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over the main town square and is the main administrative body for municipal affairs. At one time it was offered (and turned down) a total monopoly on all Chinese trade! The building also houses the National Library.
Guia Fortress The highest point in Macau is this fortress overlooking the ferry terminal, with a 17th century chapel and lighthouse built on it. The lighthouse is the oldest on the China coast, first lit up in 1865.
San Domingos Church One of the most beautiful churches in Macau is this 17th century building which has an impressive tiered altar. There is a small museum at the back, full of church regalia, images and paintings.
Lou Lim Loc Gardens These beautiful and peaceful gardens and the ornate mansion with its columns and arches (now the Pui Ching School), once belonged to the wealthy Lou family. The gardens are a mixture of Chinese and European in- fluences with huge shady trees, lotus ponds, pavillions, bamboo groves, grottoes and strange shaped doorways.
A-Ma Temple Macau means the 'City of God' and takes its name from A-Ma-Gau, the Bay of A-Ma. The A-Ma Temple, which dates from the Ming Dynasty, stands at the base of Penha Hill on Barra Point. According to legend A-Ma, goddess of seafarers, was supposed to have been a beautiful young woman whose presence on a Canton-bound ship saved it from disaster. All the other ships of the fleet, whose rich owners had refused to give her passage, were destroyed in a storm. The boat people of Macau come here on a pilgrimage each year in April or May.
The Islands Directly south of the mainland peninsula are the islands of Taipa and Coloane. In the past these islands were most notable for their pirates, the last raid being as recent as 1910. A bridge connects Taipa Island to the mainland, and another connects Taipa and Coloane.
Gambling Even if gambling has no interest for you it's fun to wander the casinos at night. There are three main arenas for losing money. Largest is the Hotel Lisbo with all the usual games, a special private room for the really high rollers and row upon row of 'hungry tigers' - slot machines It's gambling Chinese style though, none of the dinner jacket swank of Monte Carlo or the neon gloss of Vegas - at Macau you put your money down, take your chances and to hell with the surroundings. At the other end of the main street is the Macau Palace a floating casino (China is visible through the windows) and midway between is the Chinese casino where they play games like Dai-Siu (big and small). You can also bet on the games at the Jai-Alai on the waterfront near the ferry terminal.
Festivals
Macau's main festival time is November when the Grand Prix is held - not a good time to go unless you're a racing fan, as the place is packed and prices sky-rocket.
The Chinese in Macau celebrate the same religious festivals as their counter- parts in Hong Kong but there are also a number of Catholic festivals and some Portuguese national holidays. Most import- ant is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima when the Fatima image is removed from San Domingo's Church and taken in procession around the city.
The Macau Grand Prix is held in November each year and, as in Monaco, the actual streets of the town make
up
the raceway. There are in fact two Grand Prix - one for cars and one for motorcycles and the six km circuit attracts contestants from all over the world.
Places to Stay
Cheapest accommodation in Macau is at the villas and hospidaries, the equivalent of guest houses. Weekends are a bad time to come to Macau; try to make your trip on a weekday. During the quieter midweek time it's worth bargaining a little. There are quite a few villas around the back of
the Hotel Lisboa; they usually have a sign by the door. The ones very close to the hotel are more pricey, so walk around and check. Some of these places along here don't take westerners, so be prepared to be turned away.
There are others along Praia Grande, before the government palace, such as the Yat Lou Hotel at 74 with a good atmosphere and friendly staff. Avenida de D Joao IV, which runs down the side of the Sintra Hotel, also has a number of other places. Vila Nam Loon at 30C Rua Dr P J Lobo is a pleasant little place with rooms from around M$75. Vila Vai Lei on Rua de D Jao IV is another similarly priced and good place. Vila Tak Lei, a few doors up from the Hotel Matsuya on Estrada Do Sao Francisco, has superb ocean views and air-conditioning. Rooms are M$65 although they may try to charge more.
If you want a sample of the old colonial Macau, well away from the casino glitter, spend a night at the fine old Bela Vista (tel 573821) on Rua Comendador Kouhoneng. This is the Raffles of Macau, an old colonial-style place with rooms from M$90/120 plus 15% service and tourist tax. Second floor rooms (M$120-140) even have private balconies. It's popular so getting a room may not be easy. Even if you don't stay there a meal on the verandah terrace is a good investment.
At any hotel it's worth asking for a discount on weekdays. Even the Hyatt cuts prices 40% during the week. If you want a hotel quickly and easily one of the cheapest of the 'approved' ones is the Grand Hotel (tel 2741) at 146 Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, near the floating casino. It's a big old hotel rooms with and without air-con from around M$120. In the middle of the same street the Hotel Central is at 26-28 near the Leal Senado. Here rooms cost from M$88 to 136 for singles, M$104 to 158 for doubles. The Central at one time had a casino with a balcony - reclusive gamblers would lower their bets in small baskets from above.
Hotel Cantao is just back from the
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Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, next to the Grand Hotel. It's cheap, pleasant enough and rather noisy. Rooms cost from around M$40. Other cheaper hotels include the Hotel Man Vu (tel 88656) at 30-34 Rua de Caldeira with doubles at M$110 to 140. The Hotel Ko Wa (tel 75599 or 75452) is on the 3rd floor at 71 Rua de Felicidade, one block south of the upper end of the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro. Hotel London (tel 83388) is at 4 Praca Ponte E Horte near the floating casino and has singles at M$80-110, doubles at M$120-160, all air-
con.
Places to Eat
A long, lazy Portuguese meal with a carafe of red to keep it company is one of the most pleasant parts of a Macau visit. The menus are often in Portuguese so a few useful words are cozido stew, cabrito - lamb, carreiro - mutton, galinha - chicken, caraguejos – crabs, carne de vaca, beef, peixe - fish. Apart from carafe wine you can also get Mateus Rose, that best known of Portuguese wines. Another Macau pleasure is to sit back in one of the many little cake shops with a glass of cha de limao (lemon tea) and a plate of cakes - very genteel! People eat early in Macau: you can find the chairs being put away and the chef gone home at 9 pm.
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Some good places to try include the Estrela do Mar (Sea Star) on a little road off the seafront Rua da Praia Grande, right next door to the tourist office. It's become a little more expensive of late but is still good value, probably the cheapest Portuguese place around. Cafe Safari on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro is equally nice.
If you feel like spending up a little then the Macau Inn (Pousada de Macau) on the Praia Grande is Macau's most famous eating place and is particularly well- known for its African chicken. The superbly old-world Bella Vista has a beautiful view from the open terrace to accompany the excellent and not too expensive food. Cafe Safari on Avenida de
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