Talking Macau
November 4, 2001 | 12:00am
You fall in love with Macau even before the plane lands.
From above, the South China Sea blinks with a multitude of blazing eyes at the sky. The water then slowly turns silt-colored as the coast draws near. The next thing you realize is that you have seemingly touched down on the water. Indeed, you look out on either side of the plane’s cabin windows and see nothing but the expanse of the South China Sea – but that’s because Macau International Airport’s runway dramatically stretches into the body of water.
You then take the 4.5-kilometer Friendship Bridge that connects Taipa island (where the airport is) to the Macau peninsula in the China mainland. The bridge juts out of the water like a defiant dragon, and you travel the length of its back higher and higher. Several concrete breakwater structures help tame the waves below. "On your left is Macau; China is on your right," says the tour guide, and you marvel at this revelation.
Such sights are surely meant to inspire awe in visitors of this former Portuguese colony known for its permissive export duties and vibrant casinos. And the Macanese consider that the gravest injustice on their homeland – for it to be considered nothing but a haven of gamblers and organized crime.
Macau’s colorful history is interwoven with the tale of the meeting of East and West. For centuries, Macau has been a door to mainland China and had been the only meeting place between cultures. It is perhaps for this reason that Macau was chosen by missionaries in the 1500s as a staging area from which they could spread Christianity and Western thought throughout the new land. The first "Western" school in the Far East, St. Paul’s College, was founded there in the 16th century.
Macau then evolved into a cosmopolitan center and a hub for merchants who were prohibited from staying in neighboring Canton’s factories after winter months (the period authorized for trading activities).
But when Hong Kong was created in the wake of the first Opium War in 1841, trade activities gradually shifted to the new territory – eventually making Hong Kong into one of the world’s biggest commercial and financial centers.
But while Macau had lost its preeminent trading stature in the region, it also had been arguably spared from ravages of crass commercialism and influence of merchants. This helped the territory maintain its distinct blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures –an interesting phenomenon that tourists will do well to bear in mind.
Unfortunately, Filipinos usually think of destinations such as Thailand and Hong Kong when planning a trip abroad that is both easy on the budget and enjoyable (read: with a myriad of shopping finds).
Located in the Guandong province in the western bank of the Pearl River Delta, Macau has an area of 23.8 square kilometers broken down into the different islands: Macau Peninsula (7.8 square kilometers), Taipa (6.2), Coloane (7.6) and the reclaimed area of COTAI (2.2).
Macanese architecture evokes the tastes and sensibilities of its former colonizers. Certainly, the European flavor is clear in the meandering, narrow streets where scooters of all shapes merrily putter along. One is reminded of Italy’s Spanish Steps by St. Paul’s Ruins (Tai Sam Pa), and the warm earth colors of many buildings are certainly not on the average Asian palette. And the lavish designs of the Catholic churches are more of the colonial type that the Philippines has a lot of.
The strong Western influence is complemented by Chinese customs and traditions. After all, about 95 percent of Macau’s 450,000 inhabitants are Chinese – coming mainly from Guangdong and Fujian. The remaining five percent include Portuguese and other Europeans as well as Asians (such as Filipinos). Incidentally, there are some 18,000 Filipinos in Macau, and five Pinoy priests currently attend to their spiritual needs via adminstering of sacraments and saying of Masses.
Despite having been under Portugal’s wing, only 10 percent of Macanese are Catholics. Nonetheless, the many churches around this special administrative region of China are in great shape. Indeed, pilgrimages to many of Macau’s churches are what local travel agents are planning to hold and market for the Filipino traveler.
For needs of a gastronomic kind, Macau offers a smorgasbord of familiar fare with refreshing twists and unexpected turns. At the Restaurante Vasco Da Gama in Hotel Royal, one might start lunch with a light appetizer – sautéed shrimps in garlic and olive oil. Then comes the popular Macanese (by way of Portugal) soup caldo verde (Portuguese potato puree with green vegetables). Bacalhau (sound familiar?) is also a staple here. Before a dessert of custard pudding (a lighter version of leche flan), you might want to chuck that diet out the window and feast on some roasted suckling pig with rice stuffing.
Our group of Pinoy travel agents and journalists sent by the Macau Government Tourist Office took a particular liking to that, plus the sangria that was served at every meal. Then there was the Portuguese chorizo that we just had to look for and take home with us. The Pinoy waiters at A Lorcha pointed us to where we could buy the heavenly treats. If you want to know, we had clam soup, grilled prawn then African chicken – sort of a chicken curry concoction with lots of paprika.
Here’s a nifty thought when you’re in Macau: "One of the main points in Macau is to eat." Well, that was what our tour guide Teresa Gomes said, and we’d certainly second that in a heartbeat. She also explained that compared to Hong Kong, accommodations in Macau are cheaper. Diehard shoppers who just can’t resist visiting the former Crown Colony always have the option to take a short jetfoil ride there.
We visited the downtown Museu de Macau and were both dismayed and pleased by the impressive dioramas, extensive collections and enlightening displays. Dismayed? Of course, we would always think of the dismal state of our own museums here in the Philippines.
But we were also pleasantly surprised to learn that all the security guards at the Museu are Pinoys.
As in the rest of the world, Filipinos are valued here not just for their peerless work ethic, but their command of English as well. If there’s a fault in the generally laidback and friendly Macanese, it’s their inability to communicate effectively in English. This was exemplified horribly when relatives tried to reach us at our hotel – and were repeatedly told there were no guests by our names.
But shoppers need not worry too much. After all, there is such a thing as amateur sign language, and the almighty calculator.
The local currency, called the pataca (MOP), approximates the value of the Hong Kong dollar.
Despite its small area, Macau is a treasure trove of discoveries – both for the conventional tourist seeking famous landmarks and the wanderer prefering the road less traveled and delighting in secret finds.
For souvenir hunters, Macau is chockful of knickknacks that are also available in places such as Hong Kong and Taiwan – such as lacquered buddhas and animals. Some of the unique souvenirs we did find were amber figures. A small one cost us MOP100.
More unconventional discoveries – such as small communities with their own plazas and furniture stores manned by Pinoy clerks – await the intrepid tourist who ventures into the outlying islands.
If you ask us however, we’d recommend a day spent strolling at the Largo do Senado (Senate Square), where you soak up the sights, sounds and smells of this European city right smack in the middle of a very large Chinatown.
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