I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.: Hong Kong & Macau: Day 4

Day Four

Macau

Macau is second of the People's Republic of China's two Special Administrative Regions (along with Hong Kong) under the nation's, "one country, two systems" policy. Macau was a Portuguese colony from the mid 16th century until 1999 when it was transferred back to China. Portugal was rented Macau in 1557 and became a major European trading port. It's Portuguese roots are still visible today, not only in the language but also in the food; Macau has become in recent years a hub of culinary tourism with its unique mix of euro-cantonese cuisine.

Also, James Bond shot a movie here, no big deal.

Macau has its own monetary notes (Pataca) but also widely accepts the Hong Kong dollar. Macau covers a bit over 11 square miles, and the majority of its 500,000 citizens are ethnic chinese.

As soon as the trip to HK was confirmed, I set about to find a way to visit Macau. The great thing about HK is that transportation is so cheap and available. Getting between HK and Macau (as well as several other islands and ports) is easy. I woke up on Thursday, ate breakfast at the hotel and headed over to HK Island to the Macau Ferry terminal. I purchased my tickets, by schedule, for about HK$350... around $45 US dollars. I was so excited to be going, but I will tell you that the ferry ride was rough. It was not a smooth ride but it was pretty quick at just a little over an hour. I was very happy to be on land after the trip. Once I passed through customs (US passport holders need only to present their passport, no visa required) I decided to pay the money to a private tour company in order to see as much as possible in my one short day.

Below, the bridge that connects mainland Macau to the outer lying islands of Ilhas.

A recreation of an old Portuguese fishing village... now used for concerts, demonstrations, as a museum and a cultural learning institute.

Below, the statue of Kun Iam

Macau Tower

Below, a view of the iconic Lisboa casino from atop Macau Tower

You can pay to walk on the outer rim of the tower.

Penha Church, reconstructed in 1837

Chapel of Our Lady of Penha, 1622

The first part of this church was a small chapel founded in 1622 by crew and passengers of a ship that narrowly escaped from Dutch capture. This chapel went on to serve as a point of pilgrimage for sailors embarking on hazardous voyages.

A-Ma Temple, the oldest structure in Macau, dating back to 1488.

One of the oldest Taoist temples, it is dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

Government building, below

The old Grand Lisboa casino, below

In the shape of the lotus flower.

and below, the new Lisboa.

more casinos:

Saint Dominic's Church

Founded in 1587 by three Spanish Dominican priests originally from Mexico. It was here that the first Portuguese newspaper was published on Chinese soil in 1822.

beef jerky anyone?

Senado Square

The Ruins of Saint Paul's

Now just the facade remains of the Church of Mater Dei built in 1602 and destroyed by fire in 1835. Today it is perceived as the "Acropolis" of Macau.

ruins of St. Paul's College and Mount Fortress, just adjacent to the church.

After my incredible day running around Macau it was time to finish up across the bridge in Cotai, where all the new large casinos are. At the Venetian, I ate and drank like a king before hopping on the shuttle back to the ferry terminal.