May 6, 2026

Today we are in the second largest city in all of Indonesia, Surabaya.

The Port is huge and busy, as there are tons of freightors and ferries here. We had a warm welcome when we pulled in yesterday evening.

I didn't have much time to explore today, but here are some scenes from the Port.

Indonesians have an usual favorite beverage called Luwak Coffee, which is made from beans that are defecated by the asian palm civet or Luwak. These 2 young ladies, in the Port, were calling out to us all, to stop by and try it.  Many of our fellow residents did, but not I, as I don't even drink coffee. However, I have tried some other unique foods while in Indoneia. Surprisingly, the Durian chocolate was the best, good chocolate really mask the usual nasty smell of durian fruit. The big baby peach candy was like a liquid gummy shot.

The port / ship provided a shuttle bus to take us into the center of town to a giant shopping mall, Bosco & I just went and got some errands done and had lunch at a Wok restaurant.

My favorite treat of the day was a magarita to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

KOH CHANG, THAILAND

By Pat Patrick • July 26, 2026
We just relaxed on the Island of Koh Chang, Thailand. It's one of the largest Thai Islands in the Gulf of Thailand and it has a dense, steep jungle & National Park covering the interior of the Island, which extends off shore, to coral reefs. The coast line is dotted with beaches and villages. This was a tender port, so we decided to stay on the Island for 3 nights, to be able to experience the nightlife. Turns out, it is low season, so nightlife was pretty sleepy. However, we did find a new favorite night time activity! Any Guesses?!?

On the way to Koh Chang, Thailand

By Pat Patrick • July 25, 2026
Love Sea Days ! I got a much needed haircut and color. Think I'll be going shorter, but giving this a whirl! Can you see the back in the mirror? The bangs and side volume, is what drives me nuts in the heat and humidity!

WAT BANG KUNG & TRAIN MARKET - Bangkok ,Thailand

By Pat Patrick • July 21, 2026
Wat Bang Kung Temple was a quick stop along the way to the Train Markets . What makes this unique is the Temple is completely enclosed by roots of four giant trees (a banyan, bodhi and others). From the outside, it looks like nature has swallowed the building. Inside the chapel is a golden Buddha image, that locals still visit to pray. It was quite active during our short visit there. The Temple dates back over 250 years and survived the Burmese invasion.