Macau 2014 : Changes over the last 6 years

So the last time I visited Macau was back in 2008 and boy, it has sure changed. As usual, to get to Macau, one of the ways is to get to Shun Tak Ferry Terminal and catch a ferry there. Unlike the last time where I get the tickets off the ferry company directly, this time around, we got the tickets from one of the many travel agencies around since we were running a little late. It's good and bad to do that (more on this later).

So this is a pic of the ferry that we took all the way to Macau from Shun Tak Ferry Terminal.

And these are the buildings that we passed by along the way.

Now, Macau is the Vegas of the East so you'll be greeted by the many free casino buses when you reach the ferry terminals on either sides of Macau. Take your pick and visit one of those grand luxurious places if you're interested. 

The last time I visited, there was only Venice on this part of Macau. 6 years later, Galaxy has made its way there and it's a lot bigger. Next to it, there are 2 construction projects going on for hotels and casinos. Galaxy provides many free shuttle buses for you to get around Macau for free.

So we took the shuttle bus to get to Rua do Cunha to get to the famous restaurant there for Crab Porridge and Squid balls.

Along the way, we passed by Hui Lau Shan and tried their mango dessert. It doesn't taste as nice as before. Perhaps, I've tasted better ones.

Here's the infamous Crab Porridge at Seng Cheong Restaurant. Just like many popular eateries in Hong Kong, you'll not fail to spot some photos of TVB artiste in the restaurant.

Try the Squid Balls too. They're yummy!

After the meal, we headed up street for a short walk before we head to the other side of Macau to visit the ruins of St Paul.

In the past when I visited Macau, I remember the manager of the backpacker's home told us that we ought to just take free casino buses to get around. The first time I was there, I didn't have any loose change that resulted me in paying 100HKD for a public bus ride in Macau.

The ruins at St Paul is still as bus as ever, full of buzz from the tourists and locals alike. Here is where you find countless Koi Kei Pastelaria shops all around, and many stalls selling pork chop buns, bubble tea and Portuguese egg tarts. You'll not be able to get a clear picture of the ruins of St Paul without having other people in your photos because it'll be really packed with tourists so try to grab a good spot and chamouflage your photos somehow :)

Heading back to Hong Kong island was a bit of an adventure for us. You see, when you buy the tickets from the travel agencies, they're definitely more convenient and perhaps slightly cheaper. However, the ticket that they claimed to be an opened ticket is usually issued for the last ferry of the night.

So what a traveler basically needs to do is to go to the terminal, take a picture of the board and queue at the next available ferry's waiting list, to hopefully board when there are available seats. Now, if there are no seat available, you'll see all these people in the waiting list rush to the next available ferry to get on to the next ferry. Typically there are about 10 seats available so you've gotta be quick. Each ferry departs at a 15 - 30 minutes interval. We did the running around for about 4 times before we finally get to board and reach Hong Kong island at about 9pm.

I thought that was more of the highlight of my trip to Macau this time around than the usual touristy stuff. Be mindful of the waiting queue if you're visiting Macau soon :)