Thursday 10 January 2013

Strolling through "The Historic Centre of Macau - Part Two

Reviving the Old Streets of Macau - Day 4 (Pt 1)
As usual after daily breakfast in the morning, we took a stroll outside our hotel and eventually took a photo in front of the hotel, the weather still freezing cold and the sun was not so hot at that time.
Outside Entrance of Hotels (Conrad & Holiday Inn)
You could see the signage in front of the Hotel that has two Hotels' name instead of one each signage. Well, I would think that because the building is huge and basically split in two, half is the Holiday Inn and the other half the Conrad. The two Hotel lobby are connected by some retail areas and a medium size Casino but there are separate entrances and lobby with the guest elevators next to one another centrally located between the two lobby's. The decor of the Lobby and outside areas is Himalayan/Tibetan styled.
Himalayan Styled of the Hotel outside areas
It was a such beautifully decoration of the garden of the Hotels with the huge vases display surrounding hotels outside where you could see mostly in Cotai Strip.
Our next destination is Coloane where there is the famous temple in the world with a spectacular surroundings of the buildings and the Panda Park - A-Ma Culture Village, Statue of Goddess A-Ma and Giant Panda Pavilion located at Estrada De Seac Pal Van.
Retro Bus-stop along 
Before that, we took public bus no. 26A or 21A in front of our hotel to Coloane along the street called Estrada Do Campo where there is a park called "Lai Chi Vun" where we will trek around the quaint villages near the Estrada de Lai Chi Vun on the island of Coloane, we pass by the eerie abandoned shipyards along the coast. Thus we alighted the bus-stop which stood an old bus-stop without a seating stool (above picture).
Quaint Coloane Villages along the Estrada De Lai Chi Vun
Coloane Village is known as living testament to Macau's Cantonese and Portuguese heritages. There are fewer residents and less urban developed. Today, the Coloane Islands is a good place for beach goers, lovers, hikers and golfers.
President Antonio Ramalho Eanes Square (2 pics above)
The name of the square is the central of Coloane VIllage is known as Largo Do Presidente Antonio Ramalho Eanes (President A.R. Eanes Square where the bus-stop located along the various restaurants and bakery shops. There are also Church of St. Francis Xavier and Tin Hau Temple down the road. But I didn't walk further down the road as I intended to visit A-Ma Culture Village and Macau Giant Panda Pavilion just further up the road on the right.
Traffic Light at Estrada De Campo
Further up the road of the opposite on the right on the slope to where the traffic light post stands that is much different from Singapore's traffic light. The Traffic post is made of steel pole attached with a box (orange colour) with just one red light that withstands the strong wind in the winter season where the abandoned shipyards nearby. The word of the post red light indicated - "Pare Ao Sinal Vermelho (Portuguese) means "Stop the red light". It indicates that if motorists see the red light shown is 'ON' and the motorists will eventually stop at the red light traffic, the post installed two orange box which turns two side from both side of the road.
Steep hill at Estrada Militar
We passed by the steep hill at Estrada Militar across the road about 600m and winds around the island and detour through the road - Alto De Coloane to see A-Ma Statue and A-Ma Culture Village.
Lai Chi Vun
Coloane Shipyeard
Lai Chi Vun Park located at Shek Pai Wan Ma roadside, next to the the Coloane shipyard, named oriented Coloane Lizhiwan. This park is adjacent to the Coloane, depending on the hillside and built the park has lounge chairs and picnic tables, tree-lined, quiet environment, provide nearby residents with an ideal summer living, chat and enjoy the place of litchi Bay and the Park is open all day.
A-Ma Cultural Village Gate
The impressive classical Chinese-style gate, next to the Esso Petrol Station on the road that connects Coloane Village with Cotai and Taipa, is the best starting point for a tour of Alto de Coloane and A-Ma cultural village.
