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.


Singapore - Little India

By Pat Patick • August 11, 2026
Little India is a neighborhood in Singapore that I wanted to explore becase I love Indian food and their Temple's have such unique gods and Architecture, super colorful and detailed. Below is the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore's first temple dedicated to Veeramakaliammam or the Kali , a fierce incarnation of Shiva's wife and the "Destroyer of Evil" .

SINGAPORE - Cooking Class

By Pat Patrick • August 10, 2026
Other residents had a great experience at Singapore's Food Playground on prior visits, so we wanted to try it out! Our first day in Port, twelve of us signed up for a fun afternoon, where we got to enjoy our creations as a yummy lunch. Front row (L to R) is Ellie, Rick, their visiting friend, Sue, Christy and Angela. Back Row - Me, Bosco, Delia, John, Terri & Lori.

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?!?