Life in Macau, China

Your English is Perfect!!!!

2013-06-06T01:42:00.003-07:00

So, what kind of Asian are you? Well, I'm part Asian so I definitely laughed quite a bit when I saw the video clip below! Some of my female friends back in the US of A are 100% American born Chinese; they only speak English - no Chinese - and grew up in the California area. They frequently get into similar situations NOT ONLY with the American, but also the Chinese guys.

My updates have been less frequent lately because, well, for the time being I've relocated to live and work in Bangkok, Thailand! Quite the transition, but life is good! I recently launched a new site that is dedicated to documenting the adventures of every-day life in Bangkok, Thailand! Believe it or not, there is never a dull moment in the day while exploring this city.

"Thailand is a country considered quite exotic by people in the west - see photos below - famous for medical tourism, white sand beaches, fantastic island getaways, and... the movie "Hangover II". Life can get quite crazy in parts of the city, but for the most part, life is fun but slightly more subdued. The words Sanook, Sabai, and Saduak, are used to describe the lifestyle embraced by the Thai people. Sanook means fun, Sabai means relaxing, and Saduak mean convenient. Throw in some hard work and attempts at advancement and I would say that this is "the way life should be."

Check out my new blog at www.tigernbird.com!!

Photos from Bangkok can also be found here: www.bangkokstories.net

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2013-01-01T06:46:00.000-08:00

I would like to warmly wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! May your home be filled with happiness and love for the year of 2013!!!

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More updates on adventures in Asia on my other blog in the Kingdom of Thailand

Annual Macau Food Festival

2012-11-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Macau Food Festival!!! This annual event is held at Sai Van Lake Square by the Macau Skytower; the skytower complex can be seen in the background!! Wear a coat and bring some cash - the food IS excellent, but the weather can be quite chilly during the Macau winter season.

Yes, it's that time of year again!!! Time for festivals, friends, and the most important ingredient, FOOD!!!! Christmas celebrations are no longer solely confined to the West and have begun to spread into Asia - primarily through commercial channels, of course, but still welcome to expats like myself. One tradition in the isle of Macau during the fall season is the annual Macau Food Festival, a two-week bash held at the Sai Van Lake Square beside the imposing Macau Sky Tower. You can check out the specific details of the event HERE at the Macau Tourist Office's website.

Macau, as you can read elsewhere on the web or even on the Macau section of my blog, is a part of China that for several centuries was administrated by the Portuguese. Therefore, the cuisine for the islands have a decidedly Portuguese influence that can be quite delightful!! This is especially true in the areas of stews and seafood. Once, I had the folly of planning on visiting every single restaurant on the three small islands that compose the area called "Macau", but soon I realized this was a vain task!! There are multitudes of restaurants on every single street.

The easiest way to get a real taste of Macau and a sample of the diverse culinary experiences available there is to stop by the annual Macau food festival held downtown!!! On the island of Macau is the Macau Sky Tower and its associated complex. If you're not up for skydiving or eating at the 360 degree rotating restaurant, I would recommend stopping by the complex during the month of November to sample the mix of Chinese, Portuguese, Macanese, and Japanese dishes available there!! Free buses from Taipa island help shuttle people to the location, as well as several of the buses from Macau. The easiest way, however, is to use a taxi. The festival starts nightly after 7pm. Crowds descend on this area during the evening hours, creating a festive environment with live performances by local bands and schools, fireworks, and of course plenty of food. Of course, the commercial Tsingtao and Coca-Cola stands are available often giving out freebies, but the real treat comes from stopping by the stands hosted by the local restos and shops.

[Left] A worker and some chefs prepare some shellfish with cheese. [Right] A shocker for China, but not so much for Thailand... a partially-frozen crocodile head. Yes, folks, it's real!

Above is pictured some of the Portuguese-style seafood, which is absolutely fabulous. Additionally, some exotic fair can also be found, such as the frozen crocodile-head!!! Crocodile meat, while abundant in Thailand, is almost unheard-of in Macau, and after I posed for a picture with the head, several others followed suit. One lady in a nice evening gown seemed like she accidentally kissed it while only pretending too. Seemed like she got quite a shock!!!

Sai Van Lake Square is a huge venue. One part contained a covered area with performances by local artists. This included muscial entertainment ranging from the traditional

In spite of the fact that there were thousands of people at the venue, the area is large enough and the design done well enough to make it bearable. Of course, for the very popular restaurants (including one Indian restaurant), the lines can be quite long. But of course, it's all in good fun! Check out some more photos from the event below.

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LEGEND. 1. People eating with the backdrop of some Macanese food stalls selling Macanese-style food (a mix between Chinese and Portuguese) 2. Feasting time under some colorful banners 3. Selling some seafood 4. The eating is great! and the crowds are just part of the experience!

The entertainment provided by the musicians is great. I listened to performances by Chinese, Filipino, and Portuguese bands and saw dancing performances and the like put on by the local colleges and schools. One Chinese singer I found to be absolutely AMAZING. I uploaded to Youtube a quick cut of some of the videos I took while munching and listening... if you feel so inclined, you can watch below... pay very close attention to the first singer and see what you think :). Cheers!!

Giant Pandas at Seac Pai Van Park in Macau

2012-10-29T10:12:00.002-07:00

Visitors arriving to wish pandas "Hoi Hoi” and “Sam Sam" a happy birthday

Giant Pandas in Macau!!!! Seac Pai Van Park is situated on Coloane Island adjacent to the area of Cotai - the land "bridge" between the islands of Coloane and Taipa, just down the street and around the corner from the Venetian Macau and City of Dreams.

