Macau part 1

I’ve always been told that Macau is like Hong Kong, for as long as I thought about going to Macau, at least. It’s really not.

Macau is a tiny city, smaller than Hong Kong Island, which itself is less than 10% of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is more than a city when you include Lantau, the New Territories and the outlying islands. Macau is just a city.

There’s also a big difference in their past. Macau’s Portuguese past is far more obvious than Hong Kong’s British past. There are old churches and Portuguese buildings everywhere. A lot of the city looks like it could be a European village, if you ignore all the Chinese people and signs. Hong Kong looks very much Chinese.

There’s also the big difference in gambling. Hong Kong has horse racing, which I’ve been told is taken very seriously by some of the locals. Macau has very serious gambling in billion dollar casinos. The Venetian is the largest casino in the world and looks just like the one in Las Vegas. There’s also an MGM, Wynn and Sands, along with a lot of Chinese companies. Hong Kong is bigger in every way, except gambling. That’s where Macau is all aces (or some other gambling idiom).

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The main bridge between the north & south islands

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I don’t know what this is supposed to be, but it’s next to the Miami street

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This is the New Orleans street

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The main shopping area of Fisherman’s Wharf is supposed to look like various American cities

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Part of Fisherman’s Wharf is supposed to look like an ancient Roman village

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The Sands across the street from Fisherman’s Wharf, restaurants & shopping

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Mount Fortress
Built by the Portuguese in the 1600s

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A-Ma Temple
The largest Chinese temple in Macau
Built before the Portuguese came

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Chapel of Our Lady of Penha

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Mainland China

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Japan Town
Japanese restaurant street

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The volcano at Fisherman’s Wharf

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A really bad picture of me taken at a really good Spanish/Portuguese restaurant

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St Paul's Cathedral steps

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Senate Square

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St Lawrence's Church
The oldest church in Macau
Built by the Portuguese in the 1500s

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Fisherman’s Wharf
An outdoor amphitheater designed to look like an ancient Roman theater.

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Sands Hotel & Casino
We wanted to stay here, but it turns out they only have expensive suites.

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Casino Lisboa
Our hotel

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St Paul's Cathedral
Built in the 1600s and burned down in the 1800s.

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Senate Square
A large outdoor shopping area
All the buildings look like reproductions, but they’re all from the Portuguese era.