Singapore-Delhi

0548 On platform at Bugis waiting for MRT. No sign indicating how long til next (or would it even be first?). Should be all good. Asked guy at ticket office, couldn't put credit on my expired tourist pass, not sure why, perhaps because it's first use and ticket office opens at 10am? Really not sure. Feel a bit groggy, just shoved 2.10 in change into machine for a single, fuck it anyway, it's change so it's 'free'.

Probably got to sleep 0130ish after going to bed maybe 0015-30ish. Then woke up 0250. Then back to sleep, woke up and snoozed on 0500 alarm til 0520 feeling tired. Got up, packed last bits, probably left hotel 0535ish.

Plenty of time etc but eyes really feel tired.

0555 Sign illuminated, 6 mins to train. Maybe this is the first. Anyway. Not too worried about time. Fuck me I feel tired, as I say it's that behind the eyes sort of pain and my eyes feel like they've been sandpapered. If I feel like this tonight - I probably won't - I'm going to bed early and not fussing about 'doing anything'. Not going to try and figure out how the time zones work out right now, but I suspect they mean I will be tired even earlier at night local time that I otherwise would be.

I was at Hotel 81 Bugis while here. More or less diagonally opposite the Intercontinental. Goodish location, clean and relatively cheap. Just a shame about the plastic/vinyl coated mattress. I don't think that can be blamed for poor sleep this last night, since it didn't get too much of a chance to be a big problem, but the previous two nights I really don't think it helped.

Check out took all of 10 seconds, incidentally.

0605 From my current narrow perspective, I am super pleased I booked my initial hotel in Delhi for four nights. Takes the pressure off. All I need focus on today is getting there.

0620 Tanah Mera (I have the half-known lyrics to Guantanamera in my head), waiting for train to Changi airport.

0756 Outside gate F30. Security is at the gate here so I left my coffee at McDonalds to rush down here, as it says 'boarding 0815' on my boarding pass. As I half suspected but couldn't know, that means the gate opens at 0815. So I could have sat and finished my coffe. Meh, I wasn't that desperate to but still.

As on other occasions, disappointed McDonalds only doing breakfast menu - I don't know why I fancied 2 plain hamburgers and fries, unless it was something which crept into my fancy as I dragged myself out of bed, back home I probably hadn't been to McDonalds since the office Christmas party last December - but I had the breakfast deluxe supreme which was OK and for an airport not too bad value at about SGD8.

Feeling a bit more alert (even before I had the coffee; it just takes me a while to get up to speed in the morning) though eyes still feel slightly tired.

I got a new woman (she had a badge) at the check in counter so it took a while but all Ok. She didn't weigh my hand baggage, fingers crossed they won't do so at the gate but even if they do I am probably OK. I put my jacket on before going to check in counter, it's not a bad idea to have it on on the plane anyway as aircon can be a bit fierce in just a short-sleeved T-shirt. Hardly any queue to clear passport control.

I think I do prefer the UK style system of having the security checkpoint before you get 'airside'. At least then once you're through you know there are no unpredictable delays except possibly the walking time to the gate, and you can occupy yourself knowing how long you have. Obviously there's still some uncertainty but here I was worried I'd get stuck in a gigantic security queue and maybe miss the flight. (What if 'everyone' turns up last minute? Are they really going to delay the flight while security grinds through the queue?) Still.

0804 There's free wifi here if you give them your (international OK) mobile number to text you password. I am not risking additional text spam for the sake of it. Were I desperate I could slip my Thai SIM in (it may work for roaming, dunno) and use that number, but I'm not. It does say something about going to wifi kiosk if you can't receive password by SMS, so there might be other options. As I say, not that interested, just writing this as I'm bored.

0833 OK, through security no problems, though single channel so bit pressured unloading shit into tray, and the carrier bag containing my laptop is seriously ripped. I threw away loads when I repacked on leaving Thailand and the only ones I seem to get at shops here are microscopic and/or rip under weight of bottles as I get the stuff back to hotel. I also seem to have somehow used up all the security checkpoint clear resealable plastic bags which are otherwise handy for emptying pockets and putting contents inside bag pre-security. Meh.

Oh, note to self from packing last night, don't bring white or predominantly white clothes in future. The mostly white polo shirt looks a bit grubbily yellow in places, as far as could see when packing, evidently white is hard to hand-wash.

Clothes still damp this morning - they were just on cloakroom-style hooks, no wardrobe in the room, since yesterday morning when I had to take down travel clothesline so cleaning staff didn't see it/could get in. I had to pack them damp last night. I suppose in theory I could have put the travel clothesline up from 6pmish last night but it seemed too much fag. They're not wringing wet and I've done it before and I will hang them up (if there's a wardrobe!) in hotel in Delhi.

0855 FFS. Guide book says there are no ATMs at Delhi airport 'though this may change'. Mind you, it also says there is a rail link being built which is due for completion September 2010. I bought this fucking guide book a couple of months ago. What a crock of shit.

If there are no ATMs I fortunately have some pounds, some travellers cheques and a sprinkling of SGD for the currency exchanges. I can't believe there won't be any ATMs now, but equally I can hardly believe there weren't any in 2010. India - Delhi, FFS, not some place in the middle of nowhere either - is hardly a technological backwater.

