The Other Ex-Colony
Macau was exactly what I needed after an exciting but very busy week in Hong Kong. A former Portuguese enclave, Macau resembles a Southern European city with its many beautifully restored colonial buildings in the old city center. It is much more laid back than Hong Kong and the perfect place to relax and people-watch from a cafe overlooking a cobblestone square.
The Southern European mentality, however, comes with some baggage; long siestas which mean stores open late and close early. It was almost comical how people would glance at us upon entering their stores and then return to what they had been doing – eating or reading their newspaper. Who can blame them?