Saturday, 10 November 2007
Day 3 MACAU
We slept like babies so no signs of jetlag whatsoever. Today we are visiting Macau. It is very hot and humide here in Hong Kong but gorgeous indeed.
Macau is just 65km west of Hong Kong but predating that territory's colonisation by almost 300 years, Macau was the first European enclave in Asia. Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) since the sovereignity of the territory returned to China in 1999.
It is a fascinating mix of cultures- a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian architecture, food, lifestyles and temepreaments. It is a city of cobbed backstreets, baroque churches, ancient stone fortresses and exotic streen names etched on typical portuguese azulejos. Four and a half centuries of Portuguese Christian rule left its mark and it consists of a single diocese, directly responsible to Rome. Other than that for the vast majority, more than 90% of Macau Chinese people. Taoism and Buddhism are the dominant religions.
From Hong Kong to Macau there is a high speed ferry which only takes 1 hour and it is very popular due to the huge number of casinos there. I have never been in Las Vegas but at least was the closest I have ever been to a similar place so getting there on a Saturday was like being on Harrod's last day of sales. We had a laugh running from the ferry to be the first ones in the queue for passports only to be overcome by a couple of old chinese. Looking behind was scary with hundreds of people trying to get there at the same time.
We used a peculiar transport to get us into town...
We visited the ruins of St Paul (see picture below) of which only the facade remains of this Jesuit church built in the early 17th century. Some consider it the greatest monument to Christianity in Asia.
The Church of St Dominic in Largo do Senado is a fine example of ecclesiastical baroque architecture replacement of a chapel built by the Dominicans in the 1590s. Macau cathedral is not particularly attractive and it replaces the original one badly damaged in a typhoon.
The A-Ma Temple, the most stunning one we have seen in the trip is dedicated to the goddess A-Ma.The original temple was probably standing when the Portuguese arrived although the present one may only date back to the 17th century.
From there we walked towards the Moorish Barracks only to discover an stunning hotel, Posada Sao Tiago so we took a break there to enjoy it.
Macau is just 65km west of Hong Kong but predating that territory's colonisation by almost 300 years, Macau was the first European enclave in Asia. Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) since the sovereignity of the territory returned to China in 1999.
It is a fascinating mix of cultures- a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian architecture, food, lifestyles and temepreaments. It is a city of cobbed backstreets, baroque churches, ancient stone fortresses and exotic streen names etched on typical portuguese azulejos. Four and a half centuries of Portuguese Christian rule left its mark and it consists of a single diocese, directly responsible to Rome. Other than that for the vast majority, more than 90% of Macau Chinese people. Taoism and Buddhism are the dominant religions.
From Hong Kong to Macau there is a high speed ferry which only takes 1 hour and it is very popular due to the huge number of casinos there. I have never been in Las Vegas but at least was the closest I have ever been to a similar place so getting there on a Saturday was like being on Harrod's last day of sales. We had a laugh running from the ferry to be the first ones in the queue for passports only to be overcome by a couple of old chinese. Looking behind was scary with hundreds of people trying to get there at the same time.
We used a peculiar transport to get us into town...
We visited the ruins of St Paul (see picture below) of which only the facade remains of this Jesuit church built in the early 17th century. Some consider it the greatest monument to Christianity in Asia.
The Church of St Dominic in Largo do Senado is a fine example of ecclesiastical baroque architecture replacement of a chapel built by the Dominicans in the 1590s. Macau cathedral is not particularly attractive and it replaces the original one badly damaged in a typhoon.
The A-Ma Temple, the most stunning one we have seen in the trip is dedicated to the goddess A-Ma.The original temple was probably standing when the Portuguese arrived although the present one may only date back to the 17th century.
From there we walked towards the Moorish Barracks only to discover an stunning hotel, Posada Sao Tiago so we took a break there to enjoy it.
still in paris packing part 2
ok, done... yes, it took me long... but now I know it is not the packing, it is the many distractions I find while packing... I hate doing it so I find excuses to do other things... hongkong is getting up, paris is going to bed
still in paris packing part 1
hey chinucas, glad to know you made it to the other side of the world!
I'm still here, stuck packing... yes, I had the list, but it is not helping (mariazam, the list doesn't help that much, still you need to choose between this and the other t-shirt etc....) whatever... I find it boring, keep losing concentration and do other things instead of finishing...
I'm still here, stuck packing... yes, I had the list, but it is not helping (mariazam, the list doesn't help that much, still you need to choose between this and the other t-shirt etc....) whatever... I find it boring, keep losing concentration and do other things instead of finishing...
HONG KONG DAY2- LANTAU
Just ended a very long day 2. Today we have visited LANTAU, one of the islands in the HK archipielago with its Tian Tan Buddha (the biggest seating buddha), Po Lin Monastery and fabulous beaches. You can see pics here.
In the afternoon we went to Kwo Loon. There we visited the Yau Ma Tei or Jade Market and the Tin Hau Temple dedicated to the goddess of seafarers and the district of Mong Kok (Prosperous Point) in Prince Edward MTR, a very congested working class residential area and one of the busiest shopping districts where we could enjoy Yuen Po street Bird garden (the Chinese have long favoured songbirds as pets), the Flower Market (streets full of wonderful flowershops) , Tung Choi St market (the place to get any fish you'd like to for your aquarium) and the Ladies' Market, the place to get a hand in fake stuff. We were too tired for that so we headed back to HK to have dinner in a lovely Thai restaurant as the options were too occidental (Spanish, British, Moroccan, Lebanese...)
