Sunday 29th January Sydney Another Chinese New Year nite xx

So after a late start its up and out to check out our new base. On the way out, we let reception know that the irons missing out of the room. He lets us know, it will be there when we return. what nice people. Well would you bleeding believe it? , We've Just left Singapore and where do we end up? just off China town. Theres more Chinese here, than there was in Singapore. Still, different country, different food and not a Wendy's in sight. Right, no messing and its straight in for a kebab. Tums full, we take a waddle (big kebab) round town. Why is it that no matter where in the world you go, women make strait for the shoes, handbags, shiny stuff and key rings?. When I mention it, all I get is, these sandals have had it, this bag really is to small, just looking at the necklace's and I've got to look after the spare bike keys haven't I. When it comes to tools shops, I get told "theres a big man eating monster in there" and when I check out the poof working behind the counter, I recon she might have a point.

Oh joy, we've found out theres a Twilight festival starting at Seven thirty tonite. So its off to the hotel for a quick shower and change. Back in the room, we've just striped to the buff, ready to nip to the shower, when theres a bang on the door. In the blink of an eye, Lin grabs a towel, shouts "its the man with the iron" and dives head first into the wardrobe. Now at this point I must mention that in the wardrobe is my clothes, Lins clothes, all our shoes, a whacking great suitcase, my backpack, Lins backpack and the ironing board, but bugger me, she's in there!!!!!!. I wrap me towel round me, take the iron and off the guy and go back in the room, I gingerly peek into the wardrobe. There's Lin, jammed up on the floor in a corner, giggling like a schoolgirl, bum, boobs and body parts everywhere. Ok, so its me birthday come early and I start to prepare. Where the foot come from, I still don't know (how do'es she do that???) and the next thing I know I'm blowing me nuts, trying to keep the swelling down. Anyway, it took twenty minuets and the aid of a coat hanger to pry her out. Aint posting them photos !

Showered and changed, it off to the festival. By now its Severn, so we got there in plenty of time. Huh! six f**king deep, anyway we stand and wait for the start at Severn thirty. Eight thirty comes and the parade finally starts. Load and loads of dragons, well! we think their dragons, all we can see is heads, ok, so their good heads, but just heads. Out comes the camera, up go's Lins arms and she' clicking away (you go girl). Two sodding hours that parade took to pass, saw enough dragon heads to last a lifetime, so its back to the hotel to rest very sore feet. Checked out the photo's Lin took, Hey, seems like we were at a pretty cool parade. And so off to the land of nod

Love and miss you all, just wish you could be here with us. (off to repair wardrobe).

Graffitti on the move, this was joined up with three other boards, it did look good though !

Flags and people everywhere!!

Here comes the dragons, one of many,many,many.

They even decorated the buildings, cool.

The monorail, that goes round the quays and the people have all gone, one minute 1,000's next just us lol!!!.

FRIDAY 27th JAN LEAVING SINGAPORE

Lin says I'm now in charge of the bloggy thing co's I need the typing practice and it gives her an insight on how me head works. (now Im in the s**t) also she needs the sleep? (he, he)  so here go's the next two hours of me life
Gonna leave Singapore today, so we're up a reasonable time to get the bags packed. God knows how, but we manage to get all the stuff back into the bags (were do'es it all come from). Right, that done, we toddle off for brekie. I really can't face cornflakes and noodles at this time in the morning, so I stick me hands up and follow Lin into wendys. (We're on first name terms now and getting free Ice cream by the bucket). Refueled, its up to the pool for a rest before the next step into the unknown.
Its 11'00 and Stuff the taxi, its off to the airport on the subway for us. So backpacks on, suitcase wheels oiled, we fight our way through the lunchtime rush hour (cheep fares lunchtime) and arrive with time to spare. Ok, Im impressed, all this place needs is a swimming pool and Im booking in for two weeks next year. Its bloody huge. full of shops at reasonable prices, free internet, reclining chairs, even a smoking area. Someone tell the gezzers who designed Gatwick to come and take a look. These people got it right.
Ok, comfort over and before long we're on the plane trying to get a little feeling back into a numb arse and watching all the up to date movies (night fever). The guy in front of me won the prize for guessing what the meal was. I thought it was playdough and was to busy making a 1/10th model of a spitfire with it.
five long hours later and we're in Perth. Next thing we know, we're going through immigration. It was like going through a turnstile. And here's me expecting the bright spotlight and a finger up me bum. I aint watching them programs no more, there full of disappointment.
Now off to terminal one for the everlasting wait for flight to Sydney, So onto the transit bus. I lift the case, and the handle snaps, showering those nearest with bits of plastic.Theres me with the handle in me hand and a suitcase full of bricks still on the pavement so Lins off down the end of the bus, leaving me to drag the case on and collect the bits of handle. (Oh the fun never stops)
No one told us Perth had closed down, so the next five hours was spent longing to be back in the Singapore airport. Finally we're on the plane and me arse is turning to wood again. Yet another five hours and more playdough, we hit the tarmac at Sydney. (didn't matter how hard we land, by now I've got an arse of stone). Right, into the cab and $40 later we're booking in. To tired to worry, to tired to care. tomorrow's another day.