Of course, if the airport rail link does exist I have no idea exactly where it goes, since the guide book is so out of date. But I would assume it links up with the metro. Have to wait and see.

I possibly noticed the guide book (Rough Guide) was old but had no choice; either the Lonely Planet one was equally old, or I was put off by the preview of the contents vs Rough Guide or my experience of the appalling hypertext formatting of their Georgia guide. (Rough Guide hypertext isn't fantastic, but it's at least half decent.) The choice of *electronic* guide books is more restricted than paper, so I may not have had a third company to choose from, I can't remember, if I did evidently some perhaps foolish idea of sticking to the tried-and-trusted influenced me. The guide book is telling me something is due for completion in September 2010. FFS.

I have no idea how many rupees to the pound, but I can get a rough idea from the currency exchange windows even if there are ATMs I can use.

Oh, I do at least have a seat and a half, the middle seat of my bank of three being empty. Legroom seems better than on AirAsia flight in, possibly my imagination. (This is an Airbus A319, I think that was a 737-200, but I think seat pitch is chosen by airline when they order not fixed by model anyway.)

I am glad I didn't pay extra (if I could have anyway) for emergency exit row, the legroom doesn't appear massively better. Anything 3+3 seems to offer relatively negligible benefits there. If it's free or v cheap worth having I suppose.

0935 I don't fucking believe it. The recline on this seat is broken too. It isn't as bad as the previous flight, but it slowly reclines under bodyweight without the button being pressed. I put it upright before takeoff, then a stewardess told me to put it forward, and I did and wondered why I needed to. Then I noticed it kept slipping back during takeoff. I had to keep leaning forward and pressing the button to get it back upright. FFS.

1014 Was drowsing heavily before they served us breakfast, which was surprisingly edible. Taken jacket off, it seems a very warm flight. Very mild pain in lower left jaw, assume it's wisdom teeth deciding to fuck around a bit.

Screen at my seat and spare seat to left and some others I can see stuck on 'entertainment system will be available shortly', while I can see some other people watching films. So I have to assume mine isn't going to function. Not the end of the world, but not impressed with these little glitches.

1029 Just asked a flight attendant about screen, she is going to reset it, says it will take 20 mins. If she can get it going will help me stay awake (not sure if that's good or not, but now I've taken jacket off and/or eaten second breakfast, feel less as though I want to sleep, and all else equal probably best to save it for tonight) and reduce use of phone battery.

0811 Switched to what I hope is Indian time.

1120 Up to maybe 20 mins ago drowsed/slept feeling horrible, mouth dry, eyes 'sticky'. Odd swig from small bottle of water didn't help much. They came round and gave me a small glass of coke and a bulging-with-gas packet of 'Punjabi Punch' (some sort of spicy potato snack). I feel awake now and slightly better but still this pain behind the eyes. I don't have my jacket on and it's still warm, if not intolerable. Are they just softening us up for the hellish temperature of Delhi? I have no idea what the weather is like there.

1404 Sat in prepaid taxi at other terminal. We left my terminal 1325. Some Australian chap missed his connection and my driver seems to have picked him up and be helping him.

1445 At hotel. We left just as I wrote the above. Frankly I am a bit off balance. Cab driver was OK if bit chatty, reasonably good English. But when we got here he parked other side of street and carried my bag over. I gave him 60 as a tip - about all the change I had - and he said that wasn't very much. I said I didn't have any other money. FFS, I agree 60 isn't much in absolute terms but it's well over 10% (it was 425 for the prepay, the guide book said it would be 250 but I guess there's been a bit of inflation since the colonial period the guide book dates back to). Also I felt a bit pressured and I don't like that. Gave him a handful of SGP coins and said I had no notes. Guy carried my bag up but I didn't have any suitable small notes, nor did I want to be rude offering a tip. As I say seriously off balance. My passport is down at reception, they are going to send it up, I am sure that will be OK but FFS I wish I had it back. On the other hand the room while large and nice in a faded sort of way has no safe in so maybe I need to leave my passport with them.

There is a notice saying to give them 10-15 minutes notice if you want hot water, how the fuck does that work?

It's not as insanely hot as I expected. Announcement on plane said it was 24 or 34, I didn't catch it properly, but maybe it was 24.

Wifi signal seems very weak on phone. Guy at desk said he might be able to help if I had connectivity problems. I am not sure what he could do. It might be OK and netbook might do better.

No a/c but there is a fan, I don't know what there is supposed to be but it's fine without a/c if it's no hotter than this.

Seriously thrown off balance by that bloody driver and his arsiness (well, he wasn't bad natured, but fucking persistent) over the tip. Made me feel all vulnerable, especially with having my bag on me which never helps.

I am now assuming the staff here have it in for me cos I haven't tipped them yet. Fuck it, they must be used to people coming in from the airport.

Guy brought some towels up and asked me if I wanted mineral water, I said I'd go out and buy some, fearing the hotel might rip me off on it.

Anyway, let's see if I can send this.