September 10, 2025

When you hear HIROSHIMA, you don't generally think Baseball!!

But that is exactly what we did! We decided to join the local home town excitement, on Saturday night 8/23, and 50 of us from the Ship all went to see the HIROSHIMA CARPS take on the CHUNICHI DRAGONS. Sadly the Carps lost by 2 but we had a great time observing all their local traditions. We bought the general admission tickets for $15 USD in the local 7 Eleven stores. They were unassigned but great seats! Lots of yummy food choices and tons to watch and observe! 

On Sunday, I did more somber tour of HIROSHIMA Atomic Bomb Site. First, I went to 7:30 am Mass - just me and about 12 other locals and a 90 + year old priest, in the Crypt. Probably because the basement space was cooler and more intimate, just took some detective work on my end to find access to the space. After Mass, one of locals walked me to restrooms and another insisted on giving me a ride, in her air-condition car, to the Bomb Site Peace Park, so we could chat. She had done a brief visit to Philly, as a school child, and she did a loop around the park, a couple of times, so we could chat more! So Sweet and generous.


At the Park, there was hardly anything left from the blast, except the remains of the Commercial Exhibition Hall which is now a UNESCO preserved site known as the A - Bomb Dome with it's distinctive green roof. There is a Museum and a bell and clock tower. From here, I took a 50 minute motor boat ride out to Miyajima Island.

MAGNETIC ISLAND - KOALA'S

By Patricia Patrick • February 15, 2026
We got up at 6:45am to get to National Park Forts Walk trail in the hope of seeing koalas . Prior walkers mark trails with tree branches pointing in the direction of their sighting and we were luck enough to see 3 markers in our first hour of hiking. It is so stinking hot and humid the success we had made it bearable. The koala population on the island started with 20 brought over in 1930, to escape fur hunters. Today, the island boast 800 to 1000, and they are so cute and drowsy. They need 20 hours of sleep a day! The early morning is when they are the most active.

MAGNETIC ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
Just off the coast of Townsville, Australia is a special little island (that used to be part of mainland, hundreds of thousands years ago). The island was formed by molten granite that was pushed to the earth's surface with volcanic force.Over time the volcanic overlay weathered away leaving an extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders, many as big as a house and spectcularly perched. Over Seventy Percent of the center of the Island is a National Park. There is lots of wildlife here too - koalas, rock wallabies, snakes & birds.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
This is my third time in CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA and I really enjoy how walkable, clean and charming it is. The waterfront esplanade and lagoon area is a nice walk day or night. We had 2 nights here in the waterfront Shangri La Marina Hotel while waiting for the Ship to arrive and then 2 additional days in Port.