Byron Bay, Australia

So we reached the promised land, but not for long and only just. A six hour bus journey from Surfers where we had to change at Brisbane and put up with an idiot of a driver! Well and we had the commotion of being told we wouldn't have a place to stay in Byron. Yeah right. After a lot of places messing us around and one saying they were full, we eventually ended up staying there. Honestly what a palaver and all this because of those bloody Schoolies!!!!!!

So we arrived and stayed at Nomads Odyssey - the solution to all Flash packer needs. Not quite but this Big Brother decorated hostel were sure kind enough and charged us practically nothing after messing up our booking once more putting us into a room with seven people instead of four! No nut jobs this time.

With time at a premium we managed to cram a hell of a lot of stuff in. We watched Michael Jackson - "This is it" at the cinema, awesome film but with the shitest of female guitar players! We had a great night out at Coco mangoes & Cheeky Monkeys where we drank Champagne (it was on offer) and beers until our hearts were content laughing and giggling at the supposed Mr & Mrs Backpacker. We had some great food out and even managed to visit the beach. It wasn't until the day after and the day of departure that we decided to risk walking to the Lighthouse!

Setting off early across the beach we initially had the desire to see Cape Byron. Built in 1901, the lighthouse was actually a lot further away than it seemed. We didn't actually manage to get all the way there due to time restraints but even so after seeing a few more lizards and possibly the biggest snake I've ever seen (not that I've seen many) we decided to head back home along the beach once more avoiding the ever mounting pills of dead jelly fish. Not so successful in terms of getting to our desired destination but an adventure well worth having.

It would have been nice to have stayed longer here as it is such a great place with such amazing beauty but as we fucked up with Bundaberg it didn't really work out. Nevertheless we did pretty much see most things, I just would have loved to have gone back to see those ever so Cheeky Monkeys once more.

Next stop Brisbane!

Surfers Paradise, Australia (Gold Coast Adventures)

Known as Australia's flashy, trashy venue on the partying Gold Coast, Surfers depicts only one person on earth, Paris Hilton. Although on this visit we didn't actually see her, it soon become very apparent of the place's Vegas esc nature and its lively atmosphere as we arrived into town at around 6pm that evening.

Checking into a flashy Hostel/Hotel called Nomads Islander we dumped our bags and soon made friends with our new room mate Kev who was from that not so far away part of the world, sunny Leeds! A few beers and dinner later and we were soon swapping stories of our Australian Adventures so far.

Getting up early the next morning and making our way to Wet n Wild water park, we soon joined the thousands of people snaking out from the bus stop waiting to get to their desired destination. We knew that it was a nice hot day, but no more sunny than usual. We did however forget that it was the beginning of summer holidays here and that only meant one thing, schoolies!!!!! There was loads of them and Wet n Wild was duly packed.

What a great day though, with so many rides and flumes to experience we managed to go on them all at least once with Jo only wimping out on one occasion. There was the Kamikaze, the Twister, Tornado, Mammoth falls and many more.... awesome! a lot better than the water park in KL!!!!

As the sun went down we arrived back in town, wet and full energy. We really were ready to hit the town running and after a short discussion with Kev to persuade him beer for the night was our only option, we headed out to the bottle shop to stock up on some heavy duty beers and filled our apartment fridge with well over 24 bottles. Result. It wasn't until mid way through the Harry Potter on TV and several beers down we realised we had a fourth room mate. Had he been here sleping all along? who knows but he wasn't at all interested in us. As the night progressed we all decided before we went out it would be a good idea to hack into my ever growing hair. Jo for one was a pleased girl as for a few days not only did I not look like a complete twat but she also won the bet she had with me saying I wouldn't cut it all trip! Oh well, it had to be done. The night ended early and after little discussion we called it a night.

The next day and our last here, we just about had enough time for some much needed shopping, new flip flops - yeh!!! and a trip to the beach. The interesting mecca of the golden sand and blue sea against the the tall skyscraper buildings really did look amazing.

The second attempt was always going to be better and with a few beers left we tucked into a much needed Hungry Jacks before setting out to meet Kev's friend Kat. So not only now did we have Jon & Jo but Kev & Kat to deal with. Never going to forget those names. A few drinks at the aptly named Vegas Bar and then onto an Irish pub in town for live music was again all we could handle as the night ended at around 1am. We really didn't fancy the trashy nightclubs and I for one didn't really have the attire for it. Not sure flip flops as new as they were and shorts would have got me far in this town! Bling Bling was the only way forward!

