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I have signed up for two field programs ahead of time. One is in Ghana and one is in India. I copied and pasted the destription from the Semester at Sea website...
Field Programs are Semester at Sea organized trips that are structured to help you fulfill academic requirements while satisfying your specific travel interests. They compose an integral part of the Semester at Sea experience by offering students the opportunity to become actively involved in the countries visited.
Here are detailed descriptions of the two field programs I have signed up for. I was told to not plan that much ahead and play most of the trip by ear so that is why I only signed up for two.
In Ghana Thursday Septamber 15th Morning Star school visit:
We will depart the ship and head towards the Cantonments - Labone suburb of Accrato the Morning Star School. This school teaches pupils from kindergarten through the 9th grade. We will visit with both students and teachers of this school to learn more about their approaches to education. Students are offered a variety of courses ranging from science and language to health and music. Morning Star language faculty offer English, French and two local languages - namely Ga and Twi. Participants will learn about Ghanaian education and see how the Morning Star
School implements its mission to offer a top quality education in a caring environment. Participants will see how the academic and extra-curricular programs support student learning, examine teaching strategies and celebrate student achievement. Participants will develop an appreciation for how educators around the world work towards meeting needs of individual students to produce lifelong learners and responsible citizens in a global world. Please note: Box lunches will be provided from the ship.
In India Monday October 10-15th Agra and Varanasi Tour
This trip combines the bustling city of Delhi, the majesty of the Taj Mahal and the "eternal city" of Varanasi, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India. Located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges, Varanasi is the holy city of the Hindus. Often called ―the heartbeat of India,‖ it is the oldest inhabited city in the world. Varanasi has been a center of civilization and learning for more than 2,000 years. Here you can observe the ritual bathing in the Ganges at dawn, a practice that has continued virtually unchanged over the centuries.
Transfer by motor coach to the Chennai airport for your 2.5-hour flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight stay. The early morning finds you aboard the Shatabdi Express, heading toward Agra. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. After checking in, enjoy breakfast before departing for the remarkably preserved Fatehpur Sikri, with its red sandstone palaces. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Agra Fort to view the halls and palaces of the Mughals. Then visit the fabled Taj Mahal where you will have the opportunity to view the Taj Mahal at dusk. An optional shopping tour, with your guide, is available after the sunset viewing.
Depart for the railway station on the Shatabdi Express for your journey to Delhi. A packed dinner will be provided for the train ride. Overnight in Delhi. After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Varanasi. Once there, transfer to the hotel for check-in and lunch. Then enjoy a tour of Sarnath, located six miles outside of Varanasi. Although the ancient city of Sarnath lies in ruins, it is as holy to Buddhists as Varanasi is to Hindus; Buddha preached his first sermon here. See the stupa and ruins of an ancient monastery as well as the new Buddhist temple.
Afterward, witness the Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat on the banks of the River Ganges, and a rickshaw ride. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Awaken early and drive to the banks of the River Ganges before sunrise. Board a boat and sail along the river to witness a spectacle of religious practice that has continued unchanged over centuries. At dawn, pilgrims converge at the holy waters for the ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth. This is one of the most memorable experiences of a visit to India. Return to the hotel for breakfast followed by a brief city tour of Varanasi. Depart for the midday flight to Delhi (lunch on board) followed by a tour of the area. See Humayun's Tomb and Raj Ghat. Drive past numerous government buildings, Raj Path and Rashtrapati Bhawan. Before the return flight to Chennai, enjoy an early dinner at the airport. Upon arrival, transfer to the ship and arrive shortly after midnight.
Something that I am the most excited for but is not planned through Semester at Sea is the Shark Jumper Tour. This is something that I have set up with someone in Cape Town, South Africa where it gives me the opportunity to go bungee jump off the worlds highest bungee bridge on September 24th then go cage diving with great whites on September 25th. This is something that I have been planning on doing since I got accepted to SAS so I can not wait to actually do it! Shark week has made me even more excited!
Those are the only things I have 100% planned on so far but I have a few other things in mind that I would like to do...
-Camel tour and sandboarding in Morocco
-Skydiving and Hiking Table Mountain in Cape Town
-Catamaran and snorkeling in Mauritius
-Visiting the Great wall of China
-Home-stay in Japan
-Zip-lining in Costa Rica
-Climbing a volcano in Hawaii
These are things I have thought about doing but have not planned yet! Like I said earlier, I am going to plan most of this trip as it comes because I want to be able to plan trips with the friends I make!
Thats all the info I have now but there is much more to come!
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