We encountered difficulty in bus hopping due to Macau’s Grand Prix being held from November 17 to 20, 2016. But it didn’t dampen my excitement because my new travel buddies, Day Leen, Jelo, and Kimmie are all persistent to go places despite the situation. Coming from the Ruins of St. Paul’s, we boarded Bus 10A going to A-Ma Temple. From the bus stop, there was signage pointing in the direction of the temple. It was indeed easy to find.

At the Gate Pavilion… visitors flock at the center for a photograph

 A-Ma Temple is said to be the oldest temple in Macau. It was built in 1488 in honor of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu. A-ma Temple is a buzzing tourist attraction in the city that should never be missed to visit.

I was captivated by how A-Ma Temple looked like. It has six sections beginning from Gate Pavilion which was crowded as everyone was busy taking pictures right at the center. Moving on is the Prayer Hall also known as the Palace of the Holy Mountain. This is where fervent Chinese visitors bow down their heads and pray. Other sections were the Hall of Benevolence which was the oldest part of the temple built in 1488, the Hall of Guanyin, the Memorial Arch, and Zhengjiao Chanlin (Buddhist Pavilion).

The most attractive among the sections is the Buddhist Pavilion because of its colorful design and appearance.

I got so curious looking at the inscriptions carved on stones along the cliff. I asked a young Chinese couple what those writings mean; they smiled at me and told me they didn’t know. I told myself, “don’t bother asking any Chinese visitors there, go to Gate Pavilion and have your candid shot!” To which I did albeit the crowd. Yeey!

Maritime Museum or Museo Maritime is located few distances away from A-ma Temple. This is one of the best museums of Macau as it showcases the naval history of this country. You may take a tour inside for about twenty to thirty minutes and be fascinated by the many interesting things like various model ships, the dragon boat, and other related maritime information.

Opening Hours:  10:00 am to 6:00 pm – Monday to Sunday

We boarded Bus 31 going back to the Forum and another bus ride B10 going to Golden Lotus Square an open square in Sé. What you may see here is the large bronze sculpture called Lotus Flower in Full Bloom which symbolizes the prosperity of the region. It is somewhat associated with Golden Bauhinia in Hong Kong which we will be visiting tonight by Day Leen.

The sculpture is made of gilded bronze standing at 6 meters high and weighs 6.5 tons. Its three major parts are the stem, petal, and pistil. The base has 23 red granite stones in three layers and in a form of lotus leaves. The three layers signify three major parts of Macau: Macau Peninsula, Taipa Island, and Coloane Island.

this is the last place we visited at Macau Peninsula

Golden Lotus Square is flocked by tourists for photo ops and is now popular for skateboarding.

I felt my visit to Macau allowed me to travel to space and time. Truly, I was so happy with our fun-filled adventure for I was here not only to see famous tourist spots but I got delighted mingling with cheerful people sharing the same passion for travel.

Day Leen and I are still smiling despite the transportation situation

We will be visiting now the famous casinos of Macau in the Cotai Strip. From Golden Lotus Square, we headed near Casa Real Casino to catch the free shuttle service going to Venetian Macau.

Along the way, we passed by lanes of eateries, and there, we settled for lunch.

At last, here we are for a heavy lunch… recharging our bodies for another walk attack in Cotai Strip

Next destination – Venetian Macau and Galaxy Macau

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Part 2: Hong Kong and Macau Trip: Senado Square and St. Dominic’s Church	Singapore Family Trip-Part 5: Affordable buys at Bugis Street	Singapore Family Trip-Part 8: Orchard Road and Clarke Quay	Singapore Family Trip-Part 9: Child delight in Singapore Zoo

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