Joshua Costa Travelogue

  Macau - A slice of Portugal in the Orient !  Macau is situated on a tiny Island just off mainland china. It has a rich and interesting history due to its 400 years of portuguese colonialization which is visible even today post its attaining independence and becoming a separate state. Its poticially interesting as well because this very tiny and highly densely populated area just like Hong Kong, follows a one country 2 system approach I.e. it has its own law (Macanese law) but also adopts mandarin as the official language and is considered a Specially administered area of China which means that some chinese administration also applies . It also has its own currency called the Macanese Pataca although Hong Kong Dollars are also widely accepted due to its 1:1 ratio.  Macau is a strip divided vertically into 3 islands, Old Macau, Taipa and Coloane. Each one has its own charm and seems to come from a different era. Coloane is where I stayed mainly to get away from the hustle...

  I spent 6 hours in Penang on a transit. Penang is a port town located in the Malacca Strait (also called Georgetown). It;s located on a small island , half of which is taken by dense forest and hills called the Penang Nature reserve. The port side though is where the main town is , and is a very interesting confluence of cultures from around other parts of Asia such as Indian, Chinese, Malay but even Arab / Armenian.  Visit little India , Armenian Street and Market Street for a flavor of different cultures with shops, eateries , business establishments and edifices architectures embracing all these cultures. The streets are quite parallel and adjascent to each other so its very walkable but you can opt for the local Tuk Tuk (Cycle Rickshaw) for an authentic local experience. (and if you’d like to go to the sites directly). Another very popular aspect of the back streets in these areas is the street art and murals which are very famous. Use a local map or guide to locate thes...