Adrian's Journal

18 March 2010, 10.00 am: Zhuhai to Macau to Singapore Today it's all about packing and going home to Singapore. Let's cherish the last few hours and enjoy the journey back.   Breakfast at Zhuhai Guotai Hotel was better than I expected. Chinese pastries, fresh fruits and free flow of hot coffee. Checked out of Zhuhai's Guotai Hotel and walked to the customs. They have a name to the Zhuhai-Macau border customs. It's called the Gong Bei Barrier Gate. Stamped our passports. Re-entered Macau. Again the Venetian Hotel free shuttle bus was waiting for us. This time we were greeted by the Gondola man. What a different feeling! We felt so protected again. Back at Macau Venetian Hotel, we claimed our luggage we left at the storage. Then we claimed our free welcome drink at the Fogosamba Pub and Restaurant.   Adults ordered mixed cocktails. Kids had a smoked salmon treat. The bartender was a Filipino. Had a nice chat with him. More photo opportunities in Macau Venetian Hotel....

17 March 2010, 7.00pm: Live Seafood market in Zhuhai China The real adventure begins here. The next destination was deeper into Zhuhai. The concierge of Zhuhai's Guotai Hotel were upfront with advice. Bargain with taxi drivers. Look out for fake change. Bargain with the live seafood hawkers. Beware pickpockets! We took the plunge. The concierge hailed a taxi and bargained on our behalf. RMB20 to RMB15. The taxi driver disagreed and proposed meter reading. We agreed to meter reading and paid RMB16 only in the end. From a tourist map we hunted earlier, we picked a recommendation. We were going to Huan Zai Hai Xian Jie, a popular live seafood street. It was a 10-minute ride from Guotai Hotel. We got off the taxi and restaurant staff rushed to usher us in. We realized there were more than one restaurant on the street. I was amazed when they brought us to where we choose our seafood. Vendors lined up in a long row. The line was so long you could not see the other end. As you walk...

Day 3, 17 March 2010, 11am: Zhuhai Checked out of Macau Venetian Hotel. Left behind a large luggage of souvenirs for collection later. Took the free Venetian bus to Gongbei barrier gate. Crossed the border customs to Zhuhai China. Zhuhai! A totally different world compared with Macau!  Unlike Macau, no information was researched on Zhuhai. So we desperately hunted down tourist maps. In the midst of touting tour agencies, we stride to our Hotel. Thank goodness, the Guotai Hotel staff were outstanding. The rooms were equally impressive with super king size beds. The bed is so huge it could sleep six adults side by side.   Again we requested for non-smoking high floor joining room. From our 10th floor (the highest in the hotel), we could see the checkpoint. It's only a 3-minute walk from the customs checkpoint to Guotai Hotel.   We had the back view of the hotel though. So the nearby building look a way bit shabby. Here's a better view of Guotai hotel. Zhuhai is famous for...