Shutter Bus to A-Ma Cultural Village
The road that winds all the way to the top of the hill through a lush forest, we would therefore hop on one of the free shuttle bus that run from the gate up to A-Ma cultural village every thirty minutes. But there is no one around at that moment and even the bus drive, and maybe we will catch up the shutter bus later as we intended to visit the Macau Giant Panda Pavilion just a few 2 mins walk from the shutter bus terminal point.
Macau Giant Panda Pavilion
Here we are at the entrance of Macau Giant Panda Pavilion, but before that, we remembered that we walked along side of the road, there is a stray dog coming towards us and the people around and I noticed they carried the food in the bag on their hands and the stray dog will go after the smell of the food as if it comes all the way from where it is.
Stray dog at the entrance of Panda Pavilion
The stray dog went inside the entrance of Giant Panda Pavilion to follow the people with holding the foods in their hands and the security guard chased it away. It was such a pitiful sight.
Entrance to Panda Pavilion Garden
As we walked pathway to the Panda Pavilion garden and it was a huge garden including small zoo garden, birds park garden, children's playground, stage, pond as well as Natural and Agrarian Museum.There is Souvenir Shop nearby as well as Mini Bar next door. Entrance in the Panda Park is free but seeing Pandas in person and it costs you only HK/MOP$10 per pax (around SG$4.50 depends on currency rate).
Children's Playground
Stage Show
The Stage show is only opened according to the schedules when there are more tourists and locals. Apart from the show, there is Natural and Agrarian Museum which is free for all. As we were so close to the museum, we saw the staffs who were having their lunch break and the staffs spotted us and waved us to come and visit the museum. The friendly staff obliged to help the direction to where the entrance to the museum.
Canopy Chair
Before that, we saw the canopy with a chair stool that looks nice and peaceful surrounding just next to the museum.
Natural and Agrarian Museum
Macao is far-famed with the vast number of Museums it has over its comparatively small area of land. Beyond the astounding ratio, it’s indeed the unique collections in distinct categories featured by the museums that built up the reputation. Natural and Agrarian Museum located at Parque Seac Pai Van Park, liha De Coloane, Macau. Visitors and tourists have the opportunity to interactively learn about the general aspects of the geography, the natural environment's climate, important characteristics of Macau through written and audio-visual supports by the museum. Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 to 18:00 ( Closed on Mondays except holidays).
Farming Tools
The museum has 5 exhibitions that are devoted to the geography of Macau, farming tools, the lives of the farmers, animals, and plants. Also featuring a simulated mangrove swamp exhibit, as well as exhibits featuring a working waterwheel, and a grain mill replica, the museum captures the essence of the farming community of Macau’s past. 
Chicken farm
Water bucket and Grain mill
Life of a farmer
Worth a visit to learn more about the lives of the farmers' past that exactly how my grandma's kampong villages that surrounding the farm that reared pigs, chickens, ducks and planted the fruit trees too.
Mangrove swamp trunk of a tree
These trunk of the trees are the biggest living things and the exhibit gives you an idea of how huge they are and the lives of the trees.
Panda Pavilion Park
After we looked around the museum and we came out from the back of the museum and walked towards the Panda Pavilion Park where the stone sculptures of the Pandas display along the park with beautifully decorations of the fresh flower plants and some are plastic plants too.
Stone's Carving of Kai Kai and Xin Xin
The most beautifully decorations of the stone's carving of two Pandas - Kai Kai and Xin Xin that are craved from Alabaster of Fangshan District, Beijing. The Stone's Craving Pandas are designed and manufactured by Ai Qiang Craft and Stone-craving Factory of Quyang County, Hebei Province on 18th Jan 2011. Its weight is about 11.5 ton.
Macau Giant Panda Pavilion
As we passed by the Giant Panda Pavilion and looked at the time as if it's still early by looking at the schedule of the time visiting of the Pandas in person. Oh...my, It's already started but luckily it's still half an hour and enough time to visit the Pandas. Actually, the show time is one hour and the time slots stated at the appropriate time assuming available on the time slots. Otherwise we have to wait another two hours later. So we just booked the ticket (HK/MOP$10 per adult) and not to delay our next trip to A-Ma Statue and Cultural Village just next to it.
