From Singapore to Hong Kong

When I ask where I should report for the 10:30 boat, I am gestured toward the counter. I am assigned two seats on the 10:00 boat instead. “That’s earlier,” the staff member cheerfully adds when I hesitate, wondering whether this is correct. With about twenty minutes’ delay, we are able to board the jet boat. Macau is about sixty kilometers from Hong Kong. By fast ferry, it takes just under an hour. As the boat leaves the harbor, I read through the travel guide about Macau. Around half past eleven, we arrive at the pier in Macau. At Chinese immigration there is a line; every passport is carefully inspected. We are allowed to enter the country. Immediately, we are accosted by taxi drivers and tour operators. We politely decline. We are going to walk into Macau. As the crow flies, it is only three kilometers to the city center. In Macau as well, there are various pedestrian overpasses to separate foot traffic from cars. We walk to the cable car at Guia Hill. By cable car, we go to the top of this rocky outcrop in the middle of the city. In the past, this hill was used to defend the city.