Macau, It's Golden Week

Chinese Fireworks
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Thursday, 1st October 2009.

Today is the 60th Anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China and the place is in party mode. (It was kind of sad when Julie told me that all the 60th banners & decorations everywhere were not for my pending birthday.) As it is a National Holiday most businesses shut down for three days so our plan is to depart China and catch the ferry to Macau which takes an hour.

Arrive in Macau late morning and notice that it is quite warm & humid, 30c, grab a cab to Hotel. On the drive in we soon notice that this place is starting to look like Las Vegas with flash new Casino/Hotel complexes dominating the skyline. The biggest is Casino Lisboa, along with Wynns, MGM Grand, The Sands and many more. Our hotel, Sofitel is located at Ponte 16, or wharf 16, and is located in the older less developed part of the city. One side looks out over a harbour and the other (our side) back over the city and our room is very very comfortable.

Inside Venitian Casino
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We soon hit the streets to explore Macau. Most stores are closed and streets are filled with Chinese Tourists and locals enjoying their three days off. The previous Portuguese influence is very noticable in the architecture, street signs & street paving designs.

We visit the ancient ruins of St Pauls Cathederal and the surrounding areas and back to hotel for a rest prior to heading out to see the final night of the World Fireworks Competition which are held over the bay. We take a taxi down to MGM Grand and then walk down along the causeway which provides us with an open view. The last two countries are Austria & China with China far better of course and whilst they are OK we still believe the Royal Adelaide Show puts on just as good a performance.

Sadea Square in Macau
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Friday 2 October 2009

This morning we decide to head across to Taipa the other Island of Macau connected by several long bridges. Over there are the new Casino complexes with the Venetian, Four Seasons and James Packers City of Dreams which includes Crown, Hard Rock & Hyatt.

The first we tackle is the Venetian, which is reputed to be the largest Casino complex in the World and you could get lost for days in it. The shopping mall is huge (over 1million square feet) with canals and gondolas everywhere under a false sky and not an idea on how to get out so you just keep on walking for hours. Eventually we escaped so we headed across the road to the City of Dreams and get tickets for their big feature, The Bubble, which is just like a 360 degree imax theatre based on mythical sea creatures, pretty good show.

Macau at Night
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Starting to feel a bit crook as in and out of freezing air con shops to 30C in streets so we eat at hotel buffet which is magnificent, 2004 Peter Lehmann Shiraz at $9 per glass, feeling better already, and an early night.

Saturday 3 October,

Still feeling crook, Julie worried about porky pig flu and not getting home. We head off to see Red Market, local produce market where you can select your live chicken & get it killed, plucked, cleaned and portioned in just a few minutes. We later keep walking through back streets and come to a park, take a chair lift to the top of a hill where the gun placements were located defending the Island, go to enter an old Air Raid Bunker and there is an attendant with a temperature monitor checking us before we go in. Good news is I pass, but the strange thing is the bunker is only 30 metres long & we are the only ones that have been near it all day.

Fireworks
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Walk down to Sands Casino, made a small donation, and catch a cab home as I need a sleep...................... Last night in Macau so we hit the town and have dinner at the Golden Arches, main course, dessert & drinks for 60MOP ($10).

Sunday 4 October

Catch ferry over to Hong Kong and negotiate MTR train system out to Novotel Citygate , out by Airport. Under the hotel is several floors of Outlet shops for major brands, like an upmarket Harbour Town. Spend a couple of hours looking around but decide there are no bargains here. Dinner at hotel with 100's of locals who are out celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival ( first full moon for Autumn last night).

Ruins of St Pauls Cathederal
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Monday 5 October ( Our last day)

Starting to feel a bit better, might make it through health checks at Airport, so we take MTR into Hong Kong for a look. We have a great time and we do well in the shops spending the last of our HKD and finish up with a drink at the InterContinental overlooking Hong Kong Harbour, which we agree is the best Harbour in the World. Get back to hotel, Pack all the booty, weigh bags, both 30kg, just on limit, great planning.

Grab the Hotel Shuttle to airport, check in, straight up to Qantas Club for some Chivas Regal Medicine and finish the last of the blog.

Canal & St Marks Square inside Venitian
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We have had a fantastic time, done and seen so much, but glad to be comming home.

Hope you have enjoyed sharing our trip.

See you all soon.