August 24, 2025

Day 4 off the Ship - doing land tour of Japan ( versus Ports)

Japan's immigration laws make it only possible to get off the ship once in one port and get back on in another port, without going to a foreign country in between. Therefore we had to combine our time off in Tokyo and Kyoto. The bullet train or Shinkansen is an amazing way to travel between the two towns going at a speed of 175 to 200 mph. It took just 2 hours and 15 minutes and was super smooth. We split a Chicken bento box for lunch and got to see most of Mt. Fuji out the window as we speed by mid trip.

WOW!!   THE HEAT WAVE HIT US AS SOON AS WE WALKED OUT OF KYOTO STATION. It was warm in Tokyo, 89 - 91 degrees but KYOTO is off the charts, in high 90's and humid!! OMG!!  We made it to our hotel and AC as quick as we could! Thank goodness it does cool off a bit once the sun goes down - so we ventured out for a walk and our first sights of Kyoto. Our hotel was only a few blocks away from the Kamo River and there was a bit of breeze down there, along with a ton of people. We wandered the narrow alleyways of the Poncho area and found a little sushi restaurant for dinner. After dinner we wandered some more, watching street performers and enjoying some ice cream on our walk back to the Hotel.

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IN THE AIR - literally and for real

By Pat Patrick • November 4, 2026
October has been a bit of a blur! My last post from Thailand , was about medical treatment and I'm happy to report all good; pathology negative and I'm healing nicely. What I haven't posted about, is what has been going on in the background of my fantastic voyage around the world . You have probably already seen a lot of news coverage and social media post and sorry I have done none. I have been busy weighing options, the logistics ( visas ugh! ) and gathering my things: organizing, weighing, purging, repacking, weighing again and flying. Below is my attempt of the short version, from my point of view and a map of area (and my quick stops) for reference.

Pattaya, Thailand - My healthcare

By Pat Patrick • October 23, 2026
This Blog is more than a journal of my travels around the world, it's a major memory tool for me in documenting all the events along the way. You often ask me how we take care of medical things, as we travel non stop and today is a perfect example. A fellow resident had posted on one of our WhatsApp groups ( this is the main way we all- residents, crew and stateside support all communicate ) that she had an excellent contact for anyone looking to get medical appointments in the Pattaya / Bangkok area.

Off the Coast of PATTAYA, THAILAND

By Pat Patrick • October 20, 2026
Off the coast of Pattaya, Thailand a talented and dedicated group of residents, the Odyssey Troubadours , performed A Night of Broadway for the enjoyment of all the other residents and senior staff on board. The group of 20 performed, 15 Broadway songs that had some special Odyssey edits, personalizing them to our journey. We loved it ! Such a clever, talented and fun loving group. I was upfront and focused on getting candid pictures of the talented cast.