May 29, 2025

LA PAZ, MEXICO - Exploring by Boat

Holly and I put together this fun group for a day adventure on the water! L to R - Sherrie, Sue Mann, Jimbo & Anna, MaryAnn, Bob Mann, Me, Holly, Alan, Sara & Bob. We rented a boat complete with a Captain, First mate and Guide from 10am  to 4 pm and it included snorkeling equipment, lunch and beverages. The Captain and Firstmate were father and son and spoke no English, but our guide Nicky was fantastic - she went to college in Hawaii and has a masters in Marine Biology. She was a little bitty thing, but amazingly strong and so enthusiastic and knowledgeable at just 26. We truly lucked out getting her as our guide.

First, we traveled past the resort town of La Paz coastline admiring the hotels, marinas, luxury homes. We saw a super yacht that was run on top of a dead reef, by a careless millionaire. It has been sitting there for over a year - no one wants to bear the cost to have it removed! Then we came upon an island claimed by sea lions basking in the waters, sunning and relaxing in the oddest poses! They float on their backs , put their tails up and one fin above the water, with the other holding them balanced below the water. There were hundreds of them. They were chatting away ( called gossiping) and could lay this way for hours, per our guide.

Then we sailed around an island covered with Blue Footed Bobbies and snorkeled in the crystal clear reef surrounding it. The water was so refreshing and the reef was nice and shallow so you could easily skim over the top and hear the coral crackle and watch the fish swim in and out of all kinds of holes and hiding spots. then we dropped anchor and had our picnic lunch of fresh cerviche, fruit and ham & cheese. We had lots of time to investigate the beach, swim and relax in the sunshine. Around 2 pm we headed back to the port.

As we were leaving the cove we spotted a large Oar fish which appeared in distress. Our guide jumped into action, explaining to us everything she observed. It was alive but its right side gill had been damaged and it was dying. She tried to get water running through its gills by pulling it backward through the current but it was too late. She was so sad, I swear she would have given it mouth to mouth if she thought it would help. I took video so she would have record of it for her studies and social media. She finally had to let the fish lie back down and make her peace with all her efforts. Was so touching to watch.Loved seeing her passion! Nicky Dieter you're a gem!

By Pat Patrick • November 4, 2026
October has been a bit of a blur! My last post from Thailand , was about medical treatment and I'm happy to report all good; pathology negative and I'm healing nicely. What I haven't posted about, is what has been going on in the background of my fantastic voyage around the world . You have probably already seen a lot of news coverage and social media post and sorry I have done none. I have been busy weighing options, the logistics ( visas ugh! ) and gathering my things: organizing, weighing, purging, repacking, weighing again and flying. Below is my attempt of the short version, from my point of view and a map of area (and my quick stops) for reference.
By Pat Patrick • October 23, 2026
This Blog is more than a journal of my travels around the world, it's a major memory tool for me in documenting all the events along the way. You often ask me how we take care of medical things, as we travel non stop and today is a perfect example. A fellow resident had posted on one of our WhatsApp groups ( this is the main way we all- residents, crew and stateside support all communicate ) that she had an excellent contact for anyone looking to get medical appointments in the Pattaya / Bangkok area.
By Pat Patrick • October 20, 2026
Off the coast of Pattaya, Thailand a talented and dedicated group of residents, the Odyssey Troubadours , performed A Night of Broadway for the enjoyment of all the other residents and senior staff on board. The group of 20 performed, 15 Broadway songs that had some special Odyssey edits, personalizing them to our journey. We loved it ! Such a clever, talented and fun loving group. I was upfront and focused on getting candid pictures of the talented cast.