Macau, Dec 2024.

Hong Kong to Macau

Macau, for all that it offers and conceals, ensures that you have a definite plan for your travel, though the gambling scenario would benefit if you don’t have one for your life! There are 2 ferry ride vendors who provides competitive prices but provides everything else exactly the same that you wouldn’t really notice if you accidentally traveled in the other one. During the booking of the ferry tickets, you have to let the vendor know the exact time that you would return to Hong Kong. A tentative plan is not acceptable, you need to let the vendor know the time of the ride that you would avail to make your return journey. If you fumble they will decide it for you!

As some one who has only taken short ferry rides, the sheer amount of security protocol was overwhelming for me. The processes in place are exhaustive akin to departing from an airport – strict immigration checks, baggage screening, security checks and passport verification.

Macau

If you are in Hong Kong and then travel to Macau then you would feel a paradigm shift. Both cities are willfully distinct, Macau does not usually accept Hong Kong currency, is less fluent in English and is forcefully laid back. Considering the unpredictable gambling tendencies displayed and inherent, the cautious city strictly advocates using cash.

The small city dotted with Portuguese style buildings and churches have massive casino structures protruding amongst them. The lights and colors that illuminate the horizon during the night does not hide the disparities of wealth the industry is notorious of during the day.

Macau is most busy at its centre, Senado Square, where people begin their adventure or retreat to post one. Once you leave Senado Square into any of the alleys, you cannot help but notice the silence. Lined with small shops that boast of artefacts quintessential of Macau, the conversations exchanged are less in these alleys.

As I walked slowly to the ruins of Saint Paul’s church, I felt a vague sense of familiarity. It was an eerie feeling that slowly whispered to me that I have been here before and I couldn’t believe how that could have been possible! As I approached a quiet alley, I entered a tiny cafe that looked cosy and welcoming. I stepped in for a snack and as I browsed through the menu, voila, there it was! Suddenly I realized what was so familiar!

Familiar and favorite delicacies from Goa were splashed across its pages with pride – Goan prawns curry, Goan bread, Serradura and much more!

I have heard that the Portuguese influence is prevalent in both Goa and Macau even today but this was not just history being reminisced in current times. This felt more like a conscious attempt to keep alive the spirit of cousin-hood! Once I stepped outside the cafe, I could see the similarities even better everywhere, in architecture, in cuisine and in the environment. It was wonderfully strange how lands thousands of miles apart could look and feel alike!

It didn’t feel like a foreign place anymore to me.

Colonial Cousins

A carousel of colonial influence, architecture characterized by azulejos, wrought-iron railings and tile roofs, love for food and inevitable proclivity to gambling.

Can you figure out which is Goa/Macau?

The two cities in fact inspire you to flaunt who you truly are! Though there are similarities there are also many distinctive elements which makes visiting each of them an experience of its own.

Macau is not just about the Casinos which in itself are mighty, gargantuan, and in a scale that can be seen nowhere in the rest of the world. But in alleys of Macau you will see sneaker culture, high end brands openly displayed on roads, antiques from mainland, and a food tapestry that is utmost unique to Macau that includes egg tarts, ginger milk, beef jerky and almond cookies made from pork floss. In the smallest of shops will you see the longest of queues waiting for these!

Goa meanwhile is an undisputed beach destination. Blessed with sanguine verdance and pristine beaches, Goa is a haven to escape into and rejuvenate! In the foodscape of Goa, you will see a strong presence of indigenous flavors, feni being an ode to the glory of Goan heritage.

Time passes slowly in both cities and as the day ebbs into the evening, colorful lights engulf them, transforming them into international hubs of casinos!

Back from Macau

Once you leave Macau and enter Hong Kong, it feels like you had belonged to a mirage. As you turn around and look back, you don’t see it anymore. The bustling city of Hong Kong, its grandeur of lights and speed of function sweeps you back into its own rhythm and in no time you are part of its business!

But thousands of miles away, in India, Goa does not let you forget Macau just as Macau does not fail to remind you of Goa.