Feeling Homesick in Macau, China

Macau, the Old Portuguese enclave in Asia, always lived in my imagination. To me, it was that far away land, where people still spoke Portuguese, where everyone ate smoked cod and “pastéis de Belém”. I was determined to visit the city if I ever went to China.

Then, once upon a time, a young, free-spirited Brazilian boy made it to what is today the second most powerful country in the world, and he still had a fixation for that former Portuguese colony. Bear in mind that until then, he had never been to Portugal.

When I arrived in the city, I had already accepted the fact that nearly no one speaks Portuguese, and that it was very Chinese in every aspect. That was until I ventured into the old part of town. The first place I visited was Luís de Camões Garden, in honour of one of the most (if not the most) prominent writers in the Portuguese-speaking world.

Entering those gates made me feel like I was going back in time, like arriving at an old Brazilian colonial town. Everything reminded me of places like Ouro Preto, Mariana e Tiradentes, some of the most beautiful and best preserved colonial towns in Brazil. Even the old trees, with branches spread out, offering the perfect shade on a hot day, were the same.

It was love at first sight!Not that I think one should travel to look for the familiar, but it all took me by surprise. You can even read parts of Camões’s sonnets. I felt homesick. Homesick for my native Brazil. Homesick for the so-far-unknown Portugal.

Next, I went to visit the old Saint Paul’s Church, which was destroyed by a fire in 1835, and only its intricate façade stands. Both here and at Senado Square, where one can see a stunning display of traditional Portuguese stone-tiled pavements, I felt I was transported to – what I thought would look like – Lisbon.

After this trip, all wanted to do was to finally go to Portugal. I still keep very fond memories of this place on the other side of the world, which made me feel homesick. It also gave me that kind of painful nostalgia that you only understand when you listen to a Portuguese Fado.

By the way, if you’re planning a trip around here, check out what to do in Macau.