Can Tho to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam January 14th 2010

• On the bus at 7.00am to visit Can Tho university and hear a presentation from the Dean - Mr Trong - from the College of Environment and Natural Resources - It was a very interesting and informative overview of the geography and issues facing the Mekong Delta. Gave a very different perspective to what we had been seeing on our travels through the area over these two days.
• A short trip to a local secondary school with the opportunity to spend time in a Year 10 English class. It was interesting to see the way that the lesson was presented by the teacher. This school contrasted with the one we had visited in Hanoi. This is a select entry school for students in Can Tho - about 650 students in total. Class sizes are 29 on average, considerably less that usually found. English text books and tapes used during the session with follow up questions and answers.
• After class it was back to the Mekong River for a short boat journey to view the floating market. The market supplies predominantly fruit and vegetables with each boat advertising their wares at the top of a 4 metre bamboo pole attached to their boat.
• Lots of traffic on the river with boats and barges moving all manner of goods from town to town and between town and the islands in the delta.
• Lunch at a restaurant by the river and then onto the bus for the return journey to HCMC.
• Arrived at 7.00pm, checking in to the hotel (located in District 1 - a prime real estate and shopping area - if you like designer labels) and then out onto the streets to a local floating restaurant.

Friday January 15th

• A two hour drive in the morning to the district of Cu Chi. The tunnel system became legendary in the 1960's for its role in facilitating Viet Cong control of a large rural area only 40kms outside of HCMC. This area of 420sq kms was the most bombed, shelled, gasseed and defoliated area in the history of warfare. The area these days is farming - rice and rubber and is hard to imagine as it must have been during the Vietnam War.
• Back into the city and a visit to the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum in the afternoon.
• Our last night together as a group before we all begin to head off to our home destinations from tomorrow.
• An enlightening, challenging, confronting, exhilarating study tour of Vietnam comes to a conclusion.