While gearing towards the direction of the washroom at Saint John's Island, i could not help but bear the biological tension (to urinate in case you don't get what i mean) when i marched past the below sight.
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What the hell; we have longhouses (modern style) in Singapore?! Weird though since the 'rooms' appeared to be too narrow and claustrophobic for a person to live in!
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I took a closer look after releasing the pressure in my bladder and it dawned on me that the two blocks were in reality washrooms aka latrines aka lavatories aka toilets!
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In the decent, modest age that we lived in nowadays, i was appalled to see that the urinals were unobstructed and in full view of anyone who happened to walk past! Tsk tsk tsk.
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Unsurprisingly, they were not utilised for its intended purpose; smokers seemed to enjoy using it as an ash tray for their ciggies though.
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In total, there were thirty toilets in one building and the key question in my mind then was "who were they built for"? Preliminary guesswork would put it at a time when ladies were not allowed in the vicinity.
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Just got my answer on Singapore Infopedia: "the island was used to house detained political prisoners and ringleaders of secret societies".
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I was frankly quite impressed with the state of the buildings then since the island was open up as a holiday campsite from 1975, which technically means no one has used the washrooms for forty years!
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No idea why there were three stairways along the sewage pipe connecting the two longhouses; for the innocent us, we played hopscotch. Maybe that was one of the pastimes for the prisoners then.
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You know what i am really curious? Notice that metal gate in the centre of the building towards the ground. What lies inside? Given there was already a sewage pipe, it can't be the "holding area" for night soil. Right?
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Location Map
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As above.
How to get to Saint John's Island?
Take the ferry from Marina South Pier. Each ticket cost S$18 for an adult and S$12 for those below 13 years old.
Ferry Schedule
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Click here.