Thoughts on 2014

I know this is a little late but still good to look back at the last year of 2014, which has been a very eventful year mainly full of happy times with a number of ticks against my bucket list.

My last blog tells of the fantastic news that I had sisters and family I never knew existed,  meeting the various people has bern such a bonus to my life, but I think it is still wonderful that I have regular contact with my son and his family even if only through Facebook and Skype.

If you have followed my blog you will be aware that in terms of holidays this has been a good year for me,  my trip on safari in Africa was unforgettable,  although I still have not sorted out my video and photos yet.
But then the great round the world trip in November,  initially with my son to fulfill some of his wish list, but also for me as a bonus to share quality time in exciting and restful time with him for our first holiday for just the 2 of us in his life, but then so much more that I saw, so far there are no more grand plans for so much, I realised that sometimes having less flying time and less responsibility will be good for me but also to be on holiday with others is something I prefer yo being a lone traveller. I nearly forgot to say how great it was to spend a few days with my friend Paul in Penang, its a reminder to do these things whilst you can rather than talk about them, thanks Paul.

Through the ex Saga group Buzz I have had a number of adventures in this country and met more people, I have continued to meet up with Brian and Andy on a regular basis and look forward to a holiday maybe in the coming year.

I also started a relationship with Jane in 2014 although we had met the previous year, she has been a huge influence on me in all sorts of ways often quite quietly, listening and discussing with me the issues that come up in life, she makes me smile and feel happy this Christmas was made one of the best I can ever remember by her, her company had helped me feel less lonely and isolated I slso hope I have helped her in her life, at present we have a series of trips to look forward and I feel we grow closer and closer, if you read this Jane thanks for a special year.

I finally stopped fighting with the NHS locally about funding for a former client, I realised I may one day win but nobody else cared and it was good friend who pointed out there were bettet ways gor me to expend my time and energy.  I have also bern helping someone else cope with the appalling way they have been treated by the system, I could not believe that someone who had done nothing wrong other than want the best for their children should have their familes life put through such hell with no evidence, lets hope as we have bern led to believe at long last common sense has worked but how long before they recover from the emotional toll it had taken of their lives,  lets hope that now work is done to help them to move on and leave it behind.

Well I have most probably left important things out but not to worry, at present I am looking forward to 2015 being an enjoyable but more relaxing year and to being able to post even more of my life for you the readers, thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

My new family

Those of you who have known me long enough are aware that, my mother left our family when I was 2 and I never knowingly ever saw her again. I always wondered where and why she had gone but my brother and sisters never mentioned it or their previous life with her and my dad.

Its odd really but I never knew what she looked like other than there had been one family photo at home, some time in the early 70s it disappeared,  I think because I was so young when she went I never missed her presence,  although there were so many times in my life it would of been nice to of had a motherly, kind, caring mother who would be there for me. To help me read and write to sort out my health problems, to show affection and care for me in the way some mothers do. Thats not to say that my dad was bad or anything, in fact when I look back despite all he was left to cope with he did remarkably well as a single parent and I do understand why for a time I went into care.

I was the youngest in our family, there was a gap of 8 years between me and my sister, I was to learn there had been another brother and sister who died in between when I grew up, have always felt what a shame their birth was never acknowledged or discussed, so I had little in common in some ways with my brother and older sister, she often had the role of looking after me.

In the 80s my older sister asked if I felt as she did, that we should try to find out what happened to our mother, now I had decided something had happened to her and possibly she had died, because what other explanation was there for her never having been in touch. We contacted the Salvation Army who did this sort of work and gave the limited information we had. Many months later my sister received a letter saying they were unable to help us, so the presumption was that she was dead or they could not track her down, so we left the mystery alone and got on with our lives, sadly my brother had died in the 60s and my sisters in the 80s do I was the only one left of my family, other than my aunty and her family in Rhodesia who I did not know and we had lost contact with.

Over the years at times I did still wonder at times about what might of been and what the story was,  my wife suggested contacting one of the tv programmes that helped people track down relatives,  but I felt it was not something I wanted to do. I think I may of been curious but not enough to do anything about it, I did wonder whether she had in fact died, or remarried but had it in my head she was already in her 40s so unlikely to of had children, so let sleeping dogs lie.

