Saying “I just got back from Macau” is sorta like saying “I’ve been to Vegas.” I guess “What happens in Macau stays in Macau!” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. It sound more like the next question should be, “What is a Macau?” as if it is some sort of living thing.
Well, it kinda is…
It is certainly a growing thing.
But that growth is almost entirely mega-hotels and casinos and performance halls.
.
This is the Venetian. Just like the one in Las Vegas, complete with canals.
Just don’t look too closely at those fluffy white clouds and blue sky…
…you might see a corner or a sprinkler head. Very reminiscent of “The Truman Show”…
It was pretty good shopping and really an unusual place. Maybe I found it enjoyable because it was the first day I felt really half-way decent in days? Either way, it was a new country and a new passport stamp… nothing wrong with that!
It seems this tiny island, once a Portuguese colony, has figured out the formula for making unreasonable amounts of money. They’re still growing. A half-dozen mega-luxury hotels are under construction within just a few blocks and the airport is expanding rapidly.
I have trouble believing that it is sustainable, but they are certainly creating quite the destination only an hour ferry ride from Hong Kong.
Stay tuned…
-Noah D.
