I picked up a bottle of Beefeater gin from the duty free shop at Phnom Penh airport. Because my backpack was loaded to the hilt I stashed it in Elenka's bag. When we arrived at Singapore International she got nabbed for not declaring it. Actually neither of us were asked if we had booze, but it was apparently something we should have known. Customs officials brought us into an office where they studied the bottle intently and filled out forms. All the tim...

We had a seven hour layover in Singapore on the way to New Zealand. Picture if you can a modern Eaton's Centre in Toronto. That's sort of like what Singapore airport is. But so much of everything is free. They have free hi-speed Internet, free foot massage machines and the cleanest toilets I've seen anywhere. I damned near bought a sandwich and a coffee with the idea of having lunch while sitting on the toilet, just to say I'd done it. And just fo...