In the good old days Singapore was the Amsterdam of the East. Today drunken sailors have been overtaken by shopping mad tourists, and most of the old red-light district has morphed itself into seafood restaurants and fancy clubs. One of the remaining areas is Geylang, where prostitution apparently is still legal. Here working girls are chatting local men up in the many outdoor Chinese restaurants or working out of brothels or clubs. It's a peek behind the facade of conservative Singapore - and please let it be with that.

Singapore is not all shopping malls and tall buildings. If you really hunger for some beach life, Sentosa Island will give you a fix. The island is connected with both a bridge and a cable car and everything is artificial made, though the palms are real. The blue horizon is dotted with huge tankers and though Sentosa means peace and tranquillity in Malay, it's not quite a Robinson Crusoe beachcomber experience. Never the less it is a nice break from the air-con world of downtown Singapore and a view into how Singaporeans take a break.