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Macau
Day 3 - 28th February - Macau in the Early Morning (Part 1)
This morning I set off at 7+ to enjoy the city before the tourists came out in their numbers.
I saw schoolgirls (again, no schoolboys) walking around in uniform at 7:30am. Seeing that this was Sunday, this was extremely sad.
St Paul's, finally empty (almost - a few others had the same idea of coming early)
Sketch of St Paul facade: the facade is divided into the Militant Church (Levels 1 and 2) and the Triumphant Church (Levels 3, 4 and the Pediment).
"1st Row: This college This chunch like Houses of 900 and like Fortre of faith
2nd Row: Glorification of society of Jesus [Jesuits]
3rd Row: Triumph of Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, intercessor between men and God
4th Row: Christ The Redeemer, Saviour of the World
Pediment: Holy Ghost showing mercy"
Starting out early also meant that it was cooler. This day was also cooler than the other 2 days that I was in Macau. Those factors notwithstanding, I was already very sticky by the time I hiked up to St Paul's. Someone told me that he likes humidity because when he feels himself sweating, he knows that he's been exercising. This is like saying that you should feel depressed in your job so you know you've been working.
Actually in some ways cold humidity is worse than hot humidity - it will take longer for your sweat to evaporate.
One of two remnants of the old City Walls, beside St Paul's
Strolling in Macau:
"Like many of Macau's earliest fortifications, this section of wall is built of chunambo, also known as taipa, a mixture of clay, straw, sand, crushed limestone, and oyster shells tightly compacted in layers between strips of wood. Although this concoction sounds flimsy, one account claims that demolishing a 460-foot (140 m) section of wall required 1,800 pounds (816 kg) of gunpowder"
Ruins of St Paul's Jesuit College, beside St Paul's, the first Western university in Asia.
Stair. Like much of Macau it looks like it's been abandoned to the elements.
"Lar Nossa Senhora Da Misericordia, 1925"
A better-maintained starcase
St Anthony's Church, and roundabout
I then went to see what sounded like the nicest park, the Jardin Luis de Camoes.
Praça de Luis de Camoes.
Jardin Luis de Camoes. In honour of the Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões, who also lived in Macau for a while.
"Legenda Das Dez Gravuras". This seems to be sketches of each Canto of the Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads) - de Camões's most famous work.
Taichi, and their version of Sun Salutations
Luis de Camoes grotto
Homage to the poet. As you can see, it's in Portuguese, Chinese and French - but not English. Blame the "Organisation Mondial (sic) des Poètes", which can't even spell its name properly (it's the "Organisation Mondiale des Poètes").
Sonnet to Macau (reconstructed with the aid of Macao, the holy city : the gem of the Orient earth):
"Gem of the orient earth and open sea,
Macao! that in thy lap and on thy breast
Hast gathered beauties all the loveliest
Which the sun smiles in this majesty!
The very clouds that top each mountain's crest
Seem to repose there, lingering lovingly
How full of grace the green cathayon tree
Bends to the breeze and now thy sands are prest
With gentlest waves which over and anon
Break their awakened furies on thy shore
Were these the scenes that poet looked upon
Whose lyre though known to fame knew misery more
They have their glories and earth's diadems
Have naught so bright as genius gilded gems
--- Dr. Hourin"
There is something lacking in either the original, the translation or both.
The rest of the garden was more Chinese.
This pavilion, for example. I had to hike up some steps and slopes to get here, which afforded me a view of the city.
As you can see, it was nothing worth climbing up for, being a view of more slums.
"保持環境清潔，人人有責。
請勿隨處大小便"
Addendum: Thanks to PPBI for providing me with the missing character, "处"
Translation: "Keeping the surroundings clean is everyone's duty.
Please do not piss and shit anywhere you like"
I didn't know PRCs liked to visit the garden.
Precarious-seeming rocks
Rocks and water
Statue of St. Andrew Kim, the first Korean Priest. He was "tortured and beheaded", but I can't find more gory details about his martyrdom.
I then visited a small temple complex linked to the gardens.
Rocks with words: "One thread sky" and "White *some type of bird* *something"
The first rock formation flanks the staircase down to the complex from the gardens.
One of the temples
"Shrine to the Earth God"
Threshold of another temple: “國泰民安” ("The country is peaceful and the people are safe"). I didn't think this should be there, but rather something more related to the temple (e.g. its name?) - but what do I know.
Strangely enough I couldn't find the first character in my Microsoft IME, even though it assuredly exists in the Traditional Chinese character set.
Altar inside
Assorted sights outside
Another temple
Visiting Chinese temples, especially these, one word comes to mind: Yokoso. Most of the things the Japanese took from the Chinese, they improved (most of what the Taiwanese took from the Japanese, they mangled, but that's another story). Even the incense seems less obtrusive in Japan.
Of course, the most important god of all was also worshipped in the grounds of the complex - the Fortune God.
The complex also had its animals:
Dog which got permed
Evil cats
"門口地土財神" ("Fortune God of the Ground and the Door")
This was in front and just slightly to the side of someone's door. Even though there is no offering this reinforces the fact that this is the most important god of all.
I'd tried exiting the temple onto a street but soon realised that to get to where I wanted to go, it made more sense to go back up through the gardens.
Prohibited in the park: cycling, spitting (or talking with too much spittle), plucking flowers, stepping onto nails (or the grass), hanging your laundry to dry (or camping), blasting loud music, littering, graffiti