May 3, 2026

MASON'S ELEPHANT SANTUARY was a little slice of Heaven! in crazy, congested Bali! I really wanted to treat the Spa Manager Stacy and our Entertainment Manager Kelly, to a fun, non-stressful event that they could truly enjoy! Stacy had never seen elephants before and her squeal of delight, when we first laid eyes on them was pure joy!

We walked right into the male ( with long tusk) getting frisky with the female, in the swimming hole. Note, the female then mounted him!   Then they both cooled off, for awhile, before exiting the pool for some food. Then we move over to feeding them and the trainers had them posing for photos with us all.

After feeding the elephants we cleaned up a bit and went to watch a 20 minute documentary about the history and mission of the Santurary. We heard all about the Australian founder, who married a local Balinese woman, and started the whole mission over 25 years ago and who now continues to run the Foundation with their 2 sons. We no sooner walked out of the movie tent and who do we walk straight into ? the Mason Family ! They were celebrating the wedding of the son. We chatted with them for a bit and then got the below photo with them. So impressive what they have created and sustained over all these years!

Next we were off to jumbo wash an elephant, a first for all of us! This beauty lady is 45 years old.

KOH CHANG, THAILAND

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?!?

On the way to Koh Chang, Thailand

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!

WAT BANG KUNG & TRAIN MARKET - Bangkok ,Thailand

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.