Singapore team-building on the way to Iceland

It's always great to spend a few balmy, tropical nights in Singapore on our way to the ice !

Walk around the local reservoir

Walk around the local reservoir

Singapore to Oslo on the way to the Arctic

Highlights

• A wonderful foot massage that made us very relaxed before the journey,  Just what we needed after all the walking we'd done in Singapore.
• The Singapore Airport at 2 am in morning was gloriously empty and easy but there was a real paucity of eateries. Tanya ended up eating Hungry Jacks and we ate at "The Heavenly Wang."  A rather weird name but surprisingly tasty.
• The 8 hour flight to Doha through the night was uneventful and I slept several hours and felt surprisingly fresh at the end.
• Gavin had access to The Gold Lounge at Doha Airport so we felt like kings.  I particularly enjoyed the passion fruit yoghurt and must have eaten at least half a dozen!  Also delicious mushroom stew.
• A 6 hour flight to Oslo ended in a two hour queue to get through immigration. It felt like it would go on forever.
• In Oslo, we had to do a COVID test as part of the condition of getting on the ship. After a tense 45 minutes, we were emailed our results and in ecstasy when we discovered we were all negative.
• The taxi into Oslo by taxi cost $140!!  This is not known as one of the most expensive cities in the world for nothing.
• Oslo is a wonderful city in summer.  We went out for dinner in a trendy part of town with lots restaurants with outside eating. We stayed out until after 10 but it stayed light the whole time.  Sunset is only at 10.45 pm at this time of year!!
• We discovered this morning that the SAS airline strike has been cancelled which is great news as our trip is less likely to be delayed - a real possibility up until today.

Having a foot massage before the long journey

At the Singapore airport

Hobnobbing at the Doha Airport

A night in Oslo

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• Our Arctic adventure: A list of posts

Building team spirit in Singapore on the way to the Arctic

We've spent a wonderful three days in Singapore, lapping up the warm, topical climate before the chilly Arctic.  We've been doing lots of team building and even more eating. Gavin knows Singapore well and has taken us to some amazing restaurants like the scrumptious Banana Leaf. 

I've never got to really explore Singapore before and its been great to get to know it with such lovely people.

Next stop is Dubai for a couple of hours, and then Oslo for a night before heading to Svalbard.  We're all super excited! 

Some highlights:

• Sampling the famous and delicious Singapore sling.
• The incredible roof top pool at the hotel where we stayed with its amazing views of the city.
• Meeting two of Gavin's lovely Singaporean friends for dinner.
• Walking through lush parks on the way to the east coast beaches.
• Walking around the beautiful Marina Bay with its killer city skyline.

Arriving at the airport

The wonderful rooftop pool at the Traveltine Hotel
 

 I loved all these Buddha statues by the pool

Lots of fun and team-building with the dream team

Dinner with two of Gavin's lovely local friends

Cool architecture

Richard buying a fancy camera

I loved the statues in one of the shops

Walking to the east coast

The stunning Marina Bay at dusk

Walking around Marina Bay at night

Doing some work

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• Our Arctic adventure: An index of links