Melbourne

After a 7hr flight we arrive in Melbourne. Flying over Australia with clear skies reminded us of one thing quite impressively: most of this continent is desert.
Melbourne is a lively and interesting city. Our hotel is in a great location: next to the river promenade, and close to a park. We see the Melbourne Museum, ride the free (!) city trams, visited an art exhibition with works of Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei, took a class in piratery, and went on the Melbourne Star (a gigantic ferris wheel similar to the London Eye - only you don't have to queue to get on). We spent a day in the lush botanic gardens, and took a ride on a steam train - puffing Billy. In the evenings we relaxed in the pool. Since the pool in our hotel is closed for refurbishment, we got to use the pool of the neighboring luxury hotel - with a view over the skyline.
There would have been many more experiences to be had, but the next adventure already awaits us in the form of a camper....

It looks like a kid's birthday party but in fact - believe it or not - this is art. Weiwei's take on Chinese Internet censure.

Recreating Andy Warhol's art using mass consumer products.

Pirates like their boat to be clean

Puffing Billy.

Siloso Beach, Sentosa Island,

We enjoy a few days relaxing in the garden and on the beach. This should help us cope with the jet-lag. We were most worried how the time change and the long flight might affect Rafael. Ironically, he's the one least affected by jet-lag. While Natasha and I lay awake at night, he peacefully snores.

The upgraded view.

Afternoon snack at the beach

The place is ideal. Lots of kids in the hotel. A kids pool with several water slides, and a sandy beach right in front of the hotel. Little further out in the sea are lots of cargo ships, tankers, and other vessels: they're waiting to enter the nearby harbors of which we can see the cranes, and in the evening we see the flares of the refineries in the oil port.

The only two monkeys I have seen are the two that bought that upgrade.

Early check-in, sure whatever

At 5.30 am after 11 and half hours in an economy seat with virtually no sleep, we land safely in Singapore. Immigration and luggage belt are swift, and after a short drive we stand in front of the check-in desk of the hotel before 7am. We're all sleep-deprived and Rafael urgently needs a change of clothes (he got car-sick). The nice lady tells us that check in time is 2pm (in five hours) but she will see what she can do for us. She keeps us waiting while she is very busily and intensely typing away on her computer. Neither Natasha or I are in any state to ask questions or register much of what she is saying. It certainly does not help that her voice is so soft that she is basically whispering at us. Rafael is just sitting on the floor next to us. Then finally she gets to the room. Yes she can offer us an upgrade, a much nicer room, much better view, larger and guess what it is available now. So shall I go ahead and book it for you, she asks? We manage to ask whether the room we booked would be available now but no certainly not, we can wait and they will call us when it is ready . . .
We cant think straight but have a feeling it is a rather costly upgrade ... Sure whatever we just sign away what may as well have been our life savings . . . wow they really know how or rather when to sell you a "deal".

Ready to go

Our last item on the to do list was to download an app for blogging....done. Now we are ready to go