Those interested can check out the full itinerary here. Below are just some of the highlights and pics from the full day we spent there!
The Temple of A-Ma is a world heritage site but also brimming with tourists that it got slightly claustrophobic. And Bielet got super scared by the loud blast of firecrackers that were lit without warning just as we stepped into the temple. It was quite a sight as I've never seen real crackers go off but the sound was deafening, to say the least, so, ZX took my hp to snap pics while Bielet & I made our hasty exit!
A stone's throw away from the temple is a little street of stores where we bought the egg tart piping hot and smelling real awesome. Yums. As good as we expected - and Bielet wanted the entire tart to herself! Just look at how pleased she is after gobbling the treat, even as we saddled her with a (heavy!) bagful of food we bought back for our families.
Anyway, what's cool about the shop is that there is a mini museum of sorts, read small area showcasing some posters and exhibits of Macau (see bottom two pics in the first montage).
We were then rounded up and dropped off at the actual Museum of Macau. It was totally awesome! I absolutely love museums and being transported back into time. (Oops I think I've mentioned it before but I can't help gushing...) Unfortunately, being on the tour meant we had a time constraint and had to hurry through, only catching glimpses of exhibits and their detailed placard explanations. And we were already the last ones to leave the museum (our guide wasn't too pleased with us)! The miniature figures and Macau spread pics above are some of the fave snaps I managed to capture. If only we had more time to look through everything. Bah.
Just around the corner from the museum is the iconic St Paul's Ruins and while it's not as romanticised as say, the Roman Steps or Eiffel Tower, I was still rather awestruck standing at the gate. If not for the millions of other tourists around. What can I say, Macau is so small that everyone goes to the same tourist sights -_- we thought it rather apt to get ZX's bro a postcard from there (cuz he goes by the name Paul), but it was sold out. Not v enterprising huh?
Side note: top two pics from left? That's one of our footwear - ZX with his spanking new 5.10 shoes that he bought on our first day in HK, Bielet in her too-cute Oscar The Grouch sneakers from Stride Rite (yes, the boy shoes) and me in my gorgeous brown Timberland boots - and a rare family self-portrait. We all suck at taking and posing for pictures that we are all looking in different directions. Oh well. We tried.
And the final two stops were the most fun of our excursion! ZX did the tower walk around the Macau Tower while Bielet & I gave him moral support in the safety of the viewing/waiting area. Hee. "Why live on the edge when you can jump off?" it taunts. We saw a couple of brave souls doing the bungee jump (the tower is 223 metres, by the way) and heard their bloodcurdling screams. All enough to remind me never to do it (air embolism anyone?). For his 'bravery', ZX got a complimentary t-shirt and CD of cheesy pics (him posing supposed-daredevilish-looking stances). Bielet was quite scared for Papa though, and cried for him to come back. What a sweetie.
Last up was the optional stop at Cotai Strip, where we hung out at the Las Vegas Sands. It was quite odd because the only two families with children opted for this stop?!?!?! Obviously, none of us contributed to the casino's takings that evening. Nevertheless, Bielet had a blast on the mock gondola (cuz she totally loved the 'live' singing that accompanied the ride altho ZX & I felt v touristy to be going on such a lame ride - give us the real gondola anytime! - just think MBS' sampan ride...) and the walking snowmen who were part of the Christmas celebrations. Bielet also chose a panda in a white and red striped tee from the souvenir store and it remains one of her favouritest toys to date. And to think, I was trying to psycho her to choose some maniacal looking dog that could sing. What was Mama thinking?!
While we still very much prefer doing things free and easy, it was rather nice to have a day of being 'chauffeured' around and having everything catered for. The tour was family-friendly (actually lots of old folks were on it) so there was pretty much nothing to worry about. Just get on the bus, listen to the guide's explanation and get off at the next stop. You just have to inform the agency in advance that you have a kid in tow.
Only grouses would be the lunch provided - the buffet spread was nothing fantabulous and we felt rather cheated b.o.r.i.n.g. - and that we had to make our way to the ferry terminal ourselves. There wasn't a pickup service from our hotel (suppose cuz wasn't a major chain and on a busy road and it's within walking distance) but it was a good 15mins away on foot, and when you're carrying kids....... When we returned from Macau, we landed at a different ferry terminal, Kowloon not HK island where we were staying, so a bus drove us back to the island but he was to drop us off at the terminal again. We asked him (nicely!) to send us back to the hotel but settled on a compromise to be dropped off opposite the terminal (shaving off 3mins from our walk time). It was really late then and our tired feet made the walk back super tiring. Zzz... Thankfully the day out was worth it ((:
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