Saturday 5th September - Day Trip To Macau!

Exhausted from our first week at school, I was slightly regretting putting my name down for the Chatteris organised Macau trip on Saturday even if we weren't meeting until 2pm. However, it was definitely worth the effort on my part! and I am very keen to go back and visit again!
For those of you unfamiliar with the situation with Macau, it is an SAR (special administrative region) like Hong Kong which basically means it is its own country in all but name although that may be pushing it with Macau since if I remember correctly, it is only about 10 miles squared! You reach it by ferry from the Hong Kong Island in about 55 minutes. Every boat trip I have been on here has been extremely bumpy and this one was no exception! When you arrive and pass through immigration you soon notice the differences in the place. Macau is renowned as a gambling centre, and even before you have walked out of the ferry terminal, you are receiving texts from different casinos inviting you to come and spend money! The casinos are bright and Vegas style. they come in different shapes and sizes - one was black and looked just like a volcano, there is also a Venetian one. All of them has bright, flashing lights advertising as you walk around. However, interestingly, there is also a large colonial influence and there is beautiful European style architecture with tiled pavements, big colonial buildings with colonnades and shutters, and ornate decorations, all of which is totally different from Hong Kong and much more reminiscent of Spain or Italy. There are many motorbikes hurtling round the streets too, again not a common sight in Hong Kong. We went to visit the Ruins of St Pauls which in the front of a church sitting magnificently at the top of wide steps.It was dusk and all around you can see the lights of the casinos from the top. It is a strange eclectic mix of modern and traditional and different cultures and influences have all come together to produce this city but in many ways it seems to work and gives it quite a unique feel and something quite apart from Hong Kong. It was such a rare treat to be able to wander round and admire the buildings.

There is an international fireworks competition happening at the moment, which are supposed to be some of the most spectator in the world. Although we had to be back before the show, I hope to come back and see them before they finish.