Getting here: Singapore and UK

FLIGHT
Both Qantas flights were uneventful although Australian customs did decide my corset needed investigation prior to departure 😁
The airline out of Singapore changed my carefully chosen seat on the UK run and placed me next to the baby area which was one of several seating arrangements I’d sought to avoid. The baby closest to me was pretty quiet but the two year old was another matter. Still I managed about 5 hours of broken sleep and arrived in the UK feeling surprisingly awake. My body held up pretty well considering, but I have the intention of seeking out a cheap suitcase in the morning - one with wheels. I’m already over the backpack thing.  And a tube of hand cream leaked all over my liquid bag, probably squashed under my feet during the last flight.

SINGAPORE
Singapore is a beautiful, clean, vivid, contemporary city with a lot of construction happening. I walked from my hotel Ibis (pronounced ”Ib is” not “I bus”) Bencoolen to the Gardens by the Bay. It took about an hour which was about 25 minutes longer than Google maps thought it should - but then Google maps wasn’t taking photos every 5 minutes.


The Gardens were an effective amalgam of nature and culture done with a colourful Asian aesthetic. Walking the Cloud forest trail it was hard to know where to point the camera - a dilemma clearly suffered by a lot of other people. The trail culminated in a hard biting climate change video which crushed the mood of euphoria completely - so I left feeling quite overwhelmed and not in a good way.
My hotel had given me a late check out, so I caught a cab back as by now my feet and legs were protesting- I’d easily done my 10kms. I decided to go to the airport early in the hope of finding somewhere to put my feet up - and I did. 😊

After a slight delay our plane left a little after midnight instead of before. We arrived at Heathrow around 7.00 am and it took two hours to get through the airport procedures! I did expect some delay as my travel guide did say it could take up to 3+ hours!

UK AND TRAIN TO EDINBURGH
My priority on arrival was to get a SIM card. I’m not happy with what I have got but st least I’m connected again. This blog and Gmail will be my main means of staying in touch for a while, but the phone number I’m using here is 07440 730934

I caught an express  into London Kings X station, availed myself of a Seniors Rail card and joined the scrum to catch the
Train to Edinburgh
Which took around 4 3/4 hours and took me through scenery that reminded me of Ballarat, Daylesford and Ballan countryside except for the prevalence of stone and brick Victorian (and earlier)  houses and barns. This video - not mine BTW- will give my Aussie cohort some idea of the trip.

As this vlogger suggests I took a seat on the RHS and did see the Gormley sculpture Angel of the North. Pretty tired when I arrived so I took a cab discovering that you have to sit in the back - very odd to my Antipodean egalitarian sensibilities. My cabbie had lived in Brisbane for a time (too hot) so we had a cordial chat as he drove me to my guesthouse, at one point taking me down a cobbled street to avoid traffic!

COMING UP
Later today ( its 3.20 am ATM but I slept from about 10) I’m heading out to investigate a couple of Edinburgh’s galleries and catch up with some online friends. My next post will be in about 3 days time when I’ll fill you in on my thoughts and activities in this stunning old city.