July 28, 2025

SEWARD, ALASKA, USA

The Ship had to cancel our port stop in SEWARD, ALASKA but nicely provided a shuttle bus to still take us there, on our 2nd day in Anchorage. So I joined the above group of Residents on a 4 hour boat tour in Seward,  which was a 2 hour drive from Anchorage. A long day, we left the Ship at 8 am and returned just after 7pm, but nice to see another part of Alaska. Above group from L to R - Bob & Sarah, Darrell, Jim Maas, Russ & Kelly, Steve and Angela, Anna, Sherrie, Jimbo and Me.

When we arrived in Seward we had some time to walk around the town before the boat tour. I was more content on this excursion to soak up the sun and scenery than focus on getting photos. So most of these shots I honestly borrowed from friends post.

When we got back to the Ship the Chef greeted us with a fish special - they had gotten fresh Halibut and cooked exquisitely! Yum!!

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.