Destination 4- Macau, China

Transportation- Matt

Accomodations- Erin

Natural Site- Naz

Built Monument or attraction- Josh

Cultural/Historic site- Yates

Recreational/Sport activity- Ryan

Blog- Josh

Matt Whitlow-Transportation

On this leg of the trip, we made our way to the airport from the Sumo Backpackers Hostel via subway on the Red Line.  That total cost was 800 Japanese Yen per person for a total cost of 4800 Japanese Yen.
Once we arrived at the airport, we made our way to Eva Airlines where we caught our first leg of the flight, it was a 2 hour and 55 minute flight out to Taipei, Taiwan.  We had a quick stop in Taipei, Taiwan for only an hour and 15 minutes.  We had to frantically change planes in this time, and we almost didn’t make it.   We were all also worried about our bags making it and thankfully they all did.
We hopped onto another plane for our final flight to Macau, China.  This leg of the flight was a quick hour and forty-five minutes.  I thought the flight was going to be longer, but was relieved when I found out we would be there quickly.  Total travel time from Osaka to Macau was 5 hours and 55 minutes.
Once we arrived in Macau, China we jumped on one of the free shuttle busses, and that took us to our hotel a few minutes later.http://www.macau-airport.com/site/php/en/shuttle_bus.php
Transportation Spend:
Subway to airport
800 Japanese Yen (JPY) per person,
4,800 Japanese Yen total (JPY)
$10.51 USD Per Person
$63.04 USD Total


Airfare from Osaka to Macau
45,230.7 Japanese Yen (JPY)
271,384.2 Japanese Yen Total  (JPY)
$594 USD per person
$3,564.00 USD Total

Macau Shuttle to Hotel:
Free

Total Transportation Spend:
$3627.04 USD Total
276,184.2 JPY Total

Erin- Accomodations

 For Our Hotel we found  a quaint little hotel located in the heart of Macau, and A short 5 minute drive to the airport.  Our rooms even came with internet and TV’s!  We decided to book 2 rooms for our group

Zhuhai Bihai Hotel No1 Bihai Rd. Xiangzhou Zhuha,GD 519000,China

$46/Nt/Rm. 

291.30 Yuan/Nt/Rm

$5 Taxes and Fees/Nt/Rm

31.66 Yuan Taxes and Fees/Nt/Rm

Total Cost 7 Nights, 2 rooms, $710     

4496.19 Yuan Total Cost

http://www.kayak.com/h/hotel/details.vtl?idx=63&hid=116689&hideSplit=1&ro=false&rating=3&bookiturl=-895608590.BOOKINGDOTCOM,BOOKINGDOTCOM.5070|858358101.EXPEDIA,EXPEDIA.-100&searchid=ZAEB6tz1p&page=rates

One patron that has visited before us had this to say about the hotel:

“For the price we paid this is a good hotel to stay. Surprisingly clean but basic. Only time in China when we get non-smoking room as promised by staff. Aircon's working well and cold.Nearby hotel,there are plenty of bus services to bring you to all tourist/local destinations.” http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297418-d504853-Reviews-Starway_Bihai_Hotel-Zhuhai_Guangdong.html

Food

The first night of our trip we decided to eat at a famous retraunt reccomended by the hotel staff; the 360 Café

360 CafeBuffet: Dinner 88.86 Yuan $14/Person (6 People 531.94 Yuan, $84)

For our second night we decided to go to an authentica Macau Restaurant, Well Worth the price, and an awesome atmosphere!

Jade Garden:  Shanghai Dumplings  108 Yuan $17 ( 6 People 645.93 yuan $102)

For Night 3 we decided to seek out a retaurant that served the Chinese noodles we had heard so much about!  Made from Bamboo very different then what we are used to in the states!

Luk Kei Noodle:  Bowl of traditional Chinese Noodles 25 Yaun $3.95 (6 People 150.08 Yuan  $23.70)

For Night 4 we found a Mcdonalds to grab some food that reminds us of home!

