October 29, 2024

Lanzarote, Spain - Canary Islands

Balcony view this beautiful, sunny Sunday! I dressed up for church and one of my favorite waiters presented me with a linen rose -saying how nice I looked and he wished me a lovely day, as I was leaving the dining room. So sweet! The staff is really great and I love that we get to spend so much time with them - most have contracts for 6 to 9 months! My room Stewart wants to take me out for Indonesian food, in one of the upcoming ports, to show me his favorite dishes from home!

Below are some views of harbor around the town of Arrecife. I had a Marilyn Monroe "Some Like It Hot" moment when I climbed up to the top of the Fort. Did I mention it was very windy? Well my fancy dress gusted up around my neck while I was taking photo's and thank goodness, the 3 men who had just been up there with me, were down the ladder at that moment! Caught me totally by surprise and took a little wrangling, to get everything back in place!

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Mass was at noon at the Parroquia de San GInes and I went with Kimberly & Phil from San Diego CA , who asked if they could join me when we met after I was coming back from Mass in Ceuta, Spain, last Sunday. They are also Founders and bought a villa on the 7th deck. Very nice - big golfers - who want to try Pickleball. They plan to get off and on - have 4 kids back home ages to 23 to 29, and they are hoping they have weddings and babies soon. The Church was so quaint and people very welcoming. I took photo's of murals after mass - found the Heaven to Hell one very compelling - all kinds of images within it. Don't think I have seen on like this before.

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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.