Macau!!!
And then finally – after a thousand kilometres (and what felt like a thousand years) through rural China – we arrived in Macau on Christmas Eve.... .

And headed straight for the haven of McDonalds – ordering two rounds of food each – in English! – and knowing that the hamburger patties were indeed BEEF! And finished off the meal with heavenly McFlurries! Oh, what joy! And for Xmas breakfast we headed straight to Kentucky for a non-greasy breakfast (by Chinese standards anyway) of deep-fried chicken and fries and coleslaw.
For three days we indulged in the roman script signage on businesses and in English menus, and European brand names and food we recognised and bright city lights and cobblestone walkways

…And in highways and ambitious bridges (the tenth tallest structure in the world in Macau)

…And visited the gardens of philosopher and poet Albert Camus

...Marvelling at such extravagances as special WC facilities for pets