Rainbow Beach & Fraser Island, Australia (East Coats Adventures)

Ok, so after chilling out for a few days in Hervey Bay we were more than ready for our Fraser adventure. We got to Rainbow Beach early where as part of our trips package we got two nights free stay at a place called Dingo's. When we arrived we had to wait around for a while to check in but once in our new 7 bed dorm we quickly made friends with a nice English girl and two extremely funny German guys.

With intermittent rain clouding the sky's we were forced to check out the beach quickly, unpacking towels and applying sun lotion before packing it all back up again within minutes. Having said that the beach itself for the few minutes we did see its beauty was amazing. Gold sand, lovely scenery and some ice blue clear waters. Believe me they were cold! Coupling this with a browsing of the local shops and a stint at the hostel bar, it pretty much ended our day here before we took the free hostel trip up to the sand dunes that were a little out of town. Slightly hesitant to go at first with fear of more rain, we were glad we went as not only did the sun come out for an amazing sunset but those foot sinking sand dunes were ever so much fun. We had a great night running up and down, rolling round and even caught a glimpse of some guys doing sand boarding. Great times. Back to the hostel for dinner, a beer a piece and some much needed banter before sleep with our new room mates as we prepared for the experience that lay ahead the next day.

Getting up early we were surprised to still see all of our 'Self Drive' tour friends still making the last adjustments to their vehicles before setting of to the Island. We on the other hand could take a little more time getting ready before being picked up for our 'Driven' tour half an hour later. In the end it was definitely something we were glad we paid that little bit extra for.

Ok so what picked us up could only be described as a 4x4 bus truck thing that was so high off the ground it felt like we were flying. The tour guide was awesome and she quickly made everyone at ease by playing some games on the way to the ferry where everybody got to know each other. It was here we found a really friendly couple with whom we had a lot in common called Jim and Laura. They were English.

As we drove up to board our ferry we not only saw one but all of our friends from Dingo's in several different groups struggle to drive on the sand. It was highly amusing seeing them try to push their vehicles big wheels from the ever clutching sand. Ha, something I'm glad we never had to do!

Safely across the sea and onto the Island known by the local Aboriginals as 'K'Gari', meaning paradise, we soon saw what was lying in wait for the rest of the days trip. We hammered it up 75 mile beach aiming to get to our designated Forest walk before lunch so we could get on up to Lake McKenzie in the afternoon. The walk itself was quite nice seeing some great wildlife and taking in the scenery but it was definitely needed after the amount of food we were forced to eat!

With the terrain ever so bumpy and hard to conquer we were glad for the first time, not the last, during the journey that we as paying tourists didn't have to drive. It looked so dangerous and just seeing the cars in front, beside and behind us driven by amateurs bounce around and stupidly fly past just confirmed this.

Arriving at Lake McKenzie we were met with it's sheer beauty. The clear bluey/turquoise waters were endless and so inviting, the sand was white and the place just reeked of paradise. Not for the first time we have said that on this massive trip round the world eh! We spent around an hour here before heading onto our accommodation for the evening, that's right, no tents here, instead we were sheltered from the impending rain by some lovely if not small apartments. Thank god as it started to rain as soon as we got there and even though an evening of much planned drinking lie ahead, I for one am glad I wouldn't be putting up with Jo moaning that we would be sleeping in a tent in the rain!

A great BBQ was cooked by our fearless leader that could have fed an army and then we proceeded to play cards, drink and literally take the piss out of everyone in the team including a strange Irish couple who didn't drink much?!?!, two Japanese girls whose birthday it was, a rather too horny german couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other, some random Scandinavian girls, Jim, Laura, our guide, me and Jo. It truly was a great night, another infused with far too much goon on all parts, not just mine for a change and one which ended with me, Jo, Jim and Laura tucking into the next days food for a midnight snack. No one would know, surely not!

