The third largest island in the world is Borneo. It has three nations occupying its land: Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Kingdom of Brunei. Kuching is the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It means Cat in Indonesian and Malaysian. It is the City of Cats. (There are four theories on the origin of the name, but we will leave that for more serious scholars.) They love their music and have an annual festival to celebrate all music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest_W

On the island of Java is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, Borobudur. With a full day to explore and seven of us from the ship ready to roam, we took a van from the port in Semarang through the countryside and into the mountains. We were asked to remove our shoes and wear special sandals to reduce the wear on the 9th-century stone structure as we climbed to the top. The nine tiers represented the three realms of Buddhist cosmology: Kamadhatu (the world of desires), Ru

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia was a one day stop before moving on to the Philippines. A day out with Bob and Gille was a diverse experience in local immersion. Grab is the local version of Uber and four rides cost us a grand total of about twelve dollars. Lunch for four about fifteen and a men's haircut about eight. The first stop was the Floating Mosque, Masjid Badayara Kota Kinabalu. The views of it surrounded by a reflecting pond would perfect the image on a windless day, but i

Last week, Ellie and I left the hotels in the cities around Melbourne for the vast Australian sky. There is something profoundly grounding about unrolling a swag on red dirt, and by the time I reached Adelaide, I felt like I’d truly felt the pulse of the Outback. ​The Spiritual Heart: Uluru and Kata Tjuta ​We flew from Melbourne to Uluru to kick off our journey in Yulara at 2:00 pm. After a deep dive into Añangu culture at the Cultural Centre, we set up camp. Seeing Uluru fo

We agreed to get up stupid early to catch the ferry to Bruny Island, and at the time it sounded like a perfectly reasonable plan. You know the kind—optimistic the night before, borderline ridiculous when the alarm goes off. Still, we were committed. Bruny Island was the prize, and the only way to make it happen was to be moving before the sun even considered showing up. I knocked on Lyn’s door at 5:15 a.m. so we could all be in the van by 5:45. That was the deal. No lingering

The day was planned. After breakfast Lyn would drive the van. Michael, Lenore, Jim, Amanda, RJ, and I would pile in and make the journey to Bruny Island. We would check out the light house, pick up roadside bread, enjoy culinary surprises and more. A beautiful morning in Hobart, Tasmania. The half hour from the dock to the ferry went from divided highway to winding road in no time. We got there with twenty minutes to spare. Twenty minutes! That’s practically a miracle for

We had three days in Hobart, Tasmania—three days Ellie had planned down to the details. She’d even rented a 12‑person van for us so we could get around easily and see as much as possible. Then cruise-ship life intervened. An illness going around onboard, plus unexpected symptoms, meant Ellie had to miss the entire Tasmania visit. I offered to stay back with her, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted I go with our friends, enjoy the time, and bring her back the stories (an

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After having a basal cell carcinoma removed from my ear in Cairns, Ellie and I were finally ready to get back on the road. Our first stop was Townsville, Australia, where we caught a ferry to Magnetic Island. We hoped to spot wild koalas and wallabies along the Forts Walk trail. Accompanied by Doug, Sue, Shirene, and Lenore, we set out for what promised to be a memorable day of hiking and wildlife watching. Getting to Magnetic Island and the Forts Walk Magnetic Island is just

Traveling often brings unexpected challenges, especially when health concerns arise far from home. Managing medical appointments and treatments while on the move can feel overwhelming, especially when time is tight and the stakes are high. This story shares a personal experience of balancing urgent health needs with a busy travel schedule, highlighting practical steps to handle medical care across continents. Facing Unexpected Health Issues on the Road After nearly two years

Knowing that we would have an early start the next day we found a classic art deco hotel on Biscayne Blvd near the passport office for the morning's business. It was filed with artwork tucked into every nook and cranny that screamed that we were in Miami. The chilly evening made the Mexican restaurant next door very welcome. The fact that they served a speciality that Ellie loves made it perfect. Birria tacos with homemade consommé. Yum! Starting the day with a practical erra

