December 11, 2025

LEVUKA was our last port in FIJI and it is a town that seems frozen in time back to its whaling history of 1900's. Beach Street is the main drag  with boardwalks connecting wooden one & two story structures, that even have the old horse tie post out front,(nowadays - park your car) but still, the place feels very old and stuck.  The merchandise in the shops is very basic and limited. We all had Fiji dollars to use up - they are changing their printed money in January - so we can't keep to use next time around. So most of us hit the liquor and grocery stores, but even there, it was challenging to find items. Christmas merchandise is pretty non existence. Candy is from Easter and Halloween!

This was a tender port and the most iconic building in town is the clock tower, at Sacred Heart Church, across from their  Independence monument.

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Tourism is their biggest industry,  but shockingly we were only the 4th ship they have had in Port all year. Australia, New Zealand and USA visitors are the top three visitors. There is a tuna packaging facility right next to the dock and they package for Bumble Bee. 

Above is Ben's mom, Pauletta who is 99 (and turning 100 in a few months) our current oldest resident and she is holding Viv's grand daughter, who is visiting and just turned one year old. Pauletta said she just jumped into her arms when she saw her on the tender - so sweet! Love this moment! Sunset as we sail away from beautiful Fiji!

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.