July 26, 2025

ICY STRAIT POINT, ALASKA, USA

We arrived to a drizzly quiet Port and since we were the only Ship in town, they choose to not operate their much toted Gondola and Zip lines, giving us very few options for excursions. Most of our fellow passengers opted for a Bear walking  tour and struck out while we went for the more adventurous option of driving 4x4's through the forest, with the hope of seeing some wildlife. The tour company bent the rules for us and still took our small group of 4 (they called in some of their off duty guide friends, to join us in making the minimum count of 6 ) and off we went. Our guide, was training another guide, and both were super informative and eager to share lots of knowledge with us! We started with a lesson in native berries and these Salmonberries were just ripening and delicious! We saw wild life, just not all that we were hoping to encounter. Still a fun time riding through the muddy trails!

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Besides the tour we walked around the Port, explored the Salmon Cannery Museum and shops, and hiked the trail along the coast. We spotted some whales, but got no photos, as it happened so fast! 

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.