SIDE TRIPS
Our Macau trip would not be complete without walking down the Latin City on our own and taking time to explore its history through its olden infrastructures. While the parade already took us to a spectacle of cheery interactions between Western and Eastern cultures and extraordinary performances such as stunts on stilts and energetic Latin and Bollywood dances, among other fantastic shows, some storytelling played out well for us during our side trips.
Peace, Love and Cultural Integration continued into the night after the parade. All the performing groups came together for a master collaboration on full display. We segued to the gala dinner and witnessed the opening of the Macau Light Festival 2015 – Journey of Lights. We had a sneak peek of the adventure of the Butterfly Fairy and her elves through a magical stage performance. The series of light shows would encompass the Historic Centre of Macau.
What better way to see the landmarks of Macau than to view them all at once in one crafty display at the lobby of Ritz Building? Oh, the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Macau Tower and Senado Square built from LEGO bricks! Besides the mini versions of these World Heritage sites was a photo display entitled “Macau Attraction x LEGO mini-figures”, featuring photographs of the LEGO models taken by Mr. Antonio Leong, a famous local photographer. And who would not pop by the selfie booth for some digital photo souvenir sent straight to your inbox? Definitely not us!
Those mildly sweet, fresh-baked Macanese egg custard tarts were to die for! The flaky pastry crust and warm creamy center became the ultimate magnet for pastry-loving travellers. We took a break from all the walking and stopped by Lord Stow’s Bakery in Coloane’s central square for a brief tasting adventure—and some pastry shopping! But, there’s more to Coloane than this classic tart: the waterfront, mustard-colored chapel of St. Francis Xavier we didn’t dare miss to visit. You would find some of the most sacred Christian relics in Asia here.
There’s nothing like the 360° view of Macau at the level 60 of Macau Tower. Having a gastronomic feast of international delicacies in a revolving restaurant, not to mention the highest in the city, was such a rare experience, especially when you’re seeing bungee jumpers flying down right in front of you. At 233 meters, the tower’s tethered bungy jump is the Highest Commercial Bungy Jump in the world. The trick whenever put in this overwhelming situation? Just try a little of everything until the 1.5-hour rotation comes to a halt!
Hungry? Head to the new hawker-style food street attraction. Only a few months old in the gastronomic scene of Macau, Broadway offers you a variety of sights, tastes and sounds. Lucky fellas we were, it’s just a 90-second walk from Galaxy Macau. We might have missed the festive street performances during daytime, but walking under the colored city lights in chilly weather was a chance we wouldn’t pass up. What a winter wonderland!
