Wow we are behind in the blog, around one month has passed since we were in Singapore and seems like yesterday since we were there but when I think about everything we have done... I really must get writing! Anyway for those of you wondering where we are right now we are currently on an overnight train heading from Hanoi in Vietnam to Guilin in China. Yes we are four countries behind but we have been seeing and doing far too much to be writing... That and Asia has cable television and the superb star movies!

Singapore is an amazing city.

Enough said. So many people told us how sterile it was and how it lacked atmosphere and character, far far from it. Our hotel was on the outskirts of the red light district as TJ explained, we were subjected to the 'real singapore'. Social, dirty, busy, stuffy, smelly and eccentric are all adjectives that spring to mind (it is 00:20 and we've been up since 6 this morning!). All in a friendly, safe and welcoming environment that instantly made you feel at home.

Our hotel's location bore stark contrasts to the city centre however even there you felt and sensed that things were changing in Singapore. It was spotlessly clean as we found out on our first day, having met up with Lin. Spotlessly clean and amazingly efficient, everything worked and worked on time and with ease. The tube, for example, seemed to hum as it flew along compared to the screeching and clattering of our beloved underground, it was delightful. The cleanliness was coupled with a new hip, funky, arty feel to a city on the constant move, from talking to Lin, things were changing, and for the better.

Sunday 26th September

Lin kindly picked us up on our first day where she took us for brunch, a feast of typical Singaporean dishes, not that we ate much, the jet lag plus the searing heat had sapped our appetites. It was wonderful to catch up with Lin as we discussed old and new news enjoying the new creature comforts we had missed in Africa. After lunch we ventured around China town, where we visited our first Buddhist temple and hopped in and out of wonderful market stalls and shops. The heat was going to take some getting use to however, it had the same temperature as Africa but was far more humid, we found we were stopping every half an hour to replenish water levels.

After China town we headed to where Lin worked, near the city hall, where we parked the lovely air conditioned car and jumped on a boat which took us past the city. It gave us our first glimpse of the unique and unmissable sky park (picture three separate sky scrappers bridged at the top by a a huge skypark containing bars, palm trees and one gigantic swimming pool!). Around which new buildings were being erected, symphony hall, casinos etc. We got out of the boat at the giant statue of the lion fish, Singapore's chosen mascot and made our way around the quay to the domineering skypark, it really is ugly yet alluring at the same time. Tj had raved about the sky park and she wasn't wrong, you really couldn't take your eyes off it.

Our intention was only to see if we could get to the top of the hotel, yes it's one giant hotel, to see the views over Singapore. We never thought that an elevator ride later we'd be in the 'guests only' sky park dangling our toes in the pool as we gawped at the incredible view. On the way up in the escalator I'd got chatting to some English guys who were staying at the hotel, a question of who I was supporting in the grand prix (being held on the streets that evening) and the lying answer of Hamilton and we were all invited up, waved through security, lauding it up with the high rollers! The view was immense, we were fifty seven Floors up with blazing sunshine surrounded by palm trees, cocktails, beautiful people and the most incredible pool you'd ever seen. It was incredible, designed to make it look like it was flowing off the face of the building, you could swim up to the edge and admire the jaw dropping view. We chilled there for a while chatting, admiring our scenery and we eventually caught the beginning of the grand prix, watching formula two cars battling it out on the street track before us... It was liking watching scalelectrix!

Eventually we left thanking our lucky stars that we had had the chance to get up to the top, Lin headed home to write one of her many essays we ventured home to wash Africa out of our clothes at the launderette. We had every intention of going back out to try and catch a glimpse of the grand prix but our jet lag took over. Something that we'd be cursed with for our whole time in Singapore!

Mark & Tejal x