NORTHERN CHILE/ARGENTINA -- SUMMER 2005 STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM -- TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Pictures from the Chile and Argentina Study Abroad Program can be viewed here.

STUDY ABROAD SCHEDULE

Confirmed dates for the 2005 Program are July 6 through August 3, 2005.

For a list of contact phone numbers and hotel names for the Chile/Argentina program, click on:Hotel Phone Numbers.

July 6, 2005 (wed)-- Meet at Nashville Airport at 12:30 pm CDT at the Delta check-in counter. Delta #493 Nashville to Atlanta (2:13pm/4:25 pm)
Dinner in Atlanta Airport. Delta #147 to Santiago, Chile, departs Atlanta at 10:10 pm
July 7, 2005 (thur) -- Arrive Santiago Airport 7:30 am. Transfer to rental vans. Drive 80 kilometers to Viña del Mar, Pacific Ocean resort city. Transfer to Mount Royal hotel. Rest of day free
July 8, 2005 (fri) -- Drive northwards along Pacific Coast to Limarí Valley (approximately 200 miles). Overnight Gran Hotel de Ovalle.
July 9, 2005 (sat) -- Visit the Limarí Valley and explore the fruit-production system of the area. Overnight Gran Hotel de Ovalle.
July 10, 2005 (sun) -- Drive northwards through the Norte Chico to Vallenar (approximately 180 miles), a center for mining and agriculture. Overnight at the Hotel Garradeleon.
July 11, 2005 (mon) -- Continue northwards along the Pacific coast and the Panamericano highway to Bahía Inglesa (about 180 miles). Overnight at the Hotel Blanco Encalada on the beach.
July 12, 2005 (tues) -- Through the Río Salado valley to Taltal on the Pacific Ocean (about 150 miles). Overnight Hosteria Taital on the beach.
July 13, 2005 (wed) -- Drive to Antofagasta, the major city of the Norte Grande region and Chile's second-largest city. Center for the mineral production of the Atacama desert region (approximately 200 miles). Overnight at the Hotel Tatio overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
July 14, 2005 (thurs) -- Free day. Visit downtown Antofagasta - relax. Overnight at the Hotel Tatio.
July 15, 2005 (fri) -- Drive across the Atacama Desert region to Calama, center of the mining industry in northern Chile (about 100 miles). Overnight Hotel El Mirador, Calama.
July 16, 2005 (sat) -- Visit the Chiquicamata copper mine near Calama. Overnight Hotel El Mirador.
July 17, 2005 (sun) -- Drive across the desert to San Pedro de Atacama, center of the tourism industry in the region (about 80 miles). Overnight at the Hotel Tolache resort.
July 18, 2005 (mon) -- Day trip to the El Tatio geyser field (early morning departure!). Overnight at the Tolache Hotel.
July 19, 2005 (tues) -- Excursion around the Atacama desert region villages. Overnight at the Tolache Hotel.
July 20, 2005 (wed) -- Drive across the Andes Mountains using the Jama Pass between Chile and Argentina (about 375 miles). Overnight in Salta Hotel Antiguo del Convento.
July 21, 2005 (thur -- Horseback Riding Excursion in Salta. Overnight Hotel Antiguo del Convento.
July 22, 2005 (fri) -- Humahuaca, Jujuy, and the colonial region excursion. Overnight Salta, Hotel Antiguo del Convento.
July 23, 2005 (sat) -- Tren de los Nubes excursion. Overnight Salta, Hotel Antiguo del Convento.
July 24, 2005 (sun) -- Drive south along the eastern slopes of ther Andes to Catamarca province (about 300 miles). Overnight in Santa María, Catamarca, Hotel Amancay.
July 25, 2005 (mon) -- Drive south towards San Juan province (about 375 miles). Overnight in Jachal, San Juan province, Hotel TBA.
July 26, 2005 (tue) -- In the Jachal, Rodeo, region of San Juan. Overnight in Jachal, San Juan, Hotel TBA.
July 27, 2005 (wed) -- Drive to Mendoza city (about 200 miles). Rest of the day free. Overnight at the Hotel Crillon in downtown Mendoza.
July 28, 2005 (thur) -- free day. Overnight at Hotel Crillon, Mendoza.
July 29, 2005 (fri) -- Daytrip skiing at Las Lenas resort in the Andes Mountains, Uspallata Pass, and the Inca Bridge. Overnight at the Crillon Hotel, Mendoza.
July 30, 2005 (sat) -- Excursion through the wineries and rural Cuyo region. Overnight at Hotel Crillon.
July 31, 2005 (sun) -- Drive back across the Andes from Mendoza to Santiago de Chile (about 300 miles) using the Paso Libertadores. Overnight at the Chil Hotel in downtown Santiago, in the nice residential section of Providencia.
August 1, 2005 (mon) -- Day tour of Santiago city by subway and walking. Overnight at the Chil Hotel.
August 2, 2005 (tues) -- transfer to airport at 4 pm for 8:35 pm departure. Delta #146 departs at 8:35pm.
August 3, 2005 (wed) -- Arrive in Atlanta at 06:25 am - clear immigration and customs. Transfer to Delta #355 departing Atlanta at 8:53 am and arriving in Nashville at 9:10 am. Collect baggage and program officially ends.

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STUDY ABROAD COURSES

GEOG 468 and GEOG 468G -- Geography of Chile and Argentina (3 credit hours):
Analysis of the cultural and physical landscapes of northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. Topics included cultural frameworks, transportation and tourism, environmental degradation, agricultural and urban impacts, regional imbalances, physical landscapes, and the impacts of globalization.
Professor: Debbie Kreitzer.

GEOG 100 -- Introduction to Physical Geography (3 credit hours, General Education Category D):
The emphasis of this course is on the basic elements of physical geography (earth, wind, and fire), weather elements, geomorphology, and how people interact with their physical environment. Student analyze local and regional variations in the physical elements and present ideas on how the local people have adapted to create their own "sense of place."
Professor: Will Blackburn.

GEOG 101 -- Introduction to Human Geography (3 credit hours, General Education Category C):
The emphasis of this course is on fundamental principles of human geography, with political, cultural, transportation, language, and how people interact with the human-built landscapes. Student analyze local and regional variations in the cultural landscapes and present ideas on how the local people have adapted to create their own "sense of place."
Professor: Debbie Kreitzer.

GEOG 200 -- Introduction to Latin America (3 credit hours, General Education Category E):
The emphasis of this course is on the fundamental structures (both physical and cultural) that shape life and livelihood in Latin America generally and northern Chile/Argentina specifically. Politics, culture, transportation, language, and human-environment interaction are the key themes studied. Student analyze local and regional variations in the cultural landscapes and present ideas on how the local people have adapted to create their own "sense of place."
Professor: David Keeling.

GEOG 475 or GEOG 510 -- Independent Study (3 credit hours):
Students choose a topic relevant to geoscience and the areas we visit (students who sign up for independent study must also sign up for one of the other two courses). Independent research is conducted during the study abroad program and a research paper is submitted upon return from the program.

To contact Debbie Kreitzer, Program Coordinator, click on: debbie.kreitzer@wku.edu
To contact Will Blackburn, Program Instructor, click on: will.blackburn@wku.edu
Call 270-745-5984 or 270-745-4555 for more information about the Study Abroad Program.

To return to the Study Abroad homepage, click on: homepage

This page last updated on 8/23/05.