Traveling around the world!

For a considerable distance after the border between Sweden and Norway, the landscape is usual for a Northern country. A highway through the forest. However, after a while, it becomes interesting. Rocky cloughs pop up, which signal the entrance in the famous fjords area. Somewhere down, at your left, you can also spot the North Sea, flecked with various vessels, from cruisersto to pleasure boats.

20 kronen ( somewhere around 2 Euros ) donated for the traffic lights, which come packed with a video camera, and the barrier lifts. Welcome to Oslo! Guided by the GPS, we manage to disembroil some intertwined streets, we cross a couple of borroughs and we reach quite soon near the Vigeland Park, our destination for accomodation. A huge room, capable to fit in five tents, from a five room apartment, split with other friends of our host, spread all over the first storey of an old, but tidy block. We leave oru backpack and go out, to meet the city.

Oslo was founded almost one thousand years ago. It had various names ( depending on the periods of foreign occupation ) like Kristiania or Christiania. The city is spreaded on a 450 square km surface of green spaces, sorrounded by verdured hills, invaded by skittish houses and residential areas. Oslo is built on a circular curve on the Northern shore of the Oslofjorden fjord. It is the capital of a state which owns 40% of a booming economy. The oil decks built in the North Sea was manna from heaven for the Norses. A quarter from the Internal Gross Product comes from the petrokronen. The rest is like some little change. Wood, aluminium, marine transport, fishing, and other things of such sorts.

The first observation. Oslo is, hands down, the city of the museums. The museums were erected to pay homage to different Norse famous figures or they are simply thematic. Here`s a short list:

- The Naval Museum – Sjofartsmuseet
- The Natural History Museum – Naturhistoriskmuseet
- The Ski Museum – Holmenkollen
- The Tram Museum – Sporveismuseet
- The Viking Museum – Vikingskipshuset
- The Wizardry Museum – Tryllemuseet

You exit the Vigeland Park and go down on Frognerveien Street, taking pictures, left-right, like a Japanese on Speed. At the intersection with Henrik Ibsen Gate, going past the National Library, you reach the Ibsen Museum. If you didn`t tripped over the statue, standing at the entrance, you would swear this is a fine restaurant. Then you go along Haakon VII all the way to the City Hall, Radhuset, lying in the proximity of the harbour. A building made in a Socialist style, which looks just like the Twin Towers, if they were to be built by the Communists. I imagine that, in this case, those terrorists hadn`t even bothered to crush them into the ground…

In the same whreabouts, we can spot The Nobel Peace Center or Nobels Fredssenter , the place where presents are thrown around in December for scientists who did some serious larks during the current year. In front of the City Hall, on the esplanade, a small exbition of statues catches the eye. The location is near the little bay where old ships with sails are anchored. In that exact moment, you encounter a strange experience, as if you were headed back in time, all the way to the Vikings era.

And just when you really begin to relish this city, you suddenly remember that time is working against you, and on Monday, you have to be back in your precious cubicle. Darn!

Popularity: 18% [?]

In order to sense the Cuba`s perfume, it is mandatory you take a trip down memory lane. The journey begins the first moment you arrive in its capital, Havana.

Havana is situated in North-Western extremity of Cuba. This city is a huge metropolis, fanwise streched along a bay. Although it is filled with buildings which face their total decay and streets riddled with cavities, the colonial center, Habana Vieja, was placed under the UNESCO protection back in 1982.

Havana has initially experienced a fast growth. However, the last decades have brought a lack of care for buildings and monuments. Havana has 15 municipalities, and the suburbs there, have an intact appereance of colonial villages. As for the other urban areas, we can witness a burst of stores, luxurious hotels and fast-food courts. We can see crocks built in the `50s getting cut out by shiny cabs, made in Germany. Modern buses, imported from China, are steadily replacing the old, coughing smoke, Hungarian ones.

The main attractions are clustered around the four main plazas, from the old side of Havana. If you want to acknowledge the blend between the actual lifestyle and the pride from the past, at least four days are needed to spend here. One day should be reserved for every peripheric borough. Although Havana has a considerable area, and the suburbs are worldwide notoriuos for the robberies ocurring there, there is no danger for discovering the capital by foot.

