Las Vegas of China

(photos to come)

After a brief night out in Central Friday night (drinks on the harbor with colleague Nancy Willis; dinner in mid-levels), my colleague Justin and I got up early and took a hydrofoil to Macau – the Las Vegas of China! The Gateway to China! The Portuguese of China!

Like Vegas, arriving was quite the sight – complete with an Epcot Center-like wharf representing locales from all over the world. Like Vegas, casinos like Wynn and MGM beckoned.

Unlike Vegas, we were on Chinese soil. Unlike Vegas, it was historically Portuguese. Unlike Vegas, I gambled with $100 chips (HKD, of course, or ~$13 USD). Unfortunately – and unlike Vegas – I left Macau with fewer HKD than at which I started.

Literally dripping with sweat, Justin and I found a recommended city hike, so took to the hills to check out some of the famous sites, including the fort, the façade of the thing, and the heart of the chinese shopping market. It was SO humid, Avid Reader, that we had to take “let’s dry our backs and ass cracks” breaks in various businesses with AC… couched in our own coded language:

“Check out those shoes! Can’t get those back home!”
“I’d really love to see what the fuss is about in that jewelry store.”
“Oh! Magnets! Let’s see the different styles!”

Needless to say, Justin is an incredible travel partner. After bit more blackjack at the MGM, we caught the ferry back to Hong Kong and joined Doug & Kenwyn and Stephen & Melanie for an amazing dinner at Hee Kee Crab – where we got to select the crabs from the aquariums to enjoy. Delicious. Darts after were ceremoniously won by Stephen, Kenwyn and Justin. I let them win; can’t be in every photo after all!