The journey down to Singapore is long and tedious and we have to disembark with all our luggage to go through passport control and customs at the border with Singapore. Interestingly among the things that can’t be taken into Singapore is chewing gum – apparently it is illegal – and medicine. We declare the former, but not the latter, and are allowed to take it through anyway. We are the last through the formalities and the border officials seem to be more interested in ushering us back on the train.
It is hot and humid when we arrive at Singapore station on the south of the island and we have no Singapore dollars. Fortunately there is a money exchange in the station (no cash machine) so we change some dollar travellers cheques. The exchange rate for dollars is a 33% more than for Sterling, so we will be using more of what remains of dwindling stash of dollars we bought in the UK when the exchange rate was just under $2 to the £.
We are staying at Hotel 81 Palace in the red light district of Singapore city and the streets around here are lined with prostitutes – among them the usual skimpily dressed girls in short skirts, but also he-shes (or lady boys) and working girls in saris – .whose demure dress seems somewhat out of place. It’s a lively, buzzing area and the streets are full of busy neighbourhood cafes and food malls all of which seem to be patronised mainly by men (I wonder why?) and we have a reasonable meal and a couple of beers.