In the majority of the museums, the tourists are welcomed with information, delivered in Spanish or English, depending on the existence of a guide in the location. It is useful to know, that phone numbers, meeting places and rendez-vous hours are frequently changing. Havana keeps the `50s perfume, therefore Vedado neighbourhood is a must-see. It is furrowed by wide avenues in a beautiful weave of quarters, the greenery is lush. The borough was born along with the first rich Cubans and North-Americans who setlled here at the beginning of the XXth century, building exquisite villas, in neoclassic style.

The Cubans are well-known for their ability to extract happiness from poverty and to invent hot parties out of the blue. The ordinary people keep a bloated admiration for their old crocks. Every weekend, the families hop in their cars and head for the beach to play volleyball, while the younger ones are flirting under palms or umbrellas made of straws. The women take out their “sillones” swings on the sidewalks fot the weekly round of gossips, and the men play domino, smoking fancy cigars, taking sips of white, cheap rum, and waiting for the “cumbachas”, improvised street parties, when radios are turned up and sensual sessions of samba between couples are put into scene.

The Cuban tobacco is considered to be the best in the world. It has a long tradition of cropping, going back to the Precolumbian era, when the Taino Indians worshipped it, using “cohibas”, perforated wooden spools, for smoking. Nowadays, the image of a moustached tobacco farmer, who thoroughly grooms his plantation, has become a representative picture for Cuba. Along with the optimal weather conditions, the growers even tenderly talk with the tobacco plants in order to stimulate their growth.

Apart the tobacco plantations, you can also spot endless fields of sugar cane or royal palms all over Cuban territory. The special beauty of landscapes is replenished by the amazingly white beaches which intertwine with the cristal-blue water.

Not only in Havana, but in other towns as well, you can see that the image of Che Guevara is praised as a true icon. The “guerilla hero” is spotted everywhere, on posters, keys, pendants etc. Ernesto “Che” Guevara, of Argentin origins, is still perceived as a model fot the Cubans, the perfect archetype for the “The New Man”, a selfless individual, dedicated to the Socialist ideals.

Popularity: 11% [?]

It was a sweaty business, after leaving our hometown, draped in heavy snowfall, and arriving on some spring temperatures, in Athens. Add the sizable luggage into the equation, and get the picture. Thank God we reached the hotel in no time, got half of the clothes off, dried up in a cigarette and went to visit the city by night.

During night time, the small plaza near Monastiraki is crowded. A bundle of taverns crammed on narrow little streets spread the familiar wing-ding of a pub. By the way, I take this occasions to steadily assert: the best Greek dish in my opinion is the oven-baked lamb with potatoes. It`s simply divine.

We`re walking a street on a hill. On top, the Acropole temple columns are shining in the night. Just like in the letter-cards. It`s something different there, though. In reality, the balance of the columns doesn`t possess that distant solemnity, carved in monuments belonging to other great civilizations. Here, we don`t longer keep that respectful distance towards vestiges. In the European gene, their classic symmetry is invariably broken down.

The same feeling chased us the next day, when we see them again, on daytime. I mean, you read so many books about ancient Greece during its birth period, when information is steadily accumulating, not fading away, as it happens later on. After that, you see the caryatids in Erechteion in so many replicas, that it seems you just arrived home, when you pass the Propylaia Gate. It`s sunny outside, and cohorts of tourists are boiling over all around, from the Parthenon to Erechteion, from Erechteion to Nike Athens Temple.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Budapest welcomes you at sunset. A message sent by phone to your host, Edina, who`s waiting for you in the cultural downtown. First, you need some elementary indications. The only certain thing is that you`re in a subway station. It`s like you`ve just hit the silk and landed there. Where to head to now? Some direction info is provided in English by a young couple. The destination is Moskva Ter ( Moscow Square ). Therefore: take the subway, chage the line in Deak Ter . The subway travels under the Danube river, has an inter-war appearance and is quite exprensive, 380 HUF , 1,5 Euro for a ticket with one through route shift. No barrier for access, the ticket nippers are veiledly placed. Don`t even think to trick the system. The ticket clerks will be expecting you with an already written fine at the end of the moving stairways.

It is night time alright by now. At last, you`ve arrived at the meeting spot. Enjoy a beer on a terrace. Only Hungarian is spoken at the table. A sort of Japanese, so you feel just like Bill Murray from Lost in translation . Minus the hour circle difference.

After some more joyful conversation with a couple of beers, the pace speeds up. Fast forward: Kuplung Klub , a bar as big as a warehouse, with a huge skeleton hanging from the ceiling. Then, back at Zsolt`s place, one of your new made friends. After some wine tasting and exchanging CDs with traditional music, you come to a surprising conclusion: your Hungarian has become very fluent, although you can`t comprehend a single word coming out of your mouth.

