Free & Easy Travel to Thailand, Macau, Hong Kong & Jiangmen, China from 8th - 14 December 2004

Photograph of my Octogenarian Father, my wife, son & younger sister taken with the French Student at Tai O Fishing Village





Top Photo - My wife, Son (Wai Yan) and myself taken as Giant Buddha Statue, Po Lin Monastery.

Photo - Right - My wife, Daughter (Po Yee) and Son (Wai Yan) taken at Giant Buddha, Po Lin Monastery.

We were travelling as a family of 8 comprising of my 80 years old dad , my elder & younger sisters, a niece and rest of my family, i.e. my wife, daughter, son & myself. We flew from KLIA to Hadyai and spent a night there. Next morning, we were on our way to Macau (with transit at Bangkok Don Muang Airport). On arrival at Macau, we took the AP1 bus to the Macau-Hong Kong Ferry Terminal and boarded the ferry from Macau to Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong. On arrival, we checked-in a budget hotel at Tsimshatsui (TST).

The next day on 10/12/04 we took subway from TST to Tung Chung, Lantau and from there we boarded a bus to Po Lin Monastery and The Giant Buddha at Lantau Peak - the second highest peak in Hong Kong. After staying there for approx. 2 hours photographing & videoing our visit there as well as enjoying the vegetarian food at the Po Lin temple, we then took a bus to Tai O Village - the fishing village of rural Hong Kong. There, we met a lone French Backpacker cum student and conversed with him. He was surprised that we, being Malaysian Chinese could conversed the same local Cantonese dialect spoken at Tai O. We informed him that we were 3rd generation Chinese originating from Jiangmen, Wuyi, Guangdong Province. In fact most Hong Kongers speaks similar Cantonese dialects. After Tai O, we took a bus to Lantau Ferry Point, i.e. Mui Wui and from there we took a ferry back to Hong Kong Island. The departure of the ferry was very punctual and some of us nearly missed boarding this ferry as they were busy photographing the nearby localities. On arrival at Hong Kong, we then took The Star ferry back to Tsimshatsui.

The next day (11/12/04), I took my father to Yaumatei (via subway) and from there took a CTS bus to my ancestral hometown at Jiangmen, Wuyi, Guangdong Province. My Hong Kong relatives were surprised that there was a direct bus from Hong Kong to Jiangmen as all the while, they usually travel by ferry via the Jiangmen River. The rest of my family, my 2 sisters and niece stayed for an additional night at Hong Kong and Macau. The bus took us to the Hong Kong border town of Lokmachau & Shenzhen for immigration. Thereafter, the bus passed by Zhuhai, Zhongshan and finally to Jiangmen. The entire journey took approx. 4 hours including immigration clearance at Hong Kong and Shenzhen. On arrival at Jiangmen, suddenly, 2 motor-cycle taxis approached us. As my 80 years old father was so eager to have arrived at his childhood hometown of Jiangmen; without hesitation, he just rode pillion with his baggage on the motor cycle (without even thinking of the safety aspect). The cost of the motor cycle ride for approx. 2 kilometres away was RMB 5/person; which according to my distant relative does not even cost more than RMB 10 by taxi ride. When I informed my siblings on my father's motor cycle ride, they burst out laughing.

This was the first trip back to my ancestral hometown. We immediately checked-in a Hotel with a large room with attached bathroom but the water heater was gas-fired. All my life, this is the first time I had seen a gas-fired water heater. The rental was cheap at RMB 80 or approx. USD 10/night. Rental has to be paid daily. At the hotel, we met-up with my elder brother, my sister-in-law and their son who had came earlier 2 days via Guangzhou. Later in the afternoon, we visited The WAN FAMILY Ancestral home at Hehou Li - about 10 minutes walk away. The ancestral home was built more than 100 years of solid stone walls and still standing although the conditions was poorly maintained. It was being rented to a Hunanese couple.

We stayed at Jiangmen for 3 days and 2 nights; visited some distant relatives, travelled to the Xinhui Bird Paradise, East Lake, etc. On the 13/12/04, we checked-out of the hotel and took a direct bus from Jiangmen to Gongbei, Zhuhai; thereafter cleared Chinese & Macau Immigration and took a bus to Kingways Hotel, Macau to meet up with the rest of the family. There are now 11 of us at Macau. I took a walking tour at Macau with my elder brother for about 2 1/2 hours at an unusual fast pace. We visited the Macau Museum, Ruins of St. Paul, Macau Fort, Senando Square, Lotus Flower Plaza, etc. Later at approx. 3.30pm, we proceeded to Macau Airport for a flight back to Bangkok, Thailand. At Bangkok, we checked-in a budget Orchid hotel at Yaowarat Road - the Chinatown of Bangkok.

The next morning on 14/12/04, we visited the Golden Buddha temple at the nearby Tramit Road. Later, my elder brother & myself took a walking tour and travelled by river taxi along the Chao Phraya to visit the Grand Palace, Wat Po. That same afternoon, all 11 (eleven) of us proceeded to Bangkok Don Muang Airport for our evening flight back back to Kuala Lumpur - HOME SWEET HOME