Greece/Turkey Study Tour 2006

Trip Information for the Greece Turkey Trip Summer 2006 sponsored by Lee University. See Frequently Asked Questions Below for dates, places, prices, etc

Monday, February 27, 2006

Travel Tip Number 2

Kusadasi, Turkey; We will be staying on the sea while we are here.


PACK LIGHT
As you begin to prepare please remember to bring only 1 suitcase to check and 1 carry-on bag.

We will be on the move during our trip and having extra bags will just slow us down.

Remember our trip is not a fashion show!! (And if we are in a fashion show DR HOFFMAN will be our model this year!!!!)

Also pack a spare bag for your purchases along the way.

I hope you are getting excited about the trip.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Travel Tip Number One URGENT PLEASE READ

Istanbul, Turkey



Greetings

I will be posting "travel tips" as our plans move forward. I have traveled several times overseas and picked up a few handy and important things that should make our trip go smoother.

Here is travel tip Number One.

1. Everyone should check their passports this week.

2. If you do not have a passport you should go to the post office now and apply immediately. You will need 2 passport pictures a birth certificate and drivers license. PLEASE DO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

3. If you already have a Passport LOCATE IT NOW, Actually find it and look at it. This will do two things, it will make sure you can find your passport and you can also check the date on your passport. Make sure your passport is valid until at least August of 2006.

4. When you find your passport please send an email to me with your Name as it appears on your passport, The place it was issued (e.g. Washington, DC) and your passport number. Please email this information to me and Dr. Hoffman as soon as possible. We need this information to begin reserving our tickets.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER IT IS CRUCIAL.

John Wineland

Friday, February 10, 2006

Ephesus: Home of one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world

Library of Celsus, Ephesus Turkey


The site of Ephesus is an amazing place. It has wonderful ruins, architecture, art, a large theater, the Apostle Paul lived here for over a year, a great museum, and the remains of one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the Temple to Artemis.
This is just one of the great places we are going this summer.
Have a great weekend
John Wineland

Passports




Someone asked a question today about Passports:

  • Let me encourage you to get your passports as soon as possible. We will need this information soon to obtain visa and confirm tickets etc.

  • Do I need a passport and/or visas?
  • Yes, you need a passport valid through at least August of 2006. You can get a passport by filling out an application (including providing two pictures of your self) at a US post office. You also need a drivers license and (I think) a birth certificate. The fee is about $90 and the pictures cost an extra $10 or so. The passport is good for 10 years. You should apply RIGHT AWAY if you are planning on going on this trip as the wait is several months once you have filled out the application. You do not need to get individual visas. We will get group visas for you (included in the trip price) where ever they are needed.


Trip Meeting

The beach on Crete


Medusa, Temple to Apollo, Didyma, Turkey


Hello,
It was great to meet several of you yesterday at the trip meeting (and a couple of you before the meeting). I will be on campus today teaching Dr. Hoffman's class at noon. So if you are around stop by.
Please remember to get your deposits in as soon as possible if you have not done that yet. We are going to have a great trip so I hope you will be there when we stare down Medusa!!
If you have friends, or relatives (yes even parents!) that might like to go on the trip tell them to contact Dr. Hoffman or me as soon as possible. We could use a few more people on our trip.
Keep logging in to this Blog from time to time to check for new information. If you have any questions email me or Dr. Hoffman. Also look for "Travel Tips" and "Answers to Good Questions" that we willl post here as time goes on.
Have a great weekend and if you start to feel cold today think of next summer and image yourself sailing across the Aegean to Santorini or climbing the Acropolis in Athens. That should warm you up!
John Wineland

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Frequently Asked Questions About the Trip

Istanbul, Turkey Blue Mosque

Frequently asked questions and answers for the Turkey/Greece (i.e. Mediterranean) Study Tour:

When is it?
Tentatively set for June for 16 days. The travel agent is still securing the best routes/times and the arrival and departure days could change slightly but the trip will certainly be within summer school session II, 2006.

Where will we go?
Turkey and Greece. Key cities and sites include Istanbul (ancient Constantinople), Troy, Ephesus, Pergamum, the island of Crete in the Mediterranian, Santorini (the island that some think was ancient Atlantis), Athens, Mycenae, Corinth, Delphi, etc.

