Hong Kong Day 2 - Well, Macau
Apologies that this quick recap is taking some time to write! With work and research keeping me very busy in Sydney, plus a weekend trip to Brisbane for my friend's birthday, I haven't had much time to catch up on here. I promise I will get everything posted and pictures up in the coming weeks!
On the heels of a late night of street eats, my friend and I were up very early on Saturday to head down to the waterfront to catch a ferry for the hour-long journey over to Macau. But before I delve into the day, here's a very brief rundown on Macau (and Hong Kong) so that you have some context.
For those who aren't well versed in the SARs (Special Administrative Regions) of China (don't worry, I wasn't either), I figured this might shed some light. There are two SARs—Hong Kong and Macau—in China, operating under the basic premise of "one country, two systems"; that is, the economies are capitalist, even though they are part of communist China. Macau was originally founded as a colonial outpost on an island in the South China Sea, just off the coast of mainland China, in the early 1500s by the Portuguese. Note that Hong Kong didn't come under British control until the mid-1840s, following the First Opium War... I digress. The city-state type island enclaves, separated by about 65 kilometres (40 miles), remained under European control until the late 1990s, when Britain and Portugal ceded the lands back to China. Macau is very tiny, comprising just 31 square kilometres (less than 12 square miles) and has a population of under 700,000. Hong Kong is over 1,100 square kilometres (some 426 square miles) and has a population pushing 7 million. As you probably know, Hong Kong is a major commercial and financial city, whereas Macau is really known for its casinos. Now back to my day in Macau...
We decided to go check out Macau as multiple people had said that the city was worth a day of the three we had in Hong Kong. While neither of us are gamblers, the fusion of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, manifesting in amazing food and interesting architecture, was a definite draw.
The ferry terminal was packed with people—it seems lots of people make the journey to go gamble for the day or weekend—but we were able to get tickets for the next departure, boarding around 8:30am. We were assigned a pair of seats by the window, and the ride was enjoyable as we got to watch the mainland and ships moving about the busy waters of the South China Sea. Otherwise, the trip was rather uneventful, and by 10:00 we were docking in Macau.
After going through border control, we walked out to the street to begin exploring. I must say that our first impression of Macau was not all that stellar, as there aren't really any easy walkways from the area where the ferry terminal is into the city. It seems pretty much everyone boards one of the free casino shuttles and heads off, around a giant hill/mountain, and into the city. Of course, not being "everyone" we began our trek on foot, passing by a gaudy casino which offered a hint of just what makes Macau tick.
Like the day before, I had made a map of things to do and eat on my phone, though unlike the day before I didn't have internet access, so it made the process a bit more laboured. Despite a few guessing games, we finally figured out a way down the main road in the area.
Once we got our bearings, we were able to follow signs to a lift that rose dozens of storeys above the roadway and provided access to the 108-metre-high (350 feet) Monte da Guia (the aforementioned hill/mountain). After wandering around the lower parts of the park that sit midway up the hill, we climbed higher toward the top, making our way into the complex of Guia Fortress, dating back to the 1800s (with a church dating to 1622).
At the fortress, we got to explore some military tunnels, take in spectacular views of the city, and even wander into the church which has been largely preserved. The collision of old and new, western and eastern, casino excesses and favela-type slums, visible from the top really highlight the amazing dichotomies of Macau.
Once we had taken in the views, we headed down from Monte da Guia via Estrada dos Parses, en route to the old Clube Militar de Macau, where we had made a booking for lunch. The road, not made for walking, took us past an old cemetery and a range of old buildings in various states of disrepair. We arrived at lunch well before our booking, but thankfully were able to get a table early as we were quite hungry from the journey. Housed inside the old military officers club dating to 1870, the restaurant is known for its buffet of Portuguese foods. We enjoyed trying different things and ate our fill before heading out to explore as much of the island as we could in a few hours.
