June 15, 2025

NAWILIWILI, KAUAI ISLAND, HAWAII

The port town of Nawiliwili is fairly small. Sarah, Bob & I headed out to cruise down the peaceful Wailua River - known as the only navigable river in Hawaii to see the famed Fern Grotto. The Wailua River is feed from fresh water pouring down from Mt.Wai'ale'ale, one of the wettest spots on the planet. We went with a local boat company, the Smith Family, who have been doing these tours for 80 years, since their great grandfather started company! They taught us history, traditions and how to Hula on the ride down the river.

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After lunch we decided to embrace our more adventurous side and we went for lessons to ride in a traditional Hawaiian outrigger! I was excited Bob ( rower #1 and primary wave stopper) and Sarah ( rower#2) were up for the adventure! It was a great hour!! Our instructor ( from Kauai Beach Boys) was so good - he got us confident and riding the surf within 20 minutes. Special shout out to fellow resident Deb Warner who took time from her cocktails with Hubby Steve, to document our journey with photos and videos!!

After a quick shower and outfit change #3 we were off to sunset and the turtles at the southern end of the island, Poipu Beach. Bob had been to Poipu 2 years ago, and knew that large sea turtles come in and rest on the beach there each night, at sunset. We convinced our uber driver to take the scenic road down to Poipu, which is about a 30 minute drive. We asked her to stop along the way for a photo opt at the tree arch along Route 520. She also gave us about an hour, to watch the turtles (we counted 22) come in and rest and the sun to set. It was a beautiful night to wear my new turtle dress!

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.