There and Back

High rolling in Macau and Hong Kong

We are currently in Hong Kong right now. This was the part of the trip that I was looking forward to the least but it turned out to be a lovely surprise. There are so many things to do in this vibrant city and I wish I was brave enough to go off and explore on my own. I will definitely come back when I know more Cantonese - and more money in my pocket. Traveling poor can get you in unfortunate circumstances when you try and take what seems to be the best deal. It’s a recurring lesson in life, I think - you always get what you pay for. In Macau, we have experienced what it was like to be homeless and sleep on street benches. It’s an amusing story to tell but an experience I hope not to relive again. We paid for a 380 Hkd room that was mold infested and threatening to cave in on itself. I’m not hard to please but that place was a health hazard and sleeping on the streets proved to be the better option.
The beds, though neatly made up had mysterious stains on it. The air was heavy with the smell of mold and the walls were teeming with it. Even the complimentary toiletries had mold - mouth rinse anyone? So, we tucked our bags in the closet with the intention of not returning til morning.
Macau seemed like a safe place at night. Lots of people - even young women roam the streets in the wee hours of the morning. I felt safer than I ever did in Manila - which is another story on it’s own. it retains this old world feel with it’s European inspired architecture that were wonderfully preserved. I think it is what Old Manila would have been had it not been bombed to oblivion in WWII. It fills me with nostalgia for a life that I didn’t know. My favourite place is the Senado Square which is a pedestrian friendly walkway lined with stores and eateries on the side akin to Las Ramblas in Barcelona. The only positive part of being homeless is that we were able to walk along the square by ourselves before it became congested with people in midday.
We walked aimlessly through cobblestone streets and dark back alleys until we got lost. Sleep deprived, we decided to try our luck at the casino, hoping a little game can win us enough money for a decent hotel room. 5 hours later and 30 HKD gambled away, I inhaled a week’s worth of second hand smoke while tapping away the SPIN button half awake and confused. I don’t get the fuss over casinos… More later

- Maria