We walked along the main avenue of the city, south along the waterfront, and then along the Avenida da Republica, passing old homes and the Macau Government House, on our way to the large A-Ma Temple complex, dating back to 1488. We explore the grounds for a while, before turning to head north into the heart of the old city on Rua da Barra. The road brought us past the Moorish Barracks and to Mandarin's House, which we enjoyed exploring for about half an hour before continuing north past a few churches, an old theatre, and finally to Senado Square—which turned out to be the tourist heart of Macau and absolutely mobbed with people.
From Senado Square we popped into some more churches, Lou Kau Mansion, and finally wended our way to Macau's most famous historic site, the ruins of St. Paul's. The ruins, comprising mainly the front facade of a church dating to 1640, were quite a sight to take in (as evidenced by the sea of humanity cascading down the steps leading up to the ruins). Once we wandered around the ruins and down to the old crypt, we continued our ascent (seeing a theme for the day?) to Monte do Forte—probably not all that surprisingly a mount where a 17th century fortress stands. Once again, we were treated to really spectacular views.
While there were still things to the north, we were pretty wiped from the day—and likely the late night before—and we felt we had seen enough churches and temples to give us a flavour of Macau. With a long trek back to the ferry, we decided to call it a day and headed in that direction. But while on the way, decided we couldn't say we had been to Macau unless we stopped into its grandest, gaudiest, largest casino for a few goes at the slot machines.
From the fortress we descended to the street and began our walk toward the Grand Lisboa, an omnipresent feature throughout our wandering as it stands out like a giant gold palm tree above the city. Constructed just a decade ago, the over-the-top building seems like to could date from the 1970s, with its gaudy gold glass and ridiculous shape. Its presence, looming large over centuries-old colonial architecture and utilitarian concrete housing blocks generates a really jarring juxtaposition of historical and modern / wealthy and impoverished.
We didn't spend long in the casino, but we did lose a few dollars in the slots machines to say we had the experience. It's worth noting that while the casino is in Macau, players must use Hong Kong dollars. It's very, very strange that they don't use the money of the city the casino is in! Some searching online hasn't really yielded an answer as to why this is, though I would imagine it has something to do with the overall stability of the HK dollar verses the Macanese pataca.
Once we'd played our few dollars at the Grand Lisboa, we struck out on the trek back to the ferry terminal to return to Hong Kong. Knowing the streets from our morning journey, and with the aim of getting to the ferry rather than exploring, the walk back wasn't too bad. And we lucked out by grabbing tickets on a ferry leaving just a few minutes later.
Macau was an amazingly unique place, and I am glad we took the time to explore it. That being said, I probably won't be rushing back any time soon. It's probably best for people who like casinos, though if someone is visiting HK for four or five days, it's worth popping over to explore the interesting fusions found in the city, the result of Portuguese colonisation and economy which is firmly grounded in hospitality.
The trip back to Hong Kong was uneventful, and when we got off the ferry we headed to the International Financial Centre mall to go to a very highly rated restaurant, Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop. While we had to wait for about 45 minutes, the wait was worth it as the pork buns (which we are both massive fans of and tried everywhere we went) were so amazing that we ended up placing a second order before leaving! Rather than just a regular steamed barbeque pork bun, the restaurant added a touch of honey, taking them to the next level.
After a busy day of running around, on the heels of a night of little sleep, we headed back to the hotel, stopping by a new underground bar near our hotel called Ping Pong 129 Ginteria. The bar wouldn't have been out of place in Sydney or Atlanta, with a distinct western vibe about it and a focus on (not surprisingly) gin cocktails. The experience—the place was pretty much exclusively filled with westerners—underscored just how stark a divide there is in Hong Kong between east and west. The $40 cocktails stood in direct contrast to the $3 7-Eleven drinks from the night before.
Exhausted, we crashed by 10:00 so that we could fully recharge for our final day in Hong Kong!
On the heels of a late night of street eats, my friend and I were up very early on Saturday to head down to the waterfront to catch a ferry for the hour-long journey over to Macau. But before I delve into the day, here's a very brief rundown on Macau (and Hong Kong) so that you have some context.
