We are off for 3 weeks in India flying via Singapore.

We got going at 6.30 am and had a very easy drive to Auckland airport arriving 3 hours early but with plenty of time to check out the new luxury shops (just looking) and buy a couple of books.

We flew on Singapore airlines but on an Air NZ flight, which was a bit odd. Couldn’t use the Koru Club but had cards to get into one of the lounges which was good. Managed to consume a couple of preliminary glasses of bubbles – just getting into the Christmas spirit.

The flight left about an hour late for some reason. The pilot said we’d make it up over the 10 hour flight to Singapore but he lied. We watched Christopher Robin together then another couple of movies to fill the time plus 2 meals. They tried to make us go to sleep soon after the dinner/lunch and dimmed the lights but given most of the passengers were Kiwis and it was only 2pm it was a bit of a forlorn hope.

We then had nearly 10 hours in Singapore before the flight to Delhi. We checked in our bags and got a taxi into town for a very reasonable $25 that we paid for by credit card. Unfortunately that gave us a false sense of security re payment.

The architecture in Singapore is spectacular. The city looks like a collection of sketches that avant garde architects have conceived with extraordinary skill from a host of structural engineers. The Marina Bay Sands is really amazing. 3 towers blocks with a ship-like structure across the top, which has an amazing infinity pool with different restaurants and bars on top of each tower and a public bar that you can pay to go up to, (on the 57th floor) to enjoy the view and experience.

We walked around the harbour in amazing heat having been dropped off to see the Merlion which is a Singapore national emblem. It was intense humidity and very sapping. We had to walk as didn’t have any cash and no they don’t take credit cards normally.

Then we queued for the elevator up to the roof bar and paid the most we have ever paid for cocktails (Singapore Slings) but the experience was worth it.

It was a bit showery but could still enjoy the dark orange full moon.

We got ourselves back down by 9pm to watch a light show on the harbour.

Then it was a 45 min queue to get a taxi to the hawkers street food market – the driver didn’t take credit cards so we had to find an ATM. Then the market was more or less finished (10.30 pm on a Sunday night) so we decided to head back to the airport as were exhausted. That was a drama. None of the taxis would go to the airport but one nice driver used his app to call someone up – who duly arrived within about 5 minutes.

We then essentially snoozed in the lounge at the airport until our flight at 2 am and snoozed on the 6 hour flight to Delhi. Only one meal this time but an easy flight. Next stop Delhi India.