A Travellerspoint blog

Just Wandering.

Here there and everywhere.

sunny

If I am being honest I usually think about where I will visit on our full day in Macau, but recently I have just been thinking about Peter's health and mobility issues and wheelchairs and how our life is changing and I haven't had time to think about much else.

We had a very enjoyable breakfast and I was pleased to see Peter was hungry and ate well. I had thought we would go for a swim after breakfast, but Peter said: "You go and explore first and we'll swim later." So I headed out without any special plans. I was still thinking of those 'Walking Macau Streets' videos. Some places I had intended to go, but couldn't find were mentioned on them, so I spontaneously decided to hunt some of these places down.

The first one I decided to try and find was Saint Joseph's Church. I have frequently walked up the hill to Saint Augustine's Church, The Robert Ho Tung Library, Saint Joseph's Seminary and the Dom Pedro V Theatre. I have read that while you cannot enter Saint Joseph's Seminary, you can go into the attached church, but the entrance is not next to the Seminary. I admit I have not tried hard to find it, but I did think I would eventually stumble upon this church. I never did, but one of the videos I watched went past it and suddenly I knew exactly where it was.

Saint Augustine's Church.

Saint Augustine's Church.

Saint Joseph's Seminary.

Saint Joseph's Seminary.

Dom Pedro V Theatre.

Dom Pedro V Theatre.

On my walk to Saint Joseph's Church I decided to venture into the Robert Ho Tung Library, as I have just walked past it previously. It had a lovely garden with several statues behind it.

The Robert Ho Tung Library.

The Robert Ho Tung Library.

Garden of The Robert Ho Tung Library.

Garden of The Robert Ho Tung Library.

Garden of The Robert Ho Tung Library.

Garden of The Robert Ho Tung Library.

Unluckily for me Saint Joseph's Church was closed when I got there. I think there may have been some restoration going on and the closure was just temporary, but at least I got to see this gorgeous building from the outside. There's an interesting looking graveyard next to the church, but sadly this is never open to the public and is attached to the Seminary. Shame, I'd have enjoyed a wander here. In the gardens in front of the church there's a statue of Saint Joseph holding Baby Jesus.

Saint Joseph's Church.

Saint Joseph's Church.

Saint Joseph's Church.

Saint Joseph's Church.

View from Saint Joseph's Church.

View from Saint Joseph's Church.

Saint Joseph and Baby Jesus.

Saint Joseph and Baby Jesus.

Feeling a bit deprived of my church visit, I decided to go into nearby Saint Lawrence's Church instead. I noted that this whole area is interesting and that I need to get round to exploring it more thoroughly. It was very peaceful inside Saint Lawrence's. I've mentioned before in a blog that this church is on a hill and at one time the families of sailors would come here to watch their loved ones set out on long sea voyages.

Saint Lawrence's Church.

Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Stained glass window inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Stained glass window inside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Jesus statue outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Jesus statue outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Statue outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Statue outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Angel outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Angel outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Angel outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Angel outside Saint Lawrence's Church.

Next I headed off to Rua dos Mercadores which means Street of the Merchants. There's a beautifully restored hotel here called Hotel Central and there's some lovely architecture and shops. Rua dos Mercadores later becomes Rua de Nossa Signora do Amparo, which has lots of restaurants and shops. This street is busy with traffic, but running parallel to it is the pedestrianised Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists. This was where dried medicinal herbs were once sold. This street's Chinese name however refers to the Customs Building which used to oversee foreign trade in this area. Many stalls and handicraft craft shops were established near this Customs Building. Many of these traditional shops still survive. I saw furniture makers, incense stores and antique shops among others. Then in more recent times there's also been an influx of trendy coffee shops, restaurants and craft shops.

Hotel Central taken on the previous evening.

Hotel Central taken on the previous evening.

Old building on Rua dos Mercadores.

Old building on Rua dos Mercadores.

Old house and tram car.

Old house and tram car.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Rua dos Ervanários or Street of the Herbalists.

Incense shop.

Incense shop.

Interesting shop.

Interesting shop.

Interesting shop.

Interesting shop.

Interesting shop.

Interesting shop.

Furniture shop

Furniture shop

Wooden chairs.

Wooden chairs.

One of the many new coffee shops.

One of the many new coffee shops.

Restaurant.

Restaurant.

Restaurant.

Restaurant.

The Food Truck Company. This is a very popular Portuguese restaurant especially known for its steak sandwiches.

The Food Truck Company. This is a very popular Portuguese restaurant especially known for its steak sandwiches.

There's also quite a lot of street art here. Some adorns the walls of buildings and some is on the shutters of the shops and it's only possible to see it when they are closed. Some are like adverts for what is sold inside the shop.

This is a clinic.

This is a clinic.

This is a barber's.

This is a barber's.

Shops selling rice, fruit and vegetables.

Shops selling rice, fruit and vegetables.

Closer look at the fruit and vegetables shop.

Closer look at the fruit and vegetables shop.

Closer look at the rice shop.

Closer look at the rice shop.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Street art.

Antique shop.

Antique shop.

Street art.

Street art.

Monkey musicians street art.

Monkey musicians street art.

Street art.

Street art.

After wandering around this area, enjoying all the traditional shops and street art, I decided to head to the Patane area of Macau. To get there I walked along Rua de Cinco de Outubro, which is named after the date of the Portuguese Revolution, the fifth of October 1910. As well as many shops and restaurants here, there are also the brightly coloured rainbow houses. This is another street I have to explore more thoroughly.

Rainbow house at Rua de Cinco de Outubro

Rainbow house at Rua de Cinco de Outubro

Street art around this area.

Street art around this area.

Old building around this area.

Old building around this area.

Shop in this area.

Shop in this area.

After this street I headed right up the hill to Saint Anthony's Church and the square in front of Luis de Camões Gardens. I noticed there was a beautiful flowering Bauhinia tree here.

Saint Anthony's Church

Saint Anthony's Church

Outside Camões Gardens.

Outside Camões Gardens.

Bauhinia tree.

Bauhinia tree.

Patane was a Chinese village next to the Portuguese area in times gone by. Wandering along its streets, I'd have to say there is still a village feel to this area. There are many single story houses. There are temples and shrines. I've visited the temples before so didn't on this occasion.