It`s morning, past noon more accurately. A pumpkin-like swollen head and a nasty headache urges you to find a remedy, a stock borsch. You explain the recipe in English to a waitress. She nods her head in approval and returns bringing an extra spicy chicken soup. This will do too, for the moment. After a quarter of hour, you manage to take the first slurp. Damn, it was hot!

A map of the city and aa photo camera are ready to be handled in order to explore the city. Quick info: 2 million inhabitants, 23 districts, 525 square kilometers, crossed by the Danube , nine bridges between Buda and Pesta , two islands, Margit and Obudai ( the famous Sziget festival is held there. Anyone? The Sziget festival? ). Let`s split.

1) Pesta : Heroes Square , the Millenium monument, in the proximity, Varosliget , a park with a lake with a little island with a castle Vajdahunyad, Nyugati railway station ( designed by Gustave Eiffel ) , Zsilinszky Avenue, St. Stephen basilica, the biggest one in Budapest. It has elevators, and a 96 meter arch. Other sights worth checking on your itinerary: the Roosevelt Square and Szechenyi Lanchid or The Bridge with Chains, the oldest one from the nine bridges.

2) Buda , the Gellert knob, the church from the cave, the Liberty Statue , built by the communists in `47, a superb landscape near Citadella ( once a fortress, now a museum cluster ) , the Old City – paved streets, medieval houses, gothic churches and cathedrals.

Then, Budai Var (the Buda borough ), The Royal Palace, with its aisles transformed in museums. The National Library, The National History Museum si the National Art Gallery. Beneath them, a maze of tunnels exists – an ideal bunker for the German soldiers to hide in, during WWII. The Sandor Palace, the presidential residency, the Matyas Church used as a mosque by the Turks somewhere around 1500. The Fishermen Bastion, then the Batthyany Plaza, with a nice view to the Palace of the Parliament, placed on the other margin of the Danube.

You want more? Relicts, other statues, theaters, parks, museums, churches, thermal spas. No wonder Budapest was the capital of an empire once. All the reasons are set in place to go out and explore it. It`s a hell of a treat.

Popularity: 5% [?]

As an alternative name, Rome is called “La Citta” and this speaks for itself. Light poured from God`s ladle and vivid discussions on its streets. Walls jaded by the sun and people relaxing in Campo di Fiori. Impressive fountains and museums, called churches by the somehow superstitious dwellers. Strangers having rendez-vous on the stairs from Piazza di Spagna or admiring shop windows on Via dei Condotti. Orange trees watching over Via Barberini, from Santa Maria della Vittoria all the way to Fontana del Trettone. Obelisks which seem to aspire to tickle the sky. Clumps of pine trees with blattered heads acting as a rest refuge for birds and rays of light. Streets with each corner revealing a new surprise. This is Rome: a femme fatale who doesn`t take resistance as an answer, a squatted place for tourists processions and a cultural waffle, whose layers are effortlessly observed, delving into getting explored.

If the city had a directory with its pages turned in time, the names from the database would simply dazzle you: Rafael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Boticelli etc. As for the palaces, churches, villas or monuments, there`s no precise starting point: Fontana di Trevi or San Pietro? The Colosseum or the Vatican? Santa Maria or Domus Aurea? Ara Pacis or Palazzo Quirinale? Isola Tiberina or Campidoglio?

You try to consult a map for a route but it`s useless. You don`t need it. It`s better to just stroll in a blissful manner. No matter where you`re heading to, there`s always something in sight that warms your soul.

The Rome`s present is taken over by its past. No time to see what it is because you already know you`ve got there to see what it has been. You glide past thousands of scooters, parked everywhere like some broken down bugs. and you start the odyssey with an overwhelming feeling of the world`s luckiest man alive.

The feet carry you on routes built in the spur of the moment. Before reaching San Pietro bazilica and the Vatican, you make a stop at Sant`Angelo castle and at the likewise named bridge decked with statues on the verge of resurrection. The castle looks like a can made of purple stone. It has risen from the ancient Hadrian`s mausoleum. Here, Giordano Bruno was held captive for six years when the castle served as a jail, and the inner court acted as an execution place.

