I know you are all waiting anxiously for this blog. OK, maybe not but here it is. The trip to Australia was successful as the skipper was able to take care of business as planned and also a little unexpected business at the Home Expo for a few days. All very good when things go to plan.
The flight from Changi Airport to Melbourne was uneventful (very good when a flight is UNeventful we say) and we landed to a cool 12C degrees very early on a still and misty morning. Our trip from Malaysia to Changi was none too relaxing however as we decided to try the rail system to the airport. Singapore has a very good rail and bus system and although the 3 train line transfers were smooth and quick we did not take into consideration the timing – it was peak hour! Don’t get in the way of a Singaporean going home after work. The weather was also unkind to us as a very hot day was interspersed with a brief storm and although we dodged the downpour the small relief we got from the rain was short lived as it only increased the humidity and two very sweaty, frazzled passengers alighted at the airport. The trains are air-conditioned but the amount of bodies IN the trains along with the 3 train transfers more or less counteracted the cooling effect. But we made it and had a relaxing airport dinner with entertainment…….see photo.
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| Yep, that's a grand piano in the Changi airport |
In Australia we once again spent time with family and as always, had some laughs. Grandchildren are always glad to see Nanna and Grandad and skipper taught our youngest grandson the Malay word for ‘good’ – he delighted in telling us his dinner was “bagus good”. This is one of the skipper’s favourite Malay words, pronounced ‘bagoos’ it can be said with great feeling and the locals love it when we use it. Of course then they think you can speak Malay and we have to stop them and explain we only know a few words.
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| Daughter and friend rival Tiger Woods |
In our spare time we acted like tourists this trip and enjoyed a trip to the Adelaide museum and also the zoo where we could see the star attractions, the Pandas – Wang Wang and Funi.
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| Up close and personal to Pandas |
Just to digress, the lion in the glass cage in the Adelaide Museum is stuffed – nothing unusual about that – no, but every now and then his tail is rigged to twitch. OK, I know I'm not hungover did anyone else see that? Huh? What are you talking about Nanna? Well finally, someone else saw it too.
On our return to Malaysia we were invited to spend the weekend with friends and their son in his apartment in Singapore where we again acted like tourists and walked and shopped and ate and drank (as you do) and took in some new sights. Sights, this one is high enough for us – our friend’s apartment accommodation, much to the skipper’s distress, was on the 34th floor. Skipper is not so good with heights but stayed away from the balcony and nursed his beer and managed not to get dizzy.
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| View from lounge of apartment |
He is also so very brave now with his dietary expeditions and we enjoyed a steamboat experience one evening. This restaurant is very popular with the locals and we must say was extremely delicious albeit a bit noisy, messy and exposed to the elements. For those of you who are unaccustomed to the cuisine….. you have a pot of stock (spicy or not) surrounded by a small bbq plate over gas heat on the table. Next step is to browse the smorgasbord of meats, fish, shellfish, vegetables, noodles, bring your selection back to your table and proceed to cook – bbq or steam – to your liking. This is an all-you-can-eat deal with soft drinks included. Great idea and great dinner, thank you Paul.
We had some shoe repairs done while in Singapore - a roadside shop with waiting area and if you see some flags hanging out the windows of the apartments above - look again - its a novel way of getting the washing dry.
But now it’s back to the boat to once again unpack and re-pack in preparation for our trip to UK and Europe and we are pleased to say Bluestone is just as we left her. YAY our own bed – for a few nights.
Then it's on to KL for another few nights before flying to Stansted airport in London.
