Singapore

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Hi again all,

The updates are coming thick and fast at the moment!

I've just bought myself a new MP4 player (the brand new Creative Zen player - 8GB) and am currently in an Internet Cafe where the owner is happy to turn a blind eye - trying to download some of the albums I like the most as fast as possible! I'm going to ask around the hostel I'm at to see if I can get my hands on some other music later.

Back to my chronological order.

Friday we got the bus from Melaka to Singapore. It was 5 1/2 hours but wasn't too bad.
Singapore is very different to the other countries I've been in. It's very modern, English is the main language and is very very clean - which is probably due to the very strict laws and harsh punishments for doing anything wrong. It's nice to get away from all the diseased stray dogs and cats which are everywhere in Malaysia and Thailand.
Friday night we went out to celebrate our last night as a group. The group has broken up quite a bit, mainly with girls being girls and arguing when kept together. I didn't really want to get involved in any of it and so mostly hung about with some of the couples who I got on with better. It's nice to be out of the group and the rail-roaded tour and doing my own thing now. The tour way good, and I did enjoy it - especially Thailand but the activities in Malaysia were only tours really as we went further south.

Yesterday I found myself a hostel which has some great reviews and was once voted the 2nd best hostel in Asia (it's called sleepy sams). It has a very relaxed atmosphere - if all the places I sleep in are like this I'll be fine for the rest of my journey!
I was supprised by the number of older travellers about though. I met a retired couple from Sutton in the guesthouse in Melaka and looking around the hostel here there are quite a few people in their 30's, 40's and even retired people in with us 18-25's.

Anyhow, yesterday I went to Singapore zoo which is very impressive. Large enclosures, excellent conservation programs, good shows and you can get very close to some animals. I don't think I saw one cage either. I tried not to fill my camera up with animal pics, but had to get some! Next to the zoo (you can buy a double ticket - only 30 singapore $) is a 'night safari'. I think it's the only one in the world and is excellent, watching animals in the dark is very different to what you see in zoos.

Today I've got a day ticket for the MRT (subway system here) which is very efficient and I'm shopping and seeing the different areas, tomorrow I have a seat on a bus to KL booked and Tuesday I fly to Borneo (Tawau - Sabah region) I'm being met there by the driver for the scuba diving company I hope to learn with. I have a few concerns about my ears whilst diving but we'll see how I go.

One more thing to mention is I'm feeling a lot better today. I started my anti-malaria (antibiotic) tablets this morning, i'm not sure if it's too early to be down to them but either way whatever i've had is easing.

I hope you're all well and enjoying the cold weather - it's lovely out here, low to mid 80's. Rain has been forcast but i've not seen any since I left England!

Cya all!

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