We’d reached our final night in Singapore. Our final in Asia. Our final night of this adventure of a lifetime.

Such a night calls for a view to match. After taking part in the most realistic game of air hockey I ever witnessed, we set out for the Marina Bay Sands.

The sun cloaked Singapore’s skyline in a peachy glow as we reached the base of this remarkable structure, greeted warmly by a midlife crisis…

We’d talked about spending a night here earlier in the trip, and as we walked out across this rooftop paradise, it would have been hard to turn down. Whoever came up with the idea of suspending a huge boat across three hotel towers is utterly bonkers… and I kinda want to meet them!

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We drank extravagant Japanese beers and took in the cityscape views as we chatted about our adventures since leaving Old Blighty.

There are quite close to a million exits from this mighty hotel complex, and as we tried to figure out which one we needed we happened to stumble upon a new marvel. Not only does the Marina Bay Sands boast impressive views from above, but below also! Head underground and you’ll find the hotels very own river. Yes… you read that right. These guys are no joke! Did you think they would NOT have a river?!

We did eventually escape (by foot I might add), and the city lights continued to impress.

After so many ‘firsts’ on this trip, was there perhaps time to fit in one or two more? You bet there was. A popular local delicacy within this island nation is Chili Crab. Being no strong fan of seafood myself, I let Jamie take on this culinary experience alone.

As we entered Telok Ayer Market, Jamie was quickly pounced on by more food stall owners than you could shake a crab stick at (sorry, I had to)! One guy in particular was INCREDIBLY determined! No one else was eating from his stall so we initially strolled on by, but he caught Jamie’s eyes and followed us through the entire market. I’m not exaggerating at all.

*Secret filming engaged*

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He never gave up! And in the end sold his Chili Crab. An inspiring story that we can all learn from 😂

I figured maybe they’d dress it up a little, maybe chili crab was some type of spicy crab cake? No! It was a crab. With chili on it. Shocking, I know.

And you can tell by the look on Jamie’s face here that he still wasn’t quite sure how to approach this meal either.

I’m pretty sure he gave this dish the thumbs up despite it being a bit of a mission, and soon we began our return to the BetelBox Hostel for a final nights rest before an early flight the next morning. A lot of hostels have some kind of quirk or uniqueness to them – for BetelBox this was easy. They had the most complicated WiFi password I’ve EVER SEEN. See Exhibit A…

And there we have it folks.

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When we started this journey; I’d say even for much of South America, it felt as if this trip would never end. The days felt long, there was so much ground to cover, and neither of us had ever been away for so long in our lives. Singapore was far over the horizon.

But here we were. Strapped in. Bound for London. Bound for home.

I have aspired to take such a trip for years, and long before a plan was even in motion, I had grown up on the stories of my dad and grandads time serving in the British Army ever dreaming to venture out into the world myself one day and make some stories of my own.

A slow journey home and a window seat gave me the perfect opportunity to reminisce on these stories, set against a backdrop stretching across Asia, Africa and Europe to tempt my curiosity at what the next adventure might hold.

This has been without a doubt the most incredible time of my life so far. I’ve been to new heights and new depths. Learnt about ancient cultures, and taken part in the traditions they’ve kept alive. Tried foods I didn’t think I would. Partied for more nights than I thought I could. Made great friends, and thankfully no enemies. Played music to new faces in strange places.

If any of these stories caught your eye and you’d like to know more, I’d be more than happy to help you plan your own adventure! Just drop me a message via my contacts page 🙂

For now, that’s all from me. I hope you’ve enjoyed these stories, and I look forward to writing many more when we’re through Covid-19!

See you on the next one…