Macao in the VIP room

Yesterday, I took the ferry to Macao. First of all, I got on the bus, which after a 35 minute ride, took me to the Macao ferry terminal. There I got on the ferry, after buying a ticket and waiting about 40 minutes.

The ride on the ferry was nice-the seas we're smooth and the skys we're sunny. After arriving, i went through Macao customs (Macao is a special administrative area of China-which is separate from Hong Kong, so I went out in Hong Kong).

I found a bus that goes to a historical center of Macao. Macao was the last European colony in the orient, until 1999 it was a Portuguese colony, (Starting from the 1500's)-so much of the architecture actually looked like Portugal.

i walked around, and saw the different sites. I saw an old Catholic church, and I saw the main square which appeared to be right from Lisbon. While I was walking, the weather changed: It was warm and humid-suddenly it became cold and windy. And today I dressed in my shorts and Hawaiian shirt, so I was freezing. I continued to walk up the hill to the old fortress and the Macao Museum. The museum was interesting, it talked about the dual advancements of Eastern and Western civilization. I walked down the hill and saw the "Eiffel tower" of Macao-St. Paul's Ruins-A Catholic church built in the 1600's-which was destroyed by fire in 1835. The facade was recovered and is stunning.

After a quick lunch of curry fish (I walked a few blocks from the main tourist area, and found a cheap place)-I took the bus back, with the plan of checking out the casinos. MaCao is the Las Vegas of China (I first saw it in the movie Now You See Me two)-so I wanted to see this opulence. I first walked into a casino called the Grand Lisboa-and saw a giant casino with people moving back and forth gambling. You can tell this isn't the type of gambling done in Vegas. These folks are working-people don't drink while gambling-it appears they are doing a job.

Then I found the Wynn casino across the street. Here I accidentally walked into the VIP lobby, where just three ladies we're working, and continued on walking to the VIP room-I walked and looked in-well dressed older Chinese men we're playing in near silence. Two woman who worked there laughed at me I think. I could tell I didn't belong there-and they thought is was funny that a white dork in a Hawaiian shirt was in a Macao casino VIP room (the casino revenue in Macao supposedly makes Vegas look like a one-horse town). They ladies laughed and said "bye bye" to me.

I escaped and walked around the mall, which had shops like Rolex, Cartier, and other names I have no association with. I did check out the MGM casino next door-and hung out in their lobby, which was life-size giraffes that looked like they we're made with grass, a gigantic cylinder-like aquarium, Glass Chihuly-like palm trees, and comfee places to sit which looked like they we're made of grass as well). I feel asleep in one, until a lady who worked there woke me up.

At 7:15 pm, I caught the ferry back to Hong Kong. During the one hour ride, we we're instructed to put on our seat belts. The seas we're so rough the waves we're splashing the windows. After the ride-once again I had to wait in line to go through Hong Kong customs. i was still freezing in my shorts and Hawaiian shirt.