pics to follow later xx

26th Jan Kampong Glam

Another day, another trip. Up and out, one stop down the line on the subway and we're there. Its a small area, dotted with narrow side streets, filled with fabric shops. Yep, every fella's dream. Just finished the maze, when dink, the strap on lin's bag can take it no more and lets go. Thats it, Lins on a mission, got to get needle and thread. Now, she's seen some somewhere in the two miles, so off we go again. Oh whoopy F**king do, anyway, after I stop kicking the bag and Lin stops kicking me, for kicking the bag, we do the whole thing over again...... in reverse, only to find a sewing kit in a 7/11 after giving up and heading for the station. So after a rare Starbucks coffee and a running repair. The will to live starts to return, so we head off to find something to eat down the main drag. with no wendys in sight, Lin suggests we eat local. After I come to, we set off for the local eatery. Lin settles on duck and noodles, I have a bash at slew rice and pork. Its not long before I've got Lins duck and she decided she likes the slew (like a sweet & sour chicken?) and as I watch it disappear she says a wendys won't go amiss later. nothing like planing ahead!
Lunch done, we decide to head back to the hotel. Lin suggests we walk. (she likes to live dangerously). So off we trot. much to the surprise of both of us, its only a mere mile or so and we're soon back. Almost there when the other strap breaks. Before I realise Lins already bought a sewing kit, I find myself looking for places to bury her. (funny how yer mind works aint it).
Thats it for now. We love you all.     (no pic's today. To busy looking for f**king sewing kit) haha, just joking, heres a few !!

The local temple at Bugis.

The Wendys, Lins best mate haha! ( well she fed her for 10 days anyway!!)

The shops underneath the hotel.

My mate for feeding times , haha

The only fag spot we cud find and even then we got moved on if we sat the wrong side of the pillar. heyho.

WEDNESDAY 25th Jan Marina Bay, The Singaore Flyer and NO Red Dot !!

What a smashing day. No rain, stayed dry all day, sun up in the 90's, got sun burn, looking good but very red.  John is sort of lobster coloured but doing well in his shorts, vests and sandals. The day started with brekkie in bed, yep, well in bed for me, cuz John went and got it. AND I actually ate it all. (Yep Wendy's again)

Ok, so off we head down to the station and decide we are going to Marina bay, only we don't want Marina bay, we discover after many trips up and down an escalator that we actually want Bay front. Eventually we find Bay front, which turns out to be a bit like Bluewater shopping centre. You can see the sort of afternoon we had in the photo's but fab would describe it well.. It was a realy nice shopping centre but very up market and if you weren't into designer everything, then this not the place for you  (funnily enough I cud't  find Primani).  WE saw the Dragons ( again) bringing good wishes to various shops. It banged its flipping drum all round the centre. John struggled to have a fag (they really don't like you smokin anywhere out here) and we had to walk from one end of the centre to the other just to get out to place where he 'sort' of cud smoke. Let me tell you I have walked for bloody England on this trip. I hope England appreciates it!!!

We come out of the centre and decide to walk over to the Singapore flyer ( Their version of the London Eye) cuz we can see it. It appears to be just over the way, but as always its a fair old walk, in 90 degrees of heat. But hey ho we get there, no problem. And yes we did walk all the way there.

