Yesterday I went to the Macao Special Administrative Region and soon to be the Las Vegas of Asia. What is there to do in the former Portuguese colony you ask? Not much if you're not into gambling, but plenty if you're a tart lover. My favourite place was the ruins of St Paul's Cathedral and below the steps leading up to it is this narrow street (reminded me of San Blas in Cuzco, Peru) where there are nothing but bakeries on both sides selling almond biscuits, Portuguese tarts and Chinese-styled dried beef, chicken and pork jerky. The smell of baked goods just permeated the air 
I thought I was in heaven! Alrighty, that's about as ecclesiastical as I'm going to get.
The many faces of Portuguese tart lovers (see left). You have to eat it then and there, coming straight out of the oven. It was piping hot egg custard with mult-layered light pastry. It's worth the just over one-hour ferry ride.
We walked around the city centre for ages, stopped for lunch at a place where they served pork steak buns, another specialty for which the Macanese are well-known for. Then we stopped to rest
at a library with gardens and water fountains where my nephew let his rubber duckie go for a swim (yes he brought his rubber duckie with him), before proceeding to Wynn's casino to watch their fountain and flames display to "Diamonds are Forever".
We even stopped by Hotel Lisboa (the most famous hotel/casino in Macao for a look. For the refined there is an impressive carved jade and antique collection. For something different if you want to watch other kind of tarts soliciting for company, drinking or
maybe more if the price is right, the hotel food and bank basement would be the place to go to.Out last stop was the newly-opened fisherman's wharf. There is a nice casino being built there that has yet to open called the Babylon casino. There's a great view of the bridge connecting Macao to Zhuhui, China. I will upload more photos later as blogger has decided to chuck a spaz.
5 comments:
Tart jokes are awesome and that one was especially good. I'm about to send off a resume for a teaching job in HK. Was that VE with duckie?
Really! Let me know how you go. I'm happy to say there is still a shortage of native-english speaking teacher post-SARS. They left in droves with their surgical masks and never returned.
Correct. Twas VE with duckie and yes it was also the duck's first trip to Macao as well.
Although, if Aunty w-ko hadn't been proactive for the duck's rights he would not have been released for a swim in the fountain.
I dared to question the parental authoritarian government - Why not give the duck his freedom?
Of course, the duck goes swimming, VE gets soaking wet and a change of clothes is required.
Aunty w-ko strikes again!
Just remembered I owe you an email in reply. After my November issue goes out.
hi w-ko,
where did you buy your portugese egg tarts from when you were in macau? i've to try get some when i go back to macau. the photos of you eating the tarts away make my mouth water.
oops...i mean any particular shop that sells good portugese tarts?
i know the egg rolls shop near the steps of the ruins of st paul's cathedral is quite good and always jam packed with tourists.
The Portuguese tarts were purchased from the tart shop 3 shops from the steps of St Pauls on the left-hand side facing opposite the church. Sorry, I didn't get the name but it should be written on the paper bag from which my tart peeps out of.
My brother actually says you can get just as good ones from Park n' Shop. Well, I think there's going to be a taste test comparison in due course.
I bought egg rolls as well! First shop from the steps on the right facing the church! How can you not when that sweet smell equivalent to freshly-made biscuity wafer ice-cream cones is wafting through the air?
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