The train rolled back to Johor Bahru Malaysia overnight on April 11th; there had been another mechanical issue in the night, but I slept right through it. I was awake and getting ready for breakfast when an audio announcement reminded us that breakfast would be served in dining car rather than our cabins from 8 – 9 am or so. Though I could not really pack my bag until the bed was stowed, I started organizing my packing and then went to breakfast. It was very good to get a hot food breakfast – I did not mind the yoghurt, fruit and pastry meals but scrambled eggs with the yoghurt, fruit and pastries made a really good meal. Sally came in to breakfast as I was finishing my eggs. We had a pleasant conversation about her last excursion and last night’s dinner while she waited for her food. And she gave me hydration salts – I guess she’d heard how much I’d been sweating during the George Town excursion. Also, last night’s dinner had been the second meal in a row I’d skipped due to the heat. I headed back to my cabin when her food arrived; I really needed to pack my luggage after Vishnu stowed the bed. It did take a bit of work to get everything to fit into my suitcase since I now had some souvenirs from this part of my trip – a fan, writing case, water flask etc., as well as a separate dirty clothes bundle. I must do laundry in Perth! I’d finished packing by the time Vishnu came to take my luggage to Singapore security screening. Since Sally and I were in the same car, we went through Malaysian immigration and customs together with Vishnu as our guide. It was humid and warm in the Malaysian customs building. Though a fair amount of walking was required to get thru the building with my knee was complaining, the Malaysian immigration process was very fast and efficient. Vishnu guided us back to the train then the train moved into Singapore. I filled out an immigration form on the Singapore ICA app on my iPhone while we waited to go into Singapore and check the cabin for any forgotten items. We stopped in Woodlands Station Singapore, I tipped Vishnu and thanked him for his help. He seemed just a bit rushed – I guess the train was much later than anticipated and everyone was in a hurry to start preparations for the next excursion. As I walked off the train, I saw the staff, lined up by the entry to Singaporean customs to say farewell. Without a doubt, they had made the trip a very pleasant memorable one, even with the heat and humidity. And as I think about what I was able to see, hear and experience, I think the value of the journey exceeds the price for me.

Singapore customs was an easy check-in with my passport – everything needed had been filed electronically from the ICA app and associated with my passport. As we all waited for our luggage to clear customs in Woodlands station, we could see that it was pouring rain outside. With typical efficiency, the company had people with very large umbrellas and SUVs waiting to take us to our hotels. I spoke with Sven and Nicolette again and traded WhatsApp info. I said farewell to Ann and Victoria then gave my blog address to Sally. And because I promised Sally that I’d do it, comments are now engaged on the blog! 

Though my suitcase was ready for pick up, I waited a good while for my backpack to show up. So much so that I actually may have been the last passenger from our train to leave the station. My ride to the Naumi Hotel was comfortably cool, dry and quiet. The torrential rain stopped during the ride, then the sun came out to steam heat the day. I was only scheduled to be at the Naumi for a short overnight stay, since my flight to Perth left early the next morning. I unpacked enough to wash some of my clothes in the shower and sink, then used the dry towel roll trick to wick excess water out of the clothes I’d washed. All of my damp clothes were hung up to dry before I went to bed; everything should be dry enough to pack in the morning. The mystery of my excessive sweating may been solved: high doses of NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen can cause excessive sweating as a side effect (https://dermnetnz.org/topics/drug-induced-hyperhidrosis). Now that the floor was not moving as I walked, I resolved to decrease my daily intake of anti-inflammatories and to check if that change decreases my sweating problem. Though it might be hard to tell if there is an effect, since, hopefully, I won’t be experiencing as much heat and humidity in Perth. I’m going to try taking lower doses, if only to give my liver and kidneys a break.