Singapore - Malacca - Bangkok

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Since I last wrote I've moved about a bit. Spent a couple more days in Penang before moving on to Singapore for a long weekend. Its always been a bit more pricey than the rest of Asia but seems even worse now. Not sure if its inflation or the fact that the pounds worth the same as the matabeli gumbo bead.

Stopped in at the famous Raffles hotel long bar with the intention of having a Singapore sling but at an eye watering £19 a shot I had a beer instead. Spent a lot of my time walking round China town and Little India. Thought - Why is it always China town and little India and not little China and India town? Leaving Singapore I took the bus up to Malacca which should have been straight forward enough except for some reason immigration took forever.

Once we got to Malacca the bus was meant to make several drops in the town but the driver went straight to the bus station and refused to go any further. Didn't affect me but one of the other passengers refused to get off. Over the next ten minutes it turned into a right old kerfuffle with the passenger holding a sit in and the driver telling him to bugger off and get a taxi. I spent the time waiting for my lift while trying not to wet myself with laughter.

While there among other things I climbed to the top of Malacca hill (not that impressive really its only about 400 foot high) to St Paul's church and the old governors palace now a museum. Malacca has changed a lot since I first came years ago. Its still a great place to vist but its getting very top heavy with tourists all following a guide with a little flag on a stick (swarms of them Matty).

Somewhere along the way something has bitten me right on the belly button which not only hurts but has gone manky. I showed it to a pharmacist and she agreed that it was indeed manky and gave me some antibiotics. I've been getting bitten a lot this year I've a feeling the insect population of S.E. Asia doesn't like me and to be honest the feelings mutual.

From Malacca it was another bus (no sit in this time) back to Kuala Lumpur just for the night before flying on to Bangkok Christmas day. Only there a couple of nights as I will be passing back through latter. The room at my hotel had what it called a canel side view which sounds lovely except they were dredging it with a JCB on a raft not only did the whole thing look like it was about to keel over but it made the whole place stink as said canel was little more than an open sewer.

On the upside when I checked in the very lovely lady on reception gave me Christmas present (scented candle shaped like a lotus) and a card, which I thought was very nice.

Have now moved again up to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Will be here for new year but not sure where after that.

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