Singapore, Sunday

1200 Just getting up. This is shit, but... as I went to bed about 1-2ish I started getting all these weird muscular aches. Couldn't get to sleep til something like 3, maybe later. Might have woken up again in the night. Snoozed on 945ish alarm, been feeling a bit knackered all morning as drowsed. Not too bad now. Have to be up at 6ish tomorrow if not earlier as flight to Delhi is something like 9am. Happy happy joy joy.

I did at least check the weight limit - Air India allow 8kg+laptop, which is better and should mean I don't need to fart around, though I may wear my jacket (unburdened with junk) in the terminal to hedge my bets. What's happening to the world? I could swear these limits have got so much tighter.

1253 Finally heading out. Checked in online for tomorrow's flight, I might have pre-selected my seat already, can't remember. Anyway, have aisle seat and at time of writing in fact have whole row to myself. Not got boarding pass as 'further details [which I wasn't asked for] are needed', so I get to faff going to an internet cafe to print the non-boarding pass out even though I already have a printout of my details from the lastminute.com e-mail which I did in Bangkok. Anyway, food.

1307 At Nando's. Bite me. Exactly as in UK - not that I've been to one there in years - except it appears to be entirely table service. I had to choose my soft drink, so I might assume the staff will top it up for me. Meh, tis OK. I couldn't go on a major soft drink binge anyway as don't want to be assuming I can get access to a toilet all afternoon.

1346 Food OK, though they didn't bring my drink until I asked after I was halfway through the food, even though it took 10-15 mins to come. Oversight or a plan to keep down consumption? It costs them fuck all so probably the former. It's pissing it down so going to camp at table a bit. FFS, I've paid for a 'bottomless' soft drink and had one glass and I'm going to be compelled to tip for the hardly stellar service so what the fuck. Slightly irrationally annoying group of young English people at next table.

If/when I leave/get booted out I will probably go into the MRT (which I think is under cover from here) and go the short-walk-but-insanely-convoluted journey over to Little India to print that vital non-boarding-pass, assuming the rain stops by the time I get there. Basically looks like today is going to be a write off for doing anything by the time I get this shit sorted out.

1351 OK, some guy just came to clear my table so have asked for the bill. Not very happy really. That's right, stand over me while I pay the bill. Fortunately I wanted to break a 50 anyway.

Oh no, they've included a service charge - bill is 29.20 - so I'm taking all my change.

1428 Wandered round shopping centre at Bugis a bit, got MRT to Dhoby Ghaut, come out, spitting a bit. Tried today and last night my normal Lloyds bank card, which I am not using normally because Metro Bank has better foreign currency withdrawal. I've either forgotten the PIN through not using it for a couple of months (I think I remember it, but not sure) or the card is knackered or no Singapore bank likes it. (Sometimes the message says my PIN is wrong, sometimes it just says the transaction is cancelled.) Yay. Of course due to 'security' it is virtually impossible to get a bank card replaced while you are abroad. I have others, but obviously this makes me that much more vulnerable to loss. I must test the third card and see if that still works.

1952 Walked to National Museum, spent quite a while there, waffle later. Been back at hotel a while, going out now for food and if convenient a drink or two, but need to be up super early (5am, 6 absolute latest) so need to be careful. Just going to wander, if can't find food I am not starving and/or there's KFC/7-Eleven if push comes to shove.

2017 At Shahi Kitchen in (I think) Little India. Having black pepper chicken (recommended by not overly pushy waiter after I'd eyeballed the prices outside) with jeera rice and a plain naan. And a beer.

Museum was good earlier but I got into the Singapore history museum part and got overwhelmed by the amount of opportunities to use the audio guide. Consequently I burned out and that combined with a lack of clarity about where to go and plenty of opportunities to miss stuff in side rooms meant towards the end I was kind of zooming through not listening to audio guide at all (also, battery started at 70%ish and got down to 15% as I used it) and consequently I may have missed good stuff. Also as I left I saw a sign about an exhibition of cameras used by some news reporter on 2nd floor but was frankly bit fagged out and that combined with woman on ticket desk saying 'hello?' made me leave.

Found internet cafe in Little India and printed hotel details and non-boarding pass. Have precached Delhi map back at hotel and put a star where hotel is. It is near the main railway station and also a metro station shown on Google Maps. So although I will read up on how to get into town from airport tomorrow on flight I am hopeful I can do it via public transport. I land about 1230 local time so should be plenty of daylight.