Entering Patane Village.

Entering Patane Village.

Street art on the village wall.

Street art on the village wall.

Village street.

Village street.

Village street.

Village street.

Village street.

Village street.

Street in Patane Village.

Street in Patane Village.

Patane has old buildings like this one.

Patane has old buildings like this one.

Another old building in Patane Village.

Another old building in Patane Village.

Shrine in Patane.

Shrine in Patane.

Inside the shrine.

Inside the shrine.

Street in Patane.

Street in Patane.

Shrine in Patane.

Shrine in Patane.

Doorway in Patane Village.

Doorway in Patane Village.

Doorway in Patane Village.

Doorway in Patane Village.

Old house in Patane Village.

Old house in Patane Village.

I was looking for the Patane Night Watch Museum. This is right next to The Tou Tei Temple at the foot of Luis de Camões Gardens. The night watch existed to let people know what time it was, act as a lookout for fires and protect houses from break-ins. Service charges were levied in each village to pay for the night watch. This night watch is the last remaining one in Macau. It stopped functioning as a night watch in the 1960's. It's been a museum since 2015.

Inside the museum there are paintings of the night watch man. There are also torches and whistles and sand bags for protecting against fire and flood.

The Patane night watch museum.

The Patane night watch museum.

Inside the building.

Inside the building.

Gong for striking the time.

Gong for striking the time.

Paintings.

Paintings.

Sand bags.

Sand bags.

I also decided to take a look at Patane Library. This is located on a busy street. Patane Library is located inside seven old arcade buildings which date from the 1930s and used to line the inner harbour. They have been beautifully restored on the outside and renovated to form a very pleasant library on the inside.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

Patane Library.

I made my way back to The Rua dos Mercadores taking a different route through Patane and passing a second temple at the foot of Luis de Camões Gardens. Again I didn't go in as I have been before.

Looking back down a stairway.

Looking back down a stairway.

Bikes and trees.

Bikes and trees.

Typical street.

Typical street.

Colourful buildings

Colourful buildings

Bikes and balconies.

Bikes and balconies.

Even more bikes.

Even more bikes.

House with interesting windows

House with interesting windows

Old and new.

Old and new.

Friendly cat.

Friendly cat.

Then I headed down the main street of Macau, The Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, looking across at the old pawn shop museum I visited recently.

Pawn shop museum.

Pawn shop museum.

I headed further down this street to get to another museum I learned about from the videos I have been watching. This is The Lu Ban Master Carpenter Craft Exhibition. Unfortunately, it wasn't open, but I took pictures of the statues outside it.

Statues outside the museum.

Statues outside the museum.

Statue.

Statue.

Statue.

Statue.

It was time to head back to the hotel, but to my surprise, I passed a long line of panda statues. These are usually on the Rua de Felicidade, so I don't know what they were all doing on a different street. They looked great. I liked the doorway at the end of the street, too.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

A Parade of Pandas.

Doorway.

Doorway.

Back at the hotel we had afternoon tea then a lovely refreshing swim. We came back to find the chamber maid had found Archie and placed him prominently on our bed. He's a bit of a flirt is Old Archie.

Archie the flirt.

Archie the flirt.

We had a very pleasant dinner then just relaxed in our room.

Looking out on the world.

Looking out on the world.

Next day we had a late checkout at 4pm. We had a leisurely breakfast, swam, enjoyed our free drinks by the pool then headed home.

Enjoying the pool.

Enjoying the pool.

Enjoying the pool.

Enjoying the pool.

Looking over the inner harbour.

Looking over the inner harbour.

Looking over the inner harbour.

Looking over the inner harbour.

Drinks by the pool.

Drinks by the pool.

Drinks by the pool.

Drinks by the pool.

Apart from the fact I found pushing the wheelchair hard work, we got back without too many major problems.

Posted by irenevt 14:19 Archived in Macau Comments (6)

Experimenting in Macau.

Have wheelchair will/will not travel.

sunny

Travelling is no longer easy for Peter and we are seriously wondering if we will have to give it up. We decided to buy a wheelchair to see if that would improve our lives. We tried it out for the first time last Sunday and were overambitious with me pushing it quite a long way - all the way to The Bounty Bar in fact. I had only pushed a wheelchair on flat smooth surfaces before, so pushing it on rough, uneven surfaces came as a bit of a shock. We encountered a lot of problems and discovered we have much to learn. I was in agony the next day from doing all the pushing and we were both feeling utterly depressed. We decided, here in Discovery Bay, we will be using the wheelchair mainly in conjunction with buses. But what about travelling? Could we get to Macau using it? On Tuesday 8th October we set out to try.

We decided Peter would get out of the wheelchair and step onto the bus and I would carry the wheelchair on. We need to get on and off four buses to get from our house to the hotel. We got on the first bus without problem. On the second bus Peter took a dizzy turn and nearly fell. I was thinking getting him out of the chair had not been a good idea, but I don't like pushing the chair up and down ramps, though I suppose I will just have to get better at it. The bus across the bridge was fine and the shuttle bus to the hotel was fine. It was much easier for Peter to go through the whole check in process when he didn't have to walk. In the hotel I told him he had to walk rather than be pushed as I don't want him to be too dependent on the chair.

At the hotel our usual room 1720 awaited us and we felt we had arrived home. We freshened up before having a lovely afternoon tea, then headed down to the pool. Although it is still hot outside, the water is already getting cool. Nonetheless, we had a very pleasant swim, then headed back upstairs.

Afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea.

A beautiful day in Macau.

A beautiful day in Macau.

Dinner was very enjoyable with roast chicken and a green Thai chicken curry. We had several beers and Peter decided to try a rum. If you order a spirit here, they always bring you a very big measure. I don't think they entirely understand alcohol.

I hadn't really planned anything for this trip to Macau, but I have been watching lots of videos recently by a North American man who lives in Macau. He seems to be determined to walk the whole of Macau one street at a time, videoing his walks wherever he goes. Some of his videos concentrate mainly on residential areas without many sights, but others are really quite fascinating. He's not someone who goes out of his way to visit tourist attractions, but sometimes he mentions them in passing. I had been impressed by his visit to the Saint Lazarus District by night, so I decided that was what I would do.

