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.


2nd YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SAILING THE WORLD

By Pat Patrick • October 1, 2026
WOW!! I can't believe it has been two years of sailing around the World already for me and my fellow shipmates on the Villa Vie Odyssey! We left Belfast, Ireland back on September 30, 2024 and it has been such a great adventure to date! We have been to 201 different ports, some more than once, during those two years, with much more to come!

APOPO, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 29, 2026
Before coming to Cambodia , I sadly have to admit I was unaware of the landmine problems they face. On our first night in Siem Reap, where we hiked up the hill to try and see the sunset views, there was a small band of men playing instruments and our tuk tuk driver explained to me they were victims of landmine explosions who had lost limbs or their sight and were trying to make money via donations to support their families.

Ta Prohm Temple ( AKA Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 28, 2026
I rallied for our last temple of the morning, because I heard this one was unique and I think it was my favorite. Ta Prohm was built starting in 1186 by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and university dedicated to the king's mother. It was left mostly un-restored so that huge banyan and silk cotton trees grow directly over and through the walls. In 2001, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie was filmed here.