Macau
August 23, 2004 - August 24, 2003
Macau was a Portuguese colony until just 5 years ago (1999),
so it has the feel
of Lisboa in the air. Everything is in Portuguese, and it's just as relaxing
as you'd
imagine Portugal to be. Yang Jia and I stayed here 1 day, because it's so small.
There aren't too many tourist sites. It's mostly visited for
its casinos, which have been
there ever since the opium wars in China. Macau refused to allow
opium so their
economy suffered. But they soon recognized the potential profits in the
legalization of
gambling, and has been a gambling destination ever since.
Around the city of Macau
Some back streets that remained very Chinese
Some local specialties
Ruins of Church of St Paul
This is one of the few tourist sites. Unfortunately undergoing repairs.
The hydrofoil ferry ride to and from Macau is more like the inside of a plane