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So our very last train in Asia was a breeze… there were no unwelcome wake-up calls from immigration in the middle of the night, and apart from the unexpected and very sudden change in speed every so often that tossed us around our berths, we managed to get some pretty decent sleep. Unlike in India, the trains here in South East Asia are really peaceful and we're just left to relax on our berths with everyone pretty much keeping to themselves. There are two fairly wide bunk beds that run parallel along each side of the walkway through the train and there are no compartments. It's a shame that we don't get the opportunity to chat to locals as much as we did on the bustling Indian trains, but the peace and quiet is also very welcome to two very weary travellers!
As we left Malaysian turf this morning, a border official hopped on the train and scribbled the date in our passports with a felt tip pen (apparently that's our official exit stamp!)
Five minutes further down the track, and we cleared international airport-style immigration at the train station here in Singapore. It took lots of time as we were all given a thorough interrogation about our intentions in Singapore - we saw three people being escorted for further questions elsewhere.
Anyway, before we get stuck in to the city (which Bret is convinced is the hottest place on Earth - unbelievably, it's actually hotter than Malaysia), we couldn't leave the most beautiful country we've visited without those vital statistics… we know you love them, so enjoy!
Distance travelled: 933km
Time spent waiting in airports: None! No airports here.
Time spent waiting in train stations: 1hr 15mins
Time spent waiting at long-distance bus stops: 1 hour
Time spent waiting at ferry terminals: 1hr 30mins
Total length of all delays to destination: 1 hour
Time spent on trains: 7hrs 45
Time spent on long-distance buses: 8 hrs
Time on long-distance boats: 2hrs45
Number of times we were tempted to stick around longer: Daily
Number of cups of tea consumed: enough to compete with Grandma Stallwood (Father's Guest House are now re-thinking their complimentary tea service!)
Inches lost: Is that a waist we see?
Number of times the Lonely Planet failed us: Time to buy a Rough Guide
Beauty factor scale: 10 out of 10
Number of times we contemplated walking through a decorative fountain to cool down: Every time we saw one.
Number of meals seen in reverse: none, we gobbled them all up and often went back for seconds.
Number of times we did our laundry: 1 (failed attempt in Kuala Lumpur - our misshapen, smelly clothes now have a few holes in them too)
Nominee for the world's smelliest transport award: "Eau de dead rat" on the Cameron Highlands bus.
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