{"id":1867,"date":"2019-05-05T12:55:44","date_gmt":"2019-05-05T12:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=1867"},"modified":"2019-05-12T20:30:19","modified_gmt":"2019-05-12T20:30:19","slug":"myanmar-oz-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=1867","title":{"rendered":"MYANMAR & OZ. 33"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wow!\u00a0 I had no idea how busy it was going to be at home!\u00a0 We need to get away again for a holiday – SOON!\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 We are.\u00a0 In fact we are now in Cornwall.\u00a0 This is to try out the caravan and visit Helston for Flora Day on 8th May.\u00a0 Yesterday we celebrated International StarWars Day – “May the Fourth be with you!”\u00a0 Although I would admit to the gathering with Martin’s family was a coincidental celebration.\u00a0 It was marked by a short treasure hunt set by me which involved the girls having to unshred a shredded page with a clue typed on it.\u00a0 Involved a lot of selotape, but even then the instruction was all garbaged up.\u00a0 Still, with several brains in gear, the Easter egg prize was soon captured.<\/p>\n

More significantly, Lauren set us a treasure hunt in return!\u00a0 Her first!\u00a0 All on her lonesome ownsome!\u00a0 So, as we’ve long suspected – it’s catching!<\/p>\n

Back to the task in hand.\u00a0 Let’s complete the Myanmar & Oz series.\u00a0 The end-game!\u00a0 (That reminds me – Finn and I went to the cinema to see “Avengers, The End-Game”.\u00a0 Three hours of it.\u00a0 Well, minus a bit when I nipped out to the pub next door for a swift half!)<\/p>\n

OK.\u00a0 We managed to find Brisbane airport and lobbed the lovely Kia Sorrento back at Europcar.\u00a0 The trick was in finding someone with whom to leave the keys.\u00a0 When we did, the guy wasn’t interested in inspecting the car.\u00a0 He just seemed delighted to be getting it back in one piece.<\/p>\n

We were travelling to Singapore with Robin and family.<\/p>\n

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Indeed they were treating us to a three night stay in the up-market Conrad Hotel – on the club floor.\u00a0 This was our birthday treat – and very good it was too!\u00a0 The moral of this story is that if you want a posh hotel, get your kids to book it – and, preferably, pay for it too!\u00a0 Thanks Robin and Linda!\u00a0 ???<\/p>\n

We tried to get seats on the plane together – really, we did.\u00a0 But R&L had not checked in on-line.\u00a0 They were hoping for the best.\u00a0 However, our experience is that you can always hope for the best – but don’t expect to get it!\u00a0 Not on today’s jammed up, multi-co-share flights.\u00a0 They are nearly always virtually full and, with online check-in widely available, everyone is catching on.\u00a0 It’s so easy, although I have yet to succeed in completing the process on my Android phone.\u00a0 I ALWAYS have to resort to using a PC somewhere.\u00a0 \u00a0The fault lies in the selection of a UK number for our emergency contact.\u00a0 I can never get past that stage…\u00a0 So, hope for the best, but plan for the worst!<\/p>\n

We are in our pre-selected, pre-checked-in seats and Robin and family are scattered around near the rear toilets.\u00a0 Perhaps scattered is too strong a word.\u00a0 They were in two blocks.\u00a0 Robin and children in one place and Linda in another.\u00a0 Actually, I suspect that Linda may have conned a business class seat.\u00a0 We only saw her once during the whole flight.<\/p>\n

Anyway in the window seat next to us was an an Indian lady.\u00a0 She came on board with a massive rucksack which looked to weigh about 20 kg.\u00a0 She also had another piece of hand luggage which I reckon was about 15 kg.\u00a0 She proceeded to communicate on her phone most of the trip.\u00a0 She did explain to me that she was dealing with old messages, but then why was she hiding her phone from the crew?\u00a0 And why did it keep buzzing?\u00a0 And why did she keep replying when it did vibrate?\u00a0 Questions, questions, questions!<\/p>\n

Eventually, we got to Singapore where Glenda presented someone else’s thumbs – again.\u00a0 More explanations.\u00a0 More shoving of her current, valid passport in the faces of immigration officers…\u00a0 I think we will be flying via Bangkok or Hong Kong or Timbuctoo next time!<\/p>\n

The taxi queue was massive but fortunately for us there was a maxi-taxi in the line with no takers.\u00a0 So we skipped to the front of the line and all six of us piled in and off we went.\u00a0 Slowly – because the expressway into the city was blocked by an accident.<\/p>\n

The Conrad Hotel is magnificent.\u00a0 And the views from the 28th floor were spectacular – especially at night.<\/p>\n

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There were, however, a couple of hyperactive children in the room opposite.\u00a0 And they enjoyed an early morning swim…<\/p>\n

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Followed by breakfast…<\/p>\n

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The hotel gave each room a teddy bear named Conrad.\u00a0 Slightly smaller than “Conrad the First” as found in the lobby!<\/p>\n

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The boys enjoyed the free drink service…<\/p>\n

