SINGAPORE-ING DOWN

Our only full day in Singapore, was cut a bit short as Matt and I didn't get home until about 7.30am, and so slept until after midday. Did some washing and then went out to meet the Irish girls.

Nicky and Vanessa came with, and we rode the metro around town. The irish girls never showed up, apparently they weren't feeling so well after last night and had been in bed all day. I don't know why they felt so bad, it was us on the Sambuca, not them.

We spent the day wandering around various shopping centres, and saw the fountain of wealth (I could do with all the help I could get when it costs 5 quid a beer in this town). Matt and I got on the Singapore Flyer (like the London eye, but bigger, and, obviously, in Singapore). Took some great photos, the harbour is incredible, I haven't seen so many ships since I watch Flags of our Fathers.

We walked around for a bit more, tried to phone the Irish contingent to see if they wanted to come to the night safari with us, but couldn't get through, so we decided to go without them. The safari was going to take about 4 hours and it was 8pm now, so it was going to be another late night. On the way there in the cab the heavens opened. The rain was so heavy it would make your head bleed, if it was mixed with razor blades.

we got to the Safari anyway, more in hope than expectation, I didn't know of any animals that liked the rain, and so it proved. The tour had been cancelled, you could still get the tram into the park but the chances of seeing any animals were very slim, and for an entrance fee of about £20 we thought better of it. So we had a Singapore Sling instead and got the bus back to town.

It took about an hour to get back with various buses and metros. The plan is to go out and get drunk, well it's Matt's plan anyway, I think he has designs on the brazilian and tonight is his last night. He and Nicky leave tomorrow morning at about 6am, so this is his last night in Asia. It'll be sad to see him go, we've had a fantastic 6 weeks traveling together and done some amazing things, but I'll see him at xmas in Sydney, and I get to spend all day tomorrow with the brazilian girl, which i don't think he's too happy about!

After a few vodka and red bulls in the dorm, we headed out, just in time for last orders at the Prince of Wales. They had a sign out side advertising for a live in bar man, I was tempted, but one live in stint at a pub called the Prince of Wales is enough I think, although Singapore would be a better location that Wood Green!

The district we were staying in was called little india, so I shouldn't have been surprised with the bar we ended up in. Walking past it looked quite dodgy, you couldn't see in through the windows, so this is usually a sign of a gay bar or some kind of girly bar, either way we were 2 blokes and 2 girls, so could probably cope with either. The guy sat drinking outside told us it was open until 3am and only (!) $9 a beer (about £3.50), so we dived in through the door.

On a very small stage in the middle of the floor were 3 Indian girls dancing in full sari dresses, it was fantatsic. We were the only white people in there, and it was a little bit like walking into the slaughtered lamb from American Werewolf in London. A bit scary at first, but then everyone loosened up and had a great time. There was a french guy in there who lived in Singapore, who was friends with a couple of Indian guys wearing turbans. One of them was about 6 foot 6, and was spitting image of the bad guy in Temple of Doom who gets crushed by a conveyor belt. We he asks you to get up and dance with the girls, you don't say no. And I didn't. I think as a beginner I had quite a good attempt at Indian dancing, I don't think I offended anyone, which was my primary objective, rhythm comes second to that. Vanessa and Nicky got up for a bit, Matt stayed firmly on his seat, I think bangladesh is more his scene.

A few beers later and a great deal of pointy dancing and head bobbing, we went outside. I met a native who struck up a conversation with me about football, he then rolled up his trouser leg to reveal a Liverpool crest tattoo on his shin. we bonded instantly. I even got chatting to the French lad, who was a nice bloke, but there's always an exception. The two Indian Jones baddies came over and chatted for a bit, one of them lived in Australia for 9 years so we spoke about that, and he gave me his business card. I've no idea why, but he did.

Matt and Vanessa wanted to go on to a club, Nicky had already gone to bed, and I thought I'd better leave them alone, gooseberry isn't my favourite fruit. And anyway I had one day left in Singapore and didn't want to be up until 7am again and ruin it by being in bed all day.