Medical lesson. (Short answer is to contact DAN if you suspect diving health issue) Yesterday we did a couple of dives in Rangiroa that were fun and not very challenging. When we did our safety stop at 5-meters Ellie drifted up to 1.8 meters for ten seconds before adjusting back to 5-meters for the rest of the safety stop. When we returned to the ship Ellie noticed a rash on her breast. After about ten minutes pain in the same area was at an 8. Googling pain on breast and scu

After leaving Papeete, the Villa Vie Odyssey carried us to Fakarava, a remote atoll in French Polynesia that feels like a secret waiting to be discovered. The name itself is a joy to say, but the experiences there go far beyond the sound of the word. This post shares a personal journey of reflection, adventure, and the unexpected lessons found in this beautiful place. A Walk on Shore and a Moment of Reflection Stepping onto Fakarava’s shore with Shirene, I wandered toward a c

Our outdoor kitchen for the day in Apia, Somoa. Ellie made her plate in no time. They demonstrated how to make our own plates from palm fronds. We had a cooking class in Apia, Somoa. View of our ship from shore in Fiji View of Leleuvia Island from our ship. A cat nap near the end of the day. Underwater artwork. https://youtu.be/ONGZb3dOWws https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONGZb3dOWws https://studio.youtube.com/video/F5ypjQfZeN0/edit Our shp stopped for a day at a private islan

Ellie and I had worked on the ship our first day in Levuka, Fiji. It was the first capital of the country when they gained independence. The old-style downtown was so unchanged since the 19th century that it is a World Heritage Site. One of the highlights of the location was the 199 steps to a lookout over the harbor. We were going to stroll the old city and see what we could see in our last stop in Fiji. And spend the last of our local currency since it would become wort

It had been just over two weeks since my hernia surgery. I had restricted my activities as much as I could without just lying around. We were arriving in Vanuatu. Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. Espiritu Santo means Holy Spirit. It seemed like a good day to go for a walk. Ellie, Dougie, Sue, Lyn, and I were going to walk into town and hit an ATM for local currency. Then, whatever. Some people joked about being in a container port again. But this is how we travel, and islands

I had to have surgery. It was a hernia. It was unexpected. Lots of things in life are unexpected. I've always liked to plan for the future and try to live life intentionally. I had a plan. Since Anchorage, Alaska, I had committed in my mind and had demonstrated my commitment. I got a tattoo of an angel on my left arm in Homer, Alaska. I had found the ring in a vintage store in Anchorage. I was waiting for her divorce to be final before I would propose. I kind of knew the answ

Our two-day stop in Jeju-do, South Korea, or as they call it here, Korea, turned into a bit of a food and market trek. Lyn woke up with a really sore knee. She said that a Menehune had danced on it the night before, leaving it hard to walk. We got to the front of the port terminal after about a quarter mile of moving sidewalks inside the air-conditioned buildings. The heat hit us, and the next bus into town would not be for another half hour. I checked the Uber app and found

When I got back from scuba diving at Raja Ampat, I noticed a small lump in my groin on the right side. I was standing in front of the mirror and just noticed it. It was soft. It went away when I lay down. Ellie suggested, and Dr. Google helped confirm, that I had a hernia. An inguinal hernia, to be more specific. I was about to learn a lot more about hernias than I wanted to. First, they do not heal on their own. They need to be surgically repaired, patched like a hole in

After the best snorkeling in my life I was really looking forward to Raja Ampat. Four days at a dive resort there sounded like an opportunity not to be missed. The flight from Manado to Sorong gave us a good look at the waters of Indonesia. Beautiful blue waters with tiny islands and atols scattered here and there. The ferry from Sorong to Raja Ampat was 120,000 Indonesian rupiah in the cheap seats and twice that for premium. Being kind of frugal we went badic and we're assi