Deep down and dirty

Remember the hotel in Little India in Penang? Remember we left? Well we should have left this one too. 

Unfortunately with so many pommes in Brizzie we had no chance of any accommodation anywhere else. So, I took a deep breath and didn't complain. 

We were only there for two nights and that was enough. I won't go into details but the Barmy Army singing 'Waltzing Matilda' until 12 and then a rubbish lorry turning up at 5 didn't help a good night's sleep. 

We have now left and equilibrium has been returned. 

Singapore to brisbane

She wanted to show her chinny smile again......actually she was really saying " why are you taking a picture of me with my mouthful"?

Well... in the world of GT that is the point isnt it?

Sarah had come back during her lunchtime for a last feed

then onto the broadguage

we missed rush hour 

kids love jumping on

we then saw a huge sponge bob but to go on ee had to have receipts for $20s

so as luck would have it we were given vouchers to spend of $160s because of our previous layover of more than 3 hours so it was OTT drink time

Then we passed on the heads

and instead went for italian whilst sarah spent rest of vouchers on perfume and makeup

then the flight

parents had one hr sleep on the 8 hr overnight flight.kids had 5 . This presented problems next day with fractious handling of unimpededbundles ofenergy.

we then admired the very different appearance standards of customs staff as we went through

xxx

Sentosa island - read third

She was asleep on a chair

the facial expression didnt bode well

" i think i should tell you i am a bit annoyed as you are two hours late"

erm... yeah.... well....where do we begin....?

after a lot of too and fro in the end Banksy said "its important i say how i feel and at least our relationship has moved into the real beyond the polite family one" 

(or words to that effect)

at least it was worth it getting there in the end as the kids practiced international relations for a while..

We then went in the sea,

had a curry and went home

Sentosa island- read second

......continued from first post

Ok lets keep walking. Oh it seems that now we have an idea of scale that its further than we thought. Message to cousin still firmly stuck in outbox. Lets stop at this 7-11to get some food. I cant see anything I would want to eat so I leave Stranksy inside getting two stuffed bread rolls. I sit on a wall outside waiting. My 5 hours of lilo sleep is catching up. Little enthusiasm within for this. 

"Can we have an ice cream?

'No' (silently I say to them " you know the way it works you have to eat the boring stuff first") 

 I check my phone again. Nothing. Then the rain starts. The sort that is so dense it obliterates the horizon. We are under cover but next move is curtailed somewhat. Kids kick off. 

"Shall we go home?"

"Yeah we could do but then Banksy would be left alone. We have to try and reach her so let's pursue wifi"

(I am writing this blog on the plane to brisbane.  A hostess just glided by and offered a juice in the darkness)

Back to the story. "If we inch round here we can go up these 4 escalators to wifi"

"Sorry sir not here try starbucks"

We debate going home again. No lets push on to Starbucks.

"Sorry sir not here"

We at last find ourselves at an internal bus stop and I choose the wrong one but eagle eyed wife stops us just in time.  Rowan and I sit  in front of ten Japanese school kids who fill the back

Of the bus. I rapidly conclude they are the nation of heaviest cooing when I answer that we are from England his name is Rowan and they are twins.  They all are amazingly coordinated with their cooing  and head nodding at us and at each other as the answer is provided. I make a mental note to remember this is what Japanese look like so I can better learn to differentiate nationalities in future. Off the bus and I dare not look at the time. We ask a stall holder about wifi.

"Not here"  she says unceremoniously. (She is running her own stall and is not dressed in purple "I am a staff employee trained to smile and be helpful" uniform)           

"But it says it here and here on the map"

She goes off to check with her mate.

"Try over there at Starbucks"

Sarah and I look at each other. Today wasnt meant to be like this. She is also low on sleep and we have had a few crossed words. Off we trudge. We get to another coffee shop.

"Yes sir we have wifi"

I look at the board above the guys head deciding what to buy before he adds

"There is no password sir"

I go outside and stranksy has already got a reply from banksy.

"She is at bora bora bar"

Another ten minutes wait for a bus

at last we arrive at Bora Bora bar

to be continued...

Brisbane the Ashes

A quiet start till lunch then total wicket collapse after lunch meant the barmy army were in full voice as a kind of "you wont get us down" riposte.

australian waltzing matilda was countered with

"we shagged matilda, we shagged matilda, we shagged matilda and our mates did too"

auzzies sang "look at the scoreboard"

brits sang "god save our gracious queen"

we had a spot right on the edge of the singing so we could still see the cricket but also watch the entertainment beside us

xxx

Sentosa island read this first

Sentosa island is connected to Singapore via monorail, cable car and a 1km long boardwalk. Its a sort of playground, resort, park, bars and restaurants and beach all rolled into one and its accessible by tube train, so whilst busy at weekends people can go after work.

  We set off at midday to get there ready to meet cousin Sarah at 1.30pm as she took afternoon off work.As I am using local sims in my phone I did not have cousins number.  No problem as the Sentosa cartoon map had 'I' symbols all over it  indicating wireless.  So we could email our exact location right?   There will be wifi in the visitors centre!
No
That's ok we leave a message at reception if someone called sarah comes then tell her we have gone to thr pirates water park. Off we walk to what we think is right direction

Friendly family want to take pictures. I explain the kids are a bit fed up with the squeezing and pointing. But they can photo if not expecting our two to pose. The next wifi spot is in the direction of the water park. It doesnt look far on the map. We get to the big animal and ask

"Sorry sir no wifi here"

Thats ok I'll just turn on data roaming, ive got a little left on this sim. But its not working.  Even after I manually point to a network. Kids are living on a large packet of yellow crisps (imported from US I remember)  getting a bit fractious.

"Shall we stop for lunch?"

'Could do but we are late for meeting sarah'

A dress! A dress!

Only borrowed for the night from  cousin Sarah but very greatfully appreciated!!

and we then managed our first kid free night Of the trip (well..... 2.5 hours that is))