April 17, 2025

Saint Vincent

We took a walk around the port town of Kingstown, St.Vincent the second day. Two churches were the points of most interest architecturally. The first church was St George's Cathedral and it was Anglican. The space was bright and open but the highlight was the baby goat ( they call it a Lamb) we encountered there. He was adorable and so cuddly! Scott, Memo and I all took turns holding him!

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The second church, The Assumption of St. Mary, a Catholic Cathedral across the street was a hidden gem. The Cathedral took 100 years to build and the outside of the building looks very dirty, because the stone is so porous, and it can't be cleaned easily and the elements have really ravaged it over the years. However, the interior courtyards are stunning and the interior space are very nice and intimate. 

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We also wandered into some of the shops and found this one in port area that was selling coustums for the next Carnival season. Prices ranged from $2,000 to $3,500 USD and it was hard to pick a favorite.

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.