March 17, 2026

CHRISTCHURCH, was my favorite city last time I visited New Zealand in 2016, and it didn't disappoint, for a second time! We had a gorgeous day to take in all the sights. Christchurch is on the other side of the volcanic mountains, from the charming port town of Lyttelton, a quick 20 minute uber ride through the tunnel. The area was devasted by an earthquake in 2011 and is still rebuilding, but the progress has been striking since I was last here.

The center of town, where the Cathedral has yet to have its' renovations completed, still shows the most visible signs of the devastation. I am a big fan of the simple "cardboard cathedral" they built in 2013 to replace. A Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed it pro bono, with the local firm of Warren & Mahoney. They used 86 cardboard tubes ( like we use for concrete forms) to create a simple A frame. Shigeru characterized as the disaster architect has done similar projects after Japan's earthquakes.  

There is lots of interesting street art.

We took the electric tram which allow hop on and off around the city. There is a great mix of culture, history, shopping and restaurants.

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My favorite activity was Punting down the Avon River, alongside the Botanical Gardens, in the afternoon sunshine.

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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.

NONG NOOCH TROPICAL GARDENS, Pattaya, Thailand

By Pat Patrick • October 20, 2026
We were up for breakfast at 7 and then hired a private small tram to take us around the gardens, for an overview, because it came with a guide. Problem was, guide barely spoke English, so we had a hard time figuring out the history of this crazy place. Even with translate app his answers were questionable. Did it start as gardens? What's with all the statues? Is there a master plan? It seems to be growing with no real connections, that we could make out. Web & Chat GPT seem vague on details too! We had fun with it, finding more and more absurd things, until the heat won out!