Big Mac:   12.35 Yuan $1.95 (6 People 74.09 Yuan $11.70)

 For Night 5 we decided to search out some seafood! We found a gorgeous retaurant that smelled divine!

Clams with Spicy Sauce:  186 Yuan $29.37 (6 People 1115.94 Yuan $176.22)

Night 6  Macau Restaurant, a very popluar spot for locals!

Roasted Pork Cheek with Baked Rice 52 Yuan $8.21 (6 People  311.95 Yuan $49.26)

Street Vendors Bowl of Rice:  10 Yuan $1.58 ( 6 people for 6 days $56.88 360.20 Yuan)

We decided to do this for lunch every day, and spend a little more on dinner each night!

We were very glad we decided to save money on lunch and spend more on Supper, each night we were able to get a different taste of authentic chinese food, that was absoluetely delicious!

Transportation in China is mostly by foot, so in order to truly immerse ourselves in Chinese Culture we decided to travel by foot to all of our meals.  All were conveniently located fairly close to our hotel, and it was good exercise after we stuffed ourselves each night!

Total Food Cost: $503.76  3190.14 yuan

Total Cost Accomodations:  $1213.76  7686.33 yuan

Naz- Natural Site

It took me a real long time to find a natural site in Macau, China.  However, I think i finally found one.  The natural site I found is Lou Lim Iok Garden.  Located in central Macau, Lou Lim Iok garden is a great place that has a couple of different natural sites.  In the garden there are stone mountains and pools, and bridges over flowing streams.  After walking through the garden and walking through an arch door you will see  bamboo thicket, among which there are two trees with beautiful shape and huge umbrella - like tree crowns.  Those trees are Sphaeropteris lepifera, a very rare tree in china that is protected.  The main natural site in Lou Lim lok garden would have to be Exquisite mountain.  After walking through a forest trail you reach Exquisitie mountain.  Exquisite mountain is a stone mountain with a flowing waterfall.  This was the best natural site I could find in Macau, China, so I hope that it works out! The best part about this natural site is that, like most natural sites, it is completely free! It would only be a 10 minute walk from the hotel.

Josh- Built Monument

 For our built monument, I thought we would visit Monument to the Macanese Diaspora. Located in the western part of the city, the monument was built in 2001 to represent the new millennium of meeting of the Macanese culture. The sculpture has a lotus flower that represents the religion of the Macau people. There is an A-MA temple replica that represents the time honoured Chinese culture. A bronze globe that represents Portuguese discoveries in Macau. The monument brings all of the people of Macau together in a monument that they can celebrate. It is a great place to recognize that culture, history and religion are greatly celebrated in China! It is a beautiful monument and a great experience to see! It would take us about 10 minute taxi ride to the location from the hotel.

Ryan- Recreational/Sport Activity

For our recreational activity in Macau, China I thought we could wonder around the Inner Harbour.  There was plenty of things for us there to see.  We were able to take a tricycle rickshaw tour along the waterfront.  This was beautiful and it was amazing to see the different scenery that the city had to offer.  It was also a new experience for us to take a tricycle tour along the water.  It was something that I would recommend everyone to do sometime in their life.  Along with our tricycle tour we saw the Casa Garden and Guia Hill fortress and lighthouse! Both of these were quite the sight! It was great to enjoy the inner harbour and great weather that we also experienced while in Macau.  After seeing all of these things here in the Inner Harbour, it is making it pretty tough to leave again to our next destination. 

The Inner Harbour was about 11 miles away from our hotel that we were staying at in Macau.  So I thought the easiest way would be just to take a taxi.  The price for a yellow taxi cab for our whole group would be about 160 MOP$ round trip.  The tricycle rickshaw tour along the water front cost us about 80 MOP$ as well.   So the total that it cost for our recreational activity was about 240 MOP$ which turns out to be 30 US dollars. 

