Julian and I decided to escape to Macau for the weekend. For those of you that don't know, Macau is an island to the east of Hong Kong and, like Hong Kong, is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. So, Macau has its own passport checking point and there is a ferry between Hong Kong and Macau that makes it easy to get from one to the other. Macau has its own separate government and political parties, police, money, postal system, school, and language. So, even though Macau is a part of China, it most definitely has its own distinct culture.
We left Thursday night and, after passing through immigration and taking the 1.5 hour ferry ride, arrived in Macau rather late. So, we rushed straight to our hotel, the Conrad Macao Cotai Central, to check in before hoping to catch a late dinner. Luckily, since we checked in so late, we got upgraded to a massive suite! It had an entrance area, kitchen table, living room, separate TV room with a pull-out sofa bed, bedroom, and a huge master bathroom with a hot tub that could fit at least 4 people and a shower that is three times the size of my closet at home. To say the least, I was shocked and ecstatic! We quickly got ready because we wanted to make it to Julian's favorite dinner spot in Macau, Fernando's.
We started off with a jug of red sangria, a Fernando's specialty according to Julian, and a loaf of homemade bread. Then, we dug into some chorizo, garlic shrimp, and mixed vegetables. Honestly a must-do if you go to Macau. It is secluded and romantic at night (you have to take a cab to get there), with an outdoor bar area surrounded by trees. You can hear the sounds of nature all around you! Another bonus, it is much cheaper and better quality than anything you would find on the main strip. The owners are Portuguese and the restaurant has been there since 1986. Check out their website here: http://www.fernando-restaurant.com/index_en.html.
We went from dinner to the Venetian, one of the only hotels we know of that has a craps table. In between gambling the night away, we stopped in the Bellini Lounge for some live music and cocktails. One thing I noticed about Macau is that, although the Cotai side is known as the "Las Vegas Strip of the East", there are some striking differences between the two. Chinese people are serious gamblers. And when I say serious, I mean VERY serious. I have never seen that many stacks of chips and that many people filling up the casino, not even in Las Vegas. Another thing, people are drinking coffee and tea, not alcohol. They are there to gamble, not just to get drunk. The atmosphere doesn't feel like a real-life version of The Hangover movie, it feels more like the movie Casino.
Most people don't just go there to mess around. You can just feel the lone sharks lurking around. But it does not mean you cannot go there to Macau and have some simple fun. By all means you should go there!
Most people don't just go there to mess around. You can just feel the lone sharks lurking around. But it does not mean you cannot go there to Macau and have some simple fun. By all means you should go there!