NILE BLOG 02

Thursday September 27, 2012

I hope you appreciate my thoughtfulness. I know that some of you worry TERRIBLY about your loved-ones and friends when they’re adventuring overseas, so I’m firing off this quick news-flash to let you know that (i) they made it to Singapore last night in good shape (well, all sorts of shapes, to be honest) … (ii) they’ve had a great day in this amazing Asian metropolis … (iii) they’ve been behaving (well, most of them, at least as far as I’m aware) … and (iii) they’re not even one tiny bit homesick.

Those of you who NEVER worry about your travelling loved-ones and friends (and in fact are GLAD to see the back of them for a few weeks) should be ashamed of yourselves – but we’ll deal with you later.

Right now, I regret to say, there’s no time for idle chat. We’ve got a group to meet and a plane to catch and a cruise to enjoy. TWO cruises, actually. But I can tell you, truthfully, that our Mad Midlife Kiwis have spent today swarming all over Singapore (an island-of-four-million-people – crammed into an area the size of Lake Taupo) and having the time of their lives!

Robyn and I (for our part) are already delighted with the group. There are 36 of us here in Singapore … another 13 will waiting for us in Greece when we arrive tomorrow … and all but 8 of the total 49 have travelled with us on Mad Midlife tours in the past. So, thus far, it’s kinda like a noisy reunion!

And what have they been up to in Singapore, you ask? Well, some have been shopping in Orchard Road … some have been sampan-riding down the Singapore River … some have visited Little India and Chinatown (the colourful Lantern Festival is in full swing this week) … some have explored the gorgeous National Orchid Gardens and the spectacular, just-opened Bay South Gardens (featuring giant artificial super-trees, a 35-metre man-made mountain and waterfall, a 22-metre skyway, and trees/flowers/plants galore) … some have grabbed an up-high view aboard the Singapore Flyer (a giant ferris-wheel) … some may have gone to the exceptional Jurong Bird Park … and some (I’m sure) have sat down to English High Tea or a ‘Singapore Sling’ at the famous Raffles Hotel.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Gotta fly (literally). So catch you later.

PEOPLE NEWS:
These Mad Midlife Kiwis have lost no time qualifying for our hotly sought-after Quacky Ducks:
• Before we’d even left Auckland International Airport, Sandra had picked up the ‘Senior Moment Award’ – for walking out of our meet-and-greet briefing in the Marlborough Room and leaving behind her bag containing nothing important: just her passport, documents and diamonds!
• John (not me, the other one) walked away … no, make that RAN away … with the ‘Can’t Wait To Get To Bed Award’ – for leaving his bag alone and unattended in the hotel lobby when we arrived in Singapore last night!

TOMORROW:
We arrive in Athens (Greece) in time for breakfast and a city-tour that should include our first glimpse of the Acropolis, crowned by the iconic Parthenon: birthplace of western civilisation.

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.