If the Rome`s sun gently caress your forehead with its rays, its squares get underneath your skin. Piazza Navona is a dream come true for any foreigner keen on entertainment, effervescence and souvenirs. The restaurants and the cafeterias lure you to come inside, not with their offer, but for the contemplation angles. You slow down and eventually end up in front of a portrait painter, hang around for a couple of seconds, then walk further, wash your face with water from Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi and take a deep sigh. You`re in Rome for just one day when it finally hits you: you should remain there forever.

Popularity: 7% [?]

When I went to Portugal, everything seemed like one big toothpaste commercial. The commercial started from the plane. Along the way, the crew just kept smiling, as if it was their last flight. When meal time had arrived, the hostesses put their aprons on and served the dishes with a consistent supplement of smiles.

The commercial for the toothpaste continued during my accommodation in Lisbon. After a 16 hours nap, I joined back the living and I suddenly became a part of the commercial. I am pretty sure that the Portuguese are born laughing, not crying. After their birth, they hardly ever stop laughing. I imagine just how hard the Fado interpreters try to keep their composure without bursting into ripples of laughter. The Portuguese way of being probably lead to changing the rules for a bull fight. It`s different from Spain. In Portugal, the animals are spared, In fact, it could be possible that the bullfighters even hang out with the bulls after the show, having a beer ( Sagres ) or a wine ( Porto ).

Let`s not divagate, though. Let`s start the tour. I took the subway from the Campo Pequeno station, kept the yellow line ( Linha Amarela) straight all the way to Marques de Pombal. There I switched lines, chose the blue one ( Linha Azul ) and went down to Restauradores or Baixa Chiado. If you feel lost, no biggie. There`s always a friendly inhabitant around to give you a hand, the majority of them are getting along just fine with English, and the sound of Shakespeare`s language coming out their mouth worths every penny. You`ll understand why when you`ll hear it. If they have to, the Portuguese are able to splutter even some French.

Anyway, the point of the trip for me was to reach Bairro Alto. This is a borough, marked on the map with a guitar. There, in old houses, tons of pubs and taverns dwell. They`re always full, so it`s no surprise that long queues can often be spotted at the entries. I picked for dinner a small, intimate restaurant from the elegant Alfama borough. There are restaurants with only three tables inside. The tram on the 28th line will be happy to take you there. You can listen to some Fado concerts held in the surrounding pubs. The customers are already woozy and they make a pendant to the songs. Oh, I forgot. The tram is a special type, a museum kind, made of wood. Only a few garnitures are still in use for crossing the mild mounds from downtown. The routing includes streets so narrow that pedestrians are forced to stick to the walls if they don`t want a free shave from the tram.

Have a little patience and travel away from Lisbon for 20 minutes. You`ll reach a resort called Sintra. Don`t miss Palacio de Pena, a castle built in the XIXth century, a royal residence in those times. The Portuguese kings were once related to the famous royal family Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The other mandatory objective is to eat at a restaurant downtown, I forgot its name. But it`s easy to spot if you hear a jazz band singing softly among the tables. Royal atmosphere, royal-resembling customers, royal smiles and royal treatment from the owner. Worth every penny. Even for a 6 euro beer. Be aware, prices for beverages don`t usually come up on the menu in Portugal, but don`t be ashamed to ask. All in all, the curiosity is welcome here, we`re talking about the country who sent Vasco da Gama or Fernando de Magalhaes, or Magellan, as a more familiar name. By the way, in Lisbon there are two monuments dedicated to the explorers.

Another ace pulled from the sleeve for Lisbon is the Europe`s biggest aquarium. Sharks, penguins or catfish. No need for further description. Let the “wow!”, “krasivii!” or “fantastique!” heard all around me paint a vivid picture. Then, heading south, we came across a small village, Alvor. There, total relaxation. Funny thing. At a tavern you could choose your own fish from a basin in order to eat it. I opted for a tuna fish. If you want, the Gibraltar narrows is near ( passport needed ). Otherwise, take a bus and you can easily end up in Sevilla, Spain. The roads are open.

Greetings!

Popularity: 11% [?]

I don`t know how things work down there now but when I first got a chance to visit Cape Town, everything was cheap. The reason was that the par of exchange Euro/Rand, clear advantage for the European currency. And the things looked bright even for the dollar. The prices for houses were so low that you could even buy a villa with 5 rooms, a swimming pool, with ocean view, with only 150 thousand dollars. Wasn`t that a bargain? As an addition, a lunch at an excellent restaurant charged the same money for a bad and cheap restaurant in Europe. You do the math.

