Macau (a one-day walk-around)
Trip Start
Dec 14, 2005
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2
Trip End
Dec 16, 2005
Macau, Macau
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
'Don't bother going to Macau unless you are going to gamble' ------ Bullshit!
Macau has so much to see. A really interesting mix of Cantonese and Portuguese architecture and language that cannot be seen anywhere else. The old style Portuguese stone buildings with with red and gold chinese lanterns in small alleyways with steaming Chinese food stalls with large decorated christmas trees in the streets (in December of course) makes this place a real unique mix of East and West. A good taste of Europe for someone who has never been there.
Walk the streets I suggest. Get onto a bus from the ferry terminal (coming from Hong Kong or Guangzhou) and take a bus - any number) they'll take you away from the glitzy casinos and into the central area. I suggest get off the bus in any place that looks interesting. And walk around and you're bound to come across small churches and chinese style architecture mixed in with ruins of old Portuguese buildings.
This city is small and very compact, which makes walking a cheap and fun alternative to taxis etc. It seems like its loaded with children wearing blue uniforms running around and giggling - in a way, quite weird, bus also, quite cute... The whole place is like a boarding house!
There is a lot of cheap and good enough accommodation (although in winter, check that the hot water works properly and doesnt just trickle and make you colder) street side cup noodles are yummy and cheap enough and walking the streets doesnt cost anything. It also has a number of small shopping streets, but offers all that you need at good prices. Two days would be ample to see everything, but three or four nights would be good to relax and enjoy the happy atmosphere and won't blow the budget.
