Forced to go to Macau?? OK!!!

April 6, 2010

So fortunately I was not able to receive all of the necessary documents from my host university in time to obtain my student visa making a trip to Macau a necessity! I wish all necessities were as cool as having to go just a one hour ferry ride away from Hong Kong to this larger than Las Vegas extravagant casino territory. Macau was truly gorgeous and refreshing with its clean air (in Asia this is a big deal), immense sunshine, and wide array of foods to choose from. First things first for me and my group before a big day of touring around and that was some authentic Portuguese food.

The Portuguese style was not just demonstrated in the food but also in all the architecture around the peninsula because of the territories previous existence as a Portuguese colony. Never before had I seen such vibrant colors on so many buildings at once.

One of the most cool things about Macau is that the area is so small a person can see almost everything important in just a day.

After a long day of touring around this intriguing city, we decided to go and relax at the most popular destinations in Macau, casinos!!! The biggest one there is the Grand Lisboa which we entered to find incredible carvings of ivory, jade, and gold as a clear sign for us leaving due to too steep minimum bets for the college undergraduate budget.

With a little money and determination on our side we ventured to a newly built casino, the Sands, to set up on the $100 HKD ($13 USD) the blackjack table. Even after watching the movie 21 I still have no idea how to count cards, so with only beginners luck on my side I was able to better the house for $1000 HKD making my trip to Macau a free trip with not only great memories and photos, but also giving me bragging rights on the world’s biggest gambling stage!! O yea, I did obtain my student visa too.