Revenons a notre moutons. Cape Town is one of the three capitals for South Africa ( the legislative one ). Pretoria is the administrative one, and Bloemfontein is the judicial one. If you think three capitals is weird, let me tell you how many languages are spoken in this country. Take a guess. Mistery unravelled: 11 languages, ladies and gentlemen. Here they are: Sepedi, Setswana, Shivenda, Siswati, Sesotho, Afrikkaans, Xitsonga, Isindebele Isixhosa, Isizulu and English. Funny thing: although in the Parliament we can hear only English, the most spread language is Zulu. If you are acquainted with some Apartheid history, it is common knowledge that, back then, Afrikaans was the official language of the state. Its origins were a by-product of Dutch.

Moving along…what is worth to see in Cape Town. Well, start with The Cape of Good Hope, the meeting spot for two oceans: the Atlantic and the Indian ocean. When you reach the target, as you are placed in front of the blue landscape, The Indian is on the left, the Atlantic is on the right. Heading further, here`s another mandatory sight to check. The penguin reservation from Boulders is an impressive place for watching these cute animals, loyal to their mates and organised as a real society. Then, you do not afford to skip a trip to The Table Mountain, reachable by cable tramway. On a blue sky, the sight offers a superb view of Cape Town.

Don`t forget about the vineyards. At Nedenburg, one of the most well-known wine-growing area, there are some free lessons about African wines. On the quest for vineyards and wine cellars you may come across some beautiful patriarchal establishments and breathtaking natural scenes.

You can also try a trip by boat to the island with sea lions. Furthermore, with a friendly pocket on your side, adventure on a safari experience. As for shopping, the menu is lavish. Semiprecious stones, pearls, and African art. The proper place for this kind of supplies is Warefront . There it lies the biggest African art mall.

Warning: Nonetheless, even if it is a beautiful travel exeperience, not all the places are secure. Don`t go in unexplored territories, if you get my point. There is a bunch of people sheerly excited by the picture of robbing and stripping you naked. Be aware. Even the local rugby team underwent this process, so be very, very cautious.

Popularity: 3% [?]

While approaching Hong Kong, you don`t have to be scared if you`ll have the impression that the plane will land straight into the sea. The pilot did not go insane, it`s just an illusion. The landing trail is so close to the water and that the landing maneuvers are begun above the sea. If you can`t stand this feeling, you should opt for a rented car. But it`s safer by plane. And much faster.

Apart from the ticket expenses, the other ones are lower. You can stay in hotel rooms ( 70 dollars for 3 stars or 100 dollars for 4 stars ). The food is sheer cheap. At a usual restaurant in Hong Kong, 2 persons could have a decent meal with only 12 dollars. As for the other shoppings, from clothes to electronics, Hong Kong is considered to be the heaven of store browsing. The best areas for this are Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. And then there are a lot of temples where you cand find a refuge and meditate on your well spent money.

As an European, there could be a shock when you first step in Hong Kong. A visual shock, caused by the show you encounter when seeing the people faces. An aesthetic shock, the special beauty of the Hong kong women and their chic garments. The sensuality and the sexuality go hand in hand. A lingvistic shock, although the English is the second official language, the Hong Kong people seldom communicate with each other in it, they mostly use Cantonese. It`s like a continuous murmur, an alien music for European ears. A gastronomic shock, your stomach can be taken by surprise once you find yourself sorrounded with Chinese cuisine. A climatic shock, 30 Celsius degrees and the end of October, a quite high air humidity. But no biggie, you get used with the tropical air quite quickly. And the final shock, if you smoke. The only place in Hong Kong when you can light a cigarette is on the street.

There are a lot of things to be seen here. The downtown is a must: spectacular buildings, resembling sky-scrapers, put in contrast with the colonial architecture, of British origins. Victoria Peak is a place you must reach. The view is breathtaking, especially at night. The Lantau Island is another mandatory visit. Here, you can get acquainted with Tian Tan Buddha, a 35 metres colossal statue, made of bronze. You can reach Lantau by skyrail. Across the statue, a Buddhist monastery is built, Po Lin Monastery, where it is advisory to delight yourself with a vegetarian lunch. Afterwards, you can take a stroll on Wisdom Path. In Lantau we also can find a fishermen village, named Tai O, and it would be a real shame to skip it.

