Day III: Arrivo Macau: Part IV

Finally, after years of being fascinated by Macau, Ric and I was now en route there via HK. After spending almost two nights in TST, it was time for me to realize one of my preferred destinations.

The busy sea port at Kowloon for ferries going to Sichuan and Macau. There are a few of them in HK to various sea ports to China.

Finally, a picture of myself in my own blog. A rare sight. This was taken on the super ferry by Ric on the HK side

This was the view from the hotel room. It was located on a rather hilly area with loads of small houses, away from the casino area. Not far from where the hotel was is the St Paul Ruins, which was about a 10 minutes walk.

Some tranquil moments on cobbled alleys and the seemingly Portuguese influence on the architecture which has been a trademark here, which reminds me a lot of Malacca in Malaysia.

Lamp posts align the cobbled lanes in one of the many townhouses/ apartment units at the heart of Macau's main island.

Along the way from the hotel to St Paul's, it was hard not to notice the sights and tranquility that surrounds the city amidst its famous and glamorous casinos that can match Vegas, probably, second to it. Serenity is the nomenclature for the life and people surrounding this sleepy yet vibrant city with mysterious lanes. No wonder people call it the Little Venice of the East

... And not far beyond our brief walk is the majestic yet not so impressive St Paul Ruins. Only the face of the church remains with scattered remains of what seem to be quite a stronghold of the protestants in the past.

The main face of the architecturally sound church after decades of development at the heart of Macau.

....then a walk downwards to the city centre where all vibrancy takes place with tourists and locals jostling for a wee bit of room to manouver through the crowded streets

... And on the other side, the splendour of Macau reflecting on its past influences at its best, the Sino-Portuguese mix of culture and architecture

... and yet again, turn of alleys at every corner of unknown lanes brings you surprising sights and sounds which manages to slow down your pace and keeps you wondering, how did they do it?.... Notice the new Grand Lisboa Casino on the first picture on the left in the backdrop against the familiar old apartment units.

There was so much to cover yet with so little time, I had to really ensure that every smell and sense at the turn of every corner is captured. Thats the essence of travelling. In Macau, it was kinda simple. Intriguing in a way yet sublime at detailed. It was as though the place relived its history at every silent corner of the street.

Seen above are the mysteriously empty spaces located precariously between the thin fine lines of romanticism of the hey days to the splendour yet humble beginnings of the earliest settlement where the beauty of its creation left untouch and untold....

One of the older street names emblazoned in a plaque which can be seen all over Macau.

Soon after, we were back again at the hotel after an amazing mazely adventure through the streets of Macau's historical area. Tired and back breaking walks, we decided to push it further by proceeding to the more famous and latest destination that everyone is flocking to... The Venetian Macau Resort, which is located almost about 20-30 minutes by taxi. It was of course, as amazing as the pictures painted on the internet.

As we entered into the lobby of the Grand Venetian, I was almost charmed by the look alike Roman and Venetian figurines and decors as seen above. Even the hallway was enough to spell the grandeur that this place presents.

Of course, there was its attractions as well and pictured here is the Star Wars characters that appeared out of no where and I thought, hey, I'd be the Jedi for once!

Mimicking almost every corner of Venice, its interior is as good as the real deal itself... with shoplots built similar to the esthetics of the original architecture. Even the Palacio was there, similar to the one in St. Mark's Square

The grand entrance of 'The Venetian Hotels and Resorts' where the Venetian dream comes true. The minimum priced room was at MYR1000/nite... but this of course came with the luxury of its own. Ric and I was probably halfway through reserving one of its room before we found out that we were actually breaking the bank for a one night stay!

Its exterior was as good as its interior of vast football field sizes of casino halls, walkways and shopping complexes. It was huge! The brightly litted entrance was of course, breathless.

Being there was of course unforgettable, so many to take in yet, there was a feeling that it wasnt enough. I wished I had the time to be there the whole night long just to take in every second of its majestic recreation of Venice.

And without further ado, the main building, Palacio and Rialto Bridge, a simple and stunning design to remind us of engineering's greatest mimic of the Venice, brought to Macau, a truly splendid spectacle that will bring more to this place for many many years to come!

Well, it was way past 1am when we reached our hotel again, another late night venture (as for the days before in HK), but we were well satisfied of our trip here. Back to HK for the final night the following day!