Late in the 1990s I had health problems and as part of that found that I had medically things that maybe if my mother had been about possibly she could of spotted and maybe helped, I also pondered on where I might of been if she had been there to help support me as a child, rather than just have my dad who I know loved and cared for me in his own way but often had been out at work, so I had grown up at home on my own as a lonely child with little support, I do still wonder would I have done different things with my life, would I have been a better or worse person. I am aware that I did not have a chip on my shoulder as many people do when they have been deserted by a parent. I remember a friend saying many years ago, she could not understand how my mother could of left and not taken me as I was so young, when I thought about it made sense but there were no answers and my life had not been that poor.

So thats how it was until 2013 when my friend Brian was doing some research into his family and out of curiosity whilst we were away on holiday found some basic information about my mother whilst searching the internet.  It was not until 2014 that I thought about it again and decided to see if I could get some basic answers about what happened to her had she in fact died,  was she even now alive but very very old. So I asked for his help in investigating all of this. We used the archive and websites in the search and managed to find her birth and my parents marriage but then nothing else. We had presumed she stayed in Manchester and had not remarried in the search, but then went back looking again by broadening the search and the found she had in fact moved to Yorkshire and remarried in 1955.

Well now we were getting somewhere and I became more involved so signed up to a website to help. I sent for a range of certificates to prove this person was linked to my family. Eventually I found that if we had the right person she had died in 2004 so sadly I was never going to have the answers I sought about how and why she left and why she had never got in touch. I could not find a trace of her husband so was unsure about him, maybe if he was alive he may be able to help me, so I sent for her death certificate. When it arrived it confirmed it was in fact my mother so I felt maybe that was that but on re reading it noticed that it was someone listed as her daughter who had registered the death. Well I cannot describe my surprise and confusion at this, surely she was to old and that meant that this was a grown up person,  so off back to finding out about this person,  much easier due to the Internet and specialist websites.  I found out in fact she had been born before my mother remarried and only a couple of years after leaving us, even odder I now had a sister I never knew about even if only half related

Back to the internet and I joined a website Ancestry to do more research, eventually I tracked down her birth and marriage, also I acquired details of my mothers second wedding and where they lived.Brian suggested checking out the electoral role to see if there was anybody related to me still at the address also if my sister had moved house. We did that,  no member of the family still lived in her house but my half sister was still at her home.

What to do now, I am a great believer in fate so decided to make contact because maybe at long last I would get some answers about the past and who my mother was, what made her happy,  what music did she like, what did she look like, but there again did her new family know about my family if not what a surprise for her. In the end I decided to write a simple letter explaining what I had learnt and send some of the evidence as proof and see if I got a response, I was unsure what I would do if I did but on the other hand the same if I got no response
what to do then, so the letter was sent.

On the following Monday I got a phone call out of the blue and it was my sister, she got the letter the previous week and had investigated both me and the evidence, she had been totally unaware and struggled that her mother could of had a family and deserted them as it now appeared,  she did highlight something in my parents marriage certificate in that the date of birth was wrong in that mother had declared she wad older than really was to marry without needing parental consent. We talked at length and she dropped another bombshell informing me that she had a sister 8 years younger than her,  so my family was growing swiftly.

We talked a few times after that and eventually met up at somewhere mutual, I took family photos as she did and we discussed our respective families and present situations, it seemed she had divorced and never had children but the other half sister had married 3 times and had three children and grandchildren but the as sisters were not in touch. At the time I gave the photos I felt I was being helpful but only found out later that this made it even harder to cope with because it created even more questions for my sister about how and who our mother was as she struggled with the information I gave her.

She gave me contact details for her sister who I met with her husband, again there were all sorts of information to share and more detail of my mother plus photos she had come across of my 2 sisters that they had never known about. Its still odd to me that my mother had kept these photos for the rest of her life, but had none of me or my brother,  not sure what that tells us and now there is no one to tell us, she also , mentioned one of her daughters was on Facebook as was she so could be a nice way to chat at some point in the future.