What is the cost?
The package cost is $4350 – this includes all fees/tuition for 7 credit hours of Lee course work, all transportation, all lodging, all breakfasts, most or all dinners (this is still being negotiated at a couple of hotels), and a couple of lunches, all guides, all site admissions, the fee for student trip/travel insurance provided by Lee through a 3rd party, all taxes and fees related to the above and a few other things. It excludes the cost of your own passport any medical preparation (shots, etc.) if desired. Of course, souvenirs and gifts you might want to buy as well as any expenses not part of the group package or group itinerary are your own responsibility.

What courses are offered?
You need to register for 7 credit hours for courses in summer II just as you would register for regular classes. The courses you need to select are: GST 251 (1 credit hour) – this is the required core “cross-cultural experience” You must take GST 200 before going on the trip and before you take the GST 251 cross culture experience course as part of the trip.

HUM 201 or HIS 480 (3 credit hours) – although these are not exactly the same course, they are similar enough that you may take only one or the other. The HUM 201 course is the required core course “Foundations of Western Culture.” If you have taken it already, or prefer to get HIS credit for whatever reason, you need to take HIS 480 “History and Archaeology of the Greco-Roman World”.

ANT 493/HIS 493 (3 credit hours) – The Islamic World. You can take this course for either history credit or Anthropology credit (or perhaps ISP credit – if you prefer – please see us if you desire ISP credit). You can go on the trip without taking any courses, but the price is the same. If you take courses, you must sign up for 7 hours selected from the course above. You can take GST 251 more than once, so even if you already have credit for it from another trip or experience locally, you can take it again for credit on this trip. The other two course can not be repeats. In other words, if you have had HUM 201, then you would need to sign up for HIS 480.

Who will teach the courses and what are the requirements?
Dr. Hoffman will be the listed teacher for the HUM 201/HIS 480 course and for GST 251. The Islamic World course will be taught by Dr. John Wineland, a professor of history and religion at Kentucky Christian College, who will be going on the trip with us. He is and expert in archaeology, history, and religion and has been to nearly ever site that we will be visiting. We will also have local guides to explain sites and help in any way necessary. You will be required to keep a daily journal – this is the main requirement of the GST course which is graded on a pass/fail basis – and the same journal will part of the requirements for the other courses. Whichever other courses you select will also require text reading and answering a detailed worksheet related to sites we visit and some things from the text, and a research paper due about a month after we return. Attendance at some trip meetings prior to leaving (2 or 3) is also expected.

Will financial aid be available to help with the cost of the trip?
Although you should check with the Lee University business and financial aid office directly, aid has been available in the past for trips like this one. In essence, in the past, whatever aid you might be able to get for 7 hours of course credits in summer school taken at the Lee campus will be available for you for the trip. There are also some trip scholarships available through Dr. Jerome Hammond’s office and/or the office of Dr. Suzanne Hamid.

How many students can go and how are they selected?
We will take 20-30 students and they will be selected on a “first come, first accepted” basis. Any major and any classification (sophomore, junior, etc.) can go. Be sure to talk with Dr. Hoffman to get answers to any other questions before you actually put down your deposit (see below).

Is a deposit required?
Yes, a $500 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is required to secure your place on the trip. The business office will take deposits until the trip is filled. Just give them your name and check. We hope to have the group set by mid-February at the lastest, but if you want to go and can’t deposit $500 right away contact Dr. Hoffman (my email and phone no. are below).

Why is the deposit non-refundable?
The reason that the deposit is non-refundable after the trip is filled is that a deposit will be sent as soon as the group is finalized to hold the seats on the airlines and the rooms in the hotels. Thus, Lee will not be able to refund the money after the deposit is sent off since it will not be “on hand”. In addition, by making a deposit, you make a commitment to go on the trip and to pay the whole remaining amount from the $4350 later. Thus, if you need to cancel after making the deposit, you must inform Dr. Hoffman and the business office right away and technically you could be liable for the whole $4350 even if you drop – if we have already sent out all the payments and can not get some one to take your spot. So, unless we hear otherwise, after getting the deposit, we will assume that you are intending to go on the trip, and the business office will expect you to make arrangements to pay the remaining portion of the trip cost before we leave.

