Hong Kong: Macau

This morning, David and I took a 1 hour 10 minute ferry ride to the island of Macau. We had to show our passport at the port. Macau was governed by the Portuguese for 400 years before being transferred to Chinese control in 1999.

It rained all day. We bought umbrellas from a sidewalk vendor:

The Portuguese installed these cobbled streets:

We sampled almond cookies at this store:

St. Paul’s Catholic Church was built in the 1500s, burned down and was rebuilt twice in the 1600s, and then burned down again in 1835. It was never rebuilt. Only the facade remains:

The church has a crypt, containing human bones in the stack of drawers on the right:

This is Zhu Hai, a border town in mainland China. Most of the people who gamble in Macau come from mainland China through this port:

Since I was born in the year of the Dog, I came here to buy a dog pendant, made of 18K yellow gold and diamonds:

We then had lunch at Amigo, a Portuguese restaurant located in a rich part of town:

Buffet lunch:

David’s plate (followed by salad and dessert):

My plate:

Oldest Chinese Buddhist temple in Macau, built before the arrival of the Portuguese:

Factory Outlet. David could not fit into Chinese polo shirts. Chinese 2X is smaller than American 2X size:

GRAND LISBOA HOTEL AND CASINO. Built in 2008, it boasts 53 floors with 4 floors devoted to the casino. I was allowed to take pictures in the lobby, but not in the casino:

A bridge linking Hong Kong with Lantau, Macau, and Zhu Hai (mainland China) is due to be opened in 2015. Right now, the only way to reach these places is by boat or airplane. When the bridge is finished, it will be a milestone in freedom of movement and communication.