Macau

It was rather misty in Macau when we landed. Yet, the weather was pleasantly mild.

From the airport, we took a free shuttle to a hotel nearest to ours. Then we dragged our baggage across the road to our hotel.

We put up at Hotel Sintra for the 2 nights we were at Macau. It was a pleasant hotel, just a few blocks away from Senado Square, the heart of Macau. To get to Senado Square, turn left at the hotel entrance, walk to the junction, make another left turn, and walk a few blocks till you see the square at the opposite side of the road.

The Square is easy to identify because of the wave patterns on the floor. Plus, there are lots of people there - locals and tourists alike.

Senado Square is a hype of activity

From Senado Square, Macau's attractions are within walking distance.

Road signs leading visitors to various attractions along the square

The buildings here boast of both Chinese and Western architectural influences. Most notable for me would be the St. Dominic's church at the centre of the square, and also the ruins of St. Paul.

St. Dominic's church

Many shops line the pathway to the ruins of St. Paul's, selling local specialties. It was a short walk before you can see Macau's most famous landmark, the facade of the former St. Paul's Cathedral, standing majestically at the top of a small hill.

The ruins of St. Paul's

We spent quite a bit of time shopping around the square. Cosmetics and perfumes are particularly cheap, so we bought bottles of perfume, skincare and cosmetic items. We also bought some local delicacies, like barbecued meats and almond biscuits. Most of the shops offer free sampling. So we could eat our fill before deciding on which to buy!

So many different varieties of barbecued meats on sale

Almond biscuit box

Almond biscuits

It was funny, because as we walked around the Square, we saw lots of people carrying plastic bags identical to ours, all filled with the local specialties. Besides the specialty stores, many major apparel retailers set up outlets here. Giordano, Bossini, Baleno, Hang Ten, Esprit. The list goes on and on.

One of the places that we went to was the Hard Rock Hotel in Macau. I was particularly enthralled by the showcase at the lobby which held the paraphernalia of various pop and rock artistes such as Mariah Carey and Madonna.

At Hard Rock Hotel, Macau

One of the showcases held Michael Jackson's shoes, glove and guitar.

Michael Jackson's performing gear

Macau is home to many casinos, all with every elaborate lightings and gilded decor. It evokes a sense of opulence. But sometimes, I feel that the casinos are over-decorated, making them seem garish instead.

One of the casino resort to visit is the Venetian Macao.

View of Venetian Macao from
The City Of Dreams, another shopper and gambler's paradise

As I stepped into the main lobby, the sight just took my breath away.

The ceiling dome at the main lobby of The Venetian Macao

Just look at the ceiling!

The decor here is lavish! We walked around the casino, and admired a curved golden escalator inside the casino. We attempted to take some photographs but were stopped by a mean-looking security officer. Lol.

I found it a novelty to stroll around the Grand Canal Shoppes, a Venetian-themed upscale mall. There was a man-made canal in the shopping mall, and cobbled stone walkways lined the corridors. The fake blue sky painted onto the ceiling was equally as intriguing. It felt like I was outdoors though I was indoors.

Early on our third morning, we checked out and proceeded to the Macau Ferry Terminal, where we caught a TurboJet ferry to Hong Kong. The fare was HKD142, and the journey took an hour. It is really very convenient to travel this way as there is a TurboJet ferry departing for Hong Kong every fifteen minutes.

The ferry that we took

The interior of the ferry was much like that of an aeroplane's. Quite comfortable, really.

We sat on the upper deck

The journey was quite smooth, and before long, we were docked at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal at Sheung Wan in Hong Kong.