The Kenniverse is Pinoy: Macau

On our way back to the Philippines from our Vancouver Christmas holiday we stopped off in Hong Kong. We were flying a new airline called Oasis Hong Kong. Although they call it a 'budget airline' Aimee and I were actually impressed. 'Budget' generally means 'cheap price' because there's 'no food' and 'no frills' but in the case of Oasis, the price is cheaper than most international airlines but you still get the food and comfort. As a passenger you even get your own personal TV to watch. Not even Philippine Airlines offers that and they charge so much more. The only real downside to Oasis is they have very limited flight destinations: Hong Kong, London and Vancouver only. So to get all the way back to the Philippines we had to purchase a Hong Kong to Manila ticket from another airline. Even so, it ended up being cheaper than flying Philippine Airlines direct from Vancouver to Manila.

Since we were in Hong Kong we decide to visit some of the family we have living there. Our Aunts offered to take us to Macau for the day. Macau is an hour ferry ride from Hong Kong.

The Macau Special Administrative Region, commonly known as Macau or Macao, is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north and facing the South China Sea in the east and south. The territory has thriving industries such as textiles, electronics and toys, and a notable tourist industry that boasts a wide range of hotels, resorts, stadiums, restaurants and casinos.

Macau was both the oldest and the last European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on December 20, 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defence and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organisations and events.

I've been to Macau once before several years ago. If you're looking to add more stamps to your passport a day in Macau is an easy way to accomplish this. When you enter Hong Kong you get a stamp. When you leave Hong Kong to board the ferry to Macau to get an exit stamp from Hong Kong. When you arrive in Macau you receive an entry stamp for Macau. Once your day is complete in Macau, you go through immigration and get a Macau exit stamp. Obviously, once you arrive back on Hong Kong land you get another entry stamp. Wow! One day, a possible 5 stamps! All for an hour ferry ride!

When Aimee and I were last in Macau several years back we joined a bus tour that took us around to all the main sites. Macau is an interesting combination of Chinese and Portuguese architecture and culture. The last time we were there though, there was really only one or two main casinos to go to. Now, with the Amercian investers coming in, Macau is starting to look like the Las Vegas of Asia. 'Starting to look like'?? IT IS the Las Vegas of Asia!! Like Vegas Macau has an MGM Grand casino as well as The Venetian. I've been to The Venetian in Vegas and this one in Macau looks indentical. It's almost as if they've used the same blue prints.

We stayed in Macau for several hours. During that time we gambled, lost money, ate dinner (Portuguese food), then travelled back to Hong Kong.

After a few more days in Hong Kong we hopped on a plane, and now, we're back in the Philippines. The blog is Pinoy once again!