May 11, 2026

SEMERANG is the capital of Central Java, the world's 13th largest island and the 5th largest in Indonesia. Despite it's size, it is the world's most populous island, holding over 150 Million people (over 55% of Indonsesia's population). Today, I did a 50 person bus tour of some of the Semerang's history,  so I could cover a lot in one day.

First stop,Lewang Sewu meaning "thousand doors" in Javanese is a dutch colonial building built from 1904 to 1907 for the Dutch East Indies Railway Co. as it's headquarters, then became a japanese prison during WWII and is now a popular haunted iconic museum.

Turns out there is only 928 doors, but I like the way they all line up and open to balcony surrounding the building.

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Next was Masjid Agung Jawa Tengah a sprawling modern complex inaugurated in 2006 and has a capacity of up to 15,000 worshippers. The 2 photos below from their website shows the massive site. The spacious courtyard has giant hydraulic umbrellas, that they only use twice a year to accommodate the large crowds that come for Ramadan.

Next we had a lunch buffet stop at Alam Indah Resto which was perched high up in the hills overlooking downtown Semerang.

Then on to the PAGODA AVALOKITESVARA, the tallest pagoda in Indonesia. It's a prominent Buddhist site representing love.

SAIGON, VIETNAM - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE EVENT

By Pat Patrick • September 21, 2026
I joined in with 49 other Ship Residents to attend an event the next day at The Vietnam War Remnants Museum also known as The Museum for Peace. This was put together by our residents as part of our ongoing efforts with the Ship's Odyssey Rotary Club and our Global Flagship of Peace initiative.

HO CHI MING CITY, VIETNAM

By Pat Patrick • September 21, 2026
HO CHI MING CITY or SAIGON was our last port in Vietnam . The downtown area was an hour away from the Port , so most of us got Hotel rooms in town, as prices were so reasonable. Sadly, it was a rainy four days, but that kept temperatures moderate and we could still get out and do most things. We stayed in district #1 as most of the City highlights are in this area along with the nightlife. Traffic is very busy in the City, especially motorbikes. Crossing the streets needs to be done with intent and quickly as there are very few traffic lights or stop signs.

SHIP SHENANIGANS - CLUE PARTY

By Pat Patrick • September 16, 2026
It's never a dull Sea Day on the Odyssey! We have such creative residents, that are always coming up with new ideas to entertain ourselves and have a good time. This plot was the calculating of Eddie and Michelle - a Game of Clue! The rules were simple - find the party venue at 8:30 pm, come dressed as a character, weapon or room from the game and solve the mystery of who stole the Ship's bell.