July 31, 2025
CROSSING The PACIFIC OCEAN to JAPAN
Two significant things happened yesterday. As reported below, by Cruise hive ,we were the closest cruise ship to the epicenter of the earthquake and tsunami. We were fine and in fact felt & saw nothing, because we are in the depths of the Bering Sea.
Second, we crossed the International Date Line, IDL, so I am now in the future, of I believe, all my readers. Let me know if you want help with your daily WORDLE puzzles.I also have to admit figuring out what time it is in Philly, and coordinating my calls there has been a bit of a mind bend, between the daily hour changes here on the crossing with additional twist from day light savings. Below is a chart that helps make the math easier to understand.
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.
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)
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.