October 30th, 2006

Macau, SAR China

Macau Photo Gallery

Day-Trip to Macau

As I have mentioned before, the Hong Kong transportation system is tremendously efficient. This proved useful as I headed out with another exchange student (Sheryl, from Singapore) to the island of Macau. The SAR of Macau is best known for its booming casinos, which few people realize are threatening to overtake Las Vegas as the world's top earner, and the Portuguese culture that is still prevalent in much of the old city.

I must admit I did not know much about Macau before I arrived, so I will give a quick background… The island was inhabited by the Portuguese more as a trading outpost than a trading colony for the growing market with Asia in the 1500s. Despite its small size, it was the anchor of Portugal’s dominance in the lucrative trade between China and Japan (neither of whom could leave their respective countries for trade.) During Macau's growth, Christianity developed just as quickly as trade, and the remnants of Catholicism are still visible today.

By 1999, over 400 years of Portuguese rule came to an end with the hand-over to China – much like Hong Kong, the “One country, two systems” policy is in effect for the next 50 years. There was a surge of gang-related violence in the build-up to the handover as vying Triad gangs fought to control the territory – over 40 people were gunned down, along with car-bombings and numerous assassinations. Today, the city has calmed down substantially as half of the GDP flows from tourist dollars.

Back to my trip to Macau, we rode a public mini-bus and two lines of the metro before arriving at the launching dock for the high-speed boat that would take us to Macau for the day. In fact, we never even had to leave the MTR station to board the boat – I love Hong Kong’s efficiency.

In under an hour we traveled over 40 miles to the island. The turbo jet powered boat was more like an airplane on the inside with comfortable seats and flight attendants looking after the passengers.

Upon arriving at the island, we began a walk through the old district before stopping for lunch at a traditional Macanese restaurant. I enjoyed my calamari and black olives, fresh bread (it has been a while since I have had this in China), and a terrifically prepared cod. As is typical with Portuguese preparation, the food was drenched in olive oil.

After lunch we continued walking through the old temples that dot the waterfront (built as protection for sailors) before climbing the main hill on the island for an aerial view of the city. Along the way, we passed many designated peeing areas for pets - a picture I felt I had to share.

The walk up the winding road took us through some of the oldest buildings on the island, and they looked like they came straight out of the Portuguese landscape - pink pastels, breezy verandas, and greenery filling in all of the gaps about sums it up. In a way, I almost felt like I was walking through one of Miami's many art deco neighborhoods.

We next made our way into the “dilapidated” portion of Macau that has not been touched by the growth of tourism. I think Sheryl was disappointed at first because this was definitely off the beaten path, but I have no taste for the touristy districts.

It turned out to be for the best as we strolled down narrow alleys with over hanging vines, children playing football in the streets, and adults laughing the afternoon away at the their shops. We also came across a meat market, and I was able to hold a fairly good conversation with the butchers. Personally, I think my Chinese is so limited that the locals probably talk to me out of pity! I walked out of the butchery with smatterings of blood on me as they were not shy about ripping out the intestines or hacking off heads while we chatted.

For the remainder of the afternoon I forced myself into the “touristy” districts because Sheryl wanted to take pictures of all the sights one is “supposed” to visit. It is absolute nonsense because she had no interest in even seeing the places, it was simply so she could say she has been when people ask. Nonetheless, I had fun teasing her and am glad I saw the attractions.

The rest of the day went on like this as we continued walking the city (it is even smaller than Hong Kong). The only events worth mentioned are enjoying Portuguese egg tarts, and eating dinner at a hole in the wall restaurant frequented by an endless stream of locals. In truth, I enjoyed this restaurant far more than the more upscale restaurant at lunch because the atmosphere was much friendlier and open. The Chinese have no qualms about spitting bones on the table, burping when the need arises, and laughing as loudly as they like. It is all in good fun, and is a terrific way to enjoy one’s self.

We returned on the high speed boat just after 11pm, and after clearing customs we rode the final metro back to UST campus. The day could not have gone any smoother, and despite the small size of Macau, it has so much to offer that I cannot wait to return in the future.