Day 1 – Today, we chose to take a turbo jet boat ride to Macau, which is known for its 42 casinos. The Chinese are obsessed with gambling. Macau is an autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. It was a Portuguese territory until 1999 and even has its own money. Language spoken here is Portuguese and Cantonese; NOT Mandarin.
Before we board the jet boat we must fill out forms to pass through customs to exit China. Then we must pass through customs to be allowed to enter Macau (take off hats and glasses). When time comes to head back to our ship, we again fill out forms to pass through customs to exit Macau and one last time go through customs to re-enter China. This was a 2-hour process on each end.
Finally, we board the jet boat for an hour ride to Macau. We literally float above the water and finally reach our destination and find a delightful city. We visit A-Ma Temple, erected by fisherman to honor its namesake goddess. We then stopped at the ruins of what was once St Paul’s Cathedral which was destroyed by fire. After descending many steps we are rewarded with a shopping market where you could spend all day and all your money. The excursion includes lunch in the Macau Tower which is 730 feet high and has 360 degree views. The revolving restaurant can be a challenge if you don’t notice the number of the table you’re sitting at. Many of us spent way too much time trying to figure out what happened to our table when we returned with plates of food to where we thought our table should be. After lunch, we head to the Sands Casino (yes, just like Las Vegas) only with much more security. You enter through one door and exit through another; don’t try doing it any other way. Yes, there’s only one door. We also crossed the road and explored the Babylon Casino which was really classy; probably more of what we expected to see. They also have an MGM with the lions out front and a Wynn Casino.
It was time to board the jet boat back to Hong Kong. We could have actually spent another 5-6 hours exploring and less time in lines to clear customs. We are so lucky to live in the USA!
Day 2 – Today our excursion takes us to Victoria Peak which is where the very wealthy live. Elevation is 1800 feet at the summit and getting there on a bus is a hair-raising experience. The roads are very narrow and curvy; there are areas where one bus must stop to let another bus go by in the opposite direction, buses clear by inches. Terrific views; so the bus ride was worth it to most of us. When finished with photo op, we took a tram ride straight down to our bus to avoid the curvy road; however, then we all prayed that the tram brakes would hold.
Next, we took a ride on a traditional sampan boat for a cruise through the harbor’s floating village. Fishermen used to live on their boats called junks in the floating village. So much has been dumped into the water, many fishermen have moved on to other areas.
Our last stop was Stanley Market; again lots and lots to see and buy. The men really hate when the guides say we’re stopping at a Market and the women cheer.
