October 2, 2025

Today we were Cave explorers! We went to the one of UNESCO newly classified 7 NEW WONDERS OF NATURE - The Puerto Princesa Underground River.

Found out today, that over 600 million people voted for the list of 7 New Wonders of Nature in 2011. The list includes Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and Komodo Island which we have yet to travel to. And I have now gone to 5 others - Jeju Island, South Korea; Table Mountain in South Africa, Iguana Falls in Brazil & Argentina; the Amazon Forest & River in South American and Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines.

It was a twisty turning ride for 2 hours each way and sadly a couple of our gang was getting car sick, but once we got there it was a nice boating experience. Our guide Anna, a mother of 6, was very chipper and chatty and explained a lot about their culture and the National park on the way there and back. Above is 1/2 our group of 10 in our transfer boat, to get to Cave entrance. ( L to R - Darrell, Scott, Sherrie, Me and Bosco)

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They give you an audio tape to listen to as you take the 45 minute ride through the cave. They ask you to be silent, while in the Cave, to not disturb the wildlife that lives inside the Cave and by keeping your mouth closed, you have a better chance of not ingesting any Bat poop! There are tons of bats and swallows. They have named a lot of the rock formations or Stalagmites and Stalactites - i.e. St Paul's Cathedral to Sharon Stone's Basic Instinct famous pose! I also learned today, that bats hang up side down, so they can fall and use gravity to give them enough power to fly. Their wings are not strong enough, unlike birds, to just take fly at will! So cool!

  • Our group of 10 today L to R - Scott, Me, Ed , Darrell,Bob, Sarah, Sherrie & Bosco ( Joey & Lori - Missing) 

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  • My Boat into Cave

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HAPPY EASTER from BALI, INDONESIA

By Pat Patrick • April 6, 2026
Easter turned out to be a travel day for Bosco and I as we were extremely limited in when we could be seen by the Australian Border Control to disembark from the Ship, for a scuba diving adventure in Raja Ampat that I have had reserved, for over 18 months! We flew from Perth to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Easter afternoon.

FREO ARTS FESTIVAL AND COUSINS!!

By Pat Patrick • April 6, 2026
I have been really excited to get to Fremantle / Perth for my first time. I have had a few friends live here over the years and I have a second cousin, James Murphy, who I have only ever spoken too briefly, over the last 35 years and that I would love to meet in person. Jim is the older brother of Paul who I met up with in Melbourne a few weeks ago.

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

By Pat Patrick • April 6, 2026
Greetings from FREMANTLE or FREO as the locals call it! Getting here took a long week at Sea, as we hid out and dodged wave surges from two cyclone systems. Our departure from Adelaide was timed to carefully avoid the path of Cyclone Narelle and we hugged the southern coastline of Australia, in the shallow waters of the Great Australian Bight . Later in the week we sheltered near Point Culver, before taking the turn and heading North along the western coastline.