Macau is another Special Administrative Region in China which grants quite high degree of autonomy in all matters except defence and foreign affairs as travel guide writes. It is about 1h boat ride from Hong Kong across the bay. Going there from Hong Kong is like going to Helsinki from Tallinn. You just go the chosen port (there are couple of them that have ferry transport to Macau), buy a ticket, go through the customs (basically cross the border to leave Hong Kong and enter Macau) and board the ferry. Very simple and convenient.
Official languages are Cantonese and Portugese, so all the street signs are written in both. Portugese traders had settled here already on 16th century. Macau itself is a peninsula off of mainland China and there are 482 000 people. I'm not able to read out the size of the peninsula, but it can't be very big as I walked from the port to the other side of the peninsula in about an hour and 15 minutes or so - so it could be max 6km by 10km perhaps (I walked the shorter side).
Closer to the port so south side of the peninsula is full of casinos - it is the Vegas of Asia as they say. Center or the old town is just like a Mediterranean city. Quite an interesting mix I'd say - there is Las Vegas and 20 minutes later you find old Spanish style houses, catholic churches, narrow and wonderful streets covered with colorful tiny tiles :D Everything is possible on this side of the globe I say :)
I visited couple of churches and Cathedral of Macau, climbed the ruins of St. Paul church, claimed to Fort Monte and took a cable car to the highest point on the peninsula called Guia which was a fort and it also had a light house. I have noticed that cable cars are very popular here and I'm starting to like those little moving cabinets hanging on the ropes :)
I also walked on the very same road where Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place in November! I believe that this November I'll be watching some Formula 1 racing :D
And the traffic is backwards here as well, just like in Hong Kong.
All in all Macau was great. At the fort of Guia I met one elderly couple who were so friendly and took a picture of me. It is always nice to talk with other travellers just to see where they come from and what they are up to :) Well this couple had moved to Thailand 2 years ago, the guy was on pension and he was born in Germany, but had lived in US for more than 30 years. He's partner was born in Thailand and had been in US for 27 years. They sold all their belongings in US, bought some land in Thailand and moved there :) Whatta nice change :D
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