Our Macau Holiday (October 2011): Day 2 (Senado Square, St. Paul Ruins, Camoes Garden, Macau Tower-Skywalk X, Macau Airport)

I did a lot of research prior to our trip and most of the info I got came from the Macau Thread of PinoyExchange (PEx). Thanks to commoner and rap_sd6 who created the thread and to all the PExers who contributed. :) 

We were a party of 5 adults and 1 kid (a senior at 62yrs, then 29, 26, 25, and 18 yrs old, and a 2yr-old-kid).  The promo tickets were bought in February 2011 (tagal ng paghihintay, hehe).

OCTOBER 31, 2011, Monday (Senado Square, St. Paul Ruins, Camoes Garden, Macau Tower-Skywalk X, Macau Airport: MACAU - CLARK)
It's the last day of our holiday. :)  The little boy woke up late again and we were able to leave Hotel Sintra at 12:30pm.  I advised the front desk that we will be a bit late 'coz they might charge us for late check-out.  After leaving our baggage with the concierge, we walked to Senado Square.

natuwa ang bata sa upuan

checking-out

our baggage at the concierge

Hotel Sintra lobby

rickshaw :)

Senado Square was just near Hotel Sintra and there were green directional signs on the street dedicated to tourists that you can follow.

the directional signs

I didn't expect Senado Square to be small.  It looked big in pictures and movies.  We went inside St. Dominic's Church to pray.

the famous landmark where Aga and Angelica met, hehe.. :)

St. Dominic's Church

the altar

thank you, Lord, for all Your blessings :)

We saw the food store where Jan Di and Ji Hoo in Boys Over Flowers (Koreanovela) bought egg tarts.  S'yempre bumili rin kami.  Masarap din. :)

yum!

We didn't eat lunch because of the bountiful free taste of beef / pork jerky, almond cookies, and peanut candy on the way to the ruins. :)  We also liked the food / "tusok-tusok" stall by the foot of the ruins where you buy fruit juice, lobster ball, fish ball, tofu, squid ball, etc.  My hubby and brother liked the spicy flavored sauce, it had the right amount of spiciness.

free taste left and right

beef / pork jerky

peanut candy

famous bakery in Macau

the ruins

ang saraaap nito, pramis! :)

ay ate, may problema ka sa tofu ni baby? :D

A Macau vacation is not complete without a picture at the facade of St. Paul's Ruins. :)  Even Ryken posed for the camera, hehe. 

pogi pose

behind the ruins (I didn't go up anymore)

Grand Lisboa (pic taken by hubby)

We didn't go to the Macau Museum anymore.  We walked further to reach Camoes Garden and we also went inside St. Anthony's Church.

on the way to the garden

parking meter

Ryken enjoyed the wide space

St. Anthony's Church (across Camoes Garden)

inside the church

Camoes Garden was the place of seniors, hehe.  Puro kasi matanda ang dinatnan namin doon.  :) There were bikes, swings, and other equipment similar to a fitness gym that can be used for exercise.  We remembered the new "Karate Kid" movie here. :)

a senior! hehe :)

mahirap palang gamitin ito

'di raw patatalo ang bulilit

I only bought a Macau magnet (HKD10.00) at a store near the ruins then peanut candy (HKD58.00) and pork loin jerky (around HKD80.00+) from Pastelaria Koi Kei as souvenir / pasalubong.  On the way back to Senado Square, my brother bought an electric razor at Fortress near St. Dominic's and we saw John Estrada and Randy Santiago with their director in "Happy Yipee Yehey" there.  Photo ops kami syempre lalo pa at walang masyadong Pinoy sa loob.  John was buying a Canon DSLR 'coz it was cheaper there than in the Philippines.

dabarkads

tulog na si Ryken sa pagod

gwapo ni John! :)

We walked back to Hotel Sintra to leave our pasalubong with the luggage then we rode the shuttle of Mocha Club (a small brown van) to Macau Tower.  When you exit the main door of Hotel Sintra, turn right then right again.  The shuttle leaves every 30minutes to the tower.