Up at 6am for breakfast and still no one had noticed the biscuits missing or in Jo's case the chunks of cheese with teeth marks in as she stated quite clearly, "I definitely didn't eat any biscuits', yeah right!!!!! With our stomachs full from another massive meal (I'm not complaining by the way) we got washed and dressed and headed off early doors to make the most of the trip. Throughout both days we sore loads of Dingo's and a couple of Iguana lizards but by far the funniest occurrence was when driving to Indian heads that morning when we saw a dingo stealing from a local fisherman's truck on the beach. It was great. It was like he was saying, you catch the fish, put them in the truck and I'll eat them. Thanks you stupid human.

As we arrived at Indian heads I was amazed by how big it was and Jo bless her was wondering how she would get up there in her flip flops. Well at least hers were in one piece, mine on the other hand were falling to pieces at every opportunity, but hey that another story. Once up there wow were there some amazing views. This was probably one of my favourite points on the Island.

Walking down from the steep steps and sharp rocks, we were met with some quizzical looking faces back at the bus as people were eating the remainders of the biscuits with their tea's and coffee's. It was only then that we all admitted to our leader that it was our fault there wasn't enough cookies to go round and it was soon laughed off and we all climbed back on board heading down to the Pinnacles.

I didn't really enjoy the Pinnacles, thinking that they were nothing special and something I had probably seen before. I mean I can see different coloured sands in Cornwall or on the Isle of Wight, I didn't need to come all the way over here. It also however could have been the reason that I was also desperate for the loo that made me miss out on the point of these landmarks.

On to the Maheno shipwreck and with the knowledge of the story behind it being told, all I could still think about was going for a piss, not how amazing it actually was. Quickly taking some photos and wondering around as my need to go pee slowly disappeared, I felt very privileged being there and viewing the great ship wreckage and learning some much need historical facts.

Finally getting down to Lake Wabby before lunch were I managed to actually find the need to use the facilities I once again felt more relaxed in the knowledge that I hadn't actually wet myself. Believe me, I did come close! Anyway, we were advised to try and float down the Lake but not so sure it would work as nobody else was, me, Jo, Jim and Laura decided it best to wade through, avoiding all the little kids jumping and splashing close by.

Yet more food was served and then the long journey back to the boat, getting across the sea. It was one hell of a journey overland, believe Jo as I was by some miracle asleep through the bumping and crashing of the bus as we had to take a massive detour on an old mining road as the tide had blocked all other routes. I was told at the time it got quite scary but me, well i was probably dreaming of something far more peaceful.

Back on dry land and driven back to the hostel, we really did have a great time, met some nice new people and felt as though we really got our moneys worth. Although we maybe missed out on the experience of driving on sand, I'm glad I didn't have to endure my days hungover behind the wheel and don't think I could handle a group of piss heads shouting directions just like I had to in Bali. Thanks, but no thanks.

So with that all over, we had a few beers sharing our stories with others and headed of for a much needed early night. It was now a case of Fraser Island, Done.

Hervey Bay, Australia (East Coast Adventures)

Desperately trying to get anywhere but Bundaberg we ended up here in Hervey Bay for three nights of R&R before embarking on our Fraser Island adventure tour from Rainbow Beach, just down the road. It wasn't really as if we had planned to have this long to rest here but more the fact we had no choice. Lucky enough we had found somewhere we had originally wanted to stay here that was cheap, nice and more importantly gave us something to do.

So getting here with minimal fuss and being asked the question on arrival of what the hell did you want to come here for? we replied to our driver, it was either here or Bundaberg. He soon understood.

Buying some much needed new clothes and underwear we lived three days of almost unspoken paradise with free washing, a double room, TV DVD player and some luxurious Mexican food. The hostel we were staying at even had a great selection of DVDs so no need to sign up to a video shop or rent anything as we had previous planned. Result. We did venture out of the room on a few occasions but with nothing of much note.

To be honest Hervet Bay was all about the relaxation and that was about all we really did here.

Bundaberg, Australia (East Coast Adventures)

Trust me, Jesus saved us with this one!!!!!!! One word about Bundaberg, "SHIT" I'm sorry if that offends anyone but man was this place bad, as soon as we got here we wanted to leave.

