January 18, 2019

Thursday 17th January 

Amazingly we have been on our trip for two weeks now. This is going so fast. Sometimes we wanna slow down and other times we wanna see more, more, more. 

After an early night with foot raised on my suitcase (with wheels!) on my bed we are up at 6.30 again for our next leg. Strangely breakfast in the hotel had hardly any Indian fellow travellers like yesterday but it was full of Oriental folk. We were again the only Europeans out of 50 or so. Breakfast was fruit, noodles, chicken, boiled egg, toast and marmalade. …

We checked out and the nice reception guy ordered a Grab (Uber equivalent) taxi to the airport. I booked the flight yesterday afternoon whilst in the hotel and Mich booked our next exciting hotel in Singapore. Prices significantly increase here. 

Flight prices were fine at £78 in total for both including two backpacks and two suitcases with wheels. 

Hotel is near the Marina in Singapore close to where the Formula 1 circuit is. 

The flight is a surprising 40 minutes. By the time we hit the top of the sky it’s time to come down. !

Singapore airport is very glitzy and expansive. There was a short queue for immigration but hassle free. We are used to being photographed, fingerprinted and filling in forms now. 

Once again we have opted out of public transport and gone for the taxi option to the hotel due to my Big Foot Improvement Programme. 

Well this hotel, The Ascott Raffles Place is grand indeed. It was hugely discounted through booking.com but still a pricey $SD280 (£160) per night, but there is nothing cheap here. We are only here two days so will survive. Oh and this is not a hotel room, it’s a suite big enough to play 5-a-side football in, except there is no ball…..and I am wounded..and only two of us..

This is however a Disabled suite. I don’t mean that it’s broken! I mean it has facilities for Disabled folk. So wide doors, grab handles, red emergency cords everywhere. But bloody huge. Fully fitted kitchen huge. 17 metres from door to window. Yes I marched up and down to measure it. !

We didn’t stay long before going on a (rather too long) walk to Clarke Quay in the pm. Had a G&T alongside the river to plan the day. We stayed in the area and had a terrific 4 hours eating and drinking by some fountains in a bustling square. Then the exciting bit. You know that big wheel alongside the Singapore Marina (Flyer)? We took a nighttime ride (flight!) round there above the Formula 1 circuit. Wahey. Loved it. The whole area is lit up and vibrant.  Even the taxi driver who took us back to hotel was excited as he drove the same lines as Lewis round the street circuit section. The other car drivers were not impressed…

The down side. Lots of rain. We have managed to miss walking through it and most outside bars etc have large coverings. Like huge umbrellas 40 feet above. Think they get quite a bit of rain here. 

So, back for a sleep. Without my suitcase with wheels under my feet. 

G’nite. 

Did you know …In March this year, Uber decided to exit Southeast Asia, with its competitor Grab acquiring its operations and assets in eight countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, in exchange for a 27.5 percent stake in Grab.