June 6, 2026

We decided to do something different and unique today, perfect for a rainy afternoon, we took a pearl class to make some jewelry! Delia, Terri, Suen and I all went to Pick a Pearl Jewelry Store on the main street of Coron.  We each picked a frozen giant clam shell, that had been put in a fresh water farm to develop cultured pearls. The bounty of each shell was random, we averaged 28 to 30 varying size pearls and the colors were also random. I got a mix of white, pink, lavender and pale gold pearls. Terri went first and below is the step by step process.

Trim the lips of clam off, insert knife and loosen skin (like shucking an oyster), pop it open and see your surprise!

I went next , then Suen and Delia last. We were all happy with our pearls, but sadly the rest of the class fell short in our expectations.

The Shop had lots of pretty and interesting settings for their pearls, showing off many premade pieces. Sadly, they just didn't have any availability in the products they offered us to create interesting settings for our pearls! They were terribly disorganized and had minimal supplies to make anything. We were all disappointed and kept trying to find something, to make it work. Instead, we came home with our pearls in a bag, to hopefully use somewhere else later! Terri and I each bought one of their premade items. I was able to convince them to sell me a pair of 18K gold hoops and removed their pearls from it.  Then I had them drill holes in 8 of my larger pearls, that I can change out as desired. It was an ok compromise, but such a missed opportunity on their end!

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!
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.
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.