Mar 30, 2013 - Clumsy in Macau - Kadence's traveling teddy

Hi Kadence and Friends, This is Clumsy with more news from Hong Kong. My travel mates and I have taken another trip. We travelled to Macau which is approximately 40 miles across water from Hong Kong. We took a high-speed turbo jet ferry to Macau--also spelled Macao. The turbo jet ferry was very fast!! Macau is located on Mainland China and it was founded and ruled by Portugal until 1999. Now the Chinese Communist Government owns Macau, but Macau is able to make most of their own decisions. Macau has its own money--but the money is only good...

Mar 25, 2013 - Macau/Hong Kong, China

Like our return trip to Shanghai, upon our return trip to Hong Kong we were able enjoy the things we loved about Hong Kong the first time and experience something totally different as well, the island of Macau. Getting to Macau is no easy task from Hong Kong. You would think it would be a piece of cake since they are both China ( since the late 1990’s for both Hong Kong and Macau ), but you would be wrong! Both are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) and pretty much operate the same as they did under Portugal and Britain’s control. You...

Mar 6, 2013 - Pandemonium in Macau

Today we took the ferry to Macau, so Mum could get some more stamps in her passport. Very efficient and quick out of HK, the ride was not too bad and only the most susceptible to sea sickness got sick. Over in Macau, Dad claimed it was just like HK. He then promptly found the seniors line for immigration and went through quickly while mum and queued. We eventually got through to find Dad had been speaking to a local guide called Tony. I was cautious at first, but he was and official guide and a very funny guy too. He drove us past many of...

Nov 28, 2012 - Mad Money in Macau

Mal and I took a day out to visit Macau and at first sight it wasn’t much to go on. In fact, from above it looked a little slummy. (Sorry don’t mean to offend) But when the sun had set and the lights were on... "Vivaaaa Las Macau, Vivaaa Las Macau". This did however turn out to be a massive fail for me; not only did I get laughed at by the cashier for trying to change up 500HKD (£50) but I also forgot to load up my MasterCard and couldn’t draw out any more money... what a d!ck! But all is good after I saw Mal lose £100 in 2 mins at...

Oct 6, 2011 - Macau

Dozens and dozens of incredibly awful gaudy in-the-worst-possible-taste casinos - monstrous multi-storied buildings all over Macau. No 1 for dreadfulness went to Lisboa Casino (see photos) - from a distance looks like a peeling onion, and upon closer inspection does not improve. Eyebrow raising! As there are no legal casinos in China, the wealthy Chinese pour across the border and the gaming tables are jammed, it seems, 24 hours a day. Great just strolling through watching the players. Smoking inside is legal so the tables are wreathed in...

Oct 2, 2011 - MACAU! – Day 14

So today was a big day because I would be visiting Macau. First some background, Macau is one of the two provinces of China along with Hong Kong. It was settled by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The name Macau itself means “Inland Gates”. It’s considered a peninsula with two separate islands that make up Macau. A law passed in 1993 by the Portuguese with China’s approval states that Macau remains a separate sovereignty for 50 years after it was passed over to China in 1999. Which means even though it’s part of China; Macau has its own...

Aug 7, 2010 - Macau

Today I left Hong Kong and paid a visit to the second of China's Special Administrative Regions - Macau. Macau was handed back to China in 1999 by Portugal and benefits from the 'one country, two systems' approach. Unlike China gambling is legal and therefore part of Macau resembles Las Vegas and is full of huge casinos. The other part is more historical and has various old churches and temples. It's a really pretty peninsula that's attached to mainland China, although like HK UK residents do not need a visa and its possible to hop over...

Jun 2, 2010 - 20th Anniversary of Bliss

Today we go to Macau for a day trip. Partly this is because we applied for a job here a few years back and may do so again, partly it is because a good friend Pauline was born here, but also we wanted something “special” for our 20th wedding anniversary. We have become a bit too relaxed being travelers and the result was forgetting our passports. Luckly our apartment was nearby so I scampered back. The day was rainy…very, very rainy…however this was not going to change our plans, some rain. Upon arrival we were molested by taxi guys...

Apr 30, 2010 - Macau

Monday The ferry trip from Hong Kong to Macau took just over 75 minutes, and on arrival we caught the complimentary coach from Macau Ferry Terminal to the City Of Dreams. We arrived about 330pm at Grand Hyatt Macau, and requested an upgrade to the Grand Club, in order to get complimentary breakfast, pre dinner drinks & canapes again. The City of Dreams has free wifi for guests - I think I love Asia… free wi-fi almost everywhere. Weirdly, the upgrade fee for the Grand Hyatt Macau was much less than the upgrade fee for the Hyatt Regency Tsim...

Mar 15, 2010 - Macau

Macau is an island about an hour ferry ride from Hong Kong. It predates Hong Kong by 200 years and was the first European settlement in China when Portuguese traders and Jesuit priests arrived in the 1500s. It was under Portuguese rule until 1999 when it was handed back to China. Macau, like Hong Kong, was given a "grace period" of 50 years when it was handed over to the Chinese, to operate relatively independently. So you have to go through immigration upon arrive in Macau and again when you re-enter Hong Kong. However, they have it so...

Oct 22, 2009 - Macau: For my Dad. :)

Hi All, I am so horribly bad at updating my blog, so hopefully a few of you are still following along in between my long writing droughts. So let's see...two Friday's ago was the last events I mentioned with the high table dinner, and much has happened since. First off, I would like to send a shout-out to my Dad. Hi Dad. You know you have very effective parents when you hear their voices in your head even though you are half-way across the world. My mom's voice usually sounds something like, "I miss you honey." or "Be good and have fun."...

Oct 12, 2009 - Macau - Oct 11-12

October 11 Having spent a couple of days in HK, we headed this morning to the ferry terminal and “hopped” across to Macau, clearing HK immigration on side and then an hour later getting another stamp for Macau. We’ve gone from China to a region of China to another region of China and repeatedly gone through immigration – it seems a little OTT to me. I suppose it’s no different to Bermuda though, which required me to clear immigration even as a British citizen. Just a bloody annoyance but at least neither HK or Macau charge US or UK visitors...