May 19, 2025

ACALPULCO, MEXICO - My Birthday 5/10/2025

I awoke early on my 64th Birthday, since my brother Michael had no sense of what time zone I am in, compared to him, on the East Coast! Then at breakfast my buddy and Beatles Fan, Bob Meyer, sang me When I Am 64 and promptly fed me on the iconic line - "will you still feed me, when I'm 64! ( I love how he opened his mouth out of habit, like you do when you start feeding toddlers, and want them to open wide and take a bite!) The day only got better from here!

I wanted a low key Birthday with just some of my close friends on the Ship. So I booked a tour for 8 of us ( L to R: Bosco, Memo, Sherrie, Sarah, Bob, Bonnie & Steve) to see some of the highlights of Acapulco and see the iconic cliff divers and finish with some local drinks and food. Mother's Day was celebrated the same day in Mexico (Saturday in lieu of Sunday) and so many places were booked out for weeks prior. Our guides picked us up at the port and drove us through a variety of neighborhoods so we could see first hand the working class neighborhoods in town and their schools, marketplaces and places of business.

Then we head to the southern end of Acapulco Bay, a wealthier section of town, up in the hills overlooking the harbor. The Five star resort Hotel Las Brisas is here, where every villa has an individual pool from their bedroom to their outside patio. Below is the Chapel of Peace  which opened in 1970, to memorialize 2 brothers who died in a plane crash. It has wonderful seaside views and the massive white crucifix is visible from almost anywhere in the city. Also glimpsed the unusual Arango House up in the hills.

Next we were back to the area just north of the Port,and the home of the famed dead defying LA QUEBRADA HIGH CLIFF DIVERS.

Below is video of tour put together by our guide Rudy.

The Tour finished with a stop at the Diego Rivera mural made from Venetian mosaic tile, at the home of Dolores Olmedo, philanthropist and art collector.

We had a late lunch of margaritas, enchiladas and fajitas at the central square, across from the Port. The same group all joined me later for dinner on the Ship - it was a FUN day!!

SAIGON, VIETNAM - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE EVENT

By Pat Patrick • September 21, 2026
I joined in with 49 other Ship Residents to attend an event the next day at The Vietnam War Remnants Museum also known as The Museum for Peace. This was put together by our residents as part of our ongoing efforts with the Ship's Odyssey Rotary Club and our Global Flagship of Peace initiative.

HO CHI MING CITY, VIETNAM

By Pat Patrick • September 21, 2026
HO CHI MING CITY or SAIGON was our last port in Vietnam . The downtown area was an hour away from the Port , so most of us got Hotel rooms in town, as prices were so reasonable. Sadly, it was a rainy four days, but that kept temperatures moderate and we could still get out and do most things. We stayed in district #1 as most of the City highlights are in this area along with the nightlife. Traffic is very busy in the City, especially motorbikes. Crossing the streets needs to be done with intent and quickly as there are very few traffic lights or stop signs.

SHIP SHENANIGANS - CLUE PARTY

By Pat Patrick • September 16, 2026
It's never a dull Sea Day on the Odyssey! We have such creative residents, that are always coming up with new ideas to entertain ourselves and have a good time. This plot was the calculating of Eddie and Michelle - a Game of Clue! The rules were simple - find the party venue at 8:30 pm, come dressed as a character, weapon or room from the game and solve the mystery of who stole the Ship's bell.