Macau

A blur of bloody bull-fights and bumpy rides on the hydrofoil at sea and on pedicabs at night through the cobbled streets - that was all I remembered of a visit I made with my parents to Macau in the early sixties.  This day trip in March 2014 was an eye-opener.

Overall I was impressed with the clean streets and historical buildings - the over 400 years of Portuguese colonization had definitely left its mark!  A Portuguese friend of mine who visited also remarked that it reminded her of Portugal.  The decorated pavement stones were an obvious legacy. Its charm is also in that curious mix of Chinese and Portuguese heritage as you can see from some of the photos below.  Historic sites were clearly marked and easily located.  We visited on foot, stayed away from the casinos and really enjoyed a stress-free day touring this remarkable former colony of Portugal, a short boat ride from Hong Kong.  Obviously there are a lot more to see than what we could cover in a short day.

Lisbon?  No, Senado Square in front of the former Legislative Assembly building - almost impossible to get a photo of the place without people in it.

A lovely surprise!  This beautiful library, said to be a replica of the celebrated library at the convent in Mafra, Portugal, was found on the second floor of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau building.  It was the Macau Public Library but now mainly used by researchers.

Dom Pedro V Theatre from 1860

Mandarin's House from the 19th century

Mix of Chinese and western aesthetics 

Beautiful wood work 

Some of the older buildings still around - above, a bank and across the street, a pawn shop.

Street in the old quarter

Pedicabs were still around for tourists

Flamboyant Grand Lisboa Casino - almost surreal in the cityscape...

A canon shot away from the citadel built in 1616

Facade of the St. Paul's Cathedral ruins - almost a pilgrimage...

Hydrofoil to Macau

The impressive Macau Science Centre (which we didn't visit)

A beautiful Kwun Yam statue in the harbour - protector of the sea-farer

Portuguese pavements everywhere still

The historic Ah Ma temple - from before the establishment of the colony in the early 16th century

Consulting their fortune...

And our day would not have been complete without all the food nostalgia that we experienced.  See Foodsparks for a post on this delicious topic...

Hong Kong Day trip - Lamma Island

Lamma Island was one of my dad's favourite haunts and one that I remember well from childhood for its pleasant hikes and seafood.  It's a quick half hour ride on the ferry, which leaves every 20 - 30 minutes from Central on Hong Kong Island to Yong Shue Wan on the west side of Lamma island.  It's like a commuter ferry because some people live on Lamma Island and work on Hong Kong island - a rather idyllic arrangement.  The ferry also goes to Sok Kwu Wan on the east side of the island but only hourly.  A good way to see the island is to land on one side and hike to the other side where you can take the ferry back. There are seafood restaurants at either end, good for lunch or dinner!

We landed at Yong Shue Wan, checked out the prices at the seafood stalls to get an idea of what we should be paying when we get to Sok Kwu Wan, since it's too early for lunch.   After strolling through the busy centre, we came to a nice beach with change rooms and nice shade - that would be something to consider for the next trip.  There was a roadside stall selling tofu dessert (reputedly the best ever!) and we stopped to try it out, assured by the lineup - it was indeed excellent.  After that, it was an easy hike up the side of the island then across the narrow "neck" to the other side.

On the way we came across two temples to the Heavenly Goddess of the Sea, one at either end of the trail, saw a variety of village houses, some modest villas, small farms and even a historic cave from the Second World War.  We were definitely hungry by the time we got to Sok Kwu Wan a couple of hours later.  We found a restaurant with what seemed like reasonable prices and friendly service and settled down for a nice seafood lunch.  It was a great way to spend a day for some fresh air and much needed break from the bustling city.  There are many islands in Hong Kong that are great for day trips.  Check out the Tourism Board.

Ferry terminal to the islands

Trail map of the island on the pier

Lamma Island waterfront

Lined with seafood restaurants where you get the seafood from the tank.  Not everything here is local.  The bright yellow sign says "wild South African abalone"!

Nice beach 

Tofu stand that has been around a long time

Village gardens

Looking back at Yung Shue Wan from the trail

Old "Tin Hau Temple" at Yong Shue Wan, dedicated to the Heavenly Goddess of the Sea.

Gigantic Kumquats!

Looking down from the trail on Sok Kwu Wan with its many fish farms 

Grotto from World War II where the Japanese hid some of their boats for a suicide attack on the allies but the war ended before this happened.

Small banana farm

Scenic rest stops on the way

The "Tin Hau" Temple at Sok Kwu Wan

Seafood lunch at destination!

Hong Kong Park - a green oasis amidst the skyscrapers

Visiting Hong Kong Park was an afterthought for us - the lineups for the Peak Tram were too long and the Park was just a short walk from the tram station, so we detoured and discovered a lush green space in the midst of the concrete jungle.  The Park, completed in 1991 on the grounds of the former Victoria Barracks, was a beautiful blending of modern design with the natural landscape.

The part I enjoyed most was the aviary with its 600 birds, some 80 species, freely flying through.  It was a bird paradise, and a photographer's!  There were more birds than people so the birds were very cocky, hanging out on the bridges, gawking at the humans.  It was quite hilarious.

There were a lot of steps to climb as it was built on a hill

The Aviary from above

Inside the aviary

"What's up, man?!"

 

Abundance of riches - kiwi, mango and papaya for breakfast!  'Tis the life!

Bali Starlings owned the place - see how unperturbed this one was - I couldn't have been more than a few feet away with my camera in its face

Lots of photo ops

Beautifully landscaped grounds led us to the green house 

Verdant tropical plants inside the green house

The large koi pond with its acrobatic turtles provided endless entertainment for all ages

I was more than a little disappointed that the main floor of the Museum of Tea Ware in Falstaff House was closed for renovations.  I had been looking forward to seeing its collection of historic tea ware.  Of some consolation was an exquisite exhibit of seal carvings in the K.S. Lo Gallery above the tea shop, these seals and accompanying ceramics were from across the centuries as far back as the Song Dynasty.  It was quite an interesting exhibit.

K.S. Lo Gallery with an exquisite exhibit of carved seals

My favourite: seal with a lotus