Well at least I am starting on a classy note. Despite general derision, I always arrive at the airport early, and was rewarded by a very nice check-in lady who upgraded me to Business Class. This was rather fortunate as Economy Class was like the top of those Indian trains Peter likes travelling on - definitely seething humanity!!! I even had the one spare seat in Business Class - and on the whole plane I think - beside me to generally spread myself around on. In true common peasant style I ate and drank everything they offered me, starting with the Veuve Cliquot, but eventually had to admit defeat with the offer of after-dinner port. Ah well, common plebs like me appreciate such little luxuries. The daytime flight also gave an excellent sense of the vast emptiness of Australia as we crossed enormous areas of desolate landcape or dense tropical vegetation with minimal evidence of human habitation.
A five hour stopover in Singapore seemed too good a chance to waste sitting in the transit lounge, so after finding somewhere to store my big winter coat (a little superfluous in the tropical heat), and according to Kevin's instructions I found the MTR station just below the terminal, and zoomed into town on the train. The City Hall stop brings you up inside the glittery Raffles Shopping Centre strung with gazillions of lights in true Asian Christmas fashion. Across the road from this modern glitz is the stunningly renovated Raffles Hotel. The old facade has been kept, but all the interiors have been modernised, except for the wonderful old Long Bar with fans on the roof, peanut shells all over the floor, and elegant verandahs to sit on and watch the life of the town pass by - even the sudden tropical downpour added to the steamy ambience. Of COURSE I had to have a Singapore Sling, and the waiter took the obligatory photo, and as one glanced around the room it was clear that they do a very good trade with people like me who just have to visit Raffles for the iconic drink, which is actually rather underwhelming, and actually a local beer might have been a better choice. It is a rather lovely old room though, and it is fortunate not to have been converted into glass and chrome.
On to Frankfurt from Singapore, the travel gods were still watching over me as the Lufthansa flight was only half full,thus I was spared Kath's nightmare of the fat-lady-overflowing-the-seat, and of the 12 hour flight I managed to sleep soundly for 5 hours and nap for another 3, so I was relatively un-shell-shocked, making a quick changeover for London and Heathrow. Finally, 38 hours after leaving Gowing Drive I arrived at Kath and Dave's flat in Notting Hill. It is in a very nice part of London, and after a lovely reviving cup of tea I took off to scout the Kensington High St and the incredible number of antique shops in the area.
Kath and Dave are due home from work shortly, and jet lag will no doubt hit in an hour or so, and knock me unconscious as I curl up on their couch after a very full first "day" of my trip.
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