We arrived here with the sole intention of getting some fruit picking work for a few days, it didn't happen as apparently you have to do at least a week, ha, as if Jo would have lasted a day!!! Anyway being told that there literally was nowhere to stay and no work in town, we had one last option from a pool of five or so hostels to choose from. The only problem was the person running the hostel worked the strangest of hours, 10-11.30am and then 3-5pm. The time when we got there was... you guessed it 11.45am and we were reduced to sweating in the heat drinking VB from a brown paper bag for over three hours, classy! Honestly what a lazy bitch, who has a 3 and a half hour lunch break? If you had ever seen her you really would have known why McDonald's was so busy at that time of day!!!!

Anyway, she put us up for the night, only a night mind you, no more, no less. That left us with only a precious few hours to arrange a bus out of here, anywhere, I don't care as long as its not here were Jo's words. As the picture says, Jesus did save us, there was an available bus the next day and boy did we get it. We just had to fill the night with something to do. Well with nothing more than church after church after church we finally found a place with a license to sell a beer, I would call it a bar but it wasn't. It was more like a bottle shop with seats, just not that posh! We had a beer and left, it was that bad! At least we were saved by the fact that there was some decent TV programmes that night else I think we would have gone insane in this hell hole..........

Do NOT go here, I repeat do NOT go here!!!!!!!

Airlie Beach, The Whitsundays & The Great Barrier Reef, Australia (East Coast Adventures)

The gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and in our case the Great Barrier Reef, Airlie Beach provided us with an amazing Australian adventure on so many different levels. Ok so the place we stayed at for the duration of our five day stay was nothing spectacular but at least it was clean, cheap and full of nice friendly people. We even managed to have an entire four bed dorm room all to ourselves. Spacious!

Halloween. What a messy night that turned out to be. Only our second night here and already the goon had taken a hold of me once more. So much for giving it up! Having met up with Sean and Scott from Cairns the previous afternoon, we had arranged to meet them and their friends to go out for Halloween. So after deciding on some rather impromptu costumes with very limited materials, we decided to show the Australians how to have a real party at this time of year. By the time they arrived to meet us for drinks at our place, I think it was fair to say I was pretty much half cut. Not only had I finished around 2 litres of goon but I also had my eyes on what they had brought with them. So once the costumes had been assembled and were fit to be worn, the drinking games stopped and all the alcohol consumed, we finally decided it was time to go into town looking like extras from the set of Lesbian Vampire Killers. Turned away from one place for being too drunk, the disappointment in my eyes soon vanished as we entered an all night party at one of the bars in town and descended on drinking the night away. Several hours later with no one having seen me or Sean for quite a while, we were to be found outside watching the Arsenal v Tottenham game from the steps of the pub we were refused entry. Weird. Jo was not pleased at all! If that was not bad enough, I even fell up the steps on my way home cutting a chunk out of my ever repairing toe. Ouch! What a night.

Recovering mildly the next day we went about booking several expensive trips and indulged in what can only be described as the most amazing Fish and Chips but also a sneaky Pizza that was being given away at Phoenix bar with every drink. That's right back on the wagon and feeling the effects!!!!!!

The first of our two major trips was to fly over the Whitsunday Islands before stopping of on the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkeling followed by Champagne, cheese & biscuits. This was a first class trip, one in a lifetime and we are both so glad we did it. The views over the islands were amazing, with some of the most beautiful scenery you can ever imagine, its a shame photography just doesn't capture it. Then descending onto the water via plane was like something from a bond film, not only flying onto the beach but also landing in the middle of the sea. Awesome. I wouldn't say the Great Barrier Reef was as good as expected but it was still a pleasure to view life under the sea there and although the water was a little cold!!!!! it was an amazing site, even if I have become a bit of a snorkeling snob on this trip. To top it all off, great views on the way back and some damn fine drinks and cheese!!!!! We didn't see a shark this time like in Asia but the reason we got out when we did was the rather unsubtle arrival of a big arse jelly fish. Shit the bed!!!!!

We loved our time here in Airlie with so much on offer for such a small little town, it really is somewhere you never want to leave. We visited the lagoon at the esplanade, ate and drank our nights away and even managed to catch up with some great people on this trip. Thanks Ailrie, thank you very much.

