Lovely Macau

I’ve wanted to blog about Macau since I first went there last July. Last year, I only spent about a day there…just enough to see a couple of the many things that make Macau a great place to visit. From the little bit that I saw, I knew I wanted to go back there. Lucky for me, I got to visit there in March this year with the bf.

The view from a fort...can't remember the name.

Macau has a lovely blend of Eastern & Western and Old & New cultures. You see it in the buildings all around the city, you taste it in the food that you eat and you can feel it in the mood that surrounds you.

A lovely coutryard which makes you think you're in Europe.

My visit there this year didn’t start out very good. See, I kinda forgot that I should check the weather…so when we arrived there, casually clad in T-shirts and jeans, we were met with the chilling cold of 17ºC! In Immigration, we looked around to notice that everyone else was warmly clothed…some a bit too warmly; I mean who needs gloves when it’s only 17ºC?

Anyways, after leaving our luggage we went on a shopping spree of sorts. I really needed a parka or something coz there was no way I’d survive with my incredibly breezy, summer clothes. Funny thing is, we ended up getting matching parkas from Bossini (which really was a lifesaver both in terms of fashion and budget). Only after that did we finally get started on the sightseeing.

The famous Ruins of St. Paul's Chruch

Honestly, there’s a lot to see in Macau especially if you like European styled churches and other structures. We went to so many churches; I can’t even remember which is which. Some were ornate while others were nice and simple. There are some forts too and lovely little parks and courtyards.

The facade of one of the many churches we visited.

One of the more simple churches...

And probably the most gothic church in Macau.

A pretty butterfly :)

Of course, recently Macau has made a huge name for itself as the Las Vegas of the East. There are casinos everywhere in Macau…okay, maybe not everywhere, but almost. Most are huge, mega projects that dominate the Macanese skyline. Some look amazing while others are just gaudy.

Me trying to shoot the Lisbon Casino...one of the most attention seeking buildings in Macau.

But their casinos are light years ahead of our boring Genting Highlands. Take the biggest one, the amazingly beautiful Venetian…it’s got so much floor space for casinos…the casino literally goes on and on; and all the tables are full (as far as I could see anyway. Plus, they also incorporated the best shopping into the hotel and fashioned it after the streets of Venice with each section sporting a different color for the sky…as in for dawn, noon, dusk and night. It’s mindboggling! I actually felt like I was in a totally different place.

The Venetian!

Feels like an evening in Venice...sigh

Lovely frescoes.

A replica of Lisbon at one of the casinos.

The inside of the Sands Casino

A replica of the Coliseum at the waterfront

Ooo….and how can you go to Macau and not have an Egg Tart, right? The Egg Tart there are quite nice actually and what I love about them is that they are always served with Cinnamon powder…Yummy! I also got to try some Portuguese and some Macanese food. Both were really good.

Egg tart with cinnamon powder ;)

Macanese and Portuguese food

Super Bock!!! Portuguese Beer :)

All in all, Macau is my kind of city. It may have it’s dodgy sides (very dirty looking, old flats ala Hong Kong) but the beauty of the contrast in culture is just wonderful. You can actually walk the whole city and truly it’s the best way to see it. Otherwise you might miss the little things like a hidden courtyard or an out of place butterfly. Sigh…I can’t wait to go again.