Macau is an oddly European city
complete with Portuguese architecture and cobblestone streets. That is because
until 1999 it was administered by Portugal and was originally a Portuguese
colony founded in 1557. It is now the second Special Administrative Region of
China (the other being Hong Kong) and enjoys abundant economic freedoms. The
primary income source is Chinese tourism focused on a casino industry that puts
Las Vegas to shame. I have never seen such grand structures outside of the
Great Pyramids.
Sanado Square is one of the
gathering areas surrounded by shops. It is mostly a tourist area but you can
quiclky access areas locals frequent inclusing fresh food markets. During the
day the market streets were shoulder to shoulder.
These are the ruins of St.
Pauls which was destroyed by a fire in 1835. Only the façade remians but the
structure is still impressive. The accompanying museum is underground.
This is one entrance to the
MGM Macau. All the major casinos are opulent and exceed the extravagance of
Vegas. The most impressive casino is the Galaxy which has two million square
feet of gaming floor and is entering phase three of construction.
The views from Macau
are beautiful. The South China Sea provided a warm breeze that made the
nightlife all the more enjoyable.
McDonalds Professor
Dobbins worked on!
I had never been to an Asian
country before this trip. The culture is completely different than in Europe or
America. At times it was chaotic. I would have liked to have seen Vietnam and
Japan but I can save them for the next trip. If you have any questions about
this series feel free to ask me.
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