I visited the Saint Lazarus District by day not that long ago and found it fascinating and according to this man's videos it's beautifully lit up at night.

Googling the walking route to the Saint Lazarus District, I thought it would be quicker to go via Saint Anthony's Church, so that's what I did. It was really pretty here at night.

Outside the hotel.

Outside the hotel.

Saint Anthony's Church at night.

Saint Anthony's Church at night.

The Sofitel in the distance as I passed through the Saint Anthony area.

The Sofitel in the distance as I passed through the Saint Anthony area.

I liked this little lane.

I liked this little lane.

Cafe with Che Guevara in the Saint Anthony's District.

Cafe with Che Guevara in the Saint Anthony's District.

Images of Macau.

Images of Macau.

Elephant street art in the Saint Anthony's District.

Elephant street art in the Saint Anthony's District.

However, I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way, as I ended up going via the ruins of Saint Paul's, and after that I was pretty much following the route I took last time. Still I got there in the end.

Restaurant near Saint Paul's.

Restaurant near Saint Paul's.

Images of Macau.

Images of Macau.

On the way I passed by the Portuguese Consulate.

On the way I passed by the Portuguese Consulate.

The Saint Lazarus District used to be located in no man's land, between the Portuguese area and the Mainland Chinese border. It had some Chinese villages, but it was also an area where lepers, misfits, outcasts and criminals were sent. When the Portuguese Bishop, Melchior Carneiro, came here from Goa, he was shocked by this area and tried to help the people who lived in dire need here. A leprosy hospital was built and so was the Church of Saint Lazarus, the patron saint of outcasts. There are some beautiful old Portuguese buildings in this area and it was certainly true that the streets here were lit up magically at night.

Nighttime street in the Saint Lazarus District.

Nighttime street in the Saint Lazarus District.

Nighttime street in the Saint Lazarus District.

Nighttime street in the Saint Lazarus District.

Nighttime street in the Saint Lazarus District.

Nighttime street in the Saint Lazarus District.

Among other places, I passed the beautiful Church of Saints Lazarus. Of course this was closed at night. I haven't managed to get inside here yet.

The Church of Saints Lazarus.

The Church of Saints Lazarus.

Illuminated building next to Saint Lazarus Church.

Illuminated building next to Saint Lazarus Church.

Opposite the church is The Choi Lok Chi Mansion, which was constructed in 1918 for Choi Lok Chi, the director of Kiang Wu Hospital. Apparently it now stages exhibitions.

The Choi Lok Chi Mansion.

The Choi Lok Chi Mansion.

The Choi Lok Chi Mansion.

The Choi Lok Chi Mansion.

Nearby there's another lovely building which is or perhaps was a school of music.

Conservatório de Macau - Escola de Música.

Conservatório de Macau - Escola de Música.

This time I found the Albergue Santa Casa da Misericordia. I managed to miss it last time. This was once home to elderly female refugees from Mainland China, thus it was also known as 'The Old Ladies' House'. Many of these old ladies were Chinese Catholics who had fled from the Boxer Rebellion. Nowadays this is an arts centre and a restaurant. There's a large courtyard here with an old well and two gorgeous camphor trees. The courtyard was beautifully decorated with lots of lanterns.

Entrance to the Albergue Santa Casa da Misericordia.

Entrance to the Albergue Santa Casa da Misericordia.

Camphor trees and lanterns.

Camphor trees and lanterns.

The yellow Alberge buildings.

The yellow Alberge buildings.

The yellow Alberge buildings.

The yellow Alberge buildings.

Portuguese rooster outside the restaurant.

Portuguese rooster outside the restaurant.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Flower lantern.

Flower lantern.

Lanterns and the exit.

Lanterns and the exit.

Cosy seats.

Cosy seats.

There were lots of other wonderfully illuminated buildings and streets all around. This area has to be one of the most underrated in Macau.

Streets in Saint Lazarus District.

Streets in Saint Lazarus District.

Streets in Saint Lazarus District.

Streets in Saint Lazarus District.

Glowing yellow lights.

Glowing yellow lights.

Streets in Saint Lazarus District.

Streets in Saint Lazarus District.

Colourful buildings.

Colourful buildings.

Colourful buildings.

Colourful buildings.

Nighttime in the Saint Lazarus District.

Nighttime in the Saint Lazarus District.

I remembered that I was very close to Tap Seac Square, so headed there next. This is the largest public square in Macau and it is surrounded by yet more colourful old colonial style buildings. Again this place was magical by night. I walked past the Cultural Institute and noticed The Pavilion for the Youth which I think I missed first time around. High on a hill in the distance I could see the Guia lighthouse which was also lit up.

The Cultural Institute.

The Cultural Institute.

Pavilion for The Youth Building of the Former Caixa Escolar.

Pavilion for The Youth Building of the Former Caixa Escolar.

Decorations in Tap Seac Square.

Decorations in Tap Seac Square.



The Guia lighthouse on the hill.

The Guia lighthouse on the hill.

Building on Tap Seac Square.

Building on Tap Seac Square.

Building on Tap Seac Square.

Building on Tap Seac Square.

Building on Tap Seac Square.

Building on Tap Seac Square.

The modern side of Tap Seac Square.

The modern side of Tap Seac Square.

Lane off Tap Seac Square.

Lane off Tap Seac Square.

Thinking back to my day time visit to this area, I knew I was very near The Lou Lim Lok Gardens. It was late, so I expected them to be closed, but to my surprise, they weren't, so I took a wander around inside. There aren't many places where I'd wander around a park alone at night, but Macau is one of them. My biggest fear was the possibility of getting locked in, as I wasn't sure when the gardens closed. There were people around though, so I reckoned they would be open for a while. (I later found out they close at 9pm.) It was both beautiful and peaceful at night. I didn't encounter any ghosts though apparently work drew to a halt on restoring these gardens at one point, because the workers believed they were haunted.

Entrance to The Lou Lim Lok Gardens.

Entrance to The Lou Lim Lok Gardens.

Entrance viewed from the other side.

Entrance viewed from the other side.

Statue inside the gardens.

Statue inside the gardens.

Pathway.

Pathway.

Decorations in the lake.

Decorations in the lake.

Fountain.

Fountain.

Brightly lit pavilion.