I got my information about The Inner Harbour in Macau, China from

http://www.china-macau.com/inner-harbour/activities.htm

Yates- Cultural/Historic Site

For our cultural/historic site I thought that we could explore the Ruins of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. It is located in Macau, China and it is the most famous landmark in that area. St. Paul's Cathedral was first built in the 17th Century, with the design of an Italian Jesuit and the work of Japanese Christians. This mammoth and spectacular building dominated the city until 1835 when it was savagely destroyed by fire and only the facade, the mosaic floor and stone steps approaching the building survived. In fact, the ruins of St. Paul's are still impressive and inspiring despite this destruction, perhaps even more so because of it. It is about a 20 minute cab ride to the Ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral. The cathedral is open 24 hours and it is FREE to get in and look around. We had a great time and enjoyed every bit of history that we could take in. It was a beautiful place and now we know why it is a top landmark in this country. It was GREAT

Here is a pic of what it looks like now…ENJOY

Blog Posted by: Ryan Metts

-Sumo Backpackers Hostel
-Tennoji Park

Natural Site: Erin

For this weeks natural site we decided to visit the Tennoji Park. This park was as beautiful and as green as New York’s Central park. This historic park opened in 1909, and is open during all seasons with a greenhouse, many flower beds, and a rose arch for people to walk under. The park is also home to the zoological gardens and the Osaka Museum of art. We walked to the park from our hotel because the weather was so beautiful , and we wanted to get the full experience of Osaka and the weather and nature that they experience. The park was very tranquill and quiet, we all got the chance to walk around the park and look at the flowers and reflect on everything that we had seen up to this point on our trip. I was able to actually sit down and read a book and thoroughly enjoy the park. It was almost taboo to actually talk in the park, so our entire group was able to just simply enjoy the sights. The cost was 150 Yen per person, which equals out to $15.66 total, or 1200 Yen.

http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/japan/osaka/parks-and-gardens-in-osaka/tennoji-park.html

http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/detail/sightseeing_2186.html

Recreational/Sport Activity: Yates

For our recreational/sport activity I figured we could go to Nishikinohama Beach Park. It is a ten-minute walk from Nishikihama Station of the Nankai Electric Railway main line. It is less than an hour from downtown Osaka, Japan. The park is full of people enjoying various marine and beach activities, including families and young windsurfing and jet-ski enthusiasts. I figured we could just sit back, relax and enjoy the beach. The park also has facilities for barbecuing. “Nishiki” (literarily two colors) in “Nishikinohama” refers to the white of the 1 km-long sand beach and the green of the pine groves. Nishikinohama beach has long been well known as place of scenic beauty and has been designated as one of the 100 most scenic greenery spots in Osaka. We decided to take a long walk on the beach and watch the sun set over Osaka Bay. It was beautiful. I decided that we should buy the Osaka Unlimited Pass (One-Day Pass) which is a sightseeing card that offers unlimited use of trains and buses in Osaka City and neighboring areas, as well as admission to 24 popular sightseeing facilities. Other privileges (discounts, presents, etc.) are also available at 14 sightseeing facilities and approx. 40 restaurants, shops and hotels. This costs 2,000 Yen which is $26.09 for a one day pass. The train station is just a short walk from our hotel so it all works out for us.

Accommodations: Matt

Sumo Backpackers Hostel.

1-11-28, Nakatsu, Kita-ku,

Osaka, Japan

1,776.81 Per Person/Per Night (Japanese Yen)

63,965.33 Total for 6 nights (Japanese Yen)

$23.17 Per Person/Per Night (USD)

$834.12 Total for 6 nights (USD)

"Very practical if you come from Osaka / Shin Osaka station. Less than one minute to subway exit. The owner is very friendly and can be good advice. Fluent in English. However, you can really see how the earthquake disaster has effected tourism - we were the only ones in the hostel which is a shame as its such a quirky place."

Reference: http://www.japanese.hostelworld.com/hostelreview.php/Sumo-Backpackers/Osaka/6480/reviews/

Food:

Dotonboriimaihonten (Noodle Bar) $13.00 Per Person x 6 people = 5,981.51 Yen

In addition to the great noodles, they also had the best soup I have ever had

Gogoichihorai (Dim Sum) $12.50 Per Person x 6 People = 5,751.45 Yen

This restaurant has the best Bao in Japan and they sell over 140,000 a day!!