I have met both sisters again and shared information about our lives, some things make no sense about my mother and her life and decisions, I realize that in reality it is curiosity about my mother, that still makes me wonder about her and who she was only now, sadly it was not quite the fairy story I had hoped for and do wonder what would of happened in relation to her if we had tracked her down in the 80s or any time until her death. Maybe not the happiest event for her or even me, I have spoken to my sisters about whether mother was aware of what had happened in our family or had in fact been aware, it seems there was a friend of hers who lived in Manchester,  now dead, maybe he was a link for her but we will never know.  The younger sister had attempted to investigate our family background but got no help from mother no wonder,  she also asked what she did in the war, again how could she tell the truth, did her husband know, again we will never know now.

I managed to make contact with 2 of the younger sisters children, they are nice people with children of their own, the best of all that has happened is that they have met at least one of my grandchildren and myself and are in touch through Facebook with my family, it was lovely to send and receive Christmas cards this year from them all and I look forward to further meetings with everyone sometime in the coming year.

Well did I do the right thing in tracking down my sister,  I feel so, although not the answers I wanted at least I know more of my mother good or bad, I now feel in an odd sort of way I have closure,  it makes me sad that she chose to deny mine and my families existence for the rest of her life, the reasons we will never know, would life of been better if she had been part of my life, I cannot go there,  I do think it was wrong to keep the 2 parts of the family apart who knows maybe it could of been a positive experience as I now feel having met and got to know them a little, but being a glass generally full I think I have to look to the future and hopefully maintaining contact with my new family and getting to know them better

Some thoughts about the holiday 5 December 2014

I thought whilst I had time to spare I would make a list of some of the points about the holiday to help others who may be thinking of doing a similar trip in the future, also the best and worst parts of the holiday.

Firstly trying to do so much in the time I had with all the waiting time,  travelling to and from airports plus the actual flight durations, have reduced the actual time at destinations considerably, plus changing time zones had also mafe a difference,  I think if or when I have tome to do so I will list some of this information, I know befote I started I calculated a minimum of 60 hours flying and over 20 hours in airport lounges, then there is the time getting to and from airports. So maybe in the future do less complicated trips particularly if its to be a restful break and spend more time enjoying myself.

Maybe a list of some points will be helpful to you readers so here goes.

Health issues, first check what inoculations or other issues need to be considered, have you got enough medication and or equipment for your trip. Do you have a letter of support from GP etc if need special medication etc, have you informed the airline of your special needs, usually they need a minimum of 48 hours, maybe your travel agent can assist with this,  think about how you will cope with a very long flight, such as one of mine of 13 hours duration with arthritis in my neck and spine, is it worth upgrading and what about assistance at the airport to get you through immigration and passport control without having to stand about in long queues, its free all you have to do is ask. Often it then helps to board the plane sooner but accept you will be last off, but even so possibly still be at the baggage carousel first.

Next things that can create issues for you particularily when flying,  beware of the dangers of DVT when sat in one position for hours, wear flight socks and try to walk about or at least do exercises to improve circulation.

Dehydration is so easy if you dont drink enough, try to keep away from alcohol and fizzy drinks, ask flight staff,  carry some sweets to help keep the mouth from drying out and also combat changes in cabin pressure.

Wear loose clothing but that is warm enough to cope with the quite cold air con some planes seem to have. This can also give problems with sore throats due the dry atmosphere.

Look after your feet, as those who have followed my blog will be aware blisters can easily start and be very painful and uncomfortable spoiling enjoyment of your holiday so easily, wear tried and trusted shoes, I have bern yolf petroleum jelly spplied in advance is helpful plus prevents foot odour, I now wear sandals on long flights so my feet are ventilated and cooler.

Now this is very serious,  beware of bicycles when out on roads,  as back home they seem to be a law unto themselves and often ignore normal rules such as traffic lights and in China seemed to think it was  ok to ride on the pavement as did motorcycles, mopeds and scooters,  quite frightening for any of us who do not get out of the way quickly enough, they serm to have a death wish but unfortunately its the pedestrian who would come off worse.

I have also been thinking about the best and worst of the holiday in all sorts of respects, what were the highlights and where was I most disappointed on the trip, what about tours and flights, well here goes, do accept these are my view and others may differ in their opinions, some love peace and quiet whereas others like the noise and activities, how many selfies did I take, well none other than when kind people took a photo of me and Chico now and then.

