April 6, 2026

I have been really excited to get to Fremantle / Perth for my first time. I have had a few friends live here over the years and I have a second cousin, James Murphy, who I have only ever spoken too briefly, over the last 35 years and that I would love to meet in person. Jim is the older brother of Paul who I met up with in Melbourne a few weeks ago.

( L to R) - Bosco, Me, Jim and Carol Murphy.

After much back and forth we were able to pull off a meeting Saturday afternoon at the Esperance Hotel in downtown Freo in the heart of the City's very crowded 3rd Annual Street Arts Festival. Carol and Jim have been married over 50 years and have lived in Australia over 25 years of them, along with their 2 sons, in their 40's, who both work in the mining industry of West Australia. They live north of Fremantle about 20 minutes, along the coast and took the train into town to meet us. We had a lovely chat in the hotel lobby amongst all the families celebrating Easter and the Arts. Both Jim and Carol are former runners that still meet regularly with other Hash House Harriers ( we now have a group on the Ship) and they were easy and lovely and I so look forward to seeing them again

Above are some quick images I got of the City as we walked to meet Jim & Carol at the Hotel. And below is KARCOCHA one of the headliners of the Strret Arts Festival - he is a contemporary Chilean harlequin who travels the world creating vibrant street performances. His show is rooted in improvisation, transforming everyday spaces into playful theatrical adventures. I swear I have seen him somewhere else in our adventures.too!

HAPPY 4th of JULY from SE ASIA SEA!

By Pat Patrick • July 4, 2026
Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! Here on the Odyssey we celebrated in the SE Asia Sea on our way to Tioman Island, Malaysia . We have such a talented and dedicated group of residents here, they put together a fun hour of things to celebrate and embrace a lot of what we collectively love about the USA. Even our residents from other countries - Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany , etc. joined in the fun! ( I lent my flag below for decorations)

BINTAN, INDONESIA - BUDDHIST TEMPLE

By Pat Patrick • July 2, 2026
Vihara Avalokiteshvara Graha or Guan Yin Temple is near 500 Lohan, so we also toured the grounds of this large Temple complex. It's dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and is one the tallest brass statues of her in SE Asia. She is just over 55' tall, coated in 22 carat gold and is surrounded by scenic dragon fruit plantations. The tile work is intricate and textured with great details. The whole place is very tranquil and calming for meditation and prayer.

BINTAN, INDONESIA - Buddhist Culture

By PAT PATRICK • July 1, 2026
500 Lohan Temple or Vihara Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the most interesting place we visited on Bintan Island . It features 500 hand sculpted, life sized, distinctively expressive statues of Buddhist disciplines (Lohans) surrounding a tranquil courtyard. They are arranged symetrical, in an arc and it's interesting how some pop out, as you look down the rows. The statues were crafted by artist in China from 2010 to 2017 when the temple was inaugurated; no two are alike.