 

pricelist of AJ Hackett activities

Only me, hubby, and sister-in-law went up to the observation decks because we also did the Skywalk X (HKD648 per person).  The price already includes the entrance fee to the observation decks.  My mom and brother stayed behind with Ryken at Toys 'R Us.

view from the indoor observation deck

I was already scared here, 'di ako agad nakaupo, hehe..

The Skywalk X was the best experience I had in Macau!  Though I wasn't as brave as my hubby and sister-in-law (I can't let go of my safety harness to freely move), I still enjoyed it.  We started at 6:00pm so we saw how Macau's skyline changed from day to night. :) 

When doing the Skywalk, you are not allowed to bring anything with you, even cellphones, cameras, watches, rings, or earrings but there are lockers for rent where you can keep your belongings if you don't have other companions with you.  I was given a string for my eyeglasses so that it won't fall off as easily.  A guide will take you around the tower's outer rim and he will also be directing the poses you will do for the camera (there's a souvenir picture cd included in the package).  He also described the view:  the islands of Macau and Zhuhai, China (which was just a bridge away from Macau).  I commend AJ Hackett for the efficient management of their activities because you feel really safe even if you're 233meters above sea level. :)  There was also a Pinoy crew there. :)

before doing the Skywalk

pansin n'yo 'di ko talaga mabitiwan yung harness? hehe..

lipad!!!

Indian tourists na kasabay namin sa Skywalk

this holds the string used on bungy jumpers

Iyak daw ng iyak si Ryken nung umalis kami :(  Tumatahan naman pero 'pag naalala uli kami, iiyak siya uli.  When you're older, baby, we'll bungy jump in Macau Tower, ok? :) Here's his picture with the giraffe of Toys 'R Us.

We ate dinner at the Patiserrie of Macau Tower after the Skywalk.  Food tasted great and was reasonably priced.  We chose plain rice, chicken and fish viands, and soup.  I liked the apple and walnut salad, dami naming nakain! :)

wow, sarap ng cakes, ah (di namin natikman, hehe..)

photo with the replica na lang kasi 'di na kaya sa actual tower

We rode a taxi back to Hotel Sintra kasi super tagal ng Mocha shuttle eh malelate na kami for check-in sa 9:40pm flight namin back to Clark.  Buti mabait yung guard sa Macau Tower, he helped us communicate with the taxi drivers that we will go to Hotel Sintra first then to Macau Airport.  Our group had to ride separate taxis since the only available taxis there were for 4passengers.  It would take us long if we will wait for a taxi for 5persons.  Hubby and I rode on a black taxi while mama and the rest rode the yellow taxi.  Wow, ang bilis ng metro ng taxi!!  Our fare was MOP100.00 (including surcharge for two baggage) while the other group's fare was just MOP84.00 (including surcharge for four baggage).  Buti na lang sa kabilang taxi naikarga yung karamihan ng bagahe, hehe.. :)  We missed Fisherman's Wharf and Grand Prix Museum, hopefully next time mapuntahan na namin. :)

departure area

our luggage

check-in counter (pinoy yung nandoon)

thank you for helping, Ryken :)

hala, Ryken, nilampaso mo na ang damit mo (like my brother when he was younger)

At the baggage x-ray counter, we were questioned by security personnel because of a certain item in my luggage.  They asked me to open it and the item questioned was Ryken's vitamins (bottles of Ceelin Plus, Taurex, and Ferlin).  I told them they were vitamins for the baby and they let us go.  Kinabahan ako, baka mapagkamalan pa kaming drug mule, kaloka!

Cebu Pacific left on time and we arrived early in Clark.  We bought in-flight meals again kahit mahal kasi nagutom na agad kami.  Nakakapagod din pala talaga ang magbiyahe.  We paid a total of Php450.00 for parking at DMIA (rate of Php90.00/day  x  5 days). 

Thank you so much to my mom (Ryken's Loly) for sponsoring this trip.  It was her graduation gift for my brother (who finally finished his degree after 7.5years, hehe). :)  Thank you also, dear Lord, for all your blessings and for taking care of us during the entire trip. :)