The first leg of our Family getaway began with 2 flights across the country & a ferry to the island of Macau! Everything went without hitch, and the girls were amazing travelers. I don't think we can take credit for any of their sweet attitudes or their flexibility, but they certainly have been amazing us. They really do enjoy seeing new sights, and packing their toys into a tiny backpack.
Macau is a great place - it is still part of China, but extremely different from the mainland. The culture is a wide mix of influences. Macau was colonized by the Portuguese, so there is a lot of Latin feel & Portuguese on all the signs, as well as English. We noticed more Catholic flavor, with Bishops, churches and even shrines to certain saints and historical figures. The area we stayed was the gambling/casino area of town - with huge highrise buildings and flashy lights. We noticed lots of sporty cars, fashion & expensive goods. The architecture was amazing too! Mandarin speaking people were less common, and the accent harder to understand.Our favorite part was exploring the harbor and all along the coast. The smells of fish & seaweed were welcome reminders of our motherland, and we tried to soak up all the sights & smells as best we could. On day #2 (while exploring the walking streets) we met an 80 year old Macau resident who was once a Bishop of Macau - back in his prime. He sat with us while we ate lunch & gelato - sharing stories of his culture, history of the city & life on the island. It was incredible to meet this patriarch of the city.
