Thursday, October 18, 2007

Plans For Hong Kong

The first thing I plan on doing when I get to Hong Kong is leave it for the day. I plan on checking out Macau, China. Here is the ship's description:
Macau
Duration
Approximately 10 hours
Description
Macau is just 60 minutes from Hong Kong by fast ferry, and is an ideal tour for those who have previously visited Hong Kong. The island was colonized by Portugal for 400 years, but reverted to Chinese rule in 1999 and is known as "the Monte Carlo of the Far East" for its annual Formula 3 Grand Prix race through the streets. The territory is an intriguing blend of cultures--unmistakably Asian, but nonetheless draped in a cloak of intriguing atmosphere and faded Mediterranean charm. Your visit today will include old and new Macau. You will stop at a Buddhist temple, and see the Porto do Cerco gate which marks the old border between Portugal and China. You'll visit the ruins of St. Paul's--a 16th century church built by Italian and Japanese Jesuit priests--and the Macau Tower--the 10th-highest freestanding tower in the world. Monte Fort is an immaculately-manicured historic, park-like setting high above the town. Ancient cannons are still in place atop the crenellated stone walls, and the views over the island are sensational. In the Old Town, the wide plaza features mosaic tiles set out in magnificent waves of black and white--a slice of Lisbon in the South China Sea! Colonial buildings line the square and shroud it in an air of genteel senescence. Lunch will be served at Pousada de Coloane--a family style Portuguese Inn with a terrace over looking the bay.

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