Secret Rocky Seaside Trail on Coloane Island

On my latest trip to Macau, a local resident brought me to the famous Hac Sa Beach (a.k.a Black Sand Beach).

At a corner of the beach, she unveiled the Trail of Morro de Hac-Sa. This, she says, connects Hac Sa beach to Cheoc Van Beach (which has normal colored sand).


It was evening time, and not too sunny. A strong sea breeze brew constantly. Starting along the trial, I see some people walking their dogs.


Amid surging waves along the rocky shore, I can see a pavilion in the distance. It seemed lonely, and perhaps the perfect place to reflect on life and the mysteries of the universe. However, some fishermen had the more practical idea of catching fish there.



The view I saw was awesome. Let this picture speak for itself.


Along the rocky trial I walked. I enjoyed the atmosphere, which was full of life and vitality.

But beware: if a storm hits, the waves will wash above much of this path. My friend told me that she has seen seashells left high above the cliff after a storm.

Living in Hong Kong

If you intend to live in Hong Kong even for a week, here are some things to make life easier.

1) Get maps: Buy a street directory, or use an online map service like Centamap to show you the way around Hong Kong.

2) Get a prepaid phone card: If you need to call back to your home country, consider the People's IDD Talk Prepaid card. Phone charges are cheap in Hong Kong.

3) Get a Octopus card: This is very useful for travel on the MTR and public transport. You can keep it for your next visit to Hong Kong or refund it 3 months later at no charge.


4) Open a bank account: Open a HSBC Hong Kong dollar savings account and select the "Easy Savers" option. This will exempt the account from minimum account charges. However, you will be charged a fee if you withdraw money from the bank counter.

To open the account, you must bring identification that shows your home address or have a friend who is an existing customer of the bank to vouch for you.

Ensure that you also apply for Internet Banking, since you may need to access your account from your home country.


5) Apply for PPS: With your HSBC bank account, you can top up your phone card every 6 months indefinitely to retain its number over the Internet.

6) Find cheap accomodation: This is a major challenge as even the cheapest hostels charge HK$400 per night. It is best to find a friend who could lend you his or her sofa.


7) Find cheap food: Food prices go for HK$30+ or above for a full meal. To find reasonably priced food, you must walk around and visit the small stalls in hidden in the minor streets. The ability to read handwritten traditional chinese characters is essential since the storeowners usually cater only to locals.

I ordered rice and 2 vegetable within 5 minutes walk from Chueng Sha Wan MTR for HK$17. It was sited next to a noodle stall. [Should be located at the middle of Cheung Fat Street.] To my relief, the stall owner could speak a little Mandarin. The meal was relatively filling for me. I ordered a take-away packet so that I do not have to subsist on bread the next morning.

I also ordered HK$24 fried rice from a small stall hidden in the corner of Landale Street within 10 minutes walk from Wan Chai MTR. The shopkeeper was very friendly and conversed with me in Mandarin. The fried rice was so delicious and the shopkeeper generous with extra servings that I ordered a take-away. The only issue I have are the numerous cockroaches crawling openly around the stall.

Cantonese Phrases for Tourists

If you cannot speak Cantonese in Macau, you will find it quite impossible to communicate with the majority of the population.

Although Portuguese is one of the official languages of Macao, only about 7% of the population know how to speak this language. English is understood by the Filipinos working locally as well as people in the tourist industry. Mandarin (putonghua) is sometimes understood by the local inhabitants (if you are lucky).

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If you do not know Cantonese, your best bet is to ask a Filipino or Filipina for translation help. You may be surprised to know that many know how to speak Cantonese although they cannot read Chinese.

The other workaround is to print out the Chinese names of your travel destination as well as simple phrases in Traditional Chinese like "where is the toilet?" (Only the younger folk cannot read Simplified Chinese.)

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Where is the toilet?
廁所喺邊度呀?
chisó hai bīndouh a?

I am not familiar with Cantonese
我唔識講廣東話
ngóh m̀sìk góng gwóngdùngwá

Please write it down
唔該你寫低吖?
m̀gòi néih sédài a?

I understand
我明白嘞
ngóh mìhngbaahk la

I don't understand
我唔明白
ngóh m̀ mìhngbaahk

Do you understand?
你明唔明呀?
néih mìhngm̀mìhng a

More Phrases
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/cantonese.php