Murph, Tay, Colly and Erin

We arrived to find that the chivalrous James Watkin, over excited about our arrival had paid upfront for our first 2 nights at the Prince of Wales hostel in Little India. Embracing the local ethnicity, we went for a curry at a local curry house where we ate with our fingers off over-sized banana leaves - when in Rome... Having failed to find an indie club to take
James for his birthday in KL, he was eager to take us to an open-air indie festival along the water front which he had heard about on the grapevine. Upon exiting the MRT, we were wowed by the setting and general atmosphere of the city, we immediately knew we would love Singapore. Unfortunately the indie festival didn't turn up trumps although we got a surprise show in the subway because apparently the youth of Singapore congregate there for amateur break-dancing practice. We had all been nervous about arriving in Singapore because we tend to cross roads in a free-spirited, haphazard kind of way. Unfortunately in Singapore they fine you $500 for this. However, within 2 crossings we had tired of waiting for the little green man to start flashing and reverted back to our former style of making a run for it.

The next day we preened ourselves in preparation for the arrival of Andrew Nigel Gillham, herein referred to as Dad G. Just after noon his first suggestion was to go for a beer and of course we didn't decline. At this point Dad G whipped out our matching T-shirts printed with the name of our infamous blog and the camcorder which was to document our activities over the next few days. After our Tiger beers were empty, our new tour guide escorted us to the Royce chocolate shop where we messily enjoyed squares of chocolate truffle heaven. We headed to Dad G's hotel where we picked up our long awaited care packages from home - thanks Mums, Dads, Tom and Rose. The overwhelming theme was a mountain of pastelle cotton granny panties. Pat Taylor you certainly outdid yourself, we counted 18 pairs in total, these will keep Tay going for at least the next 8 months. Dad G was relieved to have made it through customs without being searched as even with his diplomatic skills he would have struggled to explain a suitcase seething with female underwear en route to Singapore.

Next a real treat was had as Dad G took us up the Swissotel tower where cosmopolitan bar Equinox occupies the top floor. We felt a little out of place sipping our first champagne and cocktails in 4 months whilst sporting our scruffy knapsacks and day-glo market clothes. The bubbly gave us quite an appetite and we couldn't turn down the offer of dinner. Dad G had a hankering for meat so we all swaggered to Bobby Ramones in the Chymes complex where the ribs, burgers and chicken went down a storm. We rushed back to our hostel for our last night with James :( and reverted back to being 14 as we were forced to sip vodka sitting on the curb outside 7-Eleven. In honour of Erik we indulged in a few rounds of his favourite drinking game 'fick dein bus'. Then it was on to the ingeniously named 'Baa Bar Black Chic' a funky little club in Little India, where we found the lasers, smoke-machines and electro surprisingly pleasing. Our hangovers lead to a particularly emotional farewell to our last friend from Asia, James 'I'll give you that one for free' Watkin. We miss you loads, its all about Stuttgart '07!

That evening we were cordially invited to the home of Chris White where we also rendezvoused with Lindsey Neary, the ginger bombshell- Tay's friends from uni. Chris' Dad David cooked up a sumptuous barbecue with strawberries and Scottish fudge for dessert. After we had had our fill of dinner, Chris took us for a couple of drinks at Clarke Quay, a swanky row of bars along the waterfront, where we were introduced to a few of his friends from Singapore. The following day we had a lunch date with Chris and Lindsey at the Tanglin Country Club at which David is a member. The lunch was delicious- thanks again David!

Having visited every Chinatown in every city along the way, we felt it only fair to see what Singapore's had to offer us. We enjoyed a cup of chinese tea and a stroll around the market.
One tourist attraction that we knew we would enjoy was the night safari. This involved a tram ride through the wilds of Africa and Asia and their nocturnal creatures. We saw a host of animals, some of which we'd never even heard of- who knew bearcats and hogbadgers existed? Particularly exciting was the bat enclosure in which we had close encounters with giant fruitbats which left Colly and Chris cowering in the corner (complete with girly squeals from Chris). After the tram tour we attended the 'Creatures of the Night' show where we came up close and personal with a whole array of animals. A keen love for otters was formed after watching Pedro, a very well-trained specimen, demonstrate how to pick up and recycle rubbish.

Next day brought the move we'd all been waiting for, our parents had booked us a couple of rooms at the hotel Dad G was staying in. It was finally time to swap dorms and communal showers for double beds and en-suites, and we revelled in it. Surrounded by clean towels and hot showers, it proved the perfect environment in which to groom and prepare ourselves for the glamorous evening ahead. First stop the infamous Raffles Hotel for Singapore Slings, which went down so favourably we consumed two rounds. We entered into the tradition of Raffles by discarding our peanut shells on the floor of the bar. Ironic how the one place you are allowed to litter in the city is its most renowned hotel. After having been introduced to some of Dad G's colleagues, we selected a Chinese seafood restaurant for dinner. The menu was vast and largely alien to us, so we left ordering in Sharon's capable hands. This proved to be a wise decision when plate upon plate of delicious food continued to arrive from the kitchen- a unanimous favourite dish was crayfish. Proving you needed to be an expert to make such successful decisions, Dad G floundered in the wine selecting with a schoolboy error of ordering Chinese wine which turned out to be sherry. A lovely evening was perfectly rounded off by a cocktail amidst the grandeur of the Fullerton hotel.

Our last night in Asia was definitely one to remember. After drinks at Chris' we went to The Ministry of Sound. Chris' Dad David rose to legendary status as he decided to join us, and showed us up on the dancefloor. Complete with fountains, escalators and flashing dance floors it was certainly a lot trendier than the places we have been frequenting during the trip. A 4am McDonalds feast brought the night to a close and sealed the deal on a fantastic last night in Asia.

Sharon, thank you for your insider's knowledge of Singapore and for the lovely gifts.

Chris and David, thanks so much for the hospitality and the amazing night in the Ministry of Sound!

Many thanks to Dad G for making our stay in Singapore so memorable and thanks also to the other Mums and Dads, sorry you couldn't be there to share it with us!