After visiting Grand Prix Museum and the Wine Museum, we hopped onto a bus going to Macau Tower. We paid around 3 patacas for the bus ride. We had a good view of Macau because of this ride. =)
Macau Tower tickets
Original price for the ticket costs 120 patacas each, but Ate Lyn gave it to us for a discounted fee (saving is important!) :) We wonder where she gets her tickets. Hehe! :)
At Macau Tower's first floor
The Macau Tower, also known as the Macau Sky Tower, measures 338 m (1,109 ft) in height from ground level to the highest point. It offers the breathtaking birds-eye view of Macau and has been used for a variety of adventurous activities.
At the top of the world - at 1109 feet!
Our Macau Tower tour is divided into two - the 58th and 61st floor. The 58th floor is where the Main Observation Deck is while the Outer Observation Deck is on the 61st floor. Glass fronted elevators were also used so that we won't miss the spectacular view as we reach the observation decks.
We first went to the Main Observation Deck which gives us a panoramic view of Macau. Sections of this deck are fitted with glass floor that lets us see the ground beneath our own feet! Stepping on them feels like we're walking on air.
Glass floors ^_^
Window to the world beneath :)
There are also telescopes that we can use for 5 pataca coins each. Ice cream was also sold at the observation deck but it was too cold to eat ice cream!
Zooom!
Lip-shaped couch at Ice Cream Wonderland
After touring the whole main observation deck, we then headed to the 61st floor. Sobrang lamig! We were greeted by Filipino attendants. Truly, Filipinos are everywhere. It's easy to feel at home anywhere there are Pinoys. :)
Why live on the edge when you can jump off?
The Outer Observation Deck is where different heart-pumping attractions are -- the Bungee jump, Sky Jump and Skywalk X to name a few. This makes us remember our Cebu trip where we tried the Skywalk at Crown Regency. We would love to do it again in Macau but we need to save A LOT! We're talking dollars here.. Hehe! ^_^
Sky jump sale!
Our tour of Macau tower was great! (though a bit expensive). We loved the 360 degree of Macau as well as the view from beneath our feet -- from 58 stories high!
Up in the sky!
We then rode a bus again going to Senado Square, a paved area with a wave-patterned mosaic of colored stones, created by Portuguese experts. This place was flocked with people of all ages and nationalities -- taking pictures, shopping, milling about, appreciating the beauty of Macau.
Largo do Senado with our travel buddy, Princess
It was already past lunch time and we were starving from our half day tour. Ate Lyn brought us to Macau Recipes Cafe that served Portuguese and Chinese dishes for an average of 35dollars! A bargain considering their large servings!
Lunch time!
Dining here was a nice experience! They served affordable, delicious meals and the place had a relaxing ambiance. (liked their wallpaper c:)
Ready to eat!
We ordered chicken with lemon sauce and beef with curry. Aside from night photography, we would like to an expert food photographer. :D
Tangy lemon
Curry beef
After been satisfied, we were now ready to explore more of Macau. Up next: the street where everyone offers a free taste of their products!
On our way, we saw some affordable souvenir shirts and bought some for our families. Then the shops selling delicacies with free taste! We should have gone to this place first -- we would've been full just by sampling all their products. Haha! (parasites!)
Courtship <3
Next in our itinerary is the famous Ruins of St. Paul, 'putol' as what Ate Jo called it. The place is where the ruins of a 16th century complex in Macau including of what was originally St. Paul's College and the Cathedral of St. Paul was located. Only the front facade and the grand stone stairs are what remains of the greatest church in Macau.
Ruínas de São Paulo
First constructed in 1580, St. Paul's Church caught fires in 1595 and 1601. However, reconstruction started in 1602 soon after the church was burnt down. Completed in 1637, the church became the biggest Catholic Church in East Asia at that time. Unfortunately, a violent typhoon hit Macau in 1835 and the church caught fire for the third time leaving its glory a history.
Big Panda :)
Located at the bottom end of the inner area of the Ruins of St. Paul's is the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt. Unlike other museums where the entrance can be visible from afar, we had to go down a flight of stairs in order to visit this place.
We first decided to visit The Crypt. It has been built on the old site of the chancel of the original church that was destroyed by a big fire in 1835.
Scarrryy..
It was quiet inside The Crypt, felt kinda creepy yet sacred. On the sidewalls we saw the remains of the Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs, as what Ate Lyn said. A cross and a tabernacle have been placed on the stones, facing an altar topped by a single marble stone to symbolize the sacredness and solemnity of the area.
Solemn,Sacred
Next to the Crypt is the Museum of Sacred Art where items and religious artifacts are located that date back to the 16th and 19th centuries.
Oil paintings, figurines, and life-size replicas of different religious objects can be found inside the museum. We noticed a beautiful collection of Sino-Portuguese crucifixes made of ivory, wood and silver, as well as a large number of liturgical vessels in silver.
Silver cross
What's amazing is that the museum also features paintings that survived the fire that devastated the college and the church.
We learned a lot here, thanks to Ate Lyn and Ate Jo who shared their knowledge and insights. We thank them for their patience and concern for us. :)
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