January 19, 2025

VALPARAISO, CHILE 

Sunday January 12th we pulled into Valparaiso, Chile for 2 days. This town is known for its vibrant street art, which is everywhere and truly mask some of the depression seen through out the downtown. Nine of us set off on a walking tour of the highlights. The town is built into the side of the hills looking down over the harbor. Teenagers Lucia and Alionia were the perfect models to highlight the artwork for me, it also kept it fresh for them. 

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Snack of Chocolate covered Strawberries. Yummy!

Praying for an Eagles wild card win later in the day!

 Plaza Sotomayor had the Memorail for fallen soldiers and several government buildings & local crafters & artist.

Street Artist at work!

More street art!

Piano stairs - this one stop we spent alot of time trying to capture the best shot. By time Scott did his version we had 5 directors! LOL!

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.