Singapore

So i had three nights over New Year in Singapore on the way back. Not surprisingly the fireworks at Marina bay were fairly spectacular and fairly easy to get in/out from.

Marina Bay was the area that had changed most from previous trips, now a fully developed shopping, entertainment and hotel venue - with a casino which on this occasion turned out to be fairly generous.  The observation tower at the top of the hotel works well on two counts, one great views over the city and secondly a great sales job for the hotel as you look across and the pool and grounds that are only available to hotel guests.

Did not do very much, travelled around a few areas such as Chinatown, saw the Di Vinci exhibition and generally chilled out.

Xmas, New Year 2014

Flew via Dubai with Emirates and arrived in Singapore mid afternoon. Greeted by rain storm which had stopped by the time i reached my hotel. One nigt stay at Swissotel which i realised i had stayed in a few years ago, so must be a Trailfinders favourite for a short stop.

Just by Clarke Quay so plenty of restaurants to choose from, and a number of bars showing the early Premier League match - Palace v Man City - oh well the entertainment may improve as the trip goes on.

Singapore

Flights were fine.

Leaving UK at 10pm, flying 11 hours to Kulua Lumpa and then one hour to Singapore, arriving 8pm, does lead to some interesting decisions on when to eat.
Airline assumes you want to eat an hour or so into flight - which is either 11pm at night or 7am in morning depending on what time zone you want to adopt mid flight.

I have one night only in Singapore which was thrown in "free" as part of train trip.

Now,  i soon worked out:

when i saw plasma (ok a small one) above the bath, in the bathroom that is about as big as my house, that there is no such thing as a free night;

when butler rang door asking if there was anything she could do, that there is no such thing as a free night;

when i got lost in the dressing room, that there is no such thing........

Ok maybe not free, but nothing extra to pay.

So join train Tuesday lunchtime. I did read instructions beforehand and notice that i needed a tie for dinner. So i said to myself that the last thing i wanted to do when packing was to forget a tie, and sure enough when i got to Heathrow i noticed that the last thing i forgot to pack was indeed a tie (i can never remember who came up with that joke, i think it was Rowan Atkinson when he made a career out of actually telling jokes rather than just making strange faces). So the first three shops had ties reduced, tax free, to just over fifty quid, so you can not believe my joy when i saw Tie Rack (i never thought i would actually ever say that phrase)

Train Singapore to Bangkok

After being picked up from hotel, checked in for train at another hotel and then boarded at station around 20mins outside the city centre - Woodlands, just on border with Malaysia.

This train is a bit more up market than the trip i took from Perth to Adelaide, but actualy atmosphere was quite relaxed and journey very interesting. You spend two nights in a cabin that is functional but not large, although shower was actually very good.

The train winds its way up through Malaysia for the first day and a half and then crosses into Thailand.

There is one stop on the second day at Penang, and another on following day at River Kwai. Penang was quite interesting, includer a rickshaw ride, but lacked a bit of focus. The local guide was well intentioned but lost his audience toward the end as his jokes lost a bit in translation - ask me when i am back and i will tell you his viagra joke!

River Kwai was more interesting, actually it would have been worth a longer stop at musuem and memorial.

Meals were excellant, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner - i have not been on a cruise but it seems like the same endless supply of food, other than no midnight buffet.

So all goes according to plan until lunch on last day, heading from River Kwai to Bangkok. Sudden braking sends water glass, some of the soup, thankfuly clear, into my lap and chair. A truck had apparently decided to play chicken with the train at a level crossing and train driver hit the brakes. A few broken glasses (well actually according to Claims Are Us "no win no fee" i should say there was utter carnage and i wont be able to sleep, or eat noodle soup, for years) but nobody injured other than the locomtive which packed up. So replacement sent and original arrival at Bangkok of 2-30pm, which changed to 4-30pm due to general delays, is now 8-30pm.

Train passengers

You meet a range of different people on train trips, and this has been no exception:

Peter +Antonia - American, Father and daughter, well travelled, whole range of business ventures, she is studying international relations at Edinburgh University, he is based n San Francisco

Vicky - Canadian, but seems to have spent last twenty or so years teaching in various parts of Asia

Lynne - a retired Australian croupier/surveillance manager, who spent 12 years in South Africa after going there for 6 months

Daniel - a 50ish New York language teacher who had just finished teaching in a monastery in Tibet

Toni and Pam cousins from New York and Washington state,  both well travelled and both understand and have watched rugby matches in US (neither typical American traits)

Dave, personal trainer and ex Olympic weightlifter and accountant wife Rosalind
And of course they had a 43 year old banker to talk to!

Off again

This time to far east for a couple of weeks over xmas and new year.

Fly to Singapore via Kuala Lumpa
Train to Bangkok
Few days in Bangkok
Trip to Chang Mai and Chang Rai
Beach in Hua Hin

Swapping the curent severe weather warnings for the heat overseas.

Not sure how much i will blog, or what photos i may be able to post.

The return journey (part 4)

The earlier (11-05) London flight has now been postponed until 14-00, so i am currently booked on the earliest flight to London.....................
Gate has opened for my flight so they obviously think it might take off....................
Whether its boards, how far it gets, and what airport it lands at, are of course questions that no-one can answer...........

The return journey (part 3)

11-00 flight canceled
Now seem to be booked on 11-05 flight................
Of course whether/what time it takes off......................
10 mins later i am told that this flight is full, and i have been moved to the same flight time as yesterday (12.55)......................

The return journey (part 2)

8-00 arrived at Airport and checked in for 11-00 flight................
9-00 now showing as canceled......................

Finally the title of this blog has some meaning.............

Arrived Singapore airport.........
Checked in on time...........
"No problems, earlier flight got away ok".............
Departed on time....................
2 hours into flight, Captain announced that we had started journey back to Singapore because Heathrow (and most of Europe) closed ........................
Starts again tomorrow (Monday) with flight provisionally booked for 11am. In meantime to be fair i am locked up in a decent 5 star hotel with meals paid for, so things could be worse.

And of course England lost the cricket!!!