We had 36 hours until our flight to Sydney from Hong Kong and were staying with our friend Tai Lee. Having roamed Hong Kong zillions of times, Tai suggested that we visit Macau. “It will be fun”, he assured us. I readily agreed, since Macau is only an Hours’ drive from Hong Kong, and because it would give me a chance to drive Tai’s Jaguar on Kong Kong’s amazing motorways!
Macau was a Portuguese territory before its hand over to China in 1999. Macau’s modern landmass comprises a tiny peninsula linked by a web of causeways to the islands of Taipa and Coloane. The whole area covers just 18sq Km, yet is home to an overwhelming 483, 000 people, most of who live on the crowded Macau peninsula. If Hong Kong is the Goliath of the Pearl River Estuary, Macau is very much the David, both in terns of size and economic might.
Since we were there in January, we had missed the Macau Grand Prix, and a chance to see Michael Schumacher! Sigh! Tai kept gloating on how he managed to have his snaps taken with Schumi. We were lucky that he did not have the photos with him! If you are a GP fan, try to visit Macau in mid-November. Macau’s main attraction, and notoriety, is Gambling. There are n number of casinos, drawing millions of gambling fanatics from Hong Kong and the nearby Chinese cities of Zhuhai and Guangzhou. One of the reasons for this is Macau’s very liberal gambling laws.
Tai’s relatives, who are Macanese (Chinese Portuguese), told us that they were sad to see the colossal growth of the casino industry, arguing that the gambling fuelled development is threatening to destroy Macau’s quaint European charm. Macau’s European colonial history predates Hong Kong by three centuries! The buildings are very historic, and very beautiful. The Churches specially are quite breathtaking and parts of Macau remind you of Goa, though I personally feel Goa is much more beautiful, and has awesome churches. The burnt out St. Paul’s church is a breathtaking sight. There is so much history at this place; this church was built in 1662, and was the place where the Christian missionaries spread Christianity through China.
On every street corner, are restaurants offering Chinese or Portuguese cuisine or the Macanese blend! The noodles in this part of the world are delicious, though I thought the seafood was not all that great. Nobody, I repeat nobody, does seafood better than Singapore. The best dish to try at the street cafes is the ’Feijoadas’, a stew made of beans, pork or chicken, potatoes, cabbage and very spicy sausages! As the Portuguese ruled over both Goa and Macau, it is no surprise that Macau cuisine has heaps of Goan food influences. You get the famous Goan style fish, and I dare you to differentiate between the one in Goa and one here in Macau. There are 2 Indian Restaurants here, but I would suggest you avoid them, unless you really crave Indian food after a while.
The Leal Senado is the main “hangout” of Macau. It is lined with shops and cafes and is surrounded by 3 gardens. At the centre is a huge fountain. This is a no traffic zone, and in the mornings and evenings this place is crowded with people meeting friends and walking in the gardens. The Leal Senado reminds of a typical European setting and is a proof of the Portuguese heritage of Macau; for those of you who have seen such squares in Italy and France, would know what I am talking about.
Another interesting place is the Temple of Kun Iam. It is a visually stunning Buddhist temple built in 1627 is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. It was at this temple, where the very first treaty between the United States and China for trade and friendship was signed here. (In 1844, I think)
There are some exquisite gardens, museums, and some very interesting nightclubs! To enter the “Golden Dragon” nightclub, for instance, you have to be wearing a Golden piece of cloth! Any thing will do, as long as it has the golden hue. Tai’s cousins had golden wigs, and we all trooped in wearing them! As we were going home after visiting couple of nightclubs, I heard “Tutak Tutak Tutian” blaring.
I and Manik, another “Curry Muncher” (as Indians are affectionately called) looked at each other incredulously! PUNJABI?? Here!! We were sure that it was the result of too much Vodka, but there was no mistaking Malkit Singh’s voice. As we charged in the “Cherry Blossom”, we were stunned to see the DJ. We were staring at a full-blown Sardarji, in all his turban glory!! As soon as we introduced ourselves, he let out a loud “Chak de phatte” and embraced us like long lost brothers! Sarabjit Singh is a resident of Hong Kong and DJ’s at CB!! Well, needless to say, we had a gala time. Free booze and free food! He told us that Chinese love Punjabi songs, and the proof was there for us to see.
We went to the famous Skywalk the next day. It’s a harrowing, 216 meters walk, on the Observation Lounge of the Macau Tower. The lounge is 223 meters high, has a glass floor, and as you look down, you see tiny ants in place of humans. Definitely not the place for those with vertigo. We were all wondering whether the glass would break or not! The Skywalk consists of stepping out of the Observation Lounge, gripping a handrail, and walking on a small strip of wire!! As you step out of the deck, it is like being suspended in air, right above the ant-like people milling about below. I swear, walking those 216 meters made me remember all the Gods, Indian and Chinese, and invent some new ones. To this day, I have not been able to forgive Tai, who assured us, “it’s very very easy, nothing to it. It only looks scary!!”
Eccentricities abound in Macau. Take, for instance, the odd habit of “bird walking”, a practice enjoyed by many older Chinese men. It consists of walking parrots and other ordinary birds, where the birds are tied on a leash, and walked as dogs are. Weird. The bird walkers gather in the beautiful gardens, and “chew the fat”, while their bird’s sing (sounded like screeches to me!). Tai Chi is regularly practiced in all the gardens, and children form choir groups and sing. I do not know what they sing, or why they sing every day, but they sing beautifully, and are soo cute!!
If Macau’s birds enjoy the good life, the dogs are revered like gods-at least that’s what it seems at first sight. Pooches have their own public toilets!! I kid you not; there are dog-toilets at almost every other street corner.
All in all, Macau is definitely worth a visit. There is not much to do in Macau, except gamble, but, still, it is an interesting place. Next time you are visiting Hong Kong, make it a point to see Macau. Its only 60 km away, and a must see place, if not for gambling, then for seeing the bird walking!