June 15, 2025

HONOLULU - Day 2

I had such a relaxing day I hardly took any photo's. Patrick picked me up from the Ship and we went to the local's beach spot down near Diamond Head and the War Memorial - way less crowded than Waikiki Beach in front of the hotels. I left my phone locked in the car for peace of mind. We swam and chatted and I met some of his friends. Later we had garlic shrimp from a yummy spot, recommended by one of the food truck vendors.  Patrick surprised me with a bag of hard pretzel treats before dropping me back at the Ship and sadly it was time to say Aloha to him! I hit the gym and did a long Peloton workout, as we sailed out of Honolulu.

Dinner tonight was a 50th Birthday celebration for Aussie Rina! Two of her besties David Austin, my next door neighbor and Paul Fishman, my favorite retired chef, surprised her and dressed up to give her a proper Hawaiin celebration!! It turned out to be the one time Paulie didn't come to me for costume help - he could have borrowed my seashell bra!!

TIOMAN ISLAND, MALAYSIA

By Pat Patrick • July 6, 2026
Fun day in the waters of Tioman Island, Malaysia snorkeling with friends. Life is good! It was nothing fancy, a boat & captain, who spoke minimal English and barely interacted with us, for roughly 7 hours. We started the outing spotting a group of dolphins and was quickly at anchor drop 1 of 6. The distances between the 6 snorkel spots was minimal, which gave us lots of time in the water (at least 45 minutes, at each spot) with an added stop for a lunch break at local restaurants. Even the restaurants were fast and efficient, definitely used to catering to the boat crowd.

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.