So to pick up where I left off, I finally managed to get my suitcase closed after a bit of juggling, and headed off to the airport. I had promised myself that I would keep my British Stiff Upper Lip and not cry but I failed somewhat and as I went through security one of the guards actually had to come over to me and ask if I was OK!
But I heeded Remus Lupins advice and a big bar of chocolate later and I was ready to go again! 

The flight was really good – I love those A380’s! With a good book I can read until dawn anyway so staying up wasn’t too tough.
I arrived at 7 pm their time, just around sunset, and was through security about 15 minutes later. I have to say I have been super impressed by how easy everything has been! It really has been a doddle, even travelling on own.

I decided that it was probably best to grab some food before bed so in true tourist fashion I set out into the monsoon in my shorts and t-shirts looking around for “a likely looking place”. I had a really tasty bowl of brown (beef? with … ginger? Maybe?). In hindsight, I should probably have looked up places to eat before I arrived.

Singapore is really pretty by night but I have to admit I didn’t want to wander to far from the hotel on my own. So after a quick poke around I went to bed and had a beautiful 7 hour sleep.

Less fun, was walking to numerous texts from the Airbnb guy I was meant to be picking my keys up from in New Zealand (Where are you? I’ve been waiting.) and poor Kelly who had given up her Sunday morning to come pick me up from the airport (are you through immigration yet?). I forgot about crossing the date line … not my finest hour! Easy to see why I didn’t choose to study maths at uni!

After that was sorted I hopped into one of the tourist busses and had a nosey. I’ve got to say that Singapore is a weird city, in parts of it you feel like you’re lost in a forest of skyscapers that go on forever, so close together that the streets become quite dark and the sunlight really has to fight to reach you at the bottom. But a lot of it is so green, and you might imagine you weren’t in a city at all.

There’s also a lot of different cultures, little India (where I was staying) had a lot of Hindu temples and markets selling saris and incense and the streets smelt of spice. But then China town was completely different, kimonos and dumplings and those annoying waving cats. I think I preferred China town to little India (where people seemed to think that you could substitute leaning on your horn for obeying the rules of the road), but the gardens by the bay was my favourite bit! It was a lot more relaxed and peaceful and those giant trees are really something.

My flight was at 9.00 pm so I left the city at 6 for the airport. I would definitely recommend Singapore for a stop over; it was easy, broke up the journey and one day was enough to see a lot of the city    without wearing yourself out.