Brightly lit pavilion.

The pavilion.

The pavilion.

Walking across the pavilion.

Walking across the pavilion.

Shelter by the lake.

Shelter by the lake.

Lily pads in the lake.

Lily pads in the lake.

The lake.

The lake.

Reflections in the lake.

Reflections in the lake.

Reflections in the lake.

Reflections in the lake.

Shelter.

Shelter.

Nighttime stroll.

Nighttime stroll.

After wandering around the gardens, I headed back home. I passed Saint Dominic's Church and Senado Square on the way.

Nearly back in the centre.

Nearly back in the centre.

Saint Dominic's Church.

Saint Dominic's Church.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Walking home.

Walking home.

Posted by irenevt 09:30 Archived in Macau Comments (8)

A Grave Day

A Visit to the Old Protestant Cemetery.

sunny

Peter ate well at breakfast. He was clearly gaining more colour and more strength. He said he would swim today, but wanted me to go out first. I hadn't really planned what I wanted to do, but I remembered that when I had last visited The Old Protestant Cemetery, it had been closed. I checked and it seemed to have reopened, so I decided to start there.

So why would anyone want to visit a cemetery? Well, I totally love this cemetery for several reasons. One, it's got an absolutely fascinating history. Two, the graves have so much information on them, it's simply incredible. Three, there are some very interesting people buried in there.

Entrance to the cemetery.

Entrance to the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

View of the cemetery.

Let's start with the history of the cemetery itself. When Macau was leased by the Portuguese, the whole place was considered to be holy Catholic ground. Beyond the Macau boundaries there was an area of no man's land and then there was the border with Mainland China. It was forbidden to bury any non-Catholics in Macau and it was forbidden to bury any non-Chinese people in Mainland China. So if you were a Non-Chinese Protestant living in Macau and you died, there was nowhere to bury you. It was even forbidden to bury anyone in no man's land, but that was all that people could do. Can you imagine grieving relatives and friends being forced to creep into no man's land in the dead of night to bury their loved ones in secret? Graves here could not be clearly marked or they would be dug up and desecrated. As more and more non-Catholics came to Macau, the situation got worse and worse.

Eventually in 1821, The British East India Company solved the problem by purchasing a plot of land next to its headquarters in Macau. They then worked on resolving the land's legal status, so that the Portuguese would permit the burial of British Protestants here. Later on, the British East India Company decided to allow the burial of all Protestants here, regardless of their nationality. Nowadays it's possible to find the graves of British, American, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Armenian and German people here. Some of the graves even predate the opening of the cemetery, because some people disinterred their loved ones who had been buried in no man's land and reburied them here.

So what about these informative grave stones? Well, let me share a few with you.

The first person to be buried in this cemetery was Mary Morrison. She was the wife of missionary Robert Morrison. She died of cholera while she was pregnant with their fourth child. Her grave stone says:

'Sacred to the memory of Mary, wife of Robert Morrison D.D. who erewhiles anticipating a living Mother's joy, suddenly but with pious resignation, departed this life after a short illness of 14 hours, bearing with her to the grave her hoped for child. Mary was born in Dublin Oct 24 1791 and died at Macau June 10 1821.

In a moment at the last trump- The dead shall be raised incorruptible. O death where is thy sting! O graveyard where is thy victory! Thanks be to God who giveth us the VICTORY through Our Lord Jesus Christ. HALLELUJAH!

The grave of Mary Morrison.

The grave of Mary Morrison.

And if you think Mary's grave was informative, here's what Robert's says:

'Sacred to the memory of Robert Morrison DD., The first protestant missionary to China, Where after a service of twenty-seven years, cheerfully spent in extending the kingdom of the blessed Redeemer during which period he compiled and published a dictionary of the Chinese language, founded the Anglo Chinese College at Malacca and for several years laboured alone on a Chinese version of The Holy Scriptures, which he was spared to see complete and widely circulated among those for whom it was destined, he sweetly slept in Jesus.

He was born at Morpeth in Northumberland 5 January 1782, was sent to China by the London Missionary Society in 1807, was for twenty five years Chinese translator in the employ of The East India Company and died in Canton 1 August 1834.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.'

The grave of Robert Morrison.

The grave of Robert Morrison.

Two other Morrisons are buried here. Robert and Mary's son, James, who tragically died on the same day he was born and their son John Robert Morrison.

James Morrison born and died on the same day.

James Morrison born and died on the same day.

John Robert Morrison was an interpreter and colonial official in Macau. After the death of his father in 1834, John Robert Morrison replaced him as Chinese Secretary and Interpreter to the Superintendents of British Trade in China. He was appointed as Acting Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong and a member of the Executive and Legislative Councils in 1843, but unfortunately he died eight days later of fever in Hong Kong.

The grave of John Robert Morrison.

The grave of John Robert Morrison.

Another historically important figure buried here is the missionary Samuel Dyer. He was a typographer, known for creating a steel typeface of Chinese characters for printing. This replaced the traditional wood blocks which were used before. His grave is also rich in information but unfortunately I couldn't read it due to moss that had grown over it and obscured the words. However, I found a copy of its inscription online. It says:

'SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE REV SAMUEL DYER, Protestant Missionary to the Chinese, Who for 16 years devoted all his energies to the advancement of the Gospel among the emigrants from China, settled in Pinang, Malacca and Singapore.

As a Man, he was amiable & affectionate. As a Christian, upright, sincere, & humble-minded. As a Missionary, devoted zealous, & indefatigable.

He spared neither time, nor labour nor property in his efforts to do good to his fellowmen. He died in the confident belief of that truth which for so many years he affectionately & faithfully preached to the Heathen.

He was born 20 February 1804, sent to the East by the London Missionary Society and died at Macao, 24 October. 1843.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.'

The grave of Samuel Dyer.

The grave of Samuel Dyer.

There are other people buried here who are either well-known, related to people who are well-known or just interesting.

One of the people who was well-known in Macau is the artist George Chinnery. I previously found tiled pictures of his works while exploring the area near the cathedral. Chinnery was born in London in 1774. He spent many years in India. From 1825 until his death in 1852 he was based in Macau. He painted portraits of Chinese and Western merchants, sea captains and their families. He also painted lots of landscapes and made many drawings of people engaged in their every day tasks. It's these latter drawings that were unusual for their time and give a valuable insight into daily life in the nineteenth century.