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… especially at gin o’clock…<\/p>\n

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The taxi rank outside the hotel was always full of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and Maseratis.<\/p>\n

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The trouble is we need six of them to go anywhere together!\u00a0 They only take one passenger each!<\/p>\n

Behind the hotel there’s a rather fancy fountain…<\/p>\n

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Which is bigger than it looks.\u00a0 As seen from our floor…<\/p>\n

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The Fountain of Wealth.\u00a0 This fountain was listed by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as the largest fountain in the world.\u00a0 Completed in 1995, it appears as a gold ring in the palm of the hand symbolizing the preservation of wealth.\u00a0 Allegedly! <\/span>\u00a0It is located beside one of Singapore’s largest shopping malls, Suntec City.\u00a0 As the fountain is adjacent to our hotel, clearly our hotel is FAR, FAR to close to the shops!\u00a0 Ironically, Linda and Glenda did manage to get lost in there one evening.\u00a0 And I mean REALLY lost – not just “shopping lost”!<\/span><\/p>\n

On our last day in Singapore, which was also actually our second full day, we went to Sentosa.\u00a0 Sentosa is an island resort off Singapore\u2019s southern coast.\u00a0 It is now connected to the city by road, cable car, pedestrian boardwalk and monorail.\u00a0 When we last visited the island back in the Dark Ages we crossed using the high level cable car.\u00a0 This was (as far as I can remember) the first and only method of getting there.\u00a0 The cable car was completed in 1974, so perhaps talk of the Dark Ages was a bit of an exaggeration!<\/div>\n
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This time we walked across the bridge and discovered that Sentosa is now a theme park!\u00a0 Universal Studios is\/are in your face as you arrive, but there are far too many other attractions to mention.\u00a0 However, they have done their business and attracted hoards of tourists – and I don’t count us in that number!<\/div>\n
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Robin and the boys were set on visiting the Pirate Ship Water Park at Palawan Beach.\u00a0 Very jazzy.\u00a0 Very (in our opinion) mucky water but he ho, Jack and Benji enjoyed it.\u00a0 So much so that that evening it closed for good!\u00a0 Well, the water did need changing!<\/div>\n
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The mono-rail is free to use on Sentosa and, indeed, to ride off the island even though it costs to get on.\u00a0 So being economically minded, we took the rail back to the mainland.<\/p>\n

That afternoon, our table received a birthday cake delivered by singing waiters!<\/p>\n

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This hotel stay was, after all, our birthday present from Robin and Linda.\u00a0 Some of you think we had celebrated too many times already – on our Caribbean cruise, several places in Florida and again several places in Spain, Portugal and France!\u00a0 Get over it – we have!<\/p>\n

The flight home was dreadful.\u00a0 15 hours battling into 200 kph headwinds.\u00a0 Bouncing all over the place.\u00a0 Seatbelt signs on most of the way.\u00a0 The seat in front of Glenda was broken and reclined about eight inches as opposed to the regulation four. Appalling selection of films – 120 rubbish films (as far as Glenda is concerned).\u00a0 Dreadful food – I found the vegetarian option was slightly better.\u00a0 Will order that in future.\u00a0 If indeed there is a future!\u00a0 Glenda has announced – in no uncertain terms – that she isn’t going to do this sector in this way ever again!\u00a0 We shall have to see…<\/p>\n

OK.\u00a0 Let’s skip to the final “disaster” back in Ukonia.\u00a0 I’d booked the Heathrow Express about 90 days ahead to take advantage of the reduced prices.\u00a0 All electronic – on the phone.\u00a0 Worked well – except I’d booked it in the wrong direction!\u00a0 Paddington TO Heathrow.\u00a0 Wrong!\u00a0 However the ticket inspectors at both ends of the journey took pity on a couple of tired tourists, pointed out the error of my ways and opened up the barriers for us.\u00a0 Very reasonable chaps.<\/p>\n

I’d like to point out that our holiday has been mainly fabulous…\u00a0 but I’m sure you’d rather hear about the trials and tribulations!<\/p>\n

So let’s call that tour well and truly finished.<\/p>\n

And although this year’s Spanish Caravan Extravaganza hasn’t started – we leave in exactly two week’s time (now, one week’s time) – we have already heard on the grapevine that our boat to the Iberian peninsula has sunk.\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 Probably, just an engine fire!\u00a0 But even so, that’s a little inconvenient for the 2400 passengers and 650 cars each crossing can take.\u00a0 I can’t imagine how long the queue will be when they get the fire put out!<\/p>\n

Read the next exciting series of reports to find out whether we made it to Santander – or not!\u00a0 Starting on the 19 May – Starwars plus 15 – or soon thereafter!<\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wow!\u00a0 I had no idea how busy it was going to be at home!\u00a0 We need to get away again for a holiday – SOON!\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 We are.\u00a0 In fact we are now in Cornwall.\u00a0 This is to try out… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-myanmar-2019"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1867"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1896,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions\/1896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}