I stopped over in Singapore both on the way out and way back. The only place I've been where I didn't have to queue going through immigration. Subway trains clean and safe and functional and open. A city of people upon people, buildings upon buildings. I got sweaty from stupidly trying to carry luggage from MRT Bugis to the Albert Court Hotel! And getting lost in the process! Exploration was a failure but did find an Indian run Internet cafe (real hole in wall stuff). So I could email home. The electrical sockets in Singapore are UK style so I managed to recharge my batteries. Singapore is a multinational place, its underground has four languages. The city is like the convergence of human rivers. Singapore hotels have UK style electrical sockets in them by the way. Useful when I was recharging batteries. Did see the world famous Raffles Hotel (the only bit of tourism I really managed) it looked so out of place and small among modern architectures. Sent off emails from a cyber cafe nearby. On the way back I saw Sentosa Island but failed to see any Hong Kong DVDs (well only a few). Sentosa Island is like Disneyworld on a budget it does a decent history of Singapore and a monorail but that was about it.

I slummed it at Auckland Airport by having had sausage egg "McMuffin" at Macdonalds. For some reason my credit card was refused so had to fall back to cash. There was a lady surveying what passengers thought of New Zealand tourism but she bypassed me - did I look too odd? On the plane saw a Korean film Along with the Gods (great will get BDs of this and sequel) plus Bodies at Rest a quality Hong Kong thriller plus a lot of "Joker" which didn't really click for me. Singapore airport is a delight compared with so many - no queueing at immigration, so soon out that the private car hire driver wasn't there. He had parked at an angle in the car park and we got told off by another driver. My hotel in Singapore (ParkRoyal on Pickering) was another luxury joint. I had Nasi Goreng to keep me going, and exchanged some pounds before a very helpful staff member advised me to use the MTR which worked brilliantly to get me to Gardens by the Bay. I saw the light show at Supertree Grove which was really spectacular, and also a beautiful display on the lake of large balloon pods which change colour. All free. Did the Floral Fantasy (had to paid to enter that) which had some clever waterfall effects, then saw the Rats in Chinatown for Chinese New Year and got some cookies to take back.

Bruce and Vicky got me to the airport last evening in plenty of time for the chaos to begin. I was too early to check in so managed to find somewhere to sit. When at last the desks opened for the flight to Kuala Lumpur I joined the long queue of mainly Indian looking people. A lot of them had loads of suitcases, and either the multiplicity of their cases or the combined weight resulted in would-be passengers being expelled from the queue to try again. At least one Indian was rather abusive towards the poor staff. To my grateful surprise I managed to book myself and my case onto the connecting flight to Singapore. The time dragged, I was glad to find a Macdonalds open and operating and I had a hot apple pie as nourishment. Boarding was fun - another Indian had stolen my seat and refused to move, I had to get a stewardess to intervene. In the end I benefitted from having a spare seat next to me! I could have done without the Frenchman behind me trying to chat up a lone girl but I guess it helped pass the time for him. Not sure he was very successful. We arrived safely at Kuala Lumpur at 8am-ish local time and I weakened and decided to try a dim sum place. I had almost tried one in Malacca but there was a long queue. The airport was using the same gate H4 for multiple flights which was confusing but I got on the right plane and so did my luggage! The flight to Singapore was very low on passengers, and also very quick! An efficient airport at Singapore I got through immigration and collected luggage beating the driver who came to collect me. Staying one night at the splendid Paradox in an emperor sized room with a balcony. It would be even more splendid if the taps would provide hot water for me. I didn't do as much as planned in Singapore. I will leave the place again feeling unsatisfied. I'm tired, I didn't plan this well, I have an early start tomorrow, I had to do battle with the MRT, first needing to work how to work the gates (I needed to buy a card) and then how to load sufficient funds onto it. I have a NETS card with plenty of funds on it if anyone is visiting Singapore by the way. I did manage to see more of the excellent Gardens by the Bay after flailing around the MRT system. The MRT map I had misled me or rather I misinterpreted it. There were too long queues for the SkyWalk but the Cloud Forest was fun. Saw an otter on my way back, a large beast.