Ponpoketei (Traditional Japanese) $25.00 Per Person x 6 People = 11,502.90 Yen

This restaurant has delicious traditional Japanese food and is much cheaper than some of the chain restaurants

Jambo (Noodles) $13.00 Per Person x 6 People = 5,981.51 Yen

Great restaurant for some good noodles and good salad. Perfect location for our large group.

La Golosetta (Pizza and Italian) $22.50 per person x 6 people = 10,352.61 Yen

We all were missing some food that reminds us of home so we decided on eating some local pizza. Glad we did, it was a hit.

Kaisenhyakusaihinabebokitashinchichipao (Chinese) $20.00 Per Person x 6 people = 9,202.32 Yen

This was great Chinese food. Must try the Peking Duck while there.

For breakfast this week, we went shopping at Takonotetsu and got some baked goods along with cereal, milk, fruit and orange juice. Total cost was $70.00 (32208.12 Yen)

All of these restaurants are within walking distance of the Sumo Backpacker Hostel.

Food Total = 80,980.42 Yen = $1,056.00 USD

Accommodations Total = 63,965.33 Yen = $834.12 USD

Totals = 144,945.75 Yen = $1,890.12 USD

This was a fun stop. We were able to try many local foods and see many of the sites around Osaka. The Hostel was really cool and quirky, but not too many other travelers around.

Built Monument or Attraction: Naz

This week for our visit to a built monument or attraction i figured we could go and check out Osaka Castle. Completed in the year of 1597, Osaka Castle is still one of Japan's most famous castles ever. The entire castle covers 15 acres, and has many different things such as a museum, obersvation deck, park, etc. Osaka castle also contains thirteen structures that have been designated as important cultural assets by the Japanese government. I thought it looked really cool and figured we could spend half a day there. The price to enter the musuem is 600 yen, which converts to $7.8268 in american dollars. I figured i would just round that up to $8 dollars a person and the total price for the trip to the beautiful osaka castle would end up being $48 dollars. A great price i thought for seeing one of Japan's most beautiful castles. Here is the website i got my information from http://www.osakacastle.net/english/museum/index.html , and if you go on google images and just type in osaka castle there are a lot of beautiful pictures out there to see.

Historic/Cultural Site: Josh

For my historic/cultural site, I figured we could go to the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan, Shitennoji Temple! It was founded in 593 by prince Shotoku. The design of the temple is from the 6th and 7th century. The most amazing thing about this temple is how it has burned down several times but restored to be as identical as the original. There is a 5 story pagoda and a golden hall where prince Shotoku has a statue. In the garden there is a turtle pond which represents buddhist paradise,around the pond are various sculptures and scriptures. This would be great experience to see how Buddhist practice their religion and see how old the architecture. This would be free to see! Which is awesome!

> http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/osaka/shitennoji.html

Transportation: Ryan

We will take a taxi through Alaska Yellow Cab from the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel to the airport in Anchorage that will cost about $37.50. We will then leave Anchorage through Delta on flight DL 9060 to Seattle, Washington. We will then have a relaxing 12 hour layover in the Seattle airport. Then we will arrive in Osaka, Japan at 4:30 PM on flight DL 183. This is almost a 12 hour flight. This flight was pretty exhausting. The total cost per person was $913.16 and $7,304.16. The flights were not too bumpy but just really long and tiring. Once we arrived in Osaka, we will use the Osaka Subway service. We need to take the red line to get to our Sumo Backpackers Hostel. The price of a subway ticket is 800 yen/person. So the total comes out to be $62.46. After an exhausting couple days of travel we have finally arrived in our Hostel. The total cost for transportation is $7366.62

Expenses

Transportation: $7366.62

Monument/Attraction: $48

Accommodations: $1,890.12

Recreational/Sport: $28.09

Natural Site: $15.66

Historic Site: $0

Total for this leg of the trip: $9348.49

Total expenditures: $18742.96