For those who aren't well versed in the SARs (Special Administrative Regions) of China (don't worry, I wasn't either), I figured this might shed some light. There are two SARs—Hong Kong and Macau—in China, operating under the basic premise of "one country, two systems"; that is, the economies are capitalist, even though they are part of communist China. Macau was originally founded as a colonial outpost on an island in the South China Sea, just off the coast of mainland China, in the early 1500s by the Portuguese. Note that Hong Kong didn't come under British control until the mid-1840s, following the First Opium War... I digress. The city-state type island enclaves, separated by about 65 kilometres (40 miles), remained under European control until the late 1990s, when Britain and Portugal ceded the lands back to China. Macau is very tiny, comprising just 31 square kilometres (less than 12 square miles) and has a population of under 700,000. Hong Kong is over 1,100 square kilometres (some 426 square miles) and has a population pushing 7 million. As you probably know, Hong Kong is a major commercial and financial city, whereas Macau is really known for its casinos. Now back to my day in Macau...
We decided to go check out Macau as multiple people had said that the city was worth a day of the three we had in Hong Kong. While neither of us are gamblers, the fusion of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, manifesting in amazing food and interesting architecture, was a definite draw.
The ferry terminal was packed with people—it seems lots of people make the journey to go gamble for the day or weekend—but we were able to get tickets for the next departure, boarding around 8:30am. We were assigned a pair of seats by the window, and the ride was enjoyable as we got to watch the mainland and ships moving about the busy waters of the South China Sea. Otherwise, the trip was rather uneventful, and by 10:00 we were docking in Macau.
 |
| Heading out of Hong Kong Harbour. |
 |
| A boat making its way along the rocky coast of mainland China. |
After going through border control, we walked out to the street to begin exploring. I must say that our first impression of Macau was not all that stellar, as there aren't really any easy walkways from the area where the ferry terminal is into the city. It seems pretty much everyone boards one of the free casino shuttles and heads off, around a giant hill/mountain, and into the city. Of course, not being "everyone" we began our trek on foot, passing by a gaudy casino which offered a hint of just what makes Macau tick.
 |
| The Legend Palace Casino, the first casino we passed walking from the ferry. |
Like the day before, I had made a map of things to do and eat on my phone, though unlike the day before I didn't have internet access, so it made the process a bit more laboured. Despite a few guessing games, we finally figured out a way down the main road in the area.
 |
| A round-about on the main road leading from the ferry terminal to the casinos. |
Once we got our bearings, we were able to follow signs to a lift that rose dozens of storeys above the roadway and provided access to the 108-metre-high (350 feet) Monte da Guia (the aforementioned hill/mountain). After wandering around the lower parts of the park that sit midway up the hill, we climbed higher toward the top, making our way into the complex of Guia Fortress, dating back to the 1800s (with a church dating to 1622).
 |
| The chapel and lighthouse at Guia Fortress. |
At the fortress, we got to explore some military tunnels, take in spectacular views of the city, and even wander into the church which has been largely preserved. The collision of old and new, western and eastern, casino excesses and favela-type slums, visible from the top really highlight the amazing dichotomies of Macau.
 |
| The view from atop Guia Fortress, from casino high-rises to slums. |
Once we had taken in the views, we headed down from Monte da Guia via Estrada dos Parses, en route to the old Clube Militar de Macau, where we had made a booking for lunch. The road, not made for walking, took us past an old cemetery and a range of old buildings in various states of disrepair. We arrived at lunch well before our booking, but thankfully were able to get a table early as we were quite hungry from the journey. Housed inside the old military officers club dating to 1870, the restaurant is known for its buffet of Portuguese foods. We enjoyed trying different things and ate our fill before heading out to explore as much of the island as we could in a few hours.
