The Las Vegas of Asia!

Also known as Macau!  Macau is an even shorter train ride away than Hong Kong so it wasn't long after experiencing Hong Kong that I decided I needed to also hit the road (or the tracks) to Macau!  Once a Portuguese colony, Macau, like Hong Kong, is now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. It is nicknamed the Las Vegas of Asia but surprisingly it brings in a revenue that is a whopping 8 times that of what Las Vegas, Nevada sees each year.  Hard to believe!  It's an interesting mix of Asian and European architecture and, of course, it has a Las Vegas element to it as well.  Many of the casinos you see in Vegas, including the Wynn and the Venetian, also have resorts in Macau.  Portuguese is still one of it's official languages and though it is rarely used, you do see it posted around the city on all of the signs and being similar to Spanish it was cool to be able to read a sign again! (As opposed to trying to decipher Chinese characters..which is pretty hopeless..or relying on things to also be posted in English.)  Here's some highlights from the trip!

 Welcome to Macau!

First stop!  The ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral! Built in the early 1600s when the land belonged to the Portuguese.  Only the front wall of the building remains after it was destroyed beyond repair after a fire in 1835.  Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Next stop - lunch!  A Macanese favorite and a must-try - pork chop bun...and a coca-cola!

St. Dominic's Church built in 1587.

Doesn't really look like China, right?!  It's extremely European.  I've never been to Portugal but I would imagine that it has very similar architecture. 

Meet Erin! :)

It may just so happen that I end up being one of those people with a selfie stick before I leave Asia...

And now we have left Portugal and are in Las Vegas...just kidding still in Asia!

See?!  Asia!  My first visit to a temple.  

This is the A-Ma Temple and the oldest one in Macau - it was built in the 1400s.

 At Lilau Square, one of the earliest Portuguese settlements in Macau.  The ground water from Lilau used to be the main source of water for the city and there was a saying during the days of the Portuguese that said "anyone who drinks from Lilau will never forget Macau."  But I didn't actually drink from the fountain here so we will see how my memory of Macau holds up...

St. Lawrence's Church. 

 I just like the colors in this picture :)

 

McDonald's has some strange food over here...but the black and white makes sense - seems to be everybody's favorite colors!

 My hair is attacking me in this photo!

View of the Grand Lisboa Resort and Casino from Monte Fort.  

And here we have the Venetian - it's quite grand!

 The amazing food court where I found...

AN AUTHENTIC BACON CHEESEBURGER! And really I could not tell I was eating a hamburger in Asia. It was probably the most expensive thing I've had to eat since I've been here considering the majority of my meals cost less than 3USD.  BUT OMG I may go back to Macau just for this very reason!

More of the Venetian...would love to stay there for just one night!

 Meet Molly! :)

 And the rest of the group!  I will say this about Macau, though, as it has the nickname of Las Vegas of Asia, and appropriately so considering the money that it brings in through all of the casinos.  But, in my personal opinion, it didn't have the buzzing, party 24/7, never sleep atmosphere that the real Vegas has.  Nonetheless, we had our own party and had a great time during our 2 days exploring Macau!  There's a wealth of history and culture that we didn't get to though so maybe I'll go back for more than just the bacon cheeseburger!