Exploring the Cultural Center

I checked out in the morning, took my carry-on baggage with me, and caught a bus to explore the cultural center of the Northern Island. I had bought a TWICE sweater at the concert, but it didn’t fit in my bag. I thought, “Oh, I’ll just wear it.” Big mistake, because it was still hot as balls.

When I reached Senado Square, I kind of felt like I was back in Europe again. I say “kind of” because this area had an air of theme park about it. There was a church that, in the 1600s, served as a domicile for the widows of sailors lost at sea. It had a restored white façade with the Portuguese name written on it. Today it houses a pharmacy. There was also a beautiful post office that is now just a currency exchange office.

I walked up the hill to the remains of Saint Paul’s church. On the way, there were maybe 15 stalls selling the same snacks I saw yesterday in Taipa Village. At one point, there were four jerky stalls right next to each other—talk about competition.

The church ruins were impressive, and the old fort next to it was pretty cool. But the clock was ticking, and I had to catch my plane back to Seoul. I hailed a cab and asked, “How much?” He said it would be around 100 MOP (about €10,-). The ride was smooth, climate-controlled, and much nicer than the bus. I should have done this more often. When we got to the airport, the meter said 101 MOP (I got a 1 MOP / €0.10 discount!).

Flying back

On the plane ride back, I worked on my blog some more. The person seated across the aisle from me had TWICE keychains on her purse and was watching videos she had taken from both concerts. I was a bit too shy to start a conversation, sadly.+

After landing, I got some food at the food court and caught the bus back to my hotel. I think I need to slow my pace for the next couple of days. All this travel is exhausting. Tomorrow I want to explore my hotel and the surrounding area a bit more. Also, some laundry would be great.