Grave of George Chinnery.

Grave of George Chinnery.

Dedication to George Chinnery.

Dedication to George Chinnery.

There are also people with famous relatives buried here such as Royal Navy captain Henry John Spencer-Churchill. He was the son of the 5th Duke of Marlborough and great-great-granduncle of Winston Churchill. Then there's US Naval Lieutenant Joseph Harod Adams. He was the grandson of the second president of the United States, John Adams, and nephew of the sixth, John Quincy Adams. Then there's Captain Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse who was the senior naval officer of the British fleet from 31 March 1841 until his death on board his flagship, HMS Blenheim, in Hong Kong from fever contracted during the capture of Canton.

The grave of Captain Henry John Spencer-Churchill.

The grave of Captain Henry John Spencer-Churchill.

On the side of Captain Henry John Spencer-Churchill's grave.

On the side of Captain Henry John Spencer-Churchill's grave.

The grave of Lieutenant Joseph H Adams.

The grave of Lieutenant Joseph H Adams.

The grave of Captain Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse.

The grave of Captain Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse.

Another person who was well-known here was Professor Sir Lindsay Ride. He was born in Australia in 1898. He was appointed Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Hong Kong in 1928. He carried out a great deal of research in the field of Human Genetics. He represented Hong Kong on a variety of athletics teams and was a founder member and later conductor of the Hong Kong Singers. Professor Sir Lindsay Ride was fascinated by the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau and carried out a lot of research on it. His ashes were scattered here and there's a memorial to him on one of the cemetery walls.

In memory of Sir Lindsay Tasman Ride.

In memory of Sir Lindsay Tasman Ride.

Then there are the graves of many ordinary people who died in Macau and lie buried here. Many of them were sailors and most of them died young. Many died due to accidents on board their ships, such as falling from a height, many died from diseases such as fever and malaria. I also noticed one man had been the coroner in Malacca. I can't find out much about him, but his father was an important person in the colony of Penang and there's a rumour he may have been related to Sir Walter Scott.

In memory of John P Griffin, an American seaman who died from a fall on board his ship.

In memory of John P Griffin, an American seaman who died from a fall on board his ship.

In memory of an apprentice boy who died from the effects of a fall on board ship.

In memory of an apprentice boy who died from the effects of a fall on board ship.

The grave of The Coroner of Malacca, Frank Scott.

The grave of The Coroner of Malacca, Frank Scott.

The grave of Oliver Mitchell from Vermont who died of dysentery.

The grave of Oliver Mitchell from Vermont who died of dysentery.

Frederick B Wintle, died of an illness.

Frederick B Wintle, died of an illness.

Some of the graves are inscribed with beautiful verses and most of them have a strong nautical theme, because they are the graves of sailors. One of these is the grave of George H Dungan. His inscription is filled with nautical references and reads:

'The port is reached, the sails are furled, life's voyage now is over, By faith's bright chart he has reached that world where storms are felt no more.'

The grave of George H Dungan.

The grave of George H Dungan.

The grave of Fred Duddell has a similar theme and reads:

'Poor wanderers on a stormy way, from wave to wave we're driven and fancy's flash and reason's ray serve but to light the troubled way, there's nothing gain but heaven.'

The grave of Fred Duddell.

The grave of Fred Duddell.

Then there's the grave of J. George Duncan which reads:

'Though Boreas blows and Neptune's waves have tossed me to and fro, by God's decree you plainly see I'm anchored here below, where they at anchor safely ride with many of our fleet, but once again we must set sail Our Saviour Christ to meet.'

The grave of J. George Duncan.

The grave of J. George Duncan.

The Old Protestant Cemetery has a chapel called The Morrison Chapel which was built in 1821 and named after the missionary Robert Morrison. It contains 162 tombs located on two levels. Forty newer tombs are on the upper level and one hundred and twenty -two older tombs are on the lower level..

The Morrison Chapel.

The Morrison Chapel.

The Morrison Chapel.

The Morrison Chapel.

Inside The Morrison Chapel.

Inside The Morrison Chapel.

The Old Protestant Cemetery was closed in 1858 when a New Protestant Cemetery was created, but in 1971 twenty-two memorials that had been placed in the New Cemetery were set into a wall in The Old Cemetery. In 2005, The Old Protestant Cemetery was officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau and rightfully so because it's a real insight into a bygone age.

After leaving the cemetery, I had a quick look at the building the British East India Company used to rent from a wealthy Portuguese merchant called Manuel Pereira. They used this building as their headquarters in Macau. In the garden there's a statue of Bernardino Senna Fernandes, who was a Macanese recipient of a medal of honour. Nowadays this building is the headquarters of the Oriental Foundation.

This used to be the headquarters of The British East India Company.

This used to be the headquarters of The British East India Company.

Bernardino Senna Fernandes.

Bernardino Senna Fernandes.

Fountain in the garden.

Fountain in the garden.

Post box in the garden.

Post box in the garden.

Next I wandered into Camões Gardens to see the Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations.

Lanterns for the festival.

Lanterns for the festival.

Flowers in the gardens.

Flowers in the gardens.

Flowers in the gardens.

Flowers in the gardens.

Flowers in the gardens.

Flowers in the gardens.

Waterfall in Camões Gardens.

Waterfall in Camões Gardens.

I decided since it wasn't far away I would go to the Fire Service's Museum. On the way I passed some lanterns for sale for the festival. I also passed a statue of Sun Yat Sen outside the Kiang Wu Hospital.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Dr Sun Yat Sen.

Dr Sun Yat Sen.

The Fire Service's Museum is in a beautiful old colonial building which used to be the Headquarters of the Fire Services in Macau. The building dates from 1920. Inside there are models of old fire engines, manual water pumps, and some flags, emblems, decorations and badges of the Macau fire brigade at different times in history. Admission is free.

The Fire Service's Building.

The Fire Service's Building.

Emblem of the Macau Fire Services.

Emblem of the Macau Fire Services.

Fire Service vehicles.

Fire Service vehicles.

Old fire engine.

Old fire engine.

Fire Service's motorcycle.

Fire Service's motorcycle.