2046 Going to have second beer here - waiter suggested it but had decided myself anyway - then go back, maybe pick passport up tonight and pack. May struggle to get to sleep early but maybe not. Anyway, it's OK here and even if I could find somewhere lively tonight it really isn't the night for it.

2052 Been on a Peter Wimsey novel binge after discovering they are available free to 'borrow' on scribd with the subscription I kept meaning to cancel. Just finished Gaudy Night. Some of it rather struck a chord, though I am not quite sure the chord it was intended to strike, while other parts of the sentiments are either too clever, too refined or too alien for me to feel a huge amount about them. Anyway.

Second beer not here yet but no rush. Maybe guy got confused, ah no, here it is now. Was a bit slow but no harm done. A few people outside but not many, I am only customer inside (airconditioned).

Oh, the food was very good in my inexpert opinion, and I feel pleasantly sated by the portion size. I should stop going on about that really, it was just such a recurrent theme in Thailand.

2124 Got bill. No SC, 23.50 ish, make it 26. Then slash and just maybe down to waterfront for quick sightseeing, curse my tourist conscience.

2143 On MRT leaving Little India for Harbour Front. Walked over here through Little India (I assume) past Prince of Wales Backpackers Pub. Streets quite thronged in a way not seen elsewhere here, maybe cos of when &/or where I've been out.

Seems a trite thing to say but for my own future reference English feels very dominant here, despite the four official languages. I get the impression many signs etc are English only, quite a lot of people I see are speaking to one another in non-English languages but I guess just about everyone speaks English to some level. Little India perhaps a bit less so with the signs, but I am just making this observation now, that's all.

Frankly probably haven't had value from my three day tourist pass but I haven't sat down and worked it out, of course. I guess this is eking a little more value out of it, and it has been convenient not to worry about transport. Will need to put some credit on the card tomorrow morning for trip to airport.

Hope I don't get stranded by last train - Harbour Front is not on same line as my hotel (near Bugis MRT) - but if push comes to shove I can get a cab.

This train carriage is obviously sponsored by Nando's. I wonder if "just say lah?" is a local slogan of theirs or I just haven't been to one recently enough in the UK to have seen or remember seeing it there.

Not sure if I am going to get a good 'distant enough not to be lost among them' view of the skyscrapers from Harbour Front but guide book not super clear where best to go and this is on the line from Little India and had a good name. I see there is a skyscraper top bar I haven't visited round Raffles Place but meh, something for next time. I'd probably put in a couple of nights here, especially if it worked nicely with the flights, on some future trip.

2230 On MRT, one stop to Outram Park then change. Woman asked me if it was going there (think she was confused by the two platforms & this being terminus), I said I thought so but I was a tourist.

Walked down Sentosa Boardwalk (something like that). Not the iconic towering skyline but quite cool all the same. Didn't realise there was a cable car (and a monorail), oh well, not the end of the world and something to do next time. A few people about. The cable car obviously closed as I was heading back, I noticed far fewer cars (or at least, cars with lights on) over the water.

I should be OK to get back. Since I wasn't pissed anyway and will be even less so by time I get to reception will pick passport up at desk on way in. No real fear of anyone breaking in overnight and it's one less thing to do tomorrow morning, plus avoids the horrible scenario of leaving it behind in safe deposit and not realising until I am at the airport.

2239 At Outram Park waiting for EW train, definitely not missed last one. I note there is no NE2 station, I am sure there's some geekily fascinating reason for that.

Not mega happy about early start, and I need to pack (not a huge job, though suspect clothes are still slightly damp) but it's OK. Also fingers crossed touched wood it should be fairly easy to get to the airport.

It does feel a bit muggy here on the platform and it was a bit out tonight but it's not too bad. Out at Bukit Timah with the exertions during the day it was bad. I guess having been in Thailand for three weeks probably helped pre-acclimatise me, I suspect coming here direct from London would be a bit more disturbing. But there is a lot more aircon here than in Thailand.

2309 Back at hotel, got passport.

2336 Packed. Quick look on web says first trains on MRT 530. So if I'm up by 530, out by 6, at Bugis by 615 would be at airport by say 7. For a 915 flight that is a bit tight. I guess up by 515, don't dick around out by 530 and at Bugis by 545 is a bit better. FFS. Still, I can go to bed now tho not that tired and I can sleep on the flight if I want.