The most peaceful beautiful and relaxing was in Auckland at Maison De Rose it was a long way from the airport but so well set eith attention to detail and a whole host of extras, including a couple of trips with the host Robert to see some of the beautiful
Countryside.

The most hectic, well it's hard to work out between Las Vegas that was noisy and busy with loud music everywhere we went apart from the bedroom,  both in the hotel but on the streets, with a constant stream of people heading to who knows where along the sidewalks and so much traffic along the Strip.
On the other hand Shangai was so busy with so many people everywhere, the noise of the traffic and the sheer number of people trying to get to who knows where.  The crush of people on the underground trying to get on and off the trains. The traffic was constant, but made worse by the bikes and mopeds on the pavements with no regard for pedestrians but also their total ignorance of road signs or concern for others. People seemed intent on getting to their destination ignoring others and pushing their way in with little evidence of manners.

I found the weather variable as I travelled about, in fact I was amazed at how well I coped with all the extremes with at times high temperatures but also high humidity, to more moderate in other places.
Auckland seemed to have the most pleasant, but it was spoilt for me in the end by the storm we sufferred in what is suppossed to be their summer.  The worst was Shanghai as it was cold and windy with elements of smog some days blotting out the sun and leading to many people wearing masks to protect their faces.

I went on a number of organised excursions some better than others, the shortest was to view Ayres Rock at sunset in total from bring picked up to arriving back at the resort was less than 2 hours. Rather than the peaceful setyong I had hoped for with  a stunning sunset, we were herded into sections for our coach companies where we could eat and drink and to wait for the sun to go down,  sadly on the day the sun was hidden for most of the time as it set so no mixture of stunning colours, then a horn was sounded and back on the coach, the whole thing had cost $80, quite a disapointment but such is life.

The longest trip wad to the Grand Canyon by coach, wr set off at 6 30 in the morning and arrived I think about 7pm at night. Maybe we saw more than we would of in a plane or helicopter tour but also had long periods on the coach often of 3 hours duration between stops when many slept or watched videos provided by the coach company,  it was hundreds of dollars cheaper and poddibly we saw more of the area, plus had time for other stops and at the Grand Canyon. Something I would like to do but spend overnight next time with time after the tourists taking selfies are not about.

The most spectacular was definitely the Grand Canyon, with not enough time to take it all in with the length of our trip, the hight and spectacular views need to be seen and all so different as I walked along the rim. The other things that I have to admit stood out was the fountains at the Belluggio and the volcano at the Mirage,not natural and only a few minutes duration but something definately to remember.

The most unexpected was the celebration of Christmas in Singapore and Shanghai even in the public toilets they were playing christmas music, with many illuminated christmas trees and reindeer,  no sign of Santa though, plus for the child in me a huge Paddington or two in Shangai.

I almost forgot to mention the airlines firstly I am into battle on return with Virgin about my cancelled flight back home, the best without a doubt was Air New Zealand that went that extra mile but was the most comfortable of all the trips. The worst without a doubt was United Airlines with one stingy free drink in a five hour journey with incomfortable seats and a lack of cabin staff.

In terms of value for money nowhere beats Shanghai or Penang where a meal cost about a pound and most things were less expensive. on the trains in Shanghai a three day pass was only a couple of pounds. In Penang due to Pauls hard work we saw many things at no cost, so thanks for all your time and effort in showing me the area you now live. But wherever I went there were things to see that were free from parks that were peaceful and beautiful to just sometimed just sitting and watching people go about their daily business, the already mentioned waterfalls and volcano in Vegas were free as were certain of the monorail trips between hotels and to finally see what the casinos were like was another rather odd experiance but not of interest to me.

Well I may come back and add more to this section to help if you are thinking of plamming visiting any of these places in the future I hope I have given you some insight, hopefully when I post some photos it will aff to the experiance.

Shanghai the last stop 1 December 2014

Up early checked out of hotel but managed to have breakfast before departing for the airport, taxi not very comfortable, so pleased when reached destination, checked in and went to lounge to relax before flight. Nice man came with wheelchair to take me to plane, I was first on, young woman was sat in window seat, did not seem very happy throughout the flight. I settled in and watched a couple of films in the 5 hour flight, as usual food and drinks provided so time passed quickly.

only problem was person in seat in front who insisted in reclining his seat which restricted my legroom,  I was only economy so suppose cannot complain, my right leg sufferred so went for occasional walks, as I had remembered how cool the air con was previously I had put on long trousers and a t shirt and long sleeved shirt so did not struggle so much with the cold. The flight attendants were very pleasant and helpful throughout the flight, luckily there was no change in time zone but saw the temperature was much cooler at my destination.