WE decide to have a coffee before we get on and find a really nice coffee bar underneath it called 'robert' something or other. Had the best coffee since we arrived , so things are looking good. WE go and buy our flight tickets and head off up the stairs to departures. Yep departures!!!!  They do like displays and stuff here. So we go through all the displays and board the flyer ( no not the Gatwick flyer, the Singapore flyer)  It was breathtaking and well worth doing. The views were great and once at the top you could see all round. The buildings here are ultra modern and seem to go really well together.  The Singapore skyline is grand and beats Canary wharf anyday. The pictures tell the story so you can see for yourself.

We get off the flyer and are 'landed' as you do, into the flyer shop (clever).  WE have a wander and then decide to walk to the Red Dot Restaurant , where we had had  good meal on the waterfront the other night. When I say walk, I should of said ' go on a mission'. It was much further than we thought and when we got there , they had no riverside seats, so I decide I do not want to stay, so we walked to the train station to eat near the hotel. I am soooooo  over the Red Dot. lol.

So here we are back in Lavender (the area we are staying in), and I am eating a Wendy's salad again and John, well John is eating eggs in soup I think ???. Even he dosent know what he's eating but he says its nice. How the bloody hell does he do it???  it looked liked a bowl of washing up water with all the food bits floating!!!. I am really proud of him, as he can honestly say he lived on local cuisine, he's not sure what was in the cuisine, but he has tried them all. Whereas I have lived on Wendy salads and absolutely refuse to eat anything that I don't recognise  and don't know what animal or part it has come from.

Off to our room to sort out the cocked up Oz hotel booking. You would think that wud be easy, but yes you've guessed it, we are dealing with Delhi. ~I say no more, but India ended up calling us here at the hotel and we are still waiting for the email of confirmation. We only wanted to let the hotel know we wud be 24 hours late, but oh flipping no, thats too simple, cuz thats a change and changes are charged @100%, well we'd already paid in full for the room, but India don't get it. So guys avoid ebookers at all cost cuz they aint easy!!! ebookers my butt......

Ok, so lets round up , Breakfast in bed, Bluewater (not~)and dragons,  Flyer, Red Dot (not!!!), Funny looking stuff in bowl (yes he ate it all !), ice cream, then up to our room and Delhi took over. Some TV and coffee and another fun packed day in Singapore is nearly over. Time goes so quick here, before you know it the day is over

Yes here come the photos again! ( sorry).

The water feature, how cool is this ? loved this one BIG TIME!

We catch up with the dragons, they are blessing the shop and banging one very big drum!!

More flippin dragons.

The view from the flyer

Ship ahoy !!!!

More views

The landscape

Liked this one !!!, don't think I wanna clean their windows though.

Writing in chinese, a true art.

The flyer.

24th Jan. Tuesday The Chinese Garden and the night safari.

So, up with the lark (the larks don't get up till 10.00 here) and out the door, off to see the chinese garden today, at the aptly named area "chinese Garden". No messing with us, a glance at Wendys and its straight on the underground, there in no time and six dollars each lighter and we're in. Got to give it to these people they sure do know how to sort out a garden, clipped hedges and manicured lawns (eat yer heart out Row). Once again, reds, greens and gold dominate the landscape and we make for the five floor pergoda. Got to give Lin her due, off she go's, strait to the top, (those Wendy salads are working) and she's hardly breathing hard, well, to be honest, she's hardly breathing. The view from the top is well worth the climb and the whole of the garden is laid out below, walking round the top (or sliding round the wall) the views are stunning, even looking down the stairwell resembles a shell. ok, that done, down the stairs and off to see some more, through the statues of China's powerful and famous, gardens of silken flowers and animals, past the chinese taking photos of each other in every possible pose, with everything possible  and on to the bonsai garden. I suppose it makes sense, these aint the tallest people in the world, cool trees though
Well I think they missed a trick here, No restaurant, or snack bar and tums are starting to rumble and the gardens pretty much done, so time to head back.


Yes, this is the staircase inside the pagoda. (looking up)

Yep, Lin walked up it and then down again !!! which is just as well as she dosen't like rolling !!!! phew, just as well as she's a bit of a heavy old bird to carry lol!!!! (looking down)

The view from the top of the pagoda.

Another view,

'She sees no ships' !!! hahaha  Across the water to the bonsai garden, posing and ( nope, she did't fall in !!!!)

One of the dieghtys from the garden, lin does the pose!  Think the snack bar is that a way.

