September 14, 2025
Getting creative to escape the heat and stay cool!!
Sherrie & I took the Tourist Tunnel to go back across the river to our Hotel. It was nice and chill down there and who doesn't like a train with neon & flashing lights on a hot afternoon!
This evening we did a Food Tour in the French Concession neighborhood. I arranged again for 12 of us, but we had to split into 2 groups so John & Colleen joined Bosco & I in the latter group. We had a fabulous time with our Guide Emma and Lucy who joined us from Scotland - she was here training for a new HR job with Trips.com! She was a great addition to the group and we all wish her well in her new endeavors! We all loved the French Concession Neighborhood and the food was again so yummy!
The neighborhood - equally fascinating!
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.