The plane was very large and I was told I would be last off but did not mind this, was man doing pushing of wheelchair, he took no effort to relieve problems at steps etc, so felt impact, but did get me through customs and immigration quickly. I have never seen so many drivers waiting to collect passengers in my life, I spotted man with my name so off to his vehicle,  given the cost, the ride and manner of his driving left a lot to be desired, I later found out I could of travelled by train for a fraction of the price.

When I got to the hotel it was an upmarket one with commissioners on the doors, I was quickly checked in and off to my room on the 26th floor, WOW it had a view across the city and stunning view outside the room as was on a corner. It was very well laid out with a lot of attention to detail and quality, better still it had a bath, with lots of storage space instead of the occasional drawer, I forgot to say that there was a change of weather it had dropped from 23 to about 9 so now had heating on in room, put my summer clothes at bottom of the case as I felt they were not going to be needed any more.

I was to find issues with internet firstly it was very slow unless I paid extra and would not connect to Facebook, Google and lots of other things I would of expected to use including here on Blogger, so am writing drafts to upload later, I had a great idea eventually to ask Mandy to mention to others thay I had issues and could not update for myself or Chico but was ok. Luckily Skype was working so able to chat to Jane who was very supportive,  at least its the end of the holiday.

Remembering what people had said about my diet and where I ate, for a change I went to a local cafe and had one of their local dishes which had rice with meat noodles and some pickled vegetables it cost the princely sum of £1 80 followed by a cake from the cake shop. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and catching up on the internet, although the TV had about 40 channels most were in Chinese apart from news channels just one or two showing old films, so spent last of evening planning tomorrows trip.

On my way home 5 December 2014

I was up early got ready and down for 6am breakfast, was quite busy although only just opened, service quick but coffee not hot very odd,  also when went to order omelet chef did not have ingredients ready, otherwise all okay.

Checked all packed, do wonder what happened to  missing flannel, then down to check out, had to pay for internet even though could not access sites I wanted post on, so plenty to keep me busy when I return home plus all the photos to insert on various blogs of trip.

Taxi arrived on time but again was small old car, seems very expensive for what I paid for trip, but at least he played nice relaxing music so was able to nod off. At airport first shock, they were not open for check in yet so had to wait until 8 30, not a long time but get the impression that Virgin have few flights from here.

Went to check in, no problem until explained needed wheelchair assistance, seems is not available until 10am, also explained was using lounge they seemed confused at this so had to show pass, its all very odd as have had no problems at any other airport.  In the end said would make own way to lounge. this meant having to queue whereas usually just sail through immigration

At passport control find out girl at check in had not given me form to fill in so more delay,  not important in itself but not good in terms of service. At security was surprised how many people seem totally unprepared that need to take coats off and show computers as well as empty pockets, but maybe its just me and becoming a seasoned traveller.

At lounge explained will need wheelchair to get to aircraft, hopefully they have sorted out, lounge ok but not as good as some I have visited, and there was music playing not particularly quietly, at least had a comfortable seat and drink of herbal tea to help relax, so now catching up with blog until my marathon trip back home, it will be 13 hours flying time, so must remember to put flight socks on, I think in total will of been on the move for 20 hours until reach hotel this evening. Lets hope that can hear soundtrack of films or there are sub titles to help pass the time.

Train travel but not as we know it 3rd December 2014

I started gently today and had a relaxed breakfast quite different by the look of it to some of the other people in the dining room, nobody serms able to smile and they are all looking so intense, what a way to start the day.

I had read about the super fast train here in Shangai so decided to go for a trip on it, I knew I had to go to the airport to then come part way back into the city, I had forgotten what a long journey it was mostly stood up on the train there. On arrival I paid for a single standard ticket I think it was about £7 then down to the platform, the area looked very upmarket but the train itself was very functional,  at least I got a seat, when it set off a panel showed its speed which went up to 300 kpm so the landscape just flew by, it sadly was quickly over I think the track is less than 10 miles at present, so now another conventional crowded train to bring me back to the hotel. I am not sure why but I decided to try another way out of the station, which was a total disaster as it was cold wet and windy and I got totally disorientated,  finally finding the entrance and retracing my steps, then time for something to eat and a rest in my room. Whilst there I was having problems with the internet, so went to reception and spoke to one of the staff, I upgraded my contract and decided I would wait until I got back before trying it out.

