Macao

Macao often fascinates me. I remember when I was a kid; there were talk of Macao and its casino. Imagination will run wild of sleazy town, night clubs, beautiful mistresses with ugly, fuggy lecherous rich men with fast cars and money to throw in the casino. Off course, there are spies from all over the world trying to outdo each others, gathering intelligences and bumping each other off. Spy movies did not only entertained but help to fuel the imagination.

The border crossing was easy from Zhuhai to Macao and it is packed with tourists or day visitor from the mainland. It took us a while with the long queue. Once across and out of the building, the landscape is so different from Zhuhai. The bus from Holiday Inn picked us up to the hotel and along the way you see old buildings and if you see large modern buildings they are more likely to be casinos.

Top L and R: View of Macao outside immigration crossing from Zhuhai
Bottom L: Holiday Inn Room Bottom R: Ferry Terminal

Just along the street where Holiday Inn remind me of the Malacca. Buildings are similar in design, double storey, wooden windows, narrow street with European influence. I love old cities. It gives a rich history and has many stories to tell with great cultural influence.

Clockwise L to R: Old shop, Old market Square, Old Church, Old Buildings

Moving around is easy and the maps are free unlike in China where you have to buy them. Map in China are in Mandarin and unless you know Mandarin it is useless to you. The map in Macao is in English and it was a breeze to move around. Most places are closed by and you can walk around or take buses to move from point to point.

Buses are free from the ferry terminal if you want to visit the casinos. One night we did casino to casino hopping. Holiday Inn has buses going to the ferry terminal every half an hour and from the terminal we hop on the bus to casino. Each casino has its own designated bus. After a quick browse, we took the bus back to the ferry and hop on another designated bus to another casino.

Venetian Casino

Wynn Casino

Foods are good in Macao and reasonable but always remember to check the prices. Casinos do offer good food and reasonable, too. One night we had our dinner at Wynn Casino and we were impressed with the food.

If casinos are not your cup of tea, Macao has many historical places to visit and if you are bored you can cross over to Zhuhai and do your shopping. Remember you need visa to cross over.

Clockwise L to R: Looking down from St. Paul's Ruins, Way up to St. Paul's Ruins, Shop selling famous Hazel biscuits, Fort at St. Paul's Ruins

Clockwise L to R: Old building, St. Paul's Ruin, Portuguese Tart, Entrance to the Fort

After the 3^rd day we left Holiday Inn and took the ferry straight in to Hong Kong Airport. Here you do your immigration check, flight check in and they reimburse HK$120 airport tax back to you. A bus took us to the main terminal and we had lunch at the airport before we boarded the flight back to KL

This concludes my Holiday.

Zhongshan & Zhuhai

Zhongshan in the old days was called Xiangshan or Fragrant Mountain. It was renamed Zhongshan in 1925 in commemoration of late Dr. Sun Yat-Sen.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen was born in Cuheng, a village in Zhongshan. It was here he passed his childhood and in his youth he practiced medicine here to help the people in his hometown.

Clockwise L to R: Up the stairs to Dr. Sun Memorial, Dr. Sun Monument, View from the Memorial looking right, and looking down

The government had preserved the village of Dr. Sun and today is opened for tourists to visit his home and the village he grew up. The day we went to visit Dr. Sun village & museum we were fortunate to arrive on that day because that was the first day where the entry was free. The people in charge decided not to charge anyone anymore to encourage more locals to visit this place and learn the history and the contribution of Dr. Sun.

Clockwise L to R: Sign at the entrance, Entrance to the front of Dr. Sun's house, outside the house courtyard, side view of the house

The preserved village also houses a museum dedicating to Dr. Sun. It tells the story of his life and the people in his life. There was so much to read and it was refreshing to find articles, displays and exhibits in English. Sad to say we could not finished seeing the Museum before we were shooed out sharp at 5pm.

Clockwise L to R: Remaining houses in the village, Bell outside the village court yard at bottom left , Dr.Sun's Museum

If you love history give yourself more time and enjoy the serenity of this small village.

Zhuhai is an hour + away from the Museum and shares the border with Macao and lies on the western bank of the estuary of Pearl River flowing into South China Sea. It overlooks Hong Kong and Shenzhen in the East. This place is one of the earliest Special Economic Zones in China.

Clockwise L to R: Fishing Boat at Zhuhai, Esplanade at Zhuhai, Fishing Fleet, Passengers returning to land

Clockwise L to R: Along the Esplanade, The Monument, entrance at the monument, inside the hotel we stayed

It is a beautiful city with fresh air, scenic beaches, blossomy flowers and lush trees. It is a city trying to lure visitors from Macao and competing with Macao. Again, like any other place we visited, time is too short to savor what the places have to offer. If you like shopping, there is one shopping centre just before the immigration crossing to Macao. It seems this is the shopper's paradise. You can get almost anything there. Of course, you find fake watches, fake Nike Shoe, Prada bags etc.

Top: Genuine Pierre Cardin Shoe I got at a major shopping centre for A$60

Bottom: Fake Prada Bag my wife bought at the shopping centre at the immigration crossing to Macao

This is one place you can practice your bargaining skill. You do not pay quoted price and if you are skillful enough and prepared to walk away if the price is not favorable, you can get a good bargain. Most shoppers are tourists from Macao. I was told with the cost of living having gone up, it is no longer cheap to shop in China. You probably could get them at the same price in Macao. But, hey, who shops in Macao?