Advertisement
If you threw China, Portugal, and Las Vegas into a cauldron and stirred the result would certainly be Macau. Though I am sure this is hardly an original analogy, Macau’s unique heritage surprised me at every turn. We arrived by boat from Hong Kong and spent a decent amount of time wandering around the city searching for a decent hotel, though initially our only budget options seemed to be sleazy, sleazier, and sleaziest. We persevered (thanks to Craig) and found a fantastic hotel, located down an unassuming alley. The caged balcony was a great place to hang out, and we had an excellent view of the neighboring rooftops and their many sunbathing cats.
On our first night we decided to go for a walk to get our bearings and were attracted like moths to the flashing lights of the infamous casino Lisboa. We snapped some photos and headed down the street near Van Nam Lake. As I was leaning over a railing to peer out at the lights reflecting on the black water I was surprised as a giant, greasy rat ran by, nearly under my feet. I can safely say I love nearly all furry creatures, but a dirty,
Bright night, flashing lights
A lantern flies in front of Casina Lisboa slimy city rat is a definate exception. However, it seemed a very fitting inhabitant for this section of the city.
Macau is trying to reinvent itself by shedding its image as a sleazy, corrupt gambling den while still trying to rake in as much money as possible from its many casinos. In my observation the powers that be in Macau are striving for a more "family-friendly" environment. A little more like Disneyland and a little less like the seedier side of Vegas.
Macau was under particular scrutiny during our visit due to the North Korean nuclear talks. It is thought that Kim Jon Il's eldest son had been living there for some time and that Macau's Banco Delta Asia had been helping the North Korean government to launder money.
Walking around Macau is a fascinating experience. Wandering around the old section of town was like being warped straight back to Europe (with the exception of the occasional sighting of Chinese characters and vendors selling thin slices of sweetmeat): cobblestone streets, old churches, and colonial forts. One of Macau’s claims to fame is its status as the longest running colony in China (It wasn’t returned to the Chinese
government until 1999).
The inhabitants of Macau are equally as diverse as its architecture. Currently, Macau is one of the most densly populated areas on earth and the majority of the population growth is credited to immigration, workers from mainland China coming to Macau to find jobs. Many of these employment opportunities center around the tourism and gambling industry that is estimated to be at least half of Macau's total GDP. Slightly less than half the population was actually born in Macau. The rest of the island's population is made up of expatriates from other Asian countries and a few from Europe. Though Portuguese is still Macau's official language alongside Cantonese, almost none of the residents speak it.
On the first day we enjoyed the charm of the older section of town, admiring the European architecture and visiting some of the gardens, parks, and forts. The weather was amazingly warm and strolling in the gardens among all the lush vegetation I truly became excited for the next portion of our trip in Southeast Asia.
The next day we explored the newer section of Macau near the poorly named "fisherman's wharf". I didn't see any fisherman, but there
was an amusement park of sorts complete with grotesque fake volcano, aladdin's palace, and a cheesy replica of the forbidden city. The whole area had a creepy, fake feel to it, but maybe it only seemed creepy because it was the weekday and not teaming with exuberent children. It seemed like a strange parralel universe compared to the Portugues relics just blocks away, but that's just what Macau is all about. We did ride the roller coaster inside the fake volcano and have to admit, it was a lot of fun.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.08s; Tpl: 0.018s; cc: 10; qc: 28; dbt: 0.0357s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb