It was an early start to the day, I set the alarm on my phone to wake us up at 7.00 am, but the time had gone back to the Sydney zone and we were up at 5. It was even early for me.
Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China since 20 December 1999, and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of “one country, two systems”. The tiny SAR is growing in size – with more buildings on reclaimed land – and in the number and diversity of its attractions. The greatest of these continues to be Macau’s unique society, with communities from the East and West complementing each other, and the many people who come to visit.
All that remains of the greatest of Macau’s churches is its magnificent stone facade and grand staircase. The church was built in 1602 adjoining the Jesuit College of St. Paul’s, the first Western college in the Far East where missionaries such as Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall studied Chinese before serving at the Ming Court in Beijing as astronomers and mathematicians. The church, made of taipa and wood, was brilliantly decorated and furnished, according to early travelers. The facade of carved stone was built in 1620-27 by Japanese Christian exiles and local craftsmen under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola.
We visited the fort and then ate lunch in a near by park that was full of graffiti.
We spent the next few hours walking the streets while heading down to the MGM Casio which is magnificent. After having a drink there, we caught the bus back to the ferry and slept most of the journey back to Hong Kong.
Back down to Temple street for some dinner and some last minute bargains.