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.