Singapore is HOT HOT HOT

Oh boy, this place is HOT and very muggy.

Uneventful trip from Auckland apart from my travelling companions - WHY ME???????? and why can't they take a hint???? Do I look like the sort of friendly individual who wants to chat for hours to people she's never seen before? Very nice couple from Paraparaumu, who were going to Europe for the first time to see their daughter who lives in London but man, could she talk! She could and she did. "I'm sure you won't mind helping us out with our silly questions", says she. Could just about cope when he asked about the mysteries of seat reclining but a 10-minute lecture on the supper served at 2am had me lobbing sleeping pills down my throat!



I found a hop off-hop on bus, which was good because I got to see how the place is laid out. I have been here before - when I first went to London after varsity - but don't remember much. Don't even remember the Singapore River - maybe they've done it since! Wandered into Raffles Hotel - partaking of afternoon tea seemed to be the thing to do there - a mere snip at S$65 p.p.! Went on the Singapore Flyer, Singapore's answer to the London Eye - basically a big ferris wheel that you can't fall out of. It's touted as the world's largest giant observation wheel (the world's smallest giant anything is kind of hard to imagine) - towers 165 metres about the city. You do get a fantastic 360 view - one rotation takes 30 minutes.

Went to the Botannic Gardens - very lush and green. I'd read that you generally have the place to yourself but came to the eventual conclusion (correct) that it must be a public holiday because the place was packed with families pinicking and playing games. Wandered through Chinatown then got the metro back to the airport. (Metro is amazing - very quick and efficient but not much use for the desperate. Double doors - one set on the train and one on the platform, so no chance of ending it all by throwing yourself onto the tracks.) Am holed up in a transit lounge (thank God for hot showers), waiting for my next flight after 11pm. I'm thinking a couple of strong black coffees to make sure I don't fall asleep!