Macao

Ken took a few vacation days while Shayne was here; so on Monday we decided to go to Macao. Macao is another S.A.R. and the Las Vegas of Asia. Some of the biggest casinos in the world are in Macao. It is only a bit over 28 sq. km. with most of it dedicated to tourism. It has a very long and rich history and was the center for British trade with China prior to the acquisition of Hong Kong. 


We are not gamblers but upon arrival we were hungry so we decided to take the shuttle to the Venetian. It seems to be the most popular casino in Macao and thus a good place to start. On the ride there we saw some interesting views and sights.

Since it was July 4th, we had hamburgers and french fries for lunch. Afterward we strolled through all of the canals in the Venetian.

After checking things out there, we took another shuttle to City of Dreams. What attracted us to this property was the water show they were advertising. Unfortunately it was sold out for the night but we still saw a smaller show in the Bubble Theatre.

This theatre is one where you stand and the entire dome is a projection screen. What separates it from most are the chandeliers and central waterfall that can change color and cascade water in different patterns and then disappear into the dome. The show was about four dragons and it was very interesting and beautiful. There were even a few fireworks (for the 4th).


This casino is set up differently from most in the US. The casino floor is City of Dreams, but there are three hotels attached to it instead of one. Here the Crowne and Hard Rock were two of the three (can't remember the third). 


Another feature at City of Dreams was an extensive exhibit of costumes and personal artifacts from Madonna. It included costumes from tours, music videos and movies. Since the exhibit was spread throughout the property, it was like going on a scavenger hunt.

The last is a recreation of the balcony scene from Evita.


After leaving City of Dreams we headed to the newest casino in Macao, Galaxy. This casino opened a few weeks after our arrival in Hong Kong. The towers and the glass are coated in gold and it shimmers in the sunlight. Inside it is very elegant and vast.

We would have like to do some of the historical tours, but by this point my cold was wearing me down and we had a bust day planned for Tuesday. So we headed back to the ferry and Hong Kong. One of the added bonuses of this trip was more stamps in our passports, though waiting in the lines is not always fun. Luckily, the lines that evening were not too long and we made it back to the apartment where I crashed.