I can do it too !!!! lol  surely theres a piggin snack bar somewhere here.

Another pagoda, this really is a lovely garden. ( glad its not ours though!!!!)

Little bonsai trees, for little people hahaha. Very clever.

The double dragon. Dragons, dragons everywhere!!! well what can I say, your never far from a dragon !!! ( don't tell Row I said that!)

More pagodas!

Last time I try sliding down a bannister !!!!! ouchhhhhhhhh

A very posh garden gate.

More pagoda!!!!

Ok,So out of the subway and onto the grub. Lin gets a takeaway of noodles and rice and I nip into the local eatery for mine. The place is about the size of a tesco's express, with about twelve little food sellers, all doing there own stuff. I get tuk tuk noodles (noodles and meat stuff????) and for once we eat together at the tables outside. Dinner a pleasant memory, it up to the room to check out thursdays flight. Ok, I admit it. I  f**ked up. Flights friday and we check out thursday. Well, Im ok with it and start looking for a cardboard box, but Lin go's into flight or fight mode and Im told we ether get the room extended or I get a good kicking. Got the room extended!!!!!.

Panic over, Lin suggest's a night safari. Im ever ready and let her know. Cor, that womans got a wicked swing. Anyway, we're off to the zoo again.

Once again the zoo didn't let us down and was a great trip. Loads of people and surprising how quickly things moved.  Photos a bit poor, co's they wouldn't let us use the flash

Right, thats yer lot. Love and miss you all. John & Lin xxx

Here comes the pictures, enjoy !!!!!

Yep, this is a 'snake queue'. They do them so well here. But they sure do move fast!

WE decide to camp early NOT !!!! ( This is staged set at the safari.)

His master camping, NOT!!!!!! ( Is he a flipping sleep ???????, god help me on that bike !!!!)

Indiana 'lil'

Indiana 'tit' what can I say !!!!

Not real ones, but in enough light that we cud actually get a picture. The exit to the safari.

  

The light show, very clever.

The light show does more. Its quite spectacular to watch.

Yep these are real animals. ahhhhhhhhh a Mum and her young.

BUGIS TOWN MONDAY 23rd JAN 2012

Today we ventured one stop down the line to Bugis. A lot of the town was closed as its New Year day. But the markets and temples were open and everyone was out and about. Even then the crowds are passive, no one rushes. The tubes are busy, as are the buses but there seems to be room for everyone.


We watch the New Year blessings at the temple take place. Everywhere is red and yellow and signs of the dragon are all over the place. We wander round the markets, but 'Johns, yes we can eat', does not go down well with me, so, as we got up quite late and headed straight out, we decided to head back to Lavender, which is where we are staying to eat a late lunch. 


Funnily enough the local 'adult shop ' is called Red Dot so John took a photo of it for my aunt Dot. So, so far thats a restaurant/pub and an adult show both called Dot.


John decides to have meat ball soup, which comes with a small pot of chilli, (un-beknown to him). He dips a meatball in it. ITs fair to say there was a reaction from him immediately ranging from ''f**k me to ouch,ouch and bloody ell, I wont be touching that again''. WE giggle or way through the meal as John eats and I watch. Once he finishes we leave the restaurant and go to the Wendys restaurant opposite where I have discovered caesar salads and jacket pots, which I have now had for the past 3/4 days. John has an ice cream and a coffee and I have the salad, potato and a coke. All yum yum.

We decide to spend the afternoon round the pool, catching up with our journals and the blog. I send some texts, get a bit teary about the girls at home. We check the watch and its nearly 7pm. Thats how it is here, time goes so quickly. We leave the poolside and go to the hotels pizza restaurant. We both have pizza, demolish the lot and go up to the room to learn how to add the pictures to our blogg, which YES !!! yippee we have now done. Hope you enjoy them,


Love Linda and John


The march to the Bugis temple

Bugis Market

The streets of Bugis town are full, with people wanting to make prayers and offerings.

Outside the temple, the offerings are lit and the people wait.

John relaxing by our hotel pool.

The view from the hotel pool.

The menu at the hotel Pizza restaurant, cute eh ????

The editor at large. John writing his first blog lol !!!!

Me in Bugis centre, trying hard not to get wet.

The story of Bugis town.

Red dot, the local adult shop !!! hahahaha