So. Phuket wasn’t made to be my friend. All sorts of obvious double entendres involving its name. I had decided to make the best of a crummy situation and see “the sights” (ha!), when what I actually ended up doing was wandering around Phuket Provincial Prison without realising it (I thought all those nice men had come back from football practice or something – why else would they all wear the same t-shirt and walk in single file? Must have a strict coach…). Walked around the town a few times, and spent hours in an internet cafe with teenage boys playing noisy violent computer games. TV in the evening was entertaining: it seems Thais have a Britain’s Got Talent equivalent, but exclusively for mime artists. Makes very good tv. (Admittedly only after a few Singhas). The skit that will remain with me was 6 men dressed up as a giant mop…

So after Thailand ended so dismally, Singapore’s been a dream: everything works; it seems insects are illegal here; and no one has harassed me to buy anything / get in a taxi.

I’m staying on the south of the island, in a b&b in the penthouse of a high-rise building. Sounds odd, but works well and has stunning views. After plonking my bags down yesterday I had a wander around Chinatown and then went off to meet Joe’s friend Tim and his friends at a bar near the Merlion – it was good to have a chat with people normally, and not be a tourist!

Bit of a late night, and woke up this morning feeling a bit woolly (aaah, so long since my last hangover, almost makes me feel nostalgic), but slipped my walking shoes on and walked ALL OVER Singapore. Ok, not all over, but just the interesting bits. Although after today, I get the feeling that even though Singapore is pretty and clean and easy, its really weird how everything is so perfect… and a little sterile. Its like a 1:1 scale version of a model city.

I’m sure I will be hankering after it though in a couple of days: Borneo tomorrow!