Guest Blogger: Day 4 in Macau

October 24, 2010

While gambling in Macau is indisputably the main scene, it is definitely NOT my scene, and while I was not so excited to go, Jeff, Zoe and I decided that we would not stick with the group for the afternoon in the casinos! As a former Portuguese colony, this island has an amazing culture. It lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.

Our first stop was the Museu de Macau…an amazing place that really sets the cultural stage. It aptly depicts the traditions, art, cross culture and religion of this tiny island of half million people. Macau is considered a “Special Administrative Region (SAR)” of the People's Republic of China since December 20, 1999 with its own constitution-like charter (the Basic Law).

 

As we exited the museum we headed to the featured attractions of the city: Ruins of St. Paul's, a former screen wall of St. Paul's Church and the Monte Fort, one of the best-preserved forts in Macau. The façade and intricate mosaic floor are all that remain of Macau’s grandest church, perched atop a steep flight of stone steps and propped up by viewing platform at the rear. In its heyday, the Jesuit-designed Cathedral was hailed as the greatest monument to Christianity in the East. This Catholic façade is the only one to have Chinese characters on its face. The church caught fire in 1835 during a massive typhoon and only extensive structural work in the early 1990s stopped the façade from crumbling to rubble!

After wandering in the downtown area for an hour, our stomachs started to rumble and it was lunchtime. Thunderbird alumni recommended Fernando’s and what a great recommendation it was! Despite the fact that we had to travel (by cab) to Coloane, which is the most southern island, it was soooo worth it! Coloane is considerably less developed than the other regions due to its mountainous terrain. It does have two beaches, several hiking trails and a resort. It is also the location of Macau's first golf course.

Fernando’s food was outstanding...we started with a pitcher of Sangria, cheese and bread as we waited for our table. Our lunch was a two-hour love affair with garlic prawns, a platter of roasted chicken and spiced greens.

After lunch/dinner we wandered down the Hac Sa Beach and collected shells and stones and ended up at the Macau Country Club where we purchased souvenir golf balls, shirts and hats. We made it back to the pier to catch the 5:00 PM ferry back to Hong Kong.