Wetherspoons does Singapore Slings.

I loved Singapore. I could totally live there, and even had a brief ridiculous half hour where I googled jobs here, but I soon realised that I still had 2 more continents to go and couldn't really stay in Asia, more's the pity.

Singapore is a very clean, ordered place, and a fantastic fusion of East meets West. It felt great to be discovering an unexpected highlight (the only reason I was here was because of my flight to Oz), but I really loved it. I stayed in a cute hostel called Beary Nice, right in the middle of Chinatown and spent my days exploring the city/country/nation (I'm still not sure how to describe it).

After a great guided tour of the marina (thanks Tom and Mak!) we headed out on a Christmas mission. I needed a Santa fix. I found Christmas trees and beautiful lights, but wondered why everyone on Singapore's version of Oxford Street was gazing up into the night sky. Turns out they weren't just bedazzled by the Christmas joy, but it was a total eclipse of the moon visible from the Southern hemisphere, something I'd never witnessed before. It was pretty awesome. Got a sore neck though.

After a visit to Sentosa Island in the pouring rain and an aborted trip to Universal Studios (I was dying for a photo with Shrek but couldn't justify the $70), we headed to the famous Raffles Hotel, home of the original Singapore Sling cocktail. $36 dollars later, we sat in the Long Bar, with pigeons swooping around the ceiling and nut shells all over the floor. I did slightly feel like I was in Wetherspoons on Holloway Road but later found out this is the only place left in Singapore where you won't get fined for littering. The Singaporeans love their fines - for littering, chewing gum, jaywalking and apparently singing or dancing in public. I felt only slightly unnerved when my Mariah rendition in the middle of the street could have landed me in prison. Louise and I shared the Sling (barely tasting the alcohol) and then took ridiculous photos around the hotel. I felt like Kevin in Home Alone 2 and totally out of place in my stinky traveller clothes but it was a lot of fun.

I also took in the National Museum of Singapore, where I saw "Dreams and Reality", an exhibition where they'd borrowed a load of masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay, one of my favourite places in the world. I was beaming.

Obviously the highlight of my stay was the afternoon I spent in Changi Airport. I'll say no more so as not to out my inner-airport-geekness, but.... I die.