Townsville & Magnetic Island, Australia (East Coast Adventures)

Arriving in Townsville around midday, having not had the time to pre-book any accommodation the night before, we decided to deviate from our usual planned approach and instead just rocked up here looking for somewhere to stay. After our first choice had informed us of no vacancies we stumbled across a previous traveller's recommendation and proceeded to check in with minimal fuss. It wasn''t however until we opened the door to our shared room that we found the problems. And believe me, things escalated from there. The hostel was very run and grimy beyond the initial reception area, the kitchen standards were appalling and to top all that off, we had three days to spend here with Townsville seeming at first glance to be a lot smaller than we had imagined!

With not much on offer here at all we wondered around aimlessly looking in shops and bars desperately trying to find something to fill our time. Whilst morale had stooped to an all time low, we did however find some consolation in having a few drinks at a brewery themed pub with some very cool interiors and a vast array of pleasurable ales. At least Jo extended here education in the art of beer drinking!

In conjunction to this we also managed to find time to visit the only thing we came here for, the Reef HQ Aquarium. A living coral reef inside an architectural masterpiece providing us with great in depth knowledge of what its like at the barrier reef without even getting wet! An absolutely fantastic Aquarium with lots of talks and things to see, a must if visiting Australia's East Coast.

Twiddling our thumbs and becoming ever more bored by what was on offer we made the conscientious decision to take the ferry to Magnetic Island. We had planned to stay on the Island for the night but thought better of it. Not sure if it was the best idea in the end as it would have probably have meant I could have justified renting one of the cool Barbie Car esc rides on offer but seen as we were only here for the majority of the day, the $90 or so didn't really seem worth it. Besides we were here to see nature, not drive around fancy looking cars weren't we.

Getting the bus to the furthest beach from the port we decided to mull around on the beach to begin with before hiking back through the hills and a visiting numerous other beaches on the way back through. It worked out to be a good plan, even if Jo and I were rather jumpy walking through the bushes not knowing what we would see. In the end we didn't see anything, no koalas, no snakes no nothing. Slightly gutted, part relieved! The scariest part of the day was probably when Jo got attacked by a Kookaburra bird whilst eating her lunch. Hilarious, it just swooped down and went for her and her pasta lunch!!!!!!! Anyway, the beaches were nice and we enjoyed an adventurous time but I wouldn't really say it was anything amazing.

Getting up for breakfast on our final day, we once again found that although breakfast was meant to be served between 8-9am, it was always all gone by 8.10am. Oh well, you learn something new each day, well, and something the same everyday in this case.....

Mission Beach, Australia (East Coast Adventures)

Catching the 'Greyhound' Bus for the first time, we decided to take the short two hour journey to Mission Beach where we stayed at a hostel called Absolute Backpackers. The absolute part was probably the absolute joke that they pick you up from the greyhound stop only to drive you 50 yards down the road to the hostel. Pointless in my eyes!

We spent one night here in a double room (a treat after our last debacle) and even though there wasn't much going on here, we did spend some time exploring the area, strolling the beach and even falling asleep with the sand between our toes. Waking up beside a coconut thirty minutes later and with all our belongings beside us we walked back along the beach and into town via a few shops before settling down for yet another Australian BBQ and a lounge by the pool. Nowhere near as good as the Tropic Days BBQ but still pleasant to say the least. A quiet evening followed, one with NO alcohol at all (a first) and after a few conversations with travellers we decided an early night was in order.

That was that in Mission Beach.

Cairns, Australia (East Coast Adventures)

Flying from Singapore into Brisbane airport, there was only enough time for a quick snack from Hungry Jacks (Australian Burger King) before our connecting flight to Cairns. The flight was short but great, with a collection of luxurious foods offered throughout the flight and an interesting chat with a kind local guy who had an intense dislike for flying.

Once landed and through customs, I did the stupid thing of trying to haggle with an Australian taxi driver. Not in Asia now! Deciding bus was the cheaper option we finally arrived at our accommodation for the next 4 nights, a four bed dorm room at Tropic Days. Our initial instinct was of slight dislike compared to the comforts of Singapore, however our opinion was soon to be changed by the end of our stay with it going down as possibly the best Australian hostel we have stayed in.

