Once my bike was properly packed, I was finally ready to leave Australia. Everything went smoothly—except for airport security, where they made me throw away all my tools. They were good quality, and I was really upset to part with them, but I should’ve thought ahead and checked them in. Oh well, lesson learned… I’ll just buy new ones in Singapore. After an 8.5-hour flight, I landed in Singapore at 3 a.m. It was too early to do anything, so I decided to explore the airport, which is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. I can confirm—it’s absolutely worth a walk around. I took a taxi to the hostel, bought the tools, and reassembled my bike. Once everything was back together, I noticed the gears weren’t working properly anymore. The shifting was off, and the brake pads probably needed replacing too. But with the heat and my laziness, I put it off. I reorganized my bags, which were scattered everywhere, and left the bike at the train station for three days. It’s super safe here, and there are cameras everywhere. I started exploring the city in Chinatown, full of narrow streets, market stalls, and a beautiful Buddhist temple. Then I headed over to Gardens by the Bay, home to the famous “trees” of Singapore—absolutely stunning, especially at night when they light up to music in a really magical show. Right there, while walking among those giant trees, I noticed a couple trying to take photos. She was determined to get the perfect shot, and he was trying, but it never seemed quite right. As I got closer, I heard them speaking Italian, so I asked them to take a photo of me and ended up meeting Giulia and Paolo, two travelers from Cuneo exploring Singapore and Malaysia. We talked for a long time, mostly about India. They told me a crazy story about how they got scammed there. We ended up spending the rest of the day exploring the city together.

There isn’t a ton to see in Singapore, but what’s there is really well maintained and worth visiting. We wandered through the Arab Quarter and visited Little India, which brought back memories for all three of us from our time in India. Singapore is a super modern city and incredibly safe. I even saw a robot cop with cameras patrolling the streets. The laws here are extremely strict, and the fines are huge. For certain crimes, there’s still the death penalty, and for others, you risk years in prison. People don’t dare do anything wrong—not even jaywalk when the street is empty. On a walk, I met a local girl and asked her what it’s like living here. She told me that overall, it’s good, but there are some pretty strange rules. For example, you’re not allowed to drink water on public transport. If you do, the fine is around 600 euros. Chewing gum is banned, both selling it and chewing it. Buying a car is a real mission—not only do you have to pay the full price plus up to 220% in taxes, but you also need a special certificate that costs about 60,000 euros and gives you the right to own the car for ten years. After those ten years, you have to pay for it again. Another strange rule: you can’t buy a house before you’re 35. But the weirdest thing she told me is that Singaporean citizens aren’t allowed to enter casinos freely. They have to pay about 70 euros for entry, while it’s free for tourists. Singapore is definitely expensive by Asian standards, with prices similar to Italy or Australia. But the level of safety is something that really stands out. I’ve never felt so secure in such a big city. Now I’m ready to hit the road again—next stop: Malaysia. I don’t know what’s waiting for me, but I’m excited and ready for the next chapter.