January 9, 2026
This is a part of the world I had seldom heard or seen photos documenting. The Marquesas were named after the 16th century Spanish Viceroy of Peru, the Marquis of Canete, by navigator Alvaro de Mendana who visited them in 1595. Nuku Hiva meaning "the land of men" is a group of volcanic islands. The highest point is the peak on Mount Oave, on Ua Pou Island at 4,035 feet above sea level.
The community of Taiohae, the town we tendered into on Ua Pou Island had a cultural event for us in the most gorgeous setting - twighlit along the harbor. The performance was very engaging, complete with getting volunteers from our group, up for dance lessons.
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The town itself was quite charming with tons of statues and gorgeous vistas wherever you look!
Today, I braved the heat ( it's a blazing 84) to walk around a little bit and get the feel for life on Tioman Island, Malaysia . The Village of Tekek is where we tender to and this is where the Ferry , the Island's National Secondary School, Health Clinic and Airport (really just a strip) are located. The most notable feature is the Rainbow Bridge over the inlet.
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)