Saturday 1st March 2001 Mum and Chris and my housemate David drove me to the airport Saturday morning. After the slow and torturous creep through the check-in queue we went of and had a drink while we waited for the bording announcement to be called. I was a little concerned that my ears might not be able to pressurise properly (a problem I have encountered on domestic flights) but I didn't have any problems. Finally the call was and made and I said my good-byes and headed off through the door. The flight itself was nondescript. I didn't have a window seat so I didn't have much of a view but quite happily churned through my book. After a brief stop-over at Denpasar (Bali) and more customs checks, it was back on the plane to Singapore. This leg of the journey my seat neighbours were a German couple who spoke almost no English. Sadly, after many months of German classes (or more probably the many months of neglect since I finished them) I was unable to recall any but the most basic of phrases. That evening I finally arrive in Singapore. I had heard stories from my Grandparents about the humidity in Singapore but even my travels in Australia had not prepared me for just how bad it was. All I can say is thank the gods for airconditioning. Some some months ago I had emailed my Godfather Frank, saying I would be stopping over in Singapore and could we catch up. Unfortunately the day I was arriving was his birthday so he had already organised a group of people to go out to dinner. To make up for this he offered to organise a hotel for me. I was extremely surprised to receive his email telling me it was organised and he had booked me into the Singapore Grand Hyatt as his expense! After the circus that is the Shuttle Bus I finally arrived at the hotel around 9:30. There was a message left for me at reception that Frank had changed his dinner plans and was now having dinner in the mezzanine restaurant. I dumped my bags and headed down to the restaurant. Frank was still there (they hadn't even started main course yet) and told me to join them. Frank & his wife Nance, his brother Fred and his wife Monique as well as his friends John & Lana, and Dick & Lovie. I had a great time and was glad I managed to get to see him after so many years. Finally it was off to bed. My first night in another country. Monday 2nd April 2001 I spent about 15 hours on a plane yesterday. I actually managed to get a window seat and had a reasonably good view of the countries we were flying over. Maybe it's just me but I found it rather wonderful to be looking at them with my own eyes rather than just at a picture. It really made a difference to me. I arrived was met at Heathrow by my friend Wendy and we took the tube and then a bus to her place in Putney, just South West of London. I think I finally fell asleep around 9:30 or so. Woke up this morning at about 6:30! Ding! Read the paper for a bit and then had my first of several bizarre experiences with English baths. I had heard all the stories about no showers but this one was the complete opposite of the luxury I had just experienced at the Singapore Grand Hyatt. Wendy lives in a block of flats with about 5 or so flats per floor. You have your own toilet however the bathroom is shared with the other flats on the floor. Okay, I thought but there's only a bath! It would be a bummer if you all had to arrange your bathing to be on time for work in the morning!!! A Tourist amongst the Pidgeons World Famous Author! (tm) Temple of Mithras A view from the Top Caught up with my fellow Melbournite Cameron in Trafalgar Square around noon. Actually on my way there, walking down Charing Cross Road, I was thinking that London was not all that different from Melbourne. At this point it reminded my of the eastern end of Collins Street. However when I finally came round the corner and there was Nelson's Column with Big Ben in the background I thought that maybe it was a little different! We had lunch in the cafe underneath St. Martin-in-the-Fields and then walked to the old Mithraic Temple east of St Paul's. We headed down to Temple (named after the headquarters of the Kights Templar in London) only to find it was not open to the public on Mondays. So we headed back to St. Paul's. Very impressive. 700+ stairs later we had made it to the top of the dome. By the time I got to the top I was breathing so hard I thought I was going to be physically ill!! But the view was very impressive!