We walked along the main avenue of the city, south along the waterfront, and then along the Avenida da Republica, passing old homes and the Macau Government House, on our way to the large A-Ma Temple complex, dating back to 1488. We explore the grounds for a while, before turning to head north into the heart of the old city on Rua da Barra. The road brought us past the Moorish Barracks and to Mandarin's House, which we enjoyed exploring for about half an hour before continuing north past a few churches, an old theatre, and finally to Senado Square—which turned out to be the tourist heart of Macau and absolutely mobbed with people.
From Senado Square we popped into some more churches, Lou Kau Mansion, and finally wended our way to Macau's most famous historic site, the ruins of St. Paul's. The ruins, comprising mainly the front facade of a church dating to 1640, were quite a sight to take in (as evidenced by the sea of humanity cascading down the steps leading up to the ruins). Once we wandered around the ruins and down to the old crypt, we continued our ascent (seeing a theme for the day?) to Monte do Forte—probably not all that surprisingly a mount where a 17th century fortress stands. Once again, we were treated to really spectacular views.
While there were still things to the north, we were pretty wiped from the day—and likely the late night before—and we felt we had seen enough churches and temples to give us a flavour of Macau. With a long trek back to the ferry, we decided to call it a day and headed in that direction. But while on the way, decided we couldn't say we had been to Macau unless we stopped into its grandest, gaudiest, largest casino for a few goes at the slot machines.
From the fortress we descended to the street and began our walk toward the Grand Lisboa, an omnipresent feature throughout our wandering as it stands out like a giant gold palm tree above the city. Constructed just a decade ago, the over-the-top building seems like to could date from the 1970s, with its gaudy gold glass and ridiculous shape. Its presence, looming large over centuries-old colonial architecture and utilitarian concrete housing blocks generates a really jarring juxtaposition of historical and modern / wealthy and impoverished.
We didn't spend long in the casino, but we did lose a few dollars in the slots machines to say we had the experience. It's worth noting that while the casino is in Macau, players must use Hong Kong dollars. It's very, very strange that they don't use the money of the city the casino is in! Some searching online hasn't really yielded an answer as to why this is, though I would imagine it has something to do with the overall stability of the HK dollar verses the Macanese pataca.
Once we'd played our few dollars at the Grand Lisboa, we struck out on the trek back to the ferry terminal to return to Hong Kong. Knowing the streets from our morning journey, and with the aim of getting to the ferry rather than exploring, the walk back wasn't too bad. And we lucked out by grabbing tickets on a ferry leaving just a few minutes later.
 |
| The view from the ferry as we boarded. |
Macau was an amazingly unique place, and I am glad we took the time to explore it. That being said, I probably won't be rushing back any time soon. It's probably best for people who like casinos, though if someone is visiting HK for four or five days, it's worth popping over to explore the interesting fusions found in the city, the result of Portuguese colonisation and economy which is firmly grounded in hospitality.
 |
| Standing at the sunken gates of Parsee Cemetery, a Zoroastrian burial ground dating to 1822, and the Grand Lisboa, looming large over Macau's streets. |
The trip back to Hong Kong was uneventful, and when we got off the ferry we headed to the International Financial Centre mall to go to a very highly rated restaurant, Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop. While we had to wait for about 45 minutes, the wait was worth it as the pork buns (which we are both massive fans of and tried everywhere we went) were so amazing that we ended up placing a second order before leaving! Rather than just a regular steamed barbeque pork bun, the restaurant added a touch of honey, taking them to the next level.
After a busy day of running around, on the heels of a night of little sleep, we headed back to the hotel, stopping by a new underground bar near our hotel called Ping Pong 129 Ginteria. The bar wouldn't have been out of place in Sydney or Atlanta, with a distinct western vibe about it and a focus on (not surprisingly) gin cocktails. The experience—the place was pretty much exclusively filled with westerners—underscored just how stark a divide there is in Hong Kong between east and west. The $40 cocktails stood in direct contrast to the $3 7-Eleven drinks from the night before.
Exhausted, we crashed by 10:00 so that we could fully recharge for our final day in Hong Kong!
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