Macau - where Europe meets Asia

The Cobbles of Macau

Macau lies sixty kilometres to the west of Hong Kong and is also a SAR (Special Administrative Region) like its near neighbour. It was the first part of Asia to be colonised and was also the last region to be handed back when the Chinese resumed sovereignty in 1999. The Portuguese arrived in 1557 and rented Macau as a trading post between East Asia and Europe. Trading soon began to decline and Macau became a back water and when the British colonised Hong Kong Macau was all but wiped off the map. In the 1900's immigrants fleeing the ravages of war in Japan and communist control in China gradually arrived and modest economic growth was briefly re-started. However the rise and rise of Hong Kong as a world financial centre failed to attract adequate foreign investment and by the 1970's Macau had become a problem to Portugal and they tried unsuccessfully to hand it back to China. However by 1999 an agreement was reached and finally control was back with Beijing and Central Office. Nowadays much of the Portuguese influence remains in the culture, food and architecture, but this small country now survives on its casinos and the day trippers from HK.

My boss has been staying with me this week and we share a sense of fun and enthusiasm for new experiences, so when Billy, a colleague in the office, suggested a trip Macau we quickly accepted. Going with a local guide always helps to find places that little bit quicker and to appreciate the sights and sounds otherwise missed by tramping around solo. There is an almost constant procession of high speed catamarans carrying up to 400 people operating twenty fours a day between Hong Kong and Macau. So with a full day ahead we boarded the 10.30 ferry and one hour later I was crossing my thirty ninth different border control. Passport control was organised but the arriving passengers were impatient to move on and the officials were not exactly keen on delaying them either. The majority of visitors to Macau want to gamble in the many casinos and mini buses lie in wait to transfer them as quickly as possible to the tables of baccarat, blackjack, boule, dai siu, fan tan, pai kao and roulette.

The Grand Lisboa Hotel and Casino

We had no desire to part with our dollars so quickly and we caught a taxi for the short journey to Monte Fort which was built in the early 1600's by Jesuit monks. If necessary the monks could survive a siege for up to two years in Monte Fort, but there was only ever one notable incursion and since 1622 the cannons surrounding the perimeter walls have remained silent. Next to the fort are the ruins of the church of Saint Paul. Christianity is very evident in Macau and this is one of China's most important sites to the influence and history of the Christian religion. Nowadays there are crowds of people crawling over the well preserved ruins and viewing the surviving relics in the crypt.

Billy is very knowledgeable about local food and he appeared with very tasty pie like delicacies baked on the side of what appeared to be an oil drum! The meaty contents were spiced with peppers and piping hot. Why people were queuing for a Big Mac I have no idea when this superior product was so much better. This was followed with custard like tart, also hot and delicious. The narrow streets in old Macau have a very Mediterranean atmosphere although the shops are mainly Chinese. Noticeably the road signs are predominately Portuguese followed by the Chinese translation.

The A-Ma Temple

One of the most important Chinese temples in Macau is the A-Ma temple. There has been a temple on this site since before the Portuguese arrived and being close to the harbour it is very important to the fishermen who make offerings before they leave for the sea and returning to give thanks for a safe trip. A short walk away, but up a steep hill lies Penna Hill where, on much clearer day than we had, there is a fine view overlooking Macau town and the Pearl River into China. A Catholic church sits on the hill and in the garden leading to the entrance was a man selling souvenirs. His stock was mainly overpriced Chairman Mao and Communist artifacts but his conversation was that since the Macau had returned to Chinese control the tourist business had flopped because now everybody now wanted to go to mainland China, and the Chinese tourists visiting Macau did not want to buy Chinese souvenirs when they probably had draws full of the stuff back home.

At some point during the day we had to visit a casino so we somewhat reluctantly went to the Las Vagas stylised Sands Hotel. The garish gold exterior was highly polished and reflected sparkle dust to lure the punter into a web of optimism that they could leave with more money than they entered with! This of course assumes they run the gauntlet of security where bags have to deposited at entrance, screened by the airport like security scanners and don't mind being watched by hundreds of CCTV cameras and followed by ranks of security staff who seem to latch onto everybody as soon as you enter the gaming room. We watched as people played baccarat which I am told is easy to play, and so in my book easy to lose. I saw $1,000 bills being played and it seemed the banker was having a good day. Other games like Dai Siu were popular. This is a game played by betting on the score of three dice which are thrown in a covered glass box. We lasted twenty minutes and spent nothing therefore leaving with considerably more than everybody else.

Finally we visited a restaurant with a Las Vegas sounding name but was as traditional Macau style as we could find and served excellent food including a local dish called African chicken which is grilled chicken with peppers and spices influenced from Goan (India) and east African recipes. A glass of Portuguese vintage port was a perfect end to a very enjoyable day.

Macau Tower - Next time!