Doing things the 'right' way, I was buzzing to get back to China's former Portuguese Territory of Macau! Fronting three cultures and borderlines in many ways, I had Colonial throwbacks from one angle and modern day OFW energy in the other view! Miss Mainland was looking over, a certain Guangdong Province waterway was clocked at the same time! M, it felt great to be back!
I had not long arrived back from my summer holiday, I had traveled to Portugal for part of that extended break. You already know that I was craving another slice of Portuguese culture, choosing 'Macau Hotel S' opened another world because that location gave me European Realness! The humidity was something else to deal with, although 'Praça de Ponte e Horta' took me back to the 'old continent' in a big way! That small square made me feel some type of way, it grounded me, it made me feel closer to Europe. I was being served a delayed flashback from my summer holiday, it was giving 'Setúbal' and 'Lisbon' wrapped into one at the same time. I had no idea that this square stood opposite my hotel, it took me a hot minute to check on 'Google Earth'. It was a great landmark and if truth be told, it was made revisiting Macau that bit more worth it, I wanted to see something that had been culturally preserved. I couldn't get enough of that former Overseas Portuguese love! Of course, I kept busy whilst the rain poured down! Oh, I did!
The weather was horrendous, I had really picked a wonderful time to visit Macau, no I had not! It took a while but the rain finally eased, as the day pressed on the square came to life with local Macanese people and migrant workers making use of the park as that warm night burned on. It was great to have that square as a meeting point of sorts, during that first evening it acted as my access point to Macau's historic Peninsula as a window to a plethora of streets with enchanting yet worn apartment buildings. All of which told a story of another kind. Getting that sense of Portugal back in my life was wonderful, I made sure I sat out on one of the benches with my can of Red Horse Beer. Boasting a balmy climate, I was able to enjoy that Portuguese square after the sun had set. Of course, I noticed the freshly painted Portuguese style arches, giving another slice of European style, I adored the cobble stone pavement with the light and dark styles intertwined. I had aced that hotel location, it trumped that original 2016 Macau hotel choice.
I noticed across the road from that Portuguese looking square that a series of warehouses stood. I was curious because it was a waterside loading dock area, giving me a sense of 'On The Borderline' vibes with the Chinese Mainland on the other side of the waters. Let me just say, I didn't have any need for a proxy to help me view any specific websites because Macau does things differently. I threw caution to the wind by walking across the road, making my way down the quiet parting between those warehouse buildings. It looked pretty open, nothing screamed 'restricted area' to me. I definitely caught a vibe that I was on someone else's patch, it was very quiet indeed. It was wild to see the cars lined up along the loading bays, I felt as if I was in a film and a criminal gang dressed in black were about to storm the location! Macau already knew that I wasn't about to bring any drama that evening! Zhuhai in China's Guangdong stared back at me, it was weird to be on the other side. Macau's secrets were known, Zhuhai looked the other way.
Standing in a rather unique location, I lapped up those first moments back in Macau after that hefty break. I loved those fusion moments, it was nice to be on the opposite side of the borderline with more delights on offer to me for the weekend. The area around my hotel had not yet received a LRT station as Barra stood to be the nearest station that connected with the airport. I had been able to fly in from Ningbo to Macau on a direct service operated by Air Macau, it made that 'hydrofoil' ride over the waters from Hong Kong seem like a long time ago! I actually wasn't supposed to be in Macau at that point, I had gotten a long weekend off from my employer, I wanted to make the most of that weekend in Macau. In actual fact, that view of the Mainland was even more satisfying to witness because I was supposed to be on the other side at work! Macau had my back, I wanted to have my fun and then leave that SAR behind on Sunday morning. The Mainland didn't need to know what I had planned, mind you it was all legal! OK!
Filipino hospitality? Oh, Macau had already hooked me up with a slice of that during the afternoons rainstorm! Fresh from that afternoon delight, I headed out into those rainy winding streets with a sense to find out more about Macau's Pinoy Pride! The rain subsided and with that relief, I was able to walk through the never-ending maze of streets to see those hidden Filipino gems that were hidden in plain-sight. I knew that many migrant workers favour Macau for the supply of short-term jobs that keep OFW's sending money home to their families. I remembered in that moment the time I flew back from Manila in February 2024, that one flight to Macau with Cebu Pacific was mad busy with OFW's not local Macau people. I was getting hungry, I needed something to eat and I wanted something 'Silong' to eat! I found 'GiChia' on 'R. de Francisco Antonio', I had circled the streets a few times but 'GiChia' was my final choice. This white boy knew about 'Longsilog!' The owner was impressed with my Pinoy food knowledge, M!
My order of 'Hotsilog' was delicious, it was the garlic toasted pieces in the rice that took me back to the Philippines! I knew in that moment that a return trip to the Philippines needed to be made, I got the chance to speak with the guy who cooked my food. Both of the people working at 'GiChia' were impressed by my kind words about the Philippines and my experience that I had during my first trip to their country. I carried on walking through those dimly lit alley ways to find another hot find, I wanted everything in-sight! I bought some Pandesal, one serving of Leche Flan and a few other things for good measure. Hearing those Tagalog conversations and clocking those Pinoy businesses made my heart smile. The market depicted above brought me back to 'Red Horse' and 'Milo! That first day had been a lot, I had a cup of Milo and two pieces of Pandesal before crashing early on that evening. Sure, my first day in Macau since 2016 ended up being rather eventful indeed! Oh, it felt amazing to be 'back' in Macau, I had a lot to rediscover!
Mad For Macau!
Desperately Seeking Adventure
