First stage: 3 days in Singapore

Hasi handed over to neighbors, fridge defrosted, car sold.

Said goodbye to friends and family, shed a tear here and there. Three suitcases, three backpacks, three brains (the fourth, Maxi, has been in Australia for about four weeks) are now on their way to 'Down Under': 12 months, 365 days, sabbatical: Australia, here we come!

But before that, there is a approximately 24-hour flight and a stopover in Singapore!

Fortunately, the journey starts off pleasantly: Thanks Günter, great planning! – Because we travel the first 12 hours in business class with Condor and for a great price: only 750 euros.

Wonderful: First by train to the flight at Frankfurt Airport and then enjoyed tasty breakfast snacks in the business lounge. After that, we can relax in the plane and beam ourselves into any conceivable lying or sitting position in our comfortable 'flight seat'. Sipped welcome champagne, flipped through colorful newspapers and magazines. Then the folding airplane table with white linen was already set up for lunch: Three appetizers served on porcelain (not a choice, all at once), three main courses to choose from, dessert, cheese platter, espresso.

Aah, traveling can be beautiful. Then relaxed, enjoyed the latest movies in the entertainment program, only interrupted by passing around small snacks from time to time …

So, conclusion: Whenever possible, take a close look and definitely book a business class flight for long-haul flights!

Arriving in Kuala Lumpur (capital: Malaysia), we had to show our passports and pack all our smartphones, tablets, laptops, belts, jackets, and wallets into plastic trays for what felt like the 10th time on the trip. That means: take off backpacks, quickly pack and unpack everything! Luckily, I had actually packed everything in document folders and backpacks with practical compartments, so that we had everything at hand quickly and the first potential for a dispute was avoided.

Then we continued in the 'economy class' to Singapore. By now, the first signs of fatigue were already noticeable. After arriving in Singapore, we had to walk for 20 minutes with our belongings through the pleasantly air-conditioned airport to reach the baggage claim area, where we could quickly retrieve our remaining three 115 L!!! suitcases. Then everything was loaded onto a baggage trolley – always escorted very friendly by airport personnel – into the air-conditioned underground car park, into the minivan!! taxi that a friendly Singaporean(?) had arranged. The nice taxi driver used the 15 KM trip from the airport to the city center as a sightseeing tour. Moritz's comment: 'I don't know what they write in the travel guides, the climate here is quite pleasant ;-)'

However, his opinion changed abruptly when the taxi driver opened the taxi door when we arrived in Chinatown at our first hotel, Q Loft 1929: should we really get out here? A hazy, humid and warm laundry room wall welcomed us and immediately our hair and clothes stuck moistly to our skin.

Unfortunately, the room was not ready yet, so we had to wander around the city for two hours.

We wanted to see the 'real Singapore' and immediately ventured into a street food stall where the locals were busy with lunch. Only three brains were moving tired and sweating at a snail's pace: 'Where are we and what are we doing here, anyway?'

Next day: Dive into real life. Getting to know Singapore!