To say that dorms was a learning curve is somewhat of an understatement. Jo really didn't like them from the off and to add to her discomfort we were sharing with a weird guy from the outback who had a liking for knives and didn't shut up. He even had the cheek to steal $100 AUS from our wallet. What a twat! After he had gone on our second night, we started to relax but had learnt to keep ourselves to ourselves a bit more and to keep our stuff locked away!

Amongst all the drama we did meet some really cool people here including Sean, Scott, Ethan (or Erwin as most people called him, Jo just called him Edwin?), Julia and Bjork amongst many. We didn't really get up to much here though as most of our time was spent drunk in either the Woolshed (free dinners), Gilligans bar or PJ O'Briens drinking Goon (cheap wine) or XXXX. However we did get to lounge around by the pool at the hostel, I learnt to play the didgeridoo (thanks John) and we hung out at the esplanade lagoon which was pretty damn awesome.

The Great Monday BBQ. The main reason we decided to stay at this hostel. To say it was amazing is an understatement. Getting to try Kangaroo, Emu, Crocodile and Baramundi the hostel provided us with such a great evening, accompanying it with a selection of salads and sides and even putting on some great games and live music before heading down to the local pub 'The Woolshed'. One of our best nights on the trip so far!

Managing to get a days work labouring on a building site through the hostel, it provided Jo with a days peace and me with some great Aussie Vs Pomme banter and some rather sore blisters on my hands. I'm not going to say it was easy in the 30 + degree heat but it was worthwhile as I met some nice guys and managed to get paid $160 AUS for the days work, recuperating the $100 AUS we had stolen.

All in all, a mixed start to Australia but one with an awesome place and hostel, one I would highly recommend and return to if we ever came back to Cairns. I really did like it here.

Singapore

Flying in very early from Bali in Indonesia via the amazing view of the giant Mt.Bromo on route, we finally arrived at Singapore International Airport. Straight away it was like technology and time had advanced a hundred years because everything was cleaner, more technically advanced and even the terminal transfers looked futuristic compared to the prior swarms of mopeds and bikes climbing the pavements in order to run us down.

Taking the train from the airport to our desired resting point, the accommodation that Jo had booked turned out to be awesome. Not only did we have such luxuries as a TV, Sky, a fridge and free internet in the room but it also came with the most amazing breakfast (explain more later) and the "penthouse" apartment had some super views over the city. It really was a hotel at hostel prices!

Anyway, after checking in and cleaning up we soon set off into town to visit the Red Dot Design Museum to check out a travelling exhibition focused on new technologies and futuristic inventions. Some of the stuff we had seen before from previous London visits but never the less it had stimulated Jo and given her countless more ideas of ways to create a home. If we ever get one that is!

Walking through Chinatown towards Clarke Quay, thousands and thousands of stalls aligned the market place selling various crafts and gifts from all the other South East Asian countries we had visited. However, not only was there a lot less choice of what to buy but everything had at least tripled in price. Unable to fit any more stuff into our case, we soon found our way out and spent the next hour or so taking in the shops, bars and restaurants in the Clarke Quay area.

A trip to the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery (strange choice but free and worth it) and a stroll past the Old Fire Station followed before we finally arrived across town at another costless attraction, this time at the National Museum of Singapore. I mean isn't weird how you spend so much money to get a flight to these places and a room somewhere and when you actually get there all you do is to try and fill your day with the cheapest things possible? Oh well, another interesting experience was endured and to be honest, we can't really complain.

With time getting on and things starting to shut, we wondered aimlessly down Orchard rd, possibly the most famous street in Singapore, and tried to find something to eat. Cutting a long story short, it didn't happen, either Jo or I didn't fancy what was on offer or it was ridiculously out of our price range. So instead of a lavish meal on our first night here, we ended up settling for dumplings and noodles from a stall on the way home. Tis the life eh!

Waking up slightly later than planned we arrived to breakfast with the smell of bacon in the air. Its been ages since we had smelt that and there was really no surprise to me now wondering why Jo had woken me up...... anyway brought out before us was what can only be described as fantastic. The landlady had not only supplied fresh orange juice, proper tea/coffee and water to drink but had also just placed a plate in front of me with so many different yet exciting meals staring back at me. Never before had I seen Bacon, eggs, cranberry toast, hot cross buns, lettuce, tomatoes and a banana all in the same place before. Must not complain though, it did keep us going for nearly the whole day.