Next I went for a trip to the Peples square and the surrounding area, I found it hard to believe that walking just one street back that there was a whole different world with real shops and people and obviously little money. Even worse was the number of scooters and bikes riden on the paths with no thought for us poor pedestrians, the other problem I have constantly had here is 4hat when the lughts change and cars stop the scooters and bikes dont, many have no lights are overloaded and the riders have no helmet therefore no protection in the event of an accident, but it just seems to be accepted by everyone.
I forgot to say earlier that I think we had smog as it wasvery overcaste and my energy and breathing were not as good as usual.i wandered down to the river but seems it was the wrong part as there was no sign of life so back along the way I had been then the train to the hotel and a pleasant meal followed by cake then return to hotel to ease my feet in the bath and watch a film on TV before settling for the night, not long now before I return home.

Its Christmas in Shanghai 2nd December 2014

Woke early had a bath to ease feet checked Internet then went down to breakfast,  as with everywhere else this was very elegant, waitress seated me brought coffee,  then left me to choose from a very extensive buffet so indulged myself gor a change, my excuse was I did not know when would next eat. Afterwards used machine to change money, I do realise exchange rate was most probably poor but was conveniant.

Outside it was cool but sunny, people were in winter clothes,  so just as well I had sufficient appropriate clothing for the trip Across the road was a park so decided to explore, it was a pleasant experience with lots of paths, from there though I could see how poor people were in the nearby flats such a contrast to the hotel and rest of the area. There were people practicing tai chai at various areas and to various skill levels,  there was a range of contrasting plants and occasional structures,  plenty of seating for a rest and a number of seats.  I came across a group of men on motorised electric scooters they looked much more like motorcycles than ours and went much faster. There was a small fair but none of the rides was open, people were quietly chatting to each other, it was an enjoyable way to of passed a couple of hours and I took a series of photos and videos of what I saw.

I went for something to eat then a rest for a couple of hours, my feet were hurting again with the walking,  the maid had done a good job of cleaning the room and replenishing the towels and other items I had used. Aftet a rest I decided to venture out again so headed off to look at some of the large buildings and christmas lights, I was quite surprised at the fact it was so openly christmas, maybe it was for the tourists, it wad amusing when I went into the toilet to hear the song Rudolf the red nosed reindeer playing.  The lig
hts were very impressive but so were all the high rise buildings.

I had decided to go and explore the radio tower which I knew was very high but when I saw it lit up and changing colours it really was something to see.  I paid my money and entered the grounds, the closer I got the larger I could see it was,  initially I had to climb steps to enter then up in a lift,  it is 468 metres high, it was very swift in the lift to reach the upper observation deck.  The views were magnificent across the city and the platform for tourists was huge with large viewing windows,  many of the other buildings were lit up and changed colours as I watched, also on the river some of the ferries were also brightly lit up but there were lots of what must of been cargo ferries in the dark. I took a series of photos and videos but do not think they capture the size and view.  Then down to the next level where there was another viewing platform but with a floor that you could see through down to the ground,  I was not brave enough to stand on it but took more photos, then lastly I descended to 90 metres where there was a further platform with different view of the surrounding area. After that down to ground level and out across the road to explore more of the area. I wrnt into one of the shopping precincts and first saw outside the largest Paddington Bear that had ever seen, so , more photos, but then inside there was another so got Chico to pose with him and other exhibits. 

I had bought a 3 day pass to use on the trains although it could of been used for buses and taxis,  I found it easy to negotiate the stations were large and oddly enougj fairly well signposted in English and on the trains destinations were also announced in english and there were maps to make sure did not get lost. The trains were long but often full to capacity,, most people ignoring each other and on their mobile phones,  few speaking to each other or on the phone rather medsahing or playing games from what I could see.  People generally were not polite rather it was everyone for themselves l noticed people did not give up seats to elderly or others who needed a seat, pretty much as back home, they were air conditioned and very clean and fast with lots of trains every few minutes.

