April 6, 2025

BELEM, BRAZIL

Above is Belem Opera House, not as famous as the one in Manaus but pretty just the same. It wasn't open for tours in the morning when I went out for walk to the Shopping area with Callie but some of our group did visit later in the day. Callie and I were in search of pedicures and after our days in the Amazon forest, the spa ladies said we needed premium treatment versus the regular! I was a little nervous when she plugged in giant sander! But these ladies were pro's! Happily we indulged and was shocked the cost was only $14 USD. We love Brazil's prices! Everything so cheap - Ubers are just 1 & 2 USD and beauty products are plentiful and also very affordable. Since we were in Brazil for  days we got very spoiled and had sticker shock coming back into the Caribbean!


Below is some of the city scenery, I didn't do a lot of exploring, needed more time to regroup and recover from Amazon. Did my own laundry for first time on ship, because all my stuff from Amazon was wet and dank. Didn't want to wait till my Laundry day of Monday. Really chilled over the weekend. On Saturday night we got another hotel room in the City to be able to go out to dinner and the clubs dancing. The tenders to the ship stopped at 11 pm and that was when the clubs started happening!

We went to a local restaurant, that a lady in salon recommended, and tried a bunch of local dishes. Then we checked into Hotel and went to a club that I had seen recommended on travel sites. The music was great and everybody was up dancing - they all twirl as they dance and wear clothing that really highlights the twirl! We stayed out until 2 a.m. !

Meet our new friend Helida Adler below. She was next to us at the club and heard us speaking English and introduced herself. She is from nearby Recife and was in town visiting family, since she and her husband now live in Maui, Hawaii. We hope to cross paths again when the ship gets to Maui. She said she would have a Brazilian meal for us! She also surprised me with her first question - how safe did we feel in Brazil? For the most part we were fine, but there were about 10 residents who had their cell phones stolen and 2 that didn't make great choices and got in a bit of an altercation with locals. We're always trying to be aware and cautious. I have a wrist strap and pop lock on the back of my phone and keep in my hand, in my pocket or in my purse.


TIOMAN ISLAND, MALAYSIA

By Pat Patrick • July 6, 2026
Fun day in the waters of Tioman Island, Malaysia snorkeling with friends. Life is good! It was nothing fancy, a boat & captain, who spoke minimal English and barely interacted with us, for roughly 7 hours. We started the outing spotting a group of dolphins and was quickly at anchor drop 1 of 6. The distances between the 6 snorkel spots was minimal, which gave us lots of time in the water (at least 45 minutes, at each spot) with an added stop for a lunch break at local restaurants. Even the restaurants were fast and efficient, definitely used to catering to the boat crowd.

HAPPY 4th of JULY from SE ASIA SEA!

By Pat Patrick • July 4, 2026
Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! Here on the Odyssey we celebrated in the SE Asia Sea on our way to Tioman Island, Malaysia . We have such a talented and dedicated group of residents here, they put together a fun hour of things to celebrate and embrace a lot of what we collectively love about the USA. Even our residents from other countries - Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany , etc. joined in the fun! ( I lent my flag below for decorations)

BINTAN, INDONESIA - BUDDHIST TEMPLE

By Pat Patrick • July 2, 2026
Vihara Avalokiteshvara Graha or Guan Yin Temple is near 500 Lohan, so we also toured the grounds of this large Temple complex. It's dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and is one the tallest brass statues of her in SE Asia. She is just over 55' tall, coated in 22 carat gold and is surrounded by scenic dragon fruit plantations. The tile work is intricate and textured with great details. The whole place is very tranquil and calming for meditation and prayer.