Fire Service's uniform and ladder.

Fire Service's uniform and ladder.

Fire Service's uniform and flags.

Fire Service's uniform and flags.

Buildings would have a set of buckets as one iof the earliest ways of putting out a fire.

Buildings would have a set of buckets as one iof the earliest ways of putting out a fire.

I had noticed signs for a temple I hadn't visited yet, so I decided to go and have a look. In fact there are three temples in a row: The Pao Kong Temple, The Temple of the divinity of medicine and The nam sam temple.

In 1888 there was a terrible plague in Macau which resulted in multiple deaths. Eventually someone came up with the idea of using an effigy of Pao Kong, god of justice, to drive it away. When the plague subsided in 1889 the temple of Pao Kong was built to house the effigy.

The temple of the divinity of medicine was built in 1895. I was the only tourist here. It was a friendly temple and I was invited to go everywhere including upstairs. Of course, I didn't understand exactly what I was looking at, but it was all very interesting anyway.

The three temples.

The three temples.

Outside the temples.

Outside the temples.

Entranceway.

Entranceway.

Entranceway.

Entranceway.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Statue inside the temples.

Statue inside the temples.

Bell inside the temples.

Bell inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Inside the temples.

Upstairs in the temple.

Upstairs in the temple.

Upstairs in the temple.

Upstairs in the temple.

I realised I was very close to The Monte Fortress so I walked around it to The Ruins of St Paul's and photographed the Mid Autumn Festival decorations by day.

Decorations at St Paul's by day.

Decorations at St Paul's by day.

Coming down from St Paul's.

Coming down from St Paul's.

Street near the ruins of St Paul's.

Street near the ruins of St Paul's.

Decorations in Senado Square by day.

Decorations in Senado Square by day.

Decorations in Senado Square by day.

Decorations in Senado Square by day.

Decorations in Senado Square by day.

Decorations in Senado Square by day.

Perhaps inspired by the fact I had finally made it to The Fire Service's Museum, I decided to pop into two more museums I always walk past on my way home.

The first one is The Tak Seng On Pawnshop, which means The Virtue and Success Pawnshop. This was established in 1917. There's not a massive amount to see here. There's the counter where transactions would take place and a massive amount of storage for the goods that were pawned. Some of the storage areas could be very securely locked.

Inside the pawn shop.

Inside the pawn shop.

Then I had a quick look inside The Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society Building. This organisation was established in 1892. It helps to provide clothing, food and medicine to the poor. Nowadays it also operates nurseries, schools and clinics.

The Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society Building.

The Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society Building.

The Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society Building..

The Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society Building..

Back home we had afternoon tea, then a swim. We had a very enjoyable dinner. I went out very briefly, as I had remembered there were Mid Autumn Festival decorations outside the old opium den, which is now a clinic for drug addicts run by The Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society .

Mid Autumn Festival decorations outside the opium house.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations outside the opium house.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations outside the opium house.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations outside the opium house.

Next day we had a free late checkout until 4pm. I think that was because we had booked a suite. We did everything a bit later. We got up a bit later, ate breakfast a bit later and swam a bit later.

Peter in the pool.

Peter in the pool.

Peter in the pool.

Peter in the pool.

We hadn't used our free drinks voucher and I suggested a drink by the pool, but I was too hot, so we asked for it in the club lounge instead. As soon as we appeared they brought us afternoon tea. We pointed out that we weren't entitled to afternoon tea and hadn't paid for it, but they just kept saying: "Oh please, you are our special guests"

We caught a shuttle bus shortly after four pm. Peter managed fine on the way back and we got home without any problems.

Posted by irenevt 07:26 Archived in Macau Comments (9)

Celebrating Our 36th Wedding Anniversary.

In Macau.

sunny

Peter had actually booked a room in The Sofitel for our wedding anniversary last week, but we had to cancel, because there was a force eight typhoon, so he booked it again this week.

As he has recently become platinum, he gained some points towards a suite, so he booked that for us. That meant we had a huge room on the sixteenth floor instead of the seventeenth where we usually stay.

We both came back from our holiday in Europe sick and Peter hasn't really been out and about or active for a while. This meant he was weaker than we thought when we were travelling to Macau. For the first time ever, I had to get him a wheelchair on the Hong Kong side. I must say it's not as efficient as the Macau side. Although there was a wheelchair available, they wouldn't let me have it until two people could escort me with it. These people didn't actually help me in the slightest. I think they were only there to make sure I didn't steal the wheelchair.

I easily got Peter a wheelchair on the Macau side and took him right to the shuttle bus in it. There was a nice display next to the shuttle bus. Mid Autumn Festival is on the 17th of September this year and then on the 1st of October it's the 75th anniversary of the founding of The People's Republic of China, so some of the decorations seemed to be celebrating both.

Display at the HMZ Bridge.

Display at the HMZ Bridge.

At the hotel, the shuttle stopped on the ground floor rather than driving right up to the lobby which it usually does, so I had to take Peter up the escalator. This made him dizzy and I thought he was going to fall over, so I had to get the hotel to give him a wheelchair, too. They charged a deposit to make sure we returned it, but let us keep it for the whole stay. Fortunately, as Peter started to feel a bit better, he didn't need to use it much. I want him to walk as much as possible or his legs will just get weaker.

Our suite was lovely. It was basically two rooms joined into one. One part was a living-room and the other a bedroom and we had two toilets, two showers and two baths. We were brought a big bottle of Evian, a plate of fruit consisting of dragon fruit, orange and apples, plus a plate of cakes.

Peter in our front room.

Peter in our front room.

Our bedroom.

Our bedroom.

Welcome gift.

Welcome gift.

We went for afternoon tea and were welcomed back like prodigal sons. Everyone was so kind to us and everyone was congratulating Peter on him being platinum without him even mentioning it.

We had a rest until dinner, as Peter didn't want to swim. I was pleased that Peter actually ate quite well, at dinner as he has been eating very little at home.

Celebrating our 36th Wedding Anniversary.

Celebrating our 36th Wedding Anniversary.

Then after dinner I went out to look for Mid Autumn Festival decorations. I wasn't sure exactly where would be decorated. I passed a guy dressed up as the god of good fortune. He was trying to get people into a restaurant.

