Macau Walkabout: Temple,Barracks,Square

Every time I visit a place I make sure to  get a grasp of its history.  We started the trail of our so called Macau walkabout in A-Ma temple which is said to be the oldest temple in the peninsula. The name Macau was actually taken from this temple. Legend has it that the first Portuguese sailors landed near the temple and when they asked the name of the place, the locals responded A-Ma-Gao.  The name then evolved into Macau. 
As we draw nearer to the temple you can easily feel the spiritual atmosphere. There was a steady stream of worshipers offering prayers.
And much like any other religion you will see how the locals pay respect to their allegiance to Buddhism. We climbed the boulder strewn hill adorned with pocket gardens and we saw large rocks with engraved red Chinese characters.  If only I knew how to read in Chinese, then I’d gain a better understanding of what’s actually going on.We settled in a few minutes exchanging stories with a fellow Pinoy before we continue our walk along Rua Barra to find the Moorish Barracks.Standing atop on the slope of the Barra Hill, the Moorish Barracks was built in neo-classical design and completed in 1874. The main purpose of the barracks construction is to accommodate the Indian policeman dispatched by the Portuguese to beef up the Macau police force. 
Nowadays the building is home to the Macao Maritime Administration.  It’s just  unfortunate we weren’t able to enter the building because it was off limits to the public. We just wander freely around the verandas adorned with Moorish pointed arches.  


 You won’t miss out this building because of its light yellow paint and exotic appearance.As we traipsed down  Rua Barra we halted upon seeing houses decked in pastel tones. Everything was vivid in our eyes. It was unbeknown to me that  the particular place is actually Large de Lilau (Lilau Square) until I looked at my map.  It doesn’t seem interesting at first  but  upon reading the guide map it was on this place where the first Portuguese settled in.  
They established a natural spring around the area to provide fresh water to the people of Macau back in the old colonial days. In 1994 a fountain built here that represent the boundless supply of spring water that nurture the people of Macau.And that's the reason why despite of it's lack in grandeur this place is highly valued by the locals.  There’s actually  an old saying in Portuguese that, “One who drinks from Lilau never forgets Macau”.
We spent the 2 hours or more walking under the scorching sun, barely in need of a water before  we carry on to the second part of our  Macau excursion.