Since completing the check-in in Hainan four years ago, I have unlocked 34 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country. Since then, whenever I go to a place, I choose to live like a local for a day. If you also enjoy unconventional travel, don't like popular tourist attractions, and don't want to be a "special forces" tourist, follow "筷子小手" and experience something different.
Only those who love to travel know how good it feels to be on the road.
Just like in life, there are always unknowns waiting to be explored, rather than being trapped in a small courtyard. It turns out that I really need a "grassland" like "Miss Li".
Get rid of the bad habit of getting up at 7 and starting work at 8. Let's wake up naturally at 9:30 and start our energetic vacation. We stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel, which is located opposite Hengqin and next to the racecourse. I thought I could watch a horse race for free, but there were no races these days, so I was a little disappointed.
If you want to experience it, remember to check the schedule on the Macau Jockey Club's official website in advance. The entrance fee is 20 MOP (Macau currency), which can also be used as gambling capital. For someone like me who doesn't understand the rules of indoor casinos, this is very intuitive.
Here, the bus costs 6 MOP regardless of distance, so it is important to prepare change for the bus every day. The starting price for taxis is 19 MOP, which is not too expensive, but it is not cost-effective for two people. If you are traveling with your family, it is still feasible in the small area of Macau.
Let's go to the local market, also known as the "street market" by the locals. Rua do Chunambeiro is one of the closest street markets to the Gongbei Port in Macau.
Even before entering the central area of the market, the atmosphere along the way becomes rich. There are temporary stalls selling various items, and the stalls selling sacrificial items surprised me. The variety is so rich, and there are even underwear and pet cats and dogs that can be burned for deceased loved ones.
The prices of fruit stalls are reasonable. The large green grapes and golden oranges are of good quality, and the prices are comparable to those in high-end fruit shops on the mainland. However, the durians priced at 30 MOP per pound are really cheaper than many places on the mainland. Coupled with the exchange rate of 1:0.83 and the red envelope from Jack Ma's blue wallet, I decisively bought one for breakfast.
Sitting in the small garden by the street with a box of durian, there are uncles playing chess and chattering a few steps away. I instantly blend into the local environment.
In front of Rua do Chunambeiro, there are two big trees, and the sprouts and spring emerge together. After entering, the first floor is full of seafood stalls. Unlike the seafood markets in the coastal areas, the seafood markets here are my favorite places to visit.
In Chongqing, the fresh seafood sold in the farmers' markets is mainly carp, grass carp, catfish, and crucian carp, plus loaches, eels, and various types of snails. In this coastal city, there are fresh yellow croakers, octopuses, squids, and mantis shrimps, and the prices are quite tempting. When my husband saw me drooling, he quickly reminded me that "we don't have cooking utensils where we are staying." Well, as if I didn't know.
The second floor is the vegetable market, and the third floor is the meat market for livestock and poultry. Next to it is a small vendor building dedicated to selling cooked food, and there is a small flower shop between the two buildings. The first floor is for selling clothes, and there are not many open stalls.
There are many stalls selling cooked food on the second and third floors. The stall layout is similar to that of a university canteen, and the lively atmosphere is similar to that of a community canteen. It is difficult to find a seat during meal times.
The food mainly includes wonton noodles, rice noodle rolls, stir-fried noodles, porridge, and offal. They can be found everywhere on the street, and the prices are quite reasonable. A bowl of various fried stuffed foods for two people costs only 50 MOP, and a glass of soy milk is added to awaken the stomach and the day.
Macau itself is very small. If you can still feel the hustle and bustle of a big city in the casinos on the Taipa side, then on this side of the peninsula, you can basically get around on foot. After leaving the market, I walked to San Zhan Deng, officially known as "Avenida de Jorge Alvares".
This place, similar to a small square, extends like an octopus with 7 or 8 streets. There is a lamp post in the center of the round square. Although there are four shining light bulbs, no matter which direction you look from, there are always three bulbs, so it is called "San Zhan Deng" (Three Lamps).