When are future payments after the deposit due?
We suggest that regular payments be made but it is up to you and the business office to arrange for the payment prior to departure just as you would pay for tuition for normal classes.

Do I need a passport and/or visas?
Yes, you need a passport valid through at least August of 2006. You can get a passport by filling out an application (including providing two pictures of your self) at a US post office. You also need a drivers license and (I think) a birth certificate. The fee is about $90 and the pictures cost an extra $10 or so. The passport is good for 10 years. You should apply RIGHT AWAY if you are planning on going on this trip as the wait is several months once you have filled out the application. You do not need to get individual visas. We will get group visas for you (included in the trip price) where ever they are needed.

Contact information
You are welcome to see me, HC 307E (the new Humanities building, third floor), or call me, ext. 8351 (423-614-8351), or email me at dhoffman@leeuniversity.edu , if you have any questions. Thanks for your interest in the trip. It will be a great one I think and I hope you can go!
Dr. Daniel Hoffman

Trip Itinerary

Santorini (Ancient Thera)


DAY 1:
Depart Atlanta fly to Istanbul

DAY 2:
Arrive Istanbul / Transfer from Airport to Hotel / Short City tour / Return to Hotel for Dinner and overnight.

DAY 3:
F/D Tour to Hagia Sophia / Blue Mosque / Byzantine Cistern ( Yerebatan Muzesi )
Back to Hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 4 :
F/D tour including a visit to Topkapi Palace / Chora Church / Boat ride on the Bosphous / Return to Hotel for Dinner and overnight.

Day 5:
Leave Istanbul for Behramkale / Visit to Truva ( Troy ) and Assos / Dinner and
Overnight at Behramkale

DAY 6:
Leave Behramkale for Kusadasi / Visit Bergama / ( Pergamum ) Both the Acropolis
and Asclepion. / Dinner and overnight at Kusadasi.

DAY 7:
F/D Tour to the Roman City of Efes ( Ephesus ) Church of St John / Temple of Artemis / Archaeological Museum of Ephesus / Dinner and overnigh Kusadasi

DAY 8:
Leave Kusadasi for Bodrum / Visit to Aphrodisis / Didim ( Didyma ) and Bodrum /
( Halicarnassus ) Dinner and overnight Bodrum.

DAY 9:
Transfer to the port of Bodrum for departure by Ferry to Koss./ And from Koss to Heraklion by plane / Meet and assist and transfer to Hotel for dinner and overnight in Heraklion.

DAY 10:
Heraklion / Knossos / Visit the Museum / The Palace of Knossos and Archaeological Museum / in Heraklion / Dinner and overnight in Heraklion .

DAY 11:
Heraklion / Santorini Island Tour / Transfer to the port of Heraklion for a fast boat ride / Meet and assist upon arrival / A short Island tour / Visit Akrotiri and the pre historic Museum in Fira / Dinner and overnight in Santorini .

DAY 12:
Santorini Peraeus - Athens / Transfer to the port of Athinios then to Piraeus. / Meet and assist and transfer to Athens / Dinner and overnight Athens.

DAY 13:
Athens City Tour / Panoramic City tour / Visit the Acroolis / Ancient Agora / Theater of Dionyssos / Mars Hill / National Archaeological Museum / Dinner and
Overnight Athens.

DAY 14:
Athens / F/D Argolis / Visit Argolis Excavation / Ancient Corinth / Akrkorinth and Mycenea / Sight and museum . Dinner and overnight Athens.

DAY 15:
Athen / F/D. Excursion to Delphi includin a visit of The Archaeological Museum /
Dinner and overnight Athens.

DAY 16:
Transfer from Hotel in Athens to Airport for departure back to Atlanta.

Welcome

Parthenon, Athens Greece


Greetings,

I am creating this blog so we can communicate information about our trip. This will be designed for trip participants and family and friends.

I am excited about the trip I hope you are too.

This is will be a trip of a lifetime.



John Wineland
Professor of History and Archaeology
wineland@kcu.edu