on Vietnam s coastal and low-lying areas Saturday 10 January 6:00 am 7:30 am 9:00 am to 9:45 am 9:45 am to 10:30 am 10:30 am to 11:30 am 11:30 pm to 12:30 pm *Dinner on your own near Guest House Day 14: Soc Trang Province Breakfast in Guest House Number 2 Travel to Soc Trang with Mr. Ly Quoc Dang to visit cultural sites: Bat Pagoda & Khleng Temple Presentation Bat Conservation Education Project- Key Forwards to save the Bats and Khmer Culture in the Mekong Delta, Local Government Office Visit Bat s Living Area in the Bat Pagoda Visit Khleng Pagoda Lunch at restaurant in Soc Trang Note: all meals on field trips are covered by the program 6

7 1:00 pm to Sunday 11 January 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday 12 January 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday 13 January 8:00 am to 3:00 pm 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm Travel to coastal area with Dr. Pham Minh Duc and Dr. Tran Ngoc Hai, College of Aquaculture and Fisheries; learn about the livelihoods of local fishers through discussions with fishing families. How is climate change likely to affect the natural environment upon which their livelihood depends? Visit dikes being built to protect farmland from seawater intrusion due to climate change. Site visits: rain fed rice cultivation area, water control dike, and intensive shrimp farming farm, CTU Research Station, sea dike and protective mangrove forests. Dinner in Bac Lieu Hotel in Bac Lieu Day 15: Farms on road from Bac Lieu Ca Mau With Dr. Pham Minh Duc and Dr. Tran Ngoc Hai visit family and commercial agricultural farms (rice and shrimp) and aquaculture farms. Site visits: rice-shrimp rotation area, multiple rice crop areas. Hotel in Ca Mau Day 16: Ca Mau Nam Can With Dr. Pham Minh Duc and Dr. Tran Ngoc Hai visit coastal sites where mangroves have been removed and where healthy stands remain to demonstrate the importance of mangroves for stabilizing the coast and for healthy aquatic ecosystems. Explore the implications of climate change on the health of mangrove ecosystems and the flow-on implications for marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Site visit: Cape Ca Mau National Park, mangrove-shrimp integrated systems areas. Hotel in Can Mau Day 17: Kien Giang Provinve; U Minh Thuong National Park With Dr. Pham Minh Duc and Dr. Tran Ngoc Hai explore the implications of climate change on the health of melaleuca forest and peat swamp ecosystems and the flow-on implications for marine and terrestrial ecosystems. What are the implications of damaged ecosystems for local livelihoods and Vietnamese society more generally? Return to Can Tho, including one hour stop at roadside restaurant for dinner. 7

8 8:00 pm Wednesday 14 January 9:00 to 11:00 am 11:00 am onward 5:00 pm Thursday 15 January 6:00 am 7:00 am 7:30 am to 5:00 pm 1:00 pm Check into Guest House Number 2 Day 18: Can Tho Breakfast in Guest House Number 2 Group debrief discussion: Guest House dining room patio Free time & time to work third response essay: Livelihoods and Climate Change, and explore Can Tho. RESPONSE ESSAY #3 DUE Livelihoods and climate change *Dinner on your own near Guest House Day 19: Can Tho to An Giang Province Breakfast in Guest House Check out of Guest House Number 2 for 2 nd field trip With Dr. Ngo Thuy Diem Trang, (lecturer of College of Natural Resources and Environment) and Dr. Nguyen Chau Thanh Tung visit An Giang Province to explore international Mekong River management issues and Ba Chúc Khmer Rouge massacre site. Lunch Continued tour of cultural sites -- demonstration of traditional weaving in Cambodian Khmer village. Hike Mt. Sam and visit pagodas. Note: all meals on field trips are covered by the program Friday 16 January 7:30 am to 11:30 am Dinner in Châu Dôc Hotel in Châu Dôc Day 20: An Giang Province to Tram Chim National Park Breakfast in Hotel Drive to Tram Chim National Park with Dr. Ngo Thuy Diem Trang and Dr. Nguyen Chau Thanh Tung 8

9 11:30 am to 1:00 pm 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm Saturday 17 January 6:00 am to 10:00 am 11:00 am 11:30 am 5:00 pm Sunday 18 January 8:00 am 11:30 am 1:00 pm 5:00 pm Monday 19 January Check into Hotel in Tram Chim Lunch at National Park office Presentation about the history, ecology and management of the Park by park manager Tour and discussion of the Park ecosystems, management units, park boundary issues Dinner at National Park office Hotel near Tram Chim National Park Day 21: Tram Chim National Park to Can Tho Bird watching and Boat Tour of Park (light breakfast on boats), exploration of the Park management units, park boundary issues Check out of Hotel Depart to Can Tho City with lunch on route Check into Guest House Number 2 *Dinner on your own near Guest House Day 22: Can Tho & Ho Chi Minh City Free morning. Time to work on journals and lecture responses. Check out of Guest House Number 2; load luggage in bus *Lunch on your own near Guesthouse Return to Ho Chi Minh City Check into Victory Hotel *Dinner on your own & free evening Victory Hotel Day 23: Ho Chi Minh City 9

10 8:00 am 9:00 am to 11:00 am 6:30 pm 9:00 pm Tuesday 20 January Breakfast at hotel Group wrap up discussion and course evaluations (Place: TBD) *Lunch on your own JOURNAL AND SPEAKER RESPONSES DUE Final Group dinner at Nha Hang Ngon Restaurant Victory Hotel Depart for airport for those leaving in the evening Day 24: Ho Chi Minh City to United States 7:00 am onward Depart Vietnam for the United States Friday, January 23, 5:00 pm: FINAL CRITICAL RESPONSE ESSAY DUE 10