SMX Convention Center • Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Philippines • 23-26 April 2009
Urban Macau
The trip from Manila to Macau was almost an hour
via Air Macau airline. Upon arrival, we made our way
from the customs department to the airport lobby
where we were welcomed by our Chinese tour guide.
A not-so patient man, he herded the group to the
shuttle. Because of time constraints, we immediately
headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf for lunch. The buffet
table was filled up with a variety of meat and fish, fruits
and vegetable, and pastries. It was followed by a quick
tour and photo-ops of the Wharf before we continued
our half-day tour.
Indeed, Macau is similar to the Philippines in a
lot of aspects. Under the colony of Spain’s rival then,
Portugal’s influence is evident in Macau’s grid-typed
plans, stone structures and Catholic churches. On
the other hand, some of those built even before the
coming of the Portuguese remains alive today like
A-Ma Temple. It is a variety of pavilions dedicated
to the worship of different deities inspired by various
religions like Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.
It was almost 6 pm when we checked-in to our
hotel. Fu Hua Guang Dong Hotel is a modest-multi-level
structure located at the intersection of Avenida Costa
e Horta and Rua de Xavier Pereira, which is a bustling
commercial area. Having refreshed ourselves, the group
decided to have dinner in a noodle house and make
a quick night tour before finally returning to the hotel.
Heritage appreciation
On our second day, as the group split up, Anthony
and I decided to join Fr. Ray to experience Coloane.
Along the way, we passed by churches and a
cemetery, government buildings and a nearby market.
One of my favorite is the strip of Rua de Roque, which
boasts of two-story ochre painted residences.
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After several roadblocks, we found the right bus
for Coloane, which is a laidback fishing port. We first
had lunch at a pasta-pastry shop, served by a waiter
from the Visayas. Fr. Rey conversed with him in their
native dialect. Properly fed and rested, we made our
leisurely stroll. There, old buildings from temples and
churches and houses stood side by side with modern
architecture. One of these is the Church of St. Francis
Xavier. The simple interiors are highlighted by the black
marble altar. After rounds of photo shoots, to the
delight and dismay of Fr. Ray, we headed back to the
city by 3pm.
We enjoyed the remaining hours visiting the
Church of St. Anthony and the Macau Museum of
Art. Surprisingly, in certain galleries, they allow photo
and video shoots as long as there will be no flashes.
When we reached the uppermost floor, which houses
historical documents, we met two more Filipinos both
working as security personnel.
From the museum, we made our way to the
commercial district just blocks away. Famous branded
shops lined up the European-inspired shopping square.
Fr. Ray went to a bookstore and bought two art books.
Both Anthony and I haggled for some souvenir items.
Before going back to the hotel, we decided to
make one last stop: Hotel Lisboa. A towering steel icon
at day, it is a colorful, flaring tower by dark. Together
with other tourists, we took photos of each other beside
this magnificent display of lights.
Souvenir shopping
With enough memories and photos of Macau, the
next day was set for Hongkong. The fastest route was
through the Turbojet Ferry. Upon arrival, breakfast was
followed by alternate walking and use of the subway.
Still divided into groups, this time, I was in the company