Bringing good fortune outside a restaurant.

Bringing good fortune outside a restaurant.

The first place I found that was decorated was Senado Square. I went in the Leal Senado Building as well as walking around the square. It had a display with white rabbits, purple petals and the moon.

Leal Senado.

Leal Senado.

Decorations in Leal Senado.

Decorations in Leal Senado.

Senado Square itself had a Chinese style gateway, flowers and lanterns. It was actually very pretty.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations, Senado Square, Macau.

Mid Autumn Festival decorations, Senado Square, Macau.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

Senado Square.

I walked to the ruins of St Paul and found they had some decorations, too. There were flowers, rabbits and moons again. I had a walk down Love Street, too.

The ruins of St Paul's.

The ruins of St Paul's.

The ruins of St Paul's.

The ruins of St Paul's.

Rabbits and moon near St Paul's.

Rabbits and moon near St Paul's.

On Love Street, the most romantic street in Macau.

On Love Street, the most romantic street in Macau.

Just off Food Street there were more decorations. I'm not sure if these were for the festival or not.

Decorations.

Decorations.

Decorations.

Decorations.

I then walked to the cathedral. Around the cathedral was nicely lit up but not decorated for Mid Autumn Festival.

Cathedral.

Cathedral.

Cathedral Square.

Cathedral Square.

On a nearby street I stopped to take pictures of the flowers that had been set up for the opening of a new shop.

Flowers.

Flowers.

Flowers.

Flowers.

Flowers.

Flowers.

Walking on further, I found more decorations in Jorge Álvares Square. These were of white rabbits carrying off a moon cake. There were also some colourful lanterns.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

Jorge Alvarez Square.

This was near The Grand Emperor Hotel. I've never been in there so had a quick look. Outside it has two old-fashioned carriages. Inside it has a fountain, thrones and European style pictures of royalty.

Carriage.

Carriage.

Fountain inside The Grand Emperor Hotel.

Fountain inside The Grand Emperor Hotel.

Thrones.

Thrones.

Inside The Grand Emperor Hotel.

Inside The Grand Emperor Hotel.

Inside The Grand Emperor Hotel.

Inside The Grand Emperor Hotel.

I decided I would also go to Treasure Island Hotel, as I've also never been in there. In the end I didn't go inside. I got distracted by the displays outside which were also of moons and bunnies. I walked past The Lisboa Hotel on the way.

Outside the Lisboa Hotel.

Outside the Lisboa Hotel.

Rabbits and moon outside Treasure Island Hotel.

Rabbits and moon outside Treasure Island Hotel.

Decorations outside Treasure Island Hotel.

Decorations outside Treasure Island Hotel.

Rabbits and decorations outside Treasure Island Hotel.

Rabbits and decorations outside Treasure Island Hotel.

From outside Treasure Island Hotel there were good views across the water. I took a couple of pictures with reflections.

Reflections in the water.

Reflections in the water.

Reflections in the water.

Reflections in the water.

On my way back towards the hotel, I found another display in Friendship Square.

In Friendship Square.

In Friendship Square.

Back in the hotel, I went for a quick night time swim before heading to bed.

Posted by irenevt 05:33 Archived in Macau Comments (12)

Every block of stone

has a statue inside it.

sunny

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” — Michelangelo

I slept really well, much better than I do in our own home with its hard mattress on a too small bed. I ate my normal Sofitel breakfast, that I never eat anywhere else: bacon, pak choi and fish balls in curry sauce.

Then it was down to the pool. The cherub statues had done a great job of gushing out cooler water overnight and the pool was at a respectable temperature, warm but still refreshing. We swam for a long, long time, then lay on our loungers till we felt so hot, we could stand no more of it.

These little cherubs battled all night to cool down the pool.

These little cherubs battled all night to cool down the pool.

My own little cherub swimming. Haha!

My own little cherub swimming. Haha!

It was time for me to go exploring. On our last stay I had come across a statue of a child playing with a dog, and while googling it later, I had discovered an entire park of statues. Their location really took me by surprise as they were located right next to The Holiday Inn, the hotel we always stayed in when we came here long ago. It was our home from home during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the park was certainly not filled with statues at that time.

I could have gone to the park by bus, but I decided just to walk even though it was ridiculously hot. The most pleasant part was wandering along the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro. This is a great street to walk on, because it is protected from sun and rain as the buildings above it project out from first floor level forming a roof over the street below. There are lots of jewellery shops near the end of this street and each one seems to blast ice cold air from its air conditioners onto the street. I'd have just stood still and enjoyed it, but I'd probably have been suspected of casing the joint.

These overhanging roofs are brilliant.

These overhanging roofs are brilliant.

I had told myself that because of the heat I was to go straight to the park without deviating off elsewhere. I almost managed it, but when I saw The Jardim do Sao Francisco, I realized I have not been there for ages and decided to cross the road and visit it. I should have taken a picture of The Military Club next to it before crossing the road, as it looks very impressive from the front, but it's impossible to photograph when you are too near it. Both The Military Club and the walls of The Jardim do Sao Francisco are bright pink and white.

The Jardim do Sao Francisco is located on the site of a sixteenth century convent, which was built by a Spanish Franciscan Order from Castille. The convent itself was demolished long ago.

The garden is in three sections. The lowest section contains an octagonal library and The Military Club. The second section consists of ornate stairways and terraces, joining the upper and lower part of the gardens. The upper level of the gardens has a small pink and white round tower. This tower was originally built by the Portuguese as a war memorial, but nowadays it is used by the Association of the Handicapped.

The pink and white walls of Jardim do Sao Francisco.

The pink and white walls of Jardim do Sao Francisco.

The pink and white walls of Jardim do Sao Francisco.

The pink and white walls of Jardim do Sao Francisco.

Roots and shelters.

Roots and shelters.

Stairway.

Stairway.

Terrace between different levels of the park.

Terrace between different levels of the park.

Round tower.

Round tower.

Military Club and The Grand Lisboa.

Military Club and The Grand Lisboa.

I was going to retrace my steps back down through the park, but I found another way out. I was heading to Jardim Comendador Ho Yin which has a Sculpture Park of Chinese Ethnics, but before getting there I passed The Arco Oriente. This giant rust coloured steel arch is thirty-five metres tall. It was erected in 1996 as a symbol of the friendship between Portugal and China prior to the handover of Macau in 1999.

