2025 SDSU Vietnam Ag Class: May 17

(Editor's note: I rec'd these pics. But no text to add to them. Posting these and will add any text when it arrives...)

(Second editor's note: I rec'd this text. But no info yet on just what the pictures show. Hopefully, more info on that to come.)

(Third editor's note: Captions have arrived!)

Saturday May, 17^th

Today was by far the earliest morning of our trip so far while we were in Vietnam. We had to be ready to get on our bus at 6:45 am to take a three-hour drive to Ha Long. Once we got to the city we toured a large shipping port, followed by a pearl factory, and had some relaxing time spent on a short cruise, finishing with a kayaking excursion in the bay.

Our first stop of the morning was to CICT port, where we received a presentation overview of the company and how they handle the imports and exports of ag products in northern Vietnam. The CICT project was an initial 155-million-dollar investment by US and Vietnamese partners, split 51% to the Vietnamese and 49% to the US. The port was initially used to bring in large cargo container ships but has switched to primarily agriculturally based products. These products are then sent to local feed mills to be made into feed for the poultry and swine industry that populates northern Vietnam. They also have a booming wood chip business where local producers harvest timber and turn it into wood chips, which are then shipped to China and Japan to be turned into paper.

Our next stop took us to Legend Pearl Factory of Halong Bay, where the workers gave us a demonstration on pearl extraction. The process starts with a worker prying open an oyster and making a slight incision in the reproductive tissue. Next, they inserted a piece of disinfected dermal tissue from a donor oyster and a pearl (base/seed?) into the reproductive membrane of the original oyster. This ensures the highest success rate of creating an AAAA grade pearl, which is the premier of pearl grade standards for the company. There are three different types of pearls that are used when making jewelry at the factory. The first is a shiny yellow pearl, known as the South Sea pearl. The second one is a unique-looking stormy gray, commonly called the Black pearl. Finally, the most recognizable white pearls are known as akoya. Once a recipient pearl has received its (base/seed) it is either put into the fresh water or ocean, depending on the type of oyster, and left for approximately 1-5 years. After our tour of the factory, we were granted the opportunity to observe the high-quality workmanship that Legend Pearl is known for in Vietnam.

Immediately after, we headed to the bay for some well-deserved relaxation on a short cruise. Here, we were served a quick 8 course meal, which gave the students their first opportunity to try squid on the trip. After dinner, we soaked up some sun on the top deck of the small ship, while awaiting our next destination. We journeyed to a series of small limestone islands, where we continued sightseeing via two-person kayaks. Following this, we then boarded the ship again to sail to a small island, named Ti Top. Here, we were able to see a vast array of many different cultures, as people from all over the world came to visit this popular tourist destination. Students also got the opportunity to walk up the 330 steps of TI Top lookout to capture a breathtaking view of the bay below.

We finished the day by heading back to Hanoi, where we enjoyed our nightly family-style meal at one of the great local restaurants, Bancha. It was some great grilled pork. Make sure to check back in tomorrow to be included in the rest of our adventures while in Vietnam!

Tạm biệt, Drew and Taylor