Friday, 9 November 2007
Impostors
It has come to my attention an unusual fact...
Having lived here for some time now, it does seem I am shocked by the sights of my own home town...
Are there any impostors operating at this sight?
Having lived here for some time now, it does seem I am shocked by the sights of my own home town...
Are there any impostors operating at this sight?
Thursday, 8 November 2007
HONG KONG DAY 1
Finally we arrived to the most spectacular and amazing place I have ever seen. From the airport we took the train to Hong Kong passing Kowloon. We came to Radama's place, had a quick shower, got changed and we left to Kowloon by ferry to enjoy some gorgeous cocktails with stunning views from the Intercontinental Hotel surrounded by British, American and few locals. 
What can I say?? it is breathtaking!! this c
ity is superb, classy, glamorous etc etc etc. People have stunning looks, women are so stylish that made us all feel as we need a makeover. It has nothing to do whith what I was expecting. In one word it is just amazing. Enjoy the view from the pic above!xxx
What can I say?? it is breathtaking!! this c
ity is superb, classy, glamorous etc etc etc. People have stunning looks, women are so stylish that made us all feel as we need a makeover. It has nothing to do whith what I was expecting. In one word it is just amazing. Enjoy the view from the pic above!xxx
this will be the most cybernetic trip we've ever done... organized via skype/ google chat/ google groups (so much google.... hm... should we worry about that?) and now recording our daily adventures in this blog...
catiusca is already on the plane... our london girls (in the end there are 2 but ana will only do the hk-beijing part) will do the same tonight... for 2 days I will be the only chinuca still on european soil...
they are all leaving without having detailed the exact items in their luggage in our group tool... I only know, from carpioma's post, that she seems not to want to do any hand washing... I am planning to follow my very good friend's (again another maria, was maria a common name in the 70s in spain?) advice and have already written down an extensive list with every item I need to take along with me... friday night I plan to put in the suitcase what is in the list without losing any time thinking 'and what about also taking this additional pair of shoes'... it should reduce the packing time from my average 3h (and please, this is not because I pack too many things but because I have this need to achieve perfection in packing, the exact number of items, not more no less) to 1h I hope
today paris was grey and polluted, I guess beijing will be more of the same
we are writing in english to reach a more extensive audience but we should perhaps add spanish paragraphs for our beloved one generation ahead family
good flight to the ones just boarding and to the one in the sky!
catiusca is already on the plane... our london girls (in the end there are 2 but ana will only do the hk-beijing part) will do the same tonight... for 2 days I will be the only chinuca still on european soil...
they are all leaving without having detailed the exact items in their luggage in our group tool... I only know, from carpioma's post, that she seems not to want to do any hand washing... I am planning to follow my very good friend's (again another maria, was maria a common name in the 70s in spain?) advice and have already written down an extensive list with every item I need to take along with me... friday night I plan to put in the suitcase what is in the list without losing any time thinking 'and what about also taking this additional pair of shoes'... it should reduce the packing time from my average 3h (and please, this is not because I pack too many things but because I have this need to achieve perfection in packing, the exact number of items, not more no less) to 1h I hope
today paris was grey and polluted, I guess beijing will be more of the same
we are writing in english to reach a more extensive audience but we should perhaps add spanish paragraphs for our beloved one generation ahead family
good flight to the ones just boarding and to the one in the sky!
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
The final countdown....London to Hong Kong
Today is the day. Leaving from London at 21:55 with Ana Gonzalez and Monica from Madrid so we will all meet up at HK's airport. Radama will be waiting for us. Cass is joining us in Beijing on the 11th.
I have already packed...and my suitcase it is sort of depressing...medicines and knickers and it is almost full. I never thought I could carry so many knickers, bras and socks in 1 piece of luggage and not any knickers, of course, but M&S' packs of 7...cheap and 100% cotton...wow!!!
We are supposed to spend time in the most glamorous places in Asia and all I am going to wear is trekking gear....oh well, my high heels will have to wait for me in London.
I am thinking about the day I come back...I have already booked Shavata and Claudio...how pathetic is that?
I am very excited. I am finally visiting my beloved Radama in HK!! I am going to walk in the Chinese wall!! I am going to see Shanghai, Beijing and...gosh, loads of Chinese!
I have already packed...and my suitcase it is sort of depressing...medicines and knickers and it is almost full. I never thought I could carry so many knickers, bras and socks in 1 piece of luggage and not any knickers, of course, but M&S' packs of 7...cheap and 100% cotton...wow!!!
We are supposed to spend time in the most glamorous places in Asia and all I am going to wear is trekking gear....oh well, my high heels will have to wait for me in London.
I am thinking about the day I come back...I have already booked Shavata and Claudio...how pathetic is that?
I am very excited. I am finally visiting my beloved Radama in HK!! I am going to walk in the Chinese wall!! I am going to see Shanghai, Beijing and...gosh, loads of Chinese!
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