The simplest way to discover Hong Kong is to take a bus or the subway and make some random stops, as your gut or conscience dictate. It is useful to buy an Octopus card, rechargeable, which can be used on any mean of transport, but also in stores, for small things, like a newspaper or a juice. The public transport system in Hong Kong is one of the most effcient in the world. That`s why 90% of the dwellers use it, and traffic is unbelievably light for a city with 7 million inhabitants. Plus Hong Kong is the realm of suspended highways.

Popularity: 4% [?]

First of all, when I visited Bratislava, a few years ago, their national currency was stiil Slovakian Crown. A real pain in the ass if you ask me. The exchange rate was 1 Euro = 36,9 SKC, ( 10 % commission ) . Half an hour for riding a bus costs you 20 SKC. The slot machine holding bus tickets accepted only coins. No coins in your pocket, you ought to try find some at a restaurant, a bar or something. No success yet? You should follow my path. I tricked the coffee machine at the “Departures” terminal. You pretend to want a coffee, you put a bank-note in, and then change your mind and hit the Cancel button. You receive the same sum back, but in coins this time.

Bratislava has only a main bus line, No. 61 Airport – Central Railway Station. For visiting the city, any tourist should dare and see the places by foot. You count 3000 steps and stop: here is the historical downtown. The capital of Slovakia resembles a medieval town still, very well preserved. A series of bridges which cross the Danube river and the sight of the huge wind power facilities, over the border with Austria remind us that it`s the 21st century though.

While heading up to the castle, you can sense the normality with which the Slovakians walk their dogs, jog, throw papers in the gorbich. You reach the headquarters for the Slovakian Parliament. A quite small building. Of course, it could`ve been much bigger, but they preferred to leave the castle alone, and not to tear down a whole neighbourhood and a couple of churches, if you get my point.

In the center of Bratislava, lies the The Presidential Palace, with a spring well in front of it, suitable for taking photos or setting up meeting places. Now, for accomodation, the price range was 700 – 1000 SKC for a room at a hostel. But, a good idea would be to take the bus No. 39 all the way to the suburbs. There is a campus in that area, with huge student hostels. You have two possibilities: either you can sleep in a sleeping bag on the grass, or, if you`re lucky, depending on your personal charm, you can reach a warm bed in a hostel, next to a beautiful student girl :).

I was passing through, so I had to go further. I was heading to Viena. You can choose hitch-hiking or travelling by train. If you leave from Petrzalka station, Viena is just an hour away. The ticket is 10 Euros. No Slovakian Crowns left on you, the history repeats itself. Anyway, I wasn`t a numismatics collector of strange curencies so I`ve spent all the SKC left in something useful, in a couple of beers.

Popularity: 6% [?]

How to get there. The simplest way, take a ferry from Hong Kong. One hour and here you are. The entrance works with a Hong Kong visa. If you are a passionate gambler the city is yours. It is filled with casinos, and at least 20 million tourists visit it per year. One lucky shot and you can go from rags to riches and come home as a rich man. Of course the other way around is highly possible. You go broke, no money for returning home and you`ll be forced to sing different sad songs and beg on the intersections to collect the dough. I`m not playing when I say this.

I only got the chance to stay for one day in Macau, a former Portuguese settlement. It was a day well spent because I was carried around by a professional guide, who happened to be a good friend, who had been living there for a couple of years. At a first glance, Macau doesn`t impress quite heavily. It has a rather provincial air if it is to be compared with Hong Kong, for example. Still, there is a special charm about it. It was the first European settlement from China, created in the XVIth century. The authors were the Portuguese. They built Catholic churches and cathedrals, which live together in harmony with the Chinese temples. Then, they also erected museums and and forts, planted some gardens, constructed some trails for walking.

Some tourist attractions worth to visit are The A-Ma temple ( built in 1488 ) or the St. Paul cathedral ( 1602 ). If you got the eyes of a hawk, you can easily spot the Chinese shore, across the sea. As for accommodation, the prices vary between 60 dollars ( 3 stars ) and 100 dollars ( 4 stars ). If you hit the jackpot, though, feel free to crash in a five star hotel, you`ll deserve it.

The cuisine. Well, two main kinds: Portuguese and Cantonese. The prices are rather small, paid either in the local currency ( pataca ) or in Hong Kong dollars. Stick to , though, because the exchange rate can baffle you at times.

I am sorry for not being to stay longer there, but this would be my conclusions. If you are a casino lover, with cold blood and lucky hands, or in search of cultural or gastronomical “trophees”, Macau is the place to see.

Popularity: 5% [?]