August 11, 2025

Rain can't stop us from exploring! 8/11 is Japan's Mountain Day!

This is the Birthplace of CupNoodles! Invented by Momofuku Ando  at age 41, an entrepreneur who was broke and needed a new idea. Got idea to flash fry noodles, dry them out and reconstitute them with hot water after watching his mother tempura vegetables one night for dinner. Idea for placing in cup came after trip to USA and seeing American cutting noodles and eating with a fork in lieu of bowl with chopsticks. Simple idea, that has feed so many! We had a fun afternoon walking around the port area.

The rain held off most of the afternoon for us and we came back on the Ship to celebrate Sherrie's 70th Birthday, which we were all surprised to learn about, just this morning! Luckily, I had some decorations handy and we can always count on the ship staff to help us !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHERRIE!! Saw this quote today and I think it's perfect for a 70th Wish!

SORONG, INDONESIA- Travel Day 2 to Raja Amat

By Pat Patrick • April 7, 2026
Monday April 6th is another travel day for us on our destination to remote Raja Ampat . We started the day at 5am to make our 7am flight from Denpasar, Bali to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in South Sulawesi for our brief layover to connect with our flight onto Sorong, Indonesia.

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.