After 47 days travelling through five countries we arrived in Singapore, our final destination of the tour. We were tired and subdued. For many it was the end of travelling and a chance to go home and sleep in their own bed. For others, including me, it marked the end of one stage of travelling and the start of another. But for all of us it also meant goodbye. It was our last night and we were determined to go out with a bang.
Arriving in Singapore mid afternoon, we dropped off our bags at the hotel and, as had become habit now, I opted out of the orientation walk. Instead my room-mate and I headed to the Peace Food Centre and had a Chinese buffet lunch and a wander round the immediate area, including Singapore's own Little India.
We'd arranged to meet up at 5pm in the hotel reception in our best bibs and tuckers. For the girls it meant frocks on. For the boys it meant whatever was in their rucksack that wasn't a pair of shorts, a vest-top or flip-flops. We were off to the most famous hotel in Singapore, Raffles Hotel. We took taxis to avoid arriving in a sweat-induced puddle. Raffles was as impressive as its reputation would have you believe. We felt like royalty wandering around the verandas in our frocks and button-down shirts. Making our way to the famous Long Bar we ordered our Singapore Slings and got down to the serious business of peanut-eating, abiding by the tradition of throwing the shells on the floor. It felt like the perfect conclusion to seven weeks of travelling. The gang was all together, celebrating our last night together.
A couple of Singapore Slings later and with a somewhat depleted bank balance we left Raffles, heading for the bar at the Fairmount Hotel where the views over the city were said to be spectacular. Unfortunately for us there was a big Bollywood star in town, his presence being announced by the screams coming from the crowd at the hotel's entrance. He'd also booked the bar for a private party. Despite some of our gang trying to blag their way in, it wasn't our lucky night. The bar was off limits. Instead, we decamped to the basement bar of the hotel where we spent an extremely enjoyable few hours drinking cocktails or in my case, bottles of Veuve Cliquot champagne. They were on offer at $99 (Singapore dollars) a bottle. Becs and I bought one each which we shared between us. At this stage, we had thrown caution and thrift to the wind. It was our last night and we were on a blow-out.
Somewhat sozzled and with party heads firmly on, we left the bar in search of somewhere where we could dance. Asking around we were directed to a bar where a live band was doing decent cover versions of popular songs. But more importantly, you could dance to it. And the atmosphere was top notch. And people were up for partying. We danced and danced. One band finished, another came on and still we danced. We sang along to the songs at the tops of our voices. Some of us had photos taken with the band. Some of us danced with the locals. Another band came on and still we danced. In the early hours of the morning, the first of the group started to drift off. By 3am I, along with Becs and Kelly-Anne had drifted off too. We left the others to dance. We'd been in the bar dancing for so long we hadn't realised it was pouring down outside. We stood in the torrential downpour trying to hail a taxi. Finally one came. We got soaked just getting into the cab. We crashed into bed, damp, still a bit pissed, but with fond memories of our last night in Singapore.
Next morning after only a few hours sleep and with champagne headaches, we headed off, after breakfast, to do the hop-off, hop-on city tour. Tiredness and sadness were setting in. We took in the sights, including the hotel with the ship on top of it, the waterfront and Chinatown areas but we knew in a few hours we'd be saying goodbye. Some were staying on in Singapore for a few more days before heading home or to their next travel destination. I was leaving that evening for Australia.
We wandered back to the hotel. Picking up our bags from storage, we ordered a taxi to the airport and said our final goodbyes. We befriended people on Facebook, swapped numbers and made plans to meet up in the future. Then we were hugging and heading out to the airport. Maybe even shedding a few tears.
And with that my travels in South East Asia were over and, although I still had more travelling to look forward to in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, I couldn't even begin to describe what an incredible time I had had. I met some fantastic people, both fellow travellers on the tour and local people in whichever country we happened to be in. I saw some of the world's most amazing sights. I did things I'd never done before. I had a wonderful time.
Highlights include watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat, sailing in Halong Bay and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Drinks in Kuala Lumpur with the Petronas towers as our backdrop. Getting caught in a tropical rainstorm in Phnom Penh and wading our way out. Bamboo rafting in Chiang Mai. The food and night markets at Luang Prabang. Drinking Singapore Slings at Raffles and dancing the night away. I could go on.
Off all the countries we visited Cambodia and Laos were my favourites. They stole my heart, though Vietnam and Malaysia were both very special too. Thailand was something of a disappointment, though parts of northern Thailand were quite charming. But every country and every new sensation had been a wonderful experience. It truly had been the trip of a lifetime.
So to Nat, Catherine, Cat, Lee, Jamie, Peter, Karlie, Steve, Becs, Kelly-Anne, Sarah, Jackie, Lauren, RoAnne, Ida, Dale, Sarah, Fleur, Drew, Paul, Dave, Warren, Chris, Roseanne and Brian, thanks for friendship, your companionship and for being amazing. Chuck Norris!
I wondered what lay in store for me next. I had another seven weeks of travelling ahead of me. I was headed first to Melbourne before heading off on a three week whistle-stop tour around Australia, before heading to New Zealand for three weeks then heading home via Hong Kong. I was a little weary of travelling, but this time it was under my own steam and I was travelling by myself so I could pretty much please myself. I looked forward to the change in scenery and pace.