Time to move on. Packed my bags--there's too much stuff, I'll have to dump some of it as I can't be hauling this much around in this heat--and left them at the reception after paying. Went to look at the exhibition centre, where I had a snack of fishballs, then drifted into the Suntech centre, a huge shopping mall, so large that I got lost and needed directions to get back to familiar territory near the hotel.

Picked up my bags and took a bus to the Ban San bus terminal. A shock awaited me there--a very long queue, stretching right around the corner of the station, waiting for the express bus to JB (Johor Bharu). This would seriously delay me, I thought. I was about to reluctantly take my place when I saw a group of taxi drivers and asked them the best way of getting to JB. They told me they take carloads directly to the Singapore "customs", from where the 170 is very frequent and costs only 70 cents. I went along with this, paying S$5 for the trip. I arrived at the Shell service station next to the JB "kastam", as arranged with Foo, in good time for him to pick me up.

We took a walk around the centre of JB. Then we called to Julie's folks' place to discuss what to do, then went on to Foo's. Julie arrived shortly afterwards with their nephew Gengis (his surname is Can!). After a meal prepared by Julie's mother--Chinese sausage, cabbage soup, rice, meat, duck, and Julie had thoughtfully brought along a few cans of Guinness--we talked into the small hours.