January 4, 2026

When you think about escaping to a semi-deserted, tropical island to recharge, FAKARAVA wins my vote! I had never heard of this place a month ago and when I did, people giggled, just  saying its name. No one knew what we were going to do there for 2 days. Divers knew a little about it, but we couldn't find any tours through usual channels.

Fakarava is a remote coral atoll in the Tiamat Archipelago, about 280 miles NE of Tahiti, with a population of roughly 800, spread mainly around the main village of Rotoava, (where we tendered too.) The atoll and several nearby islands form the UNESCO designated Fakarava Biosphere Reserve, renowned for pristine reefs, rare birdlife and world class shark diving. Fakarava has an easygoing "old Polynesia" vibe, sandy lanes, bikes instead of taxis, tiny family shops and water so clear you can see rays and reef sharks gliding over the coral heads right from shore. It's all about nature - lagoon, sky and quiet! What a wonderful place!!

Below are drone shots from resident Janette.

  • Slide title

    PK9 Beach ( 9 Km from town, marked by rock with PK9 painted on it) 

    Button

  • Slide title

    Lagoon coast

    Button

  • Slide title

    Gravel road down 10 km stretch from village. Road paved from village to PK3 then gravel and sand, from 3 to 10, at the end. Bumpy all the way!

    Button

  • Slide title

    Lighthouse

    Button

  • Slide title

    Ocean side with Lighthouse and Lagoon side with our ship

    Button

  • Slide title

    Surf

    Button

  • Slide title

    Long stretch of atoll

    Button

  • Slide title

    Harbor at Rotoava Village

    Button

  • Slide title

    Village Church

    Button
View more

My afternoon in Paradise! I rented an e-bike at tender drop off in village and then set off down road to PK9 beach where I met up with my buddy Ben, who had come ashore earlier. This little girl took a real shining to Ben, was so sweet, with big smile!

  • Slide title

    Peddling back to Village on gravel / sand road



    Button

  • Slide title

    Lagoon shack

    Button

  • Slide title

    My bike at Pearl Farm along road

    Button

  • Slide title

    Village Church

    Button

  • Slide title

    inside church 

    Button

  • Slide title

    Nativity Scene at Church Entry

    Button

  • Slide title

    Selfie at Pearl Farm along road to Village

    Button

  • Slide title

    More of Pearl Farm

    Button

Singapore - Little India

By Pat Patick • August 11, 2026
Little India is a neighborhood in Singapore that I wanted to explore becase I love Indian food and their Temple's have such unique gods and Architecture, super colorful and detailed. Below is the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore's first temple dedicated to Veeramakaliammam or the Kali , a fierce incarnation of Shiva's wife and the "Destroyer of Evil" .

SINGAPORE - Cooking Class

By Pat Patrick • August 10, 2026
Other residents had a great experience at Singapore's Food Playground on prior visits, so we wanted to try it out! Our first day in Port, twelve of us signed up for a fun afternoon, where we got to enjoy our creations as a yummy lunch. Front row (L to R) is Ellie, Rick, their visiting friend, Sue, Christy and Angela. Back Row - Me, Bosco, Delia, John, Terri & Lori.

KOH CHANG, THAILAND

By Pat Patrick • July 26, 2026
We just relaxed on the Island of Koh Chang, Thailand. It's one of the largest Thai Islands in the Gulf of Thailand and it has a dense, steep jungle & National Park covering the interior of the Island, which extends off shore, to coral reefs. The coast line is dotted with beaches and villages. This was a tender port, so we decided to stay on the Island for 3 nights, to be able to experience the nightlife. Turns out, it is low season, so nightlife was pretty sleepy. However, we did find a new favorite night time activity! Any Guesses?!?