March 18, 2026

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND was a quick 25 minute ride inland from the Port of Chalmers. We were going to take the bus, when fellow Resident Theresa, offered us a ride, as she had to return her rental car. This allowed us to make a stop along the way at Baldwin Street.

Baldwin Street, Dunedin, NZ claims to be the Steepest Street in the World, per Guinness Book of Records. But the documentation is a bit fuzzy. Regardless, it is an impressive incline. I ended up chatting to one of the most well known residents of Baldwin Street,  Dave Kernahan, pictured below. He told me he has used the hill as his personal training secret since 2000 - he runs up and down the street 30 times almost every day - a total of more than 10 Kilometers. He is now in his 70's and in great shape. 

Next, Theresa dropped us at the Historic Dunedin Railway Station. It was built in from 1904 to 1907, one of NZ's most photographed buildings famous for it's dramatic black and white stone ( sourced locally) fascade and intricate mosaic tile floors inside. The NZ architect was George Troup.

Next we wandered the downtown, leisurely shopping and sight seeing. Sherrie, Holly and I were enjoying the sunshine and camaraderie as we strolled a variety of arts and goods for a couple of hours. We ended at Woolworth's grocery store where we each stocked up, before calling for an uber to take us back to the Ship.

By Pat Patrick June 11, 2026
Shopping is huge in Manila - there are sooo many malls! Probably because it is so stinky hot! The air condition draws you in, plus the malls have everything - giant Hyper supermarkets, movies, entertainment venues, sport complexes, spas & medical services, tons of restaurants and every retailer you can imagine. SH Mall of Asia is the 5th largest Mall in the World! I went here 2 different days, first with the ladies- Anna Sherrie & Sarah. Then back the next day with Terri, mainly because I was now familiar with the layout, and could move faster and get what I needed quickly.
By Pat Patrick June 11, 2026
Metro Manila is a massive urban jungle with a population of between 18 to 20 Million. Makati City, specifically the the neighborhood of Poblacion and P. Burgos Street is the heart of night life scene, this red light district is heavily concentrated with bars, pubs and go-go venues. I saw a Get your Guide VIP tour of some of the best clubs offered and Bosco and I, decided to check it out. When we arrived at the first venue, we found five other shipmates! We run into ship people everywhere! It's kinda nice, The Community is what we love about this lifestyle!
By Pat Patrick June 8, 2026
The Intramuros section of Manila, Philippines is the historic walled core, of this Capital City. Today, the surrounding stone walls are ringed by a golf course, in lieu of the moat from long ago. Below shows comparison from rendering 300 years ago, under Spanish Colonization to Today. Many of the historic buildings, churches, fort and prison remain. Kimberly and I walked it for over 4 hours, and we saw maybe a quarter of it. We sadly gave up due to the heat, humidity and our exhausted feet and missed the Corpus Christi procession to the Manila Cathedral with the Bishop, by just a half hour! If only we had known ahead of time!