After wheeling over the ant like tankers and freighters in Singapore harbour we touched down at Changi International and into stifling heat. Ten in the evening and humid as hell we huddled round a 'phone box calling to find somewhere to stay. After eventually finding a room on Bencoolen Street we gratefully climbed into an air conditioned taxi. Our room wasn't up to much, a typical Chinese guest house, it'll do for tonight.

After finding more appealing digs across the canal in Little India the next morning we set out to explore some of the city. We headed out for Orchard Road and watched Emma's jaw hit the ground at the amount of shopping centres. Jona found a bar. Emma returned sporting a new hair cut accompanied by a clutch of expensive looking carrier bags and we headed for Bugis. A far more low end but far more colourful and energetic market, selling t-shirts to Rolex to caged birds to satay ayam. That evening, as the call to worship rang from a dozen mosques, we tip-toed through a flea market and found ourselves in the peaceful palm lined streets of the Arab Quarter for dinner and some knick-knack browsing.

After breakfast in Little India's hawker market where we sipped lime lassies and watched the hubbub of the fruit market stocking everything from apples to durian fruit we set off on some more heavy duty sightseeing. Once we'd figured out how to use the ticket machine we were off to Chinatown on the impeccably clean and efficient metro. We took a stroll around Chinatown and a few temples their ornate facades and interiors juxtaposed with office buildings, shops and houses. We found another hawker market for a mid morning snack of clay pot chicken and fruit juice - Emma ducked into a beauty parlour for a shoulder massage (the backpack had been taking its toll) only to emerge 45 minutes later announcing that she had been "pummelled to near death".

We set off through the CBD, feeling as small as ants amongst the towering skyscrapers all around us, and ended up on Boat Quay lined with bars and restaurants for the office workers. It'd be rude not to have a snack so satay, crab soup and tiger beers were ordered. Refreshed, we made our way across Singapore river, past the resplendent Fullerton Building and into Merlion Park. The heat was getting silly now and we veered towards Marina Bay in hope of a little sea breeze. No such luck, so we ducked into the amazing concert hall for a bit of air con. Stunning building, which from the outside looks like a massive silver hedgehog has taken up residence by the bay, as impressive as Sydney Opera House, maybe even a little easier on the eye?

The marina area, as with much of the city, is undergoing some pretty large scale development. As we strolled towards the Singapore Flyer (London Eye style wheel) we could see a hundred cranes across the water dancing their silent ballet. Flyer, it appears, is a rather new addition to Singapore's skyline. So new in fact that it hadn't' even been officially opened (its inaugural 'flight' would be the next day) so feeling a little like guinea pigs we bought our tickets and headed for the wheel past shop fitters putting final touches to stores and very eager employees in their sparkling white uniforms and even brighter smiles. The wheel is around 30m higher than London's and the 40 minute flight is an excellent way to put some perspective on how large a city Singapore is.

Whacked from a full day on the hoof we freshened up and stepped out into the sights, sounds and smells of Little India. Garlands for sale in crumbling shop fronts and ornate wood carvings of every size. Music blaring from road side speakers mixed with the whine and toot of a thousand mopeds. The waft of durian fruit mingling with smells of curry and incense. We found our seat in the hawker market for our fourth meal of the day. Hungry work this sightseeing business!

The next day we decided to get out of the city and caught the monorail over to Sentosa Island. A crazy place. Part theme park, part gold resort, part luxury hotels, part building site. Like the true pro's we were now becoming we immediately sniffed out the Luge. A pretty gnarly run we took no prisoners swerving in and out the traffic and cutting up the locals. Next up was the aquarium and after the usual fair of ray touch pools and reef fish we found huge spider crabs (swear that's where the face suckers from Aliens came from), anemone crabs (who camouflage themselves by sticking anemone to their shells) and the craziest sea horses around. We then stepped on to the travelator to begin our journey into the deep. You travel along a Perspex tube about six feet wide with fish behind the glass abot and around you. Some pretty ugly looking critters in there mixed amongst the gliding black tipped, white tipped and reef sharks. Next on the agenda was a spot of mini golf but by the time we'd made it half way round the humidity was so great we were regretting our decision to take up such an active persui9t. We persisted and then refreshed with some well earned 100UP and lunch. We caught the bus with the dozens of other tourists and headed off to see the pink dolphins perform their twice daily circus routine. One little tit bit of info, pink dolphins are actually born grey, the older they get the pinker they become.

A quick turn around in Little India and we strolled down Bencoolen and onto Bras Basah Road and found ourselves outside the legendary Raffles Hotel. We had the obligatory Singapore Sling then went in search of food. Newton Circus. The pinnacle of hawker centres. Originally set up by the government as a place for hawkers to ply their trade in an attempt to clean up the city, Newton has become the place to eat. Locals, tourists and ex pats all share the formica topped tables and choose from the dozens of food stalls selling every sort of Malay, Indonesian, Chinese and Indian food you could imagine, throw in a few stalls with cheap ice cold Tiger beer and you've got a winner. You can eat like a king for a couple of pounds and we did!