I decided to return to cafe I had used the previous day they had a laminated card with items for us foreigner's to point to, but there seemed a problem, it was just gone 9pm and they stopped serving rice at that time do chose another dish, then afterwards another cake to finish my meal.

It had been a busy but enjoyable day  with a whole range of experiences what a shame though I was on my own with nobody to talk to about it all. I returned to the hotel had another relaxing bath before retiring to bed for the night.

Now for Ayres Rock 20 November 2014

Another early start today I was up at 3am local time finished packing and had something to eat as I was unsure what would be at the airport or plane. The transport shuttle arrived on time the driver was more pleasant as was the drive, I was now getting used to the process that I need to check in rather than use a machine, I accepted help to get to the gate, but when explained there was taken after everyone else in a buggy,  think maybe it would of been quicker just to make my own way. On board the virgin Atlantic plane was pleasant as were the staff plus we were fed despite the fact it was a relatively short trip and there were plenty of soft drinks free.

Soon we arrived at our destination and there was an air conditioned coach that was free to take us to our various accomodation. Mine was Pioneers Outlook and I was booked into a shared room with possibly 3 others at reception the man said as the room I should of been in was being refurbished that I had been upgraded and was on my own.
Now this is where it gets complicated because I had only paid £36 for the night so expected little, well thats what I got in some respects,  just as well I was on my own as it would of been a tight squeeze if there had been 4 also I noticed later it could of been a mixed room, not much chance of privacy. I forgot to say earlier that it was very hot, possibly higher 30s and the humidy was also high the good bit for me was that the air con was quiet and excellent.  There was coffee for a drink but it was bunk beds, well with my bad back the top bunks were out and bending down to get into a bottom one and being tall was also an issue. the shower was great and spacious as was the toilet, there was a fridge for food and soft drinks,  ooops another problem I had to share with a few ants and a couple of other insects that I quickly disposed of, I could not find my insect repellent and the electric one said it did not work well with air con oh dear, wonder why they had not sealed the bottom of the door to reduce the chances of this happening.
I had a wander about and decided to explore how best to get to the rock, there was a free bus that went round the complex which actually was free, so why did I decide to walk to the town centre in the baking heat at midday. When I got there I got some water and drink to make sure I did not dehydrate, then a sandwich.  Then booked a visit for that evening to see the famous rock, I felt that I did not want to dine on my own,  just see it. I went and had a rest for a while after having a shower and caught up with websites and e mail.

Then time to see this famous iconic rock, the coach was on time, it was only a short drive to the rock and we were promised drinks and snacks when we arrived. As I looked round it was obvious that there were sections for different tours, as expected there were lots of selfies being taken, I assisted a couple of families by taking photos of the two of them, how or why particular people I am not sure,  possibly there is a paid job out of this LOL.
I had taken Chico with me so set him up for a couple of photos, some people nearbye gave me rather odd looks,  I noticed this was not very well though of with the small group but also it seemed lonely to be such a place with nobody to share with . I noticed a post that would be good for a photo of Chico , a young couple were there, good news is that they  were happy to chat about how I came to be there with him,  I took photos for them and then took some of me and Chico. Maybe he will acquire more FB friends out of it.
The sun settled down but the clouds were a problem so we did not get one of those special sunsets I had hoped for, it was just darker. It also seemed the time was up so back to the coach and a return to the resort in total we had been away less than 2 hours. I just telaxed for the rest of the evening as tomorrow was going to be another long day.

The Botanical Gardens Trip 30 November 2014

This morning I was not sure what to do so after last night waking poor Jane at midnight after  getting the time wrong, she contacted me for a chat then I had breakfast.  The service was much better organised today, afterwards I decided to go to the Botanical Gardens to take some photos especially the orchids. By the way Chico has not been out on this part of the holiday,  I think it's the  heat and  humidity as well as having to carry him that have prevented me, which in a way is a shame and there is not a lot to put on Facebook for him.