Outdoor stalls, Filipino women gathering in the square, South Asian girls taking selfies, Vietnamese noodle shops, Burmese Chamber of Commerce... all create an exotic atmosphere here.
Following the roads in the neighborhood, you will come across the most famous old street in Macau, "Rua de S. Domingos".
I first learned about this street because of a TVB drama called "Moonlight on October 5th". When I walked on the street, I found a photography book about Rua de S. Domingos in a bookstore. It seems that many people have nostalgic feelings for this old street.
Surprisingly, this interesting name has nothing to do with the Chinese lunar calendar's October 5th. The reason is that in order to commemorate the revolution that overthrew the monarchy in Portugal on October 5, 1910, the Macau Portuguese government renamed the prosperous Rua do Chunambeiro to Rua de S. Domingos.
On this street, I sat in the Tai Lung Fung Tea House for several hours.
The sun was scorching, and it was very hot to walk outdoors. I found a tea house to cool down and have some tea. Unexpectedly, Tai Lung Fung is the only tea house in Hong Kong and Macau where you can drink tea and listen to Cantonese opera at the same time. I only knew about Tang Disheng's "The Emperor's Daughter of Flowers" and "The Purple Hairpin" in Cantonese opera before, but today, in a daze, I finished listening to the entire afternoon performance while sipping the tea specially made by the boss.
I know a little about traditional Chinese music, and I have even taken courses on Kunqu Opera. I have also mingled with the local Sichuan Opera troupe in our hometown. Cantonese opera, to me, is a combination of music and language. If the Princess Changping played by Bai Xue Xian is my initial impression of Cantonese opera, then listening to the songs "Dream Meeting at Luo River" and "A Strange Encounter Under the Moon" sung by several senior opera performers here has deepened my impression of Chinese folk legends. Art itself has no high or low, but the singing parts that talk about the country in "The Emperor's Daughter of Flowers" are undoubtedly better.
After a few songs, the audience below enjoyed themselves. I couldn't help but chat with the uncle who played the erhu. When he learned that I had been playing the erhu for more than ten years, he was very happy. Actually, I wanted to get closer and see if I could try the gaohu (a high-pitched Chinese fiddle) played by the uncle.
The young man playing the yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer) is the only young person in their spontaneous team. The others play gongs, drums, dizi (a Chinese flute), yueqin (a Chinese lute), and erhu. It's quite a happy retirement life.
I spent time in the tea house, and then I went to the Mercado de S. Domingos to get something to eat. I didn't expect that the fourth floor of the market is actually a library in the civic center. I couldn't resist the temptation and sat down to read books for another two hours (the Liaison Office donated many books here). After coming out of the library, it was almost dusk, and the original plan to have dinner at the Mercado de S. Domingos was ruined because the market was almost closed.
I had to continue walking with my tired legs, hoping to find something delicious to comfort my stomach. After all, I had neglected it earlier in pursuit of spiritual nourishment.
Beef offal hot pot, molten chocolate lava cake, egg tarts... When my stomach felt satisfied and not empty, I finally regained some energy. I took a bus back to the hotel area and thought about taking a walk around the universities in Macau.
As for why it must be Macau University of Science and Technology, it's because its abbreviation is "MUST"!
This university, established in the first year of the 21st century, is very young, and it shines alongside the nearby Wynn Palace, The Venetian, The Londoner, and The Parisian. Sometimes I wonder if the simple and frugal way of studying advocated by the ancients is not feasible in this place, or if finding tranquility in the hustle and bustle is the key test.
It is the graduation season for the undergraduate class of 2023. Seeing the girls in their graduation gowns holding flowers and teddy bears for photos, and the youthful figures running on the sports field under the lights, I almost forgot that I could be so light and agile. As long as I start moving, worries will never catch up with me.
📒 "筷子小手" Travel Notes: