Summer days at home are delicious. But a night away (staycation!) can be a Godsend. Hotel, anyone?
brave boy
Macau, across the Pearl River Delta, is a one-hour ferry ride and passport check away.
There is certainly plenty to see and enjoy (see older post) but this time we planned to check into our hotel and not. leave. ever.
Verdict? GOOD PLAN!
The Galaxy Hotel is part of a group of hotels that share a lazy river water park and gardens. Last spring we stayed at the Marriott (also in this group - always a win) and we loved Galaxy even more. It's in Cotai, the southern part of Macau, and on the "Vegas of Asia" strip. Think lots of shiny stuff.
Did I mention the lazy river? It's the world's longest skytop river ride. AND at Galaxy you are steps away from the world's largest wave pool. Plus there are sandy lagoons, splash pads, poolside food... Have you started packing yet?
get out there in the morning and you have your pick of loungers!
Indoor play space is at the Marriott (nice in cooler spring weather).
Daddy had to work in Macau in spring, so we tagged along.
Our time at the Galaxy was not only closer to the water features, but quick access to gardens and the shopping mall too. Loved the food.
We had the whiskey-bar-library for dinner all to ourselves while they piped music from our highschool days through the speakers, served huge glasses of wine, and cooked handmade pastas.
Finally out of the dreary, gray, humid fog that blankets this city in February/March... while cozy at first, that period of living inside of the clouds is so unsettling.
weekend day-trip to Macau
Mom & Dad saw a show, kids and Nimfa went to a cool playroom at The Parisian Hotel
I'm Thinking About
Summer. Just around the corner!
I Don't Want To Forget
These views. We won't have them next year when we move into the new faculty housing in Repulse Bay - and I won't have them from my classroom windows anymore either.
the new school & our apartments (above / behind)
I'm Learning
about making learning VISIBLE in the classroom - thank you Reggio & Ron Ritchart. It's not until you start messing around with ideas in the classroom that some of these ideas go deeper in understanding.
ABear's student-led-conference
I'm Hearing
Lorde, Perry, Adele.... Let me tell you - since (stupidly) ditching all our CD's when we moved to Hong Kong, I have really struggled. I just haven't made the switch to digital music very well. I think part of that is because forming new habits is HARD... but also - I don't know the names of what I like! I think I used to grab the CD off the shelf by the cover. I guess I'm visual. And I used to blast the radio in the car. No car! We are (finally) starting to get on board with Amazon Prime music. Happy ears!
So. In HK we are lucky to have a week off this early in the school year! VACATION TIME.
Took a one-hour JET boat to Macau and Cotai (SAR of China).
They served us Cantonese Donuts. They are GOOOOD!
Macau is a Portugese-Chinese Fusion culture.... with Ancient Christian ruins, Buddhist temples, fusion food, and motorcycles on a backdrop of shiny skyscraper casinos.... it is absolutely unique. And, it turns out, fairly kid-friendly.
Ruins of St. Paul
St. Paul ruins are also known as 'Church of Mater Dei' - built 1602. This facade is all that's left... oh, and a bunch of bones in the vaults below (yes, we saw them!).
Na Tcha Temple
typical Chinese housing
an exercise park!!! We had so much fun! And local (?) grown ups were using it too!
Monte Fort
Stumbled upon this ancient Jesuit fort from early 1600's. Pretty cool. At the top of the "mountain"
hmmm.... not sure how I feel about this
Toured the Mandarin House - an old Chinese mansion with a labyrinth of rooms
photo courtesy of a certain toddler
wait! Photo op! Too bad they weren't open yet for us to go in. Many places open late here.
that's a BEAN CURD popsicle. She devoured it. Impressive.
Restaurant Litoral
Found this place from our LonelyPlanet Guide... Macanese food! I ordered a well-known seafood rice dish (delicious... but certainly included some unusual seafood) and Jasper asked for meat in his Caesar Salad.... he got OX TONGUE (which was actually not bad at all).
The Venetian Macau - our hotel - was host to many a street performer along the shopping-mall hallways. Lots of spontaneous entertainment for the kids! and FOUR. yes. FOUR heated swimming pools.
one of the 6 largest buildings in the WORLD - it's possible to stay all day and night!
yikes - the natives are restless!
Time for a Gondola Ride! (3 canals inside this hotel... with painted fake-sky-ceilings)
The boatmen serenade beautifully!
Mother-Daughter Date Night!
The House of Dancing Waters show - Macau's Chinese version of Cirque Du Soleil - was jaw-dropping good!
The stage floor changed from a pool deep enough for breath-catching dives to a floor sturdy enough for dancing and motorcycle tricks (!?)
Incredible. A great night.
back at the hotel....
street performer
BunnyCakes, as you know, is something of a celebrity here with her bleach-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and vivacious personality. It was nothing short of SHOCKING while in Macau. Macau was beginning to fill with mainland Chinese on holiday... and mainland Chinese seem most enamoured by our blonde girls. Bear was trying to eat her noodles when 3 women (their own noodle bowls in hand) crowded within inches of our table and openly stared at her in wonder. Like she was a picture show.
Whenever we let Bunny stray more than 2 feet from us, women would come running and scoop her up in their arms, cooing and smiling. Not. Kidding. After getting over the initial heart-stopping shock, it became quite the comedy. Check it out: (can you find her?)
vids:
National Day was on October 1 and Chung Yeung Festival on October 2. Most people travel. Many of our friends are off in places like Thailand, Guilin, Japan, India, and South Africa. Us? We stayed closer to our new home, which was great. The following days we spent swimming in our own pool, lazing around in pajamas, and hanging out with new friends.
