If you're standing, remember to stand on the left - so said Ray when we attempting the first trip on the MRT in Singapore. The escalators in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are contrary to those in London, in that you are instructed to stand on the left: this takes some getting used to after almost a lifetime of standing on the right. I kept getting in wrong.

The transport in Singapore seems to work a treat, but as we were only there two nights this is a very cursory opinion. The taxis are cheap and are absolutely OK, compared to KL 'Teksi" where they are decidedly dodgy. Near the notorious bus station in KL, afer a gruelling five hour bus trip from Penang, the villainous looking taxi driver refused to put on his meter, so we had to walk to the hotel, not far but quite far enough with a heavy bag. If you get in a non-meter cab you can be taken for a 20 minute ride round the one-way system. But not in Singapore and a huge fare.

Cars are very expensive to buy here, said Paul, a colleague of some years ago in Ray's old school, who is now teaching in Singapore. So everyone uses taxes or the MRT or buses. There are taxi stands everywhere where you stand in an orderly queue.

I went on a buying expedition by taxi to Sim Lin Centre, the best one for electronics. Quite a hard sell - you get nabbed as soon as you walk in and don't get much of a chance to walk round all the elecronics outlets. People go out loaded with music systems, speakers, boxes of goodies for Christmas.

Later in the day, at a Spanish style winebar (!) complete with tapas, Paul told more about the city. Prostitution is legal, apparently. So there are no pimps. There are specific areas where the prostitutes work and one is called Orchard Towers (I think, not certain) and it is described an 'Four floors of whores'. Lady boys are extremely popular and can be found in Orchard Towers, where the very best are so stunning, it is impossible to tell girl from boy.

I noticed when in China town, an information plaque at the end of one street, which was one of many put up by the authorities for those interested in the history of older quarters. It said the street used to be called Japanese street, where there were a large number of brothels, including those for Japanese workers who patriotically raised money to send back to Japan to help that country's military ambitions.

The MRT system is excellent, there are three lines. Unfortuantely there is no diagram of the lines on the tourist map so it is rather difficult to work out the interchanges. You get $Sing 1deposit back at the end of each journey, so the fare is excessively cheap. About a pound UK.
The MRT took us to City Hall where we walked towards the river and the Raffles statue. On the right we saw the St Andrews Cathedral, opposite the grassy expanse which is part of Singapore Cricket Club. The cathedral was built between 1856 and 1864, 'using Indian convict labour'. Inside it is peacefully white, with rows of fans up high, and comfortable armed chairs, not pews, with rattan seats and backs. There are a few memorials in the walls and I was struck by an elegant marble memorial to Major General William John Butterworth of the Madras Army, 12 years Governor of Prince of Wales Island (the old name for Penang), Singapore and Malacca. I expect he gave his name to the town of Butterworth.

He died in 1856 in Millmead House, Guildford, Surrey aged 56.

Another three memorials referred to a mutiny.
One was to Stoker C F Anderson of HMS Cadmus, killed in action during the mutiny of 5th Light Infantry, 16 February 1915. Erected by the Association of Engineers. What was his story?
Another was 'in sacred memory to the undermentioned officers, non-coms and men of the Singapore Volunteer Corps, who lost their lives in the Mutiny of the 5th Native Light Infantry of February 1915'. Unfortunately the staff at the cathedral knew nothing about this mutiny or its cause or outcome.

Finally the memorials to two little girls caught my immagination, because one was to Emily, aged 5 years, 9 months and 5 days, and her sister Annette, aged 4 years, 6 months and 12 days. How sad those parents must have been to measure these short lives by the day.

In the giftshop at the cathedral were a very few books for children, unlike the huge and lavish display of books we had seen in KL at the Islamic Museum, with the titles common to such religious books for kids, such as 'Thank you Allah'.

Down on the Singapore river there are boats for a short trip, rather overpriced and a huge lavish hotel called the Fullerton, in premises which used to be the Post Office. There we fancied splashing out on our last day, and got two cocktails. What a disappointment! They certainly dont know how to make cocktails at the Fullerton, for all it grandure and swanky restaurants.

Last of all was a shopping trip to China town, and a dum sum meal. This was the cats whiskers. Could have spent all day there, parting with money! It rained all the time we were in Singapore, and was actually too cool in the AC hotel room. Now we are on our way home.