Singapore

Well we arrived here last night. We're staying at he Park Regis, just for the night.

Today it's 32 degrees, as it usually is. We're pretty much on the equator here so there are no distinct seasons, though the humidity varies from very high, to even higher.

If you ignore the climate you could be at home. Everything, literally, is in English: street names, road signs, the adverts on the side of buses, all in English. Which is odd, because of the 5m people who live here 75% are ethnic Chinese. English is spoken by around half the population.

Nominally a democracy, the same party has ruled since independence in 1959. No doubt the trains run on time, but crime is almost non-existent. Possibly this is because of the fierce punishments imposed. For example, littering is punishable by beheading. (If it's a first offence. Do it again and you're really in trouble.) Or possibly it's because everyone has a job and a roof over their head. Who can say?

We're only here for a few hours, so we're going to check out the orchids* at the Botanical Gardens, by recommendation. This evening we fly to Adelaide, where we arrive tomorrow morning. More exciting news anon.

*Did you know the word orchid derives from the Greek 'orchis', meaning testicle?