So I am now much more confident about transport so off on the shuttle to the MRT and to the gardens,  it was especially hot today,  the initial walk and smells were beautiful, it is very well laid out but it seemed to get hotter and hotter as time went on. I explored varies parts and eventually reached the orchid gardens, there were some very impressive ones I had never seen beforehand, the place was quite busy and again many people were more interested in taking selfies and posing than looking at these beautiful flowering plants, the humidity seemed to get worse so in the end I made my way back to the MRT and to the hotel only stopping at a bakery stall to buy something different for my lunch, on arrival I needed a shower so now am relaxing before going into town for one last look at the lights before an early night as I depart very early in the morning for Shanghai.

The trip into town was much easier this time and I headed left when I got off the MRT well this was where it was all happening, everywhere was busy and the Christmas decorations were more as I expected much brighter and prolific and lots of upmarket stores. One I went into was one I had been in 20 years ago when there had been a lower food court of basic stalls now it was proper shops but the prices reflected this also. There were so many people not sure if they were locals or tourists, most taking selfies again with the decorations. Eventually I decided it was time to go so back to the hotel to finish off packing for tomorrows trip.

Singapore and the Christmas lights at last 28 29 November 2014

The man was there to take me to my hotel,  it seemed a very long drive, but at long last time to check in, there seemed so much more paperwork here than elsewhere and to operate the lift you needed to use your room key to activate it. The room itself was spacious but no bath or view this time. I was tired when I arrived to unpacked and had a rest for a while.  It seems there is a shuttle bus to Orchard Road where I was hoping the main Christmas lights would be as well as the MRT station.

I decided to take the shuttle to the city, again it was a long drive, but then I saw the lights they really were impressive, it was here we were dropped off and the bad news was there was not another shuttle back later, so I would have to sort out an alternative,  but now I started taking video of the lights as I walked down the road, unfortunately after a while I realised that it was just the same lights for a long way and then they stopped.  So I turned round and started back, I was feeling hungry as it had been some time since I last ate so  crossed the road where there seemed more shops, given the time many were already closed so in the end back to old faithful I found a McDonald's which filled the gap, then wandered back to where I started looking for the MRT to get me back to the hotel, eventually I found it in the middle of a shopping precinct 2 floors down,  its seems this is where many are located,  I managed with help to obtain a ticket and get on the right train, when I got off though  I was totally lost, but eventually worked out my way back to the hotel. I had remembered that I had breakfast and free Wi Fi Included so checked this with the staff, then off to have a shower as it had been very hot and sticky with the heat and humidity on my trip, then a catch up with my e mail and Skype to Jane for a while and off to bed.

The next morning wad the first time I struggled to get up during the holiday, I think my body was trying to tell me something, got ready had a breakfast then off to see Sentosa  and the cable car ride across the river. I was impressed with myself at yet again obtaining a ticket and finding my way, the trains are mainly very busy snf fast and the air con is almost freezing cold,no wonder people wear thicker clothes, but I could not believe all the stops and that it took an hour. Yet another shopping precinct to get lost before finally getting to the exit, but bad news it was a terrible downpour, I went and got something to eat, getting lost yet again on my way back

I found my way to the cable car paid my money and got one to myself,  firstly I went to Mount    had a look round the views were obscured by trees then off to Sentosa this time sharing with some young people. I took a number of photos at this time hopefully you will see some after I get back home. My intention was just to turn round and comme back but I noticed a couple of things that felt would be interesting, in the end I found lots of fountains statues and other  things to take the photos of. The one thing that had benn consistent throughout the holiday is the number of people taking selfies or of each other and missing the bigger often more beautiful setting they are in, it seems such a shame plus there seems no common courtesy in waitng for one person  to finish before stepping in front and blocking the view for themselves,  rant over.
Then back down through the shopping precinct snd luckily to find there is another line that only took 15 minutes to get back. I returned to the hotel to rest for a few  hours and catch up yet again with e mails etc before deciding to go to the local precinct for something to eat. Afterwards I walked back and noticed and heard music playing next to the hotel,so I went to see there was a nice  seating area and a group was playing country  and western music whilst some people line danced.  I watched for a little while then noticed a dome I had not spotted earlier,  it seems it was a museum, but then I came acrosd the local buddist temple I went to have a look and was offerred a drink and food, I explained that I had just eaten but accepted the drink,  I then got chatting to a man there, the inside was very beautiful,  after a while I left and returned to the hotel for the night.