July 28, 2025
KODIAK, ALASKA, USA - our last ALASKA PORT
View of our tender coming into the port of Kodiak, Alaska. We have gotten to see so much of this wonderful state.
In our port talk about Kodiak they told us there was a mural walk around town, but we could only find these 2 and the information center was closed, so no luck. Again the closest I got to seeing a bear was these hugs from the statue outside of the Wildlife center.
Only interesting building I found strolling the downtown was the Russian Orthodox Church which was also closed, so I took the interior photo thru the window. I joined the bulk of our passengers at the local Walmart and stocked up on provisions I might need over the next year as we head to Japan and the far East.
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.