Macau fun!
Feb. 18th, 2010 10:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieSo, Macau was WONDERFUL.
We rode the Vomit Comet to get there - it was labelled as a ferry but that was grossly false advertising - it was tossing us back and forth like match-sticks. They wouldn't even serve noodles for fear of them upcucking and burning us. But it was only an hour ride and quite entertaining due to hilarious, 5-minute long 'this is where you are forbidden to smoke' commercians on an eternal loop and delicious Japanese candy I bought by the bag.
First glimpse of Macau? Ginormous Sands casino - nothing undestated about it as they built a fake Dutch village out front, a fake Chinese fortress out the side, and a fake mountain next to it. That would make me less inclined to gamble there (because if they can afford to build all that stuff, I know where the money comes from - suckers who gamble there :P) but to each their own.
Macau is basically Las Vegas with better (or at least squirmier) food. There is a casino at every step and the way we got back and forth from the ferry was via casino buses (apparently even the locals use them instead of unpunctual city buses).
We wandered around the city (never saw so many jewelry shops in one place) and had a blast. The crowds were ridiculously thick but 99% Chinese so we sort of stood out (at one point a little girl was pointing at me to her mother, LOL). We wandered up to the ruins of Church of St Paul (I think) which has an amazing view of the city - it was crowded with tourists taking photos of themselves on the steps, as if to prove they were there, prior to running back down and going back to gamble.
I checked and did not see Ji Hoo Sunbae sitting on the steps with his guitar (alas!) but I did see them play the part where Jandi and Ji Hoo are on Macau streets in a loop at a particular food stall. Heeeeee. BOF = everywhere.
The food was so yummy. We never had a sit-down meal but gobbled random things - egg custards (which were to die for) and random things on skewers - you pick skewers you want, put them in a metal plate and hand them to the cook who boils them for you, takes them out and covers them with curry sauce. I had fishballs, mushrooms and something I am not sure about but I think was some sort of intenstinal meat (it was yummy). Oh, and shops everywhere were selling pork, beef, and chicken jerky and almond candies and we had some. YUM.
We wandered the narrow streets (Macau is an odd mix of gaudy and shabby - the apartment buildings are very tall, covered with clothes lines and due to the tropical climate look rather grubby), and ended up at a market (fish is sliced lengthwise so the heart can beat for as long as possible keeping it fresh) and then at a temple of A-ma. It was great as it was thronged with worshippers due to the New Year and people were burning firecrackers as a devotional act, making it sound like a war was on - everything was covered in red ash.
After our city wanderings we went to the Venetian casino. As I am married to a reasonable man and not a kdrama hero, I had a great time as opposed to having my heart stomped on (but compensated for it with awesome shoes). OMG. Apparently it's 3 times the size of the one in Vegas - it's enormous and has 3 canals (with gondoliers singing at the top of their lungs!), fake streets and streets of fake Veneitan buildings, and even a ake painted coudy sky. I think my feet were ready to fall off by the time we were done. It was sort of unreal. I am also wondering how they cleared up enough space to film BOF because the place was a mob scene. I think even at 3am they would have had to roust people out. We also walked about on the very very smoked-through casino floor - my first time in a casino and it looked - sort of boring. Clearly am not a gambler.
Anyway, it was a blast though sadly, Mr Mousie refused my suggestion that he could occupy himself, while waiting for me, by buying me a diamond necklace or two :P
We rode the Vomit Comet to get there - it was labelled as a ferry but that was grossly false advertising - it was tossing us back and forth like match-sticks. They wouldn't even serve noodles for fear of them upcucking and burning us. But it was only an hour ride and quite entertaining due to hilarious, 5-minute long 'this is where you are forbidden to smoke' commercians on an eternal loop and delicious Japanese candy I bought by the bag.
First glimpse of Macau? Ginormous Sands casino - nothing undestated about it as they built a fake Dutch village out front, a fake Chinese fortress out the side, and a fake mountain next to it. That would make me less inclined to gamble there (because if they can afford to build all that stuff, I know where the money comes from - suckers who gamble there :P) but to each their own.
Macau is basically Las Vegas with better (or at least squirmier) food. There is a casino at every step and the way we got back and forth from the ferry was via casino buses (apparently even the locals use them instead of unpunctual city buses).
We wandered around the city (never saw so many jewelry shops in one place) and had a blast. The crowds were ridiculously thick but 99% Chinese so we sort of stood out (at one point a little girl was pointing at me to her mother, LOL). We wandered up to the ruins of Church of St Paul (I think) which has an amazing view of the city - it was crowded with tourists taking photos of themselves on the steps, as if to prove they were there, prior to running back down and going back to gamble.
I checked and did not see Ji Hoo Sunbae sitting on the steps with his guitar (alas!) but I did see them play the part where Jandi and Ji Hoo are on Macau streets in a loop at a particular food stall. Heeeeee. BOF = everywhere.
The food was so yummy. We never had a sit-down meal but gobbled random things - egg custards (which were to die for) and random things on skewers - you pick skewers you want, put them in a metal plate and hand them to the cook who boils them for you, takes them out and covers them with curry sauce. I had fishballs, mushrooms and something I am not sure about but I think was some sort of intenstinal meat (it was yummy). Oh, and shops everywhere were selling pork, beef, and chicken jerky and almond candies and we had some. YUM.
We wandered the narrow streets (Macau is an odd mix of gaudy and shabby - the apartment buildings are very tall, covered with clothes lines and due to the tropical climate look rather grubby), and ended up at a market (fish is sliced lengthwise so the heart can beat for as long as possible keeping it fresh) and then at a temple of A-ma. It was great as it was thronged with worshippers due to the New Year and people were burning firecrackers as a devotional act, making it sound like a war was on - everything was covered in red ash.
After our city wanderings we went to the Venetian casino. As I am married to a reasonable man and not a kdrama hero, I had a great time as opposed to having my heart stomped on (but compensated for it with awesome shoes). OMG. Apparently it's 3 times the size of the one in Vegas - it's enormous and has 3 canals (with gondoliers singing at the top of their lungs!), fake streets and streets of fake Veneitan buildings, and even a ake painted coudy sky. I think my feet were ready to fall off by the time we were done. It was sort of unreal. I am also wondering how they cleared up enough space to film BOF because the place was a mob scene. I think even at 3am they would have had to roust people out. We also walked about on the very very smoked-through casino floor - my first time in a casino and it looked - sort of boring. Clearly am not a gambler.
Anyway, it was a blast though sadly, Mr Mousie refused my suggestion that he could occupy himself, while waiting for me, by buying me a diamond necklace or two :P
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no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 02:45 am (UTC)My feelings are the reverse: I admire people willing to take my money to build giant fake stuff. :p
no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 03:00 am (UTC)I'm glad you are having such a good time.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 06:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 02:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 09:56 am (UTC)Result: I fell in love with a quiet fierceness that actually surprised me. I liked the mix of old and new; there's a contrast to it that I found delightful. It's nice that you share the same sentiment.
(I hadn't seen "Boys Over Flowers" when I went to Macau, but I think I would've flailed more if I did!)
Good times.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 02:11 pm (UTC)Huh. Didn't realize that. But makes sense now. In the Philippines we cut lengthwise and it wasn't until the US that I noticed it the other way but I never questioned why. Cool.
Aww, I'm jealous. Have fun!
no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 01:58 am (UTC)generalized
Date: 2011-05-21 05:48 am (UTC)