historic macau visit: day 1

a one week vacation from the office is mandatory for us. we call it corr leave.we were told to plot our leaves ahead of time.immediately i started surfing the net,looking for the best place to visit.it was February 12 2007 when my sister told me that tiger airways has a promo trip to MACAU with a very affordable price.Tiger Airways (owned by Singapore Air) to Macau (approx. 2 hours)is a low cost, single class service. Cost of the round trip was about $88.21 so,i let out my credit card from my wallet and booked my round trip flight to Macau for the month of September 2007. 4days and 3 nights stay. Booking Reference: L4D2LR


Macau is located on two islands interconnected by several long bridges. The City of Macau is on one island while the other island contains the cities of Taipa and Cologne. Macau is known for its unique attractions, world heritage, and fascinating museums it is considered as one of the finest holiday getaways.

Day 1. September 10, 2007. I headed to Clark Airbase near Angeles City North of Manila. i was on a very tight budget. i was told by a friend of mine that i can rent and stay as transient in a house owned by a kababayan who owns property in macau. while waiting for my flight at the airport, i dialed the number of the contact person where i planned to stay only to realize that the house is jam packed. accomodating me is very impossible. i didn't panic. i just waited for my departure time and when i got bored, i talked to someone also bound for macau and guess what? after a few chitchat, he offered his place and invited me to stay there in his parents' house ..for free! he's heaven sent! Departure time was 1315 hours - arrival 1510 hours.

The Macau International Airport is situated in the island of Taipa and about 20minutes away from the heart of the city by taxi cab. From the Airport you will pass by their long bridge which you can view their beautiful commercial zone along the coast of macau island.my new found friend sticked to his promise, we were welcomed and picked up by his dad from the airport and went straight to their house. they were very warm and accomodating. i only took an hour to rest and soon after, i started my sightseeing escapade.

RUINS OF ST.PAUL -located at the heart of Macau city, this magnificent monument was the original main façade of the former St. Paul’s Church. The façade is famous for its grand appearance and delicate carving. As what history says: It's a "facade" of a church left after it was destroyed by fire during a typhoon in the 18th century. And as what others say, it's Macau's most famous tourist site. For centuries, it has been a hallmark of Macau and is the number one destination of Macau sightseeing.The Ruins of St. Paul Church. Atop of a little hill, you need to walk for 68 steps in order to access it.


NATCHA TEMPLE--This temple was built in 1888 and dedicated to Na Cha in an attempt to halt the Plague rampaging at the time. In contrast to buildings such as the Ruins of St. Paul's around it, the Na Tcha Temple is only a small structure, built with simple materials, but the use of a mixture of reality and illusion in its design manages successfully to create a sense of delicacy and exquisiteness


LARGO DE SENADO.(Senate Square) and the Leal Senado Building (Address:Around the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro)
The Leal Senado Building is a classic Portuguese style building along the Main Road and right opposite the central fountain. Originally a Council House where Chinese officers met with the Portuguese. The Senado square is paved with a wave-patterned mosaic of coloured stones, created by Portuguese experts. From the main road to the church of St. Dominic, the pavement extends to the ruins of St. Paul's, making the heart of the city a pedestrian paradise.
Today it houses the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau. The ground floor holds cultural exhibitions very often.