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!!

By Pat Patrick July 26, 2026
We just relaxed on the Island of Koh Chang, Thailand. It's one of the largest Thai Islands in the Gulf of Thailand and it has a dense, steep jungle & National Park covering the interior of the Island, which extends off shore, to coral reefs. The coast line is dotted with beaches and villages. This was a tender port, so we decided to stay on the Island for 3 nights, to be able to experience the nightlife. Turns out, it is low season, so nightlife was pretty sleepy. However, we did find a new favorite night time activity! Any Guesses?!?
By Pat Patrick July 25, 2026
Love Sea Days ! I got a much needed haircut and color. Think I'll be going shorter, but giving this a whirl! Can you see the back in the mirror? The bangs and side volume, is what drives me nuts in the heat and humidity!
By Pat Patrick July 21, 2026
Wat Bang Kung Temple was a quick stop along the way to the Train Markets . What makes this unique is the Temple is completely enclosed by roots of four giant trees (a banyan, bodhi and others). From the outside, it looks like nature has swallowed the building. Inside the chapel is a golden Buddha image, that locals still visit to pray. It was quite active during our short visit there. The Temple dates back over 250 years and survived the Burmese invasion.