Now with a clear plan of what we wanted to see today, we set off in search of the nearest tube station, more wobbling than walking. Situated just outside the closest station was what looked to me as quite a cool sign. As I moved closer to take a picture (not every day you see a sign post with a policeman shooting at a civilian) the tug at my shoulder from a security guard (with a gun) kind of freaked the hell out of me. Apparently you are not allowed to take photos of within a certain distance of Government buildings, let alone of one? Hmmmm, must be Singapore law as I am sure all the photos of the White house aren't taken by one person? Anyway reassuring him I meant no harm and indeed that I wasn't a terrorist we soon had a mutual agreement that I wouldn't take any more photos. Except I did five minutes later when he wasn't looking, of that exact sign, but hey he will never know. He was indeed a nice chap though and greeted us again every morning on our way to the station.

Finally boarding our train and now a little behind schedule we packed in quite a lot in the morning session of our day. This was achieved even if we did spend more time aimlessly following Jo's directions around town trying to find a landmark not even in this district. Women, directions... no chance! We strolled through Little India basking at the beauty of the Deepvali parade that was currently on, we headed to the Church of Light (when we wanted to get the Church of a thousand lights), we wondered around another amazing Indian temple, visited Arab St and saw both the National and Sultan Mosques.

With lunchtime nowhere near and the smell of Indian food becoming more tempting by the second, we had finished seeing what we had wanted to here and decided that it be for the best that we went onto another part of town. One somewhat less appealing in the expanse of our stomachs. Passing some cool buildings and architecture of modern descends on the way we arrived at our next two destinations for the day, the Singapore Art Museums SAM and 8Q. Weird names I know. They weren't even that great, a lot less sophisticated and interesting than we had hoped, but again it was a free and where else would you get to see a hummer decorated by a Jesus loving church group?

A brief spell of rain began to fall and Jo's stomach was telling me that it was time to eat. You know, it kinda of just made those weird sounds that it does. Oh and she was moaning she was hungry which kind of amplified it. Not agreeing on exactly what we should have we decided to collect an array of food delights from the local bakery slash food shop. You would know what I mean if you had seen it. We chose a curry Naan, some weird potato bread cake, a variety of spiced hot dogs, a french stick and a kind of sausage with chip batter to share. Strange I know but eating it outside in the newly found sun, it was quite pleasurable.

All stocked up and ready to roll, literally, I finally pestered Jo enough for her to let me visit not only the biggest toy museum in Singapore, but the whole of South East Asia. We weren't to be let down and it was an amazing collection of old rare toys and new ones I had never even heard of. It also brought up the timeless topical debate about Golliwogs. Oh dear!

With the light wearing thin outside we wondered down to the river still full from lunch and managing to get some great snaps of the city. Here we took in and posed with some of Singapore's renowned national landmarks and enjoyed every minute checking out the big durian building and all of its surrounding excellence.

In need of a drink we headed over to the Raffles hotel where wondering if we would be allowed in wearing shorts and flip flops we managed to take a seat in world famous Long bar and promptly ordered ourselves a couple of Singapore Slings. They weren't much different from a sex on the beach, according to Jo but it tasted refreshing enough for me after a long day of hard walking. This was accompanied by the throwing and eating of monkey nuts that is a long standing tradition within the hotel.

A quick stop of at Hooters in Clarke Quay to down grade our evening and we soon arrived home for a much needed sleep.

Day 3, another champion breakfast inhaled and we spent the day with the much anticipated visit to the Singapore Zoo. One of the best in the world, my view and that shared by many. We saw the great array of wildlife on offer there and with the Zoo done out extremely well with a variety of shows, we proceeded to see Apes, Gorilla's, a wicked seal show, tigers, meercats and even a couple of polar beers. Awesome.

With time running out before our evening flight we managed to get back into the city, saw the ever expanding Sentosa Island from a distance, wondered around the VIVA shopping centre and even had time for some more great Singapore food at the Harbour front food court, even if we did have Japanese food.

With Singapore the last stop on our Asian adventure, we were a little disappointed with the country's lack of personality, rather fusing everything else we had seen into one big place. Although this was the case, the conclusion that it did provide still helped us experience some great times and attractions, even if they were at a greater cost than previous SE Asian countries.