Jun 2008

Arrived in Singapore early in the morning at the Budget Terminal so had to bus it to the proper terminal to get breakie and a train to the city. Navigated the way to the hostel "The Inncrowd backpackers" where we met a few germans and canadians. We spent an entire day walking threw the markets and sampling some of the food and fruit juices, went to the esplanade, raffles hotel and in the evening took a trip to the zoo where we did the night safari.

Got to see crocodiles, elephants, snakes get to see everything as you sit on a tram and at the end you are walking through the rainforest in the dark so you can take your time and look at everything. They also put on a show and they get some of the animals performing on stages, they let loose a snake into the audience, we were so glad that it didn't go anywhere near us, horrible things!
Got a ferry to one of the islands Pulau Ubin, had some trouble getting the bus driver to understand me but got off at the Changi ferry port in the end. The bumboats don't go at a particular time they just wait until they 12 people to fill the boat. once you get there you can rent out bikes and cycle around the island, it's quite small so you can take your time and stop off at points along the way, there are coconut trees and banana trees growing everywhere.

Got to eat fresh seafood and drink ice cold coconut milk, its really nice on a hot day. Spent the last of singapore shopping before taking a flight back to Perth.

Noticed the temperature difference straight away as I got off the plane in Perth, nice and warm at 11pm, delighted!! Booked into the Billabong Backpackers which was full of Irish and Germans.

Did some walking around Kingspark and sunbathing at the swan river the first couple of days.

Ran into a crazy guy that was just out of the mines, an “exploration miner' who never shut up for a good three hours. He had us all convinced to go out bush for a few months working in the mines! Had some good nights at the hostel meeting other travellers.

Poor Louise got the flu so we decided to buy some whiskey and spent an evening making hot whiskeys and Irish coffees to try and cure her I picked up some shifts waiting tables in a restaurant so that kept me busy in the evenings for a while, I learnt how to make good coffee and espressos came in handy when I was after having a late night. One night some customers gave me their details in Sydney and said they I could stay there whenever I get there!!
Found an apartment in the suburbs a few miles from the city and it has TV, broadband, bbq etc so its pretty cool, Went on some day trips on my days off to Rottnest Island, Cottesloe & Scarborough beaches & Fremantle.

I was working with some Irish and other backpackers from Korea & Europe so had good time on nights out after work at the karaoke bar
Got offered some contract work so packed in the waitressing, had a week to spare so took a cheap flight to Singapore with Kahina a girl I was waitressing with and one of her mates.