The Arco Oriente.

The Arco Oriente.

The Arco Oriente.

The Arco Oriente.

The Comendador Ho Yin Garden was created in 1993 and provided some much needed green space in built-up Macau. It has a fountain and lots of greenery and shady places to sit. Then in 2019, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Macau Handover, The Sculpture Park of Chinese Ethnics was created here. This is a collection of fifty-six life sized statues of each of the ethnic groups of Mainland China. The groups are set out in a way that relates to their geographical position in China. I think I took photos of all fifty-six statues, but don't worry, I'll just put a few on here. I'll put the name of the ethnic group in the caption. There's an indoor part to this exhibition, too, but I didn't go in to it.

Map of The Comendador Ho Yin Garden.

Map of The Comendador Ho Yin Garden.

Layout of The Sculpture Park of Chinese Ethnics.

Layout of The Sculpture Park of Chinese Ethnics.

Fountain.

Fountain.

Maonan.

Maonan.

She.

She.

Blang.

Blang.

Jino.

Jino.

Dong.

Dong.

Russos.

Russos.

Zhuang.

Zhuang.

Uzbek.

Uzbek.

Coreanos.

Coreanos.

Lhoba.

Lhoba.

Cazaques.

Cazaques.

Yugar.

Yugar.

Statue. Unfortunately I don't know the ethnicity.

Statue. Unfortunately I don't know the ethnicity.

Below The Comendador Ho Yin Garden is Dr. Carlos d'Assumpcao Park. At one time there used to be a little cafe here. In the past we would come to Macau by ferry and walk to this park. We would then have a drink and a snack before checking in to The Holiday Inn just across the street. I don't think the cafe is there any longer, at least I didn't see it. There were long lines of trees giving shade. Some trees had colourful flowers. I noticed many people had found a shady spot and just zonked out in it. Actually I feel they were a lot smarter than me. I was beginning to wilt.

Map of Dr. Carlos d'Assumpcao Park.

Map of Dr. Carlos d'Assumpcao Park.

Tree lined pathway.

Tree lined pathway.

Plenty of shade and places to sit.

Plenty of shade and places to sit.

Roasting hot day, Macau.

Roasting hot day, Macau.

Roasting hot day, Macau. I know just how they feel.

Roasting hot day, Macau. I know just how they feel.

Flowering trees.

Flowering trees.

Flowers.

Flowers.

I continued on towards The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre. On the way I passed several ponds. The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre is currently closed. I guess there's some renovation going on there. I've been here before several times. The ecumenical centre is topped by a twenty metre high statue of Kun Iam, goddess of mercy.

Ponds.

Ponds.

Water lilies.

Water lilies.

Ponds.

Ponds.

Kun Iam.

Kun Iam.

I had considered walking from here to Fisherman's Wharf, but it was just way too hot. Instead I decided I would head in the direction of home, but stop off in the MGM Hotel on route. I had intended to visit this hotel when I visited The Lisboa, Grand Lisboa and Wynn Hotels, but I didn't because it started pouring. I especially wanted to go to MGM Hotel because I had read that it had two sculptures by Salvador Dali. Of course, being MGM there is a large lion outside the hotel.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lion.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lion.

The first sculpture by Dali is actually outside the hotel, too. It's called 'Alice in Wonderland' and depicts a young girl skipping.

Alice in Wonderland.

Alice in Wonderland.

Alice in Wonderland.

Alice in Wonderland.

Inside the hotel lobby the second sculpture by Dali is 'Dalian Dancer.' On display above Dalian Dancer there are hand blown glass flowers created by American artist, Dale Chihuly.

Dalian Dancer.

Dalian Dancer.

Dalian Dancer.

Dalian Dancer.

All around there are beautifully decorated lions. These have been on display here since The 2014 Biennial of the Lions which celebrated diplomatic relations between France and China. There are a total of fifty lions, but they are not all on display at the same time. They reminded me of The Cow Parade in Zurich, except with lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The 2014 Biennial of the Lions.

The lobby is decorated with European style architecture, Portuguese tiles, butterflies and giant flowers. From time to time the display in here is changed.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

In the lobby of The MGM Hotel.

Churches depicted on Portuguese tiles.

Churches depicted on Portuguese tiles.

Hunt scene depicted on Portuguese tiles.

Hunt scene depicted on Portuguese tiles.

Ships depicted on Portuguese tiles.

Ships depicted on Portuguese tiles.

MGM symbol.

MGM symbol.

I walked home along the edge of Nam Van Lake. There were good views towards Macau Tower and Our Lady of Penha Church. I took a look at some art work outside The Wynn Hotel.

Looking towards The Macau Tower.

Looking towards The Macau Tower.

Looking towards The Macau Tower.

Looking towards The Macau Tower.

Looking towards The Macau Tower.

Looking towards The Macau Tower.

Looking towards Our Lady of Penha Church.

Looking towards Our Lady of Penha Church.

Looking towards The Grand Lisboa.

Looking towards The Grand Lisboa.

Art work outside Wynn Hotel.

Art work outside Wynn Hotel.

I was soon pleased to be back on shady Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro. When I got back, Peter said it was too hot to swim and I had to agree, so we just relaxed in the room for a while.

Walking home.

Walking home.

Walking home.

Walking home.

We had dinner then went down to the pool in the dark. That's one way to avoid the sun. Unfortunately half the hotel had the same idea so it was really quite busy.

Late night swim.

Late night swim.

The hotel sparkles at night.

The hotel sparkles at night.

Next day we had a free late check out till two, so we got up a little later, ate breakfast and headed to the pool for a long relaxing swim. The river views were stunning as always.

Sunshine over the river.

Sunshine over the river.

Sunshine over the river.

Sunshine over the river.

Sunshine over the river.

Sunshine over the river.

I decided to get Peter a wheelchair at immigration and customs again as he had a bit of an upset stomach. I pushed him all the way to the golden bus that would take us across the bridge. Back in Hong Kong, we caught the B6 feeder bus to Tung Chung, then waited briefly for a bus home. It was a fairly smooth return journey.

Posted by irenevt 04:25 Archived in Macau Comments (8)

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