Viewing Paths of the Pavilion
After we bought the tickets and we walked up the slope to where the Pavilion is. The outlook of the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion (picture above) is designed to mimic nature, e.g. the yard is enclosed in a rock wall with some built-in panda habitat features. The indoor exhibit area is under a translucent film roof that offers more natural light than electric lighting. The roof of the whole pavilion is fashioned in the shape of a seashell.
Indoor Activity Panda's Quarter
The viewing area in the indoor activity quarters features two viewing paths of different elevations accessible to two streams of visitors at a time, adding to the accommodating capacity of the pavilion. The outdoor yard, however, is the result of the all-in-one design concept and most of the trees previously grew here have been retained, allowing the giant pandas to enjoy themselves in an outdoor environment when weather condition permits. Visitors will be able to watch the activities of giant pandas through the toughened glass.
Indoor Activity Quarter - Xin Xin (Closeup)
We could see the distance of the Panda's acitivity quarter - Xin Xin and I managed to zoom with my camera some disances away to a closer look (closeup) for a clearer view of the picture (above) and Xin Xin is resting on the trunk tree that supports it.
Close up - Kai Kai
Along the path of the Pavilion, we went outdoor of the Pavilion where the Kai Kai is walking and climbing on the trees to show the visitors of its enaging manners.
Macau Giant Panda Gift Shop
Outside the Pavilion, there is a Macau Giant Panda Gift Shop that sells gifts and souvenirs related to Giant Pandas. It also offers a large collections of giant panda gifts for visiting residents and tourists to choose from.
Collection of Pandas in different sizes
Soft toys Pandas with different colour dresses
It includes the soft toys, bags, clothes, key chains, stationery and household items...etc. There will also be a snack shops and cafes in the vicinity of the gift shop.
The Pond and Greater Flamingos
Along side of the Pavilion, there is a pond with lots of Flamingos and the most plumage of the greater Flamingo is the Pink, is the palest colour among of all species of flamingos. This is the most widespread and the largest species of the flamingo family, closely related to the Caribbean Flamingo. Its height and weight are 110-150cm and 2.0 to 4.0 kg respectively.
Pink Flamingo and white Flamingos
It can found coastal seawater lakes, salt fields and brackish shallows in most countries that are Africa, Southern Europe, Central Asia and Western India.
Nicobar Pigeon
Nicobar Pigeon has a blue and green long feathers with metallic lustre on its neck and has a wart-like black protrusion on its break. It mainly found in Nicobar Islands and in New Guinea, and its length is about 40 cm. I took a photo of it and it is very shy away from me.
Sika Deer
Close-up - Sika Deer
Sika Deer, mainly distributed from China, Japan and Siberia, always gather in groups and are very active during mornings and evenings, Sika Deer are vegetarians. Males are very strong and especially aggressive in courtships during mating seasons. It usually lives in the mixed forests of the broad-leaves trees and conifers. At the age of two, the males start to grow horns, which will decay and reborn naturally. The numbers of horns will increases by one branch every year since then. Because of their market value, they are now being raised domestically in China in massive numbers.
Macau Giant Panda Information Center
1st floor of the Information Center
Setting in the Seac Pai Van Park, the once previous center was known as "Nature Education Center now converted into ' Macau Giant Panda Information Center by Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM). The centre has two floors - the ground is multifunctional hall that may use to hold exhibitions and lectures while the first floor is an exhibition hall surronding giant panda themes, demonstrating features, behavious, body shapes, growth and habitats..etc of giant panda in engaging manners.
Outside the Giant Panda Information Center
As I was walking outside the information center, I was holding and looking at my PC Tablet and didn't know of the photo taken by my hubby as if I was searching the locations after this. And eventually, we walked outside the park and headed towards the A-Ma Culture Village, 2 mins walk to the free shutter bus waiting for us to board. 
Continued to the next blog in Day 4 (Pt 2).

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