On Sunday, I jumped on the bus near my apartment in Taipa and headed on over to Macau island for church. I got up early in order to enjoy the hustle and bustle surrounding Senado Square first. Since the day was still cool, I grabbed a small pastry from one of the nearby shops and a fresh coconut for refreshment. Lazily watching people hustle and bustle around, and the occasional tourist saunter by, I planned out my day and decided in the afternoon to stop by the park and see these giant pandas once again. To be honest, Coloane is a nice place to visit for the great food and quiet relaxation, but when push comes to shove, I really prefer the bustling city environment. Therefore, I decided to just see the pandas and then head back to the Venetian Macau to meet some friends for dinner.

After the church service, I walked through the now bustling crowds in Senado Square, passed the Lisbo and Grand Lisboa, before catching a bus heading back to Taipa, and then on to Coloane. It was an enjoyable ride! The sun was shining hot down on the islands, and not a cloud could be seen in the skies. Once reaching the park, I hopped out and began to explore. The heat soon became quite intense, and I began to realize why so many people were hiding in the shade under the trees or in the buildings. Even my camera began to feel like it was burning up as I filmed school students practicing the dragon dance in the park. Pandas are large, cute, and somewhat fussy creatures from what I've heard. Their enclosure was air-conditioned, and the people watching had to remain silent and turn off the flashes to their cameras. The pandas were sleeping when I arrived, but soon they were to be fed! Soon "Hoi Hoi" and "Sam Sam" began to stir and slowly pace around the enclosure. Pausing for the occasional time to yawn or to sit.

Everywhere else that I've watched pandas - zoos in Asia and in the United States - the crowds were too great to see anything, even if the panda was moving, which was rare enough to spot on its own. In Macau, the zoo seems much more personal; smaller, and with fewer people. The chances of getting to watch the pandas up close as they feed is much greater and the fee to see the Pandas - a modest several dollars US - is very reasonable. This was my second visit to the zoo, and like the first time I had the great opportunity to watch, and film, the pandas as they ate and moved around. Absolutely love those animals! Soon afterwards, I left the parked, hopped back on the bus and was at the Venetian in time for dinner. All in the space of several hours!!!

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LEGEND. Of Parks, Pandas, and Flowers 1. Dragon dancers resting in the shade of some trees and a giant panda statue 2. In a garden below the panda house are some flower bushes cut to resemble "Hoi Hoi" and "Sam Sam" 3. This panda looks cute and cuddly!! 4. Staring up at you with great, big eyes

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LEGEND. Of Pandas and Bamboo leaves 1. Resting, contemplating the intensity of the up-and-coming feed! 2. "Hoi Hoi" well-represents the ingenious way pandas mix work and play. "Huh???" 3. See! Sam Sam is much more dainty, sitting up and carefully munching on his bamboo leaves. Hoi Hoi! He's showing you up!! 4. "Ah well, more power to him! I'm cool just lazing around while I chow!!"

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Check out my other blog on the Kingdom of Thailand here!!!
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Christmas in Singapore!

2011-12-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

Around Christmas-time extravagant decorations begin to appear around the shopping and entertainment districts of Singapore. This is part of the reason that I decided it would be fun to spend Christmas 2011 in this exotic locale!!! Hopefully will be posting updates more frequently during this trip!!

    [Left] Outside one of the shopping malls on Orchard Road
     [Top] Crowds watching performers sing and dance to African
   Christmas songs

Singapore's Changi International airport is merely a two hour flight away from Bangkok.. quite a relaxing flight, actually, if the weather is fine and there's a good view from the plane. On this trip, I was seated by random next to a fellow traveler! I've rarely run across the breed of adventurer who travels around for the sake of new experiences in my travels. After finishing college, this Australian guy took a year off to travel around Europe and Asia, staying in hostels and traveling around with various tour groups. Conversation passed on to various cultures relative to ethnicity (he is Filipino, but only speaks English with an Australian accent), English slang, and favorite travel locations.

After passing through customs and navigating my luggage via the SMRT to an apartment and after a short nap, I decided to go explore the financial, entertainment, and shopping districts of Singapore in the evening. These random trips can often end up being quite fun. On the dock by Marina Bay, I stopped for a brief chat with a lady from New Zealand; another traveler who planned on Christmas-ing in Taiwan and who had volunteered to help me take some pictures. Later on, met a nice Chinese couple as we were taking pictures from the footbridge by Marina Bay.

Feeling in the mood for some entertainment, I strolled down the Esplanade to take in some a capella performances with the bay as a backdrop. The group "Micapella" was performing, and I was quite impressed by their vocal abilities (to say nothing of the fact that they perform in both Mandarin and English). Many Christmas carol choirs and other performers abounded in virtually every venue and shopping district.

For shopping, Orchard Road in Singapore is ALWAYS the place to be. Even if you shop every hour of every day for a week, I doubt you could visit every shop along this road. During the weekend, and especially during this season, crowds upon crowds upon crowds of people jostle, push, walk, and trot around. At Christmas, the entire street is decorated with hundreds of thousands of lights. Looking for a lit-up fake Christmas tree with an elevator INSIDE that will take you up three stories to an observation deck? Go to Orchard road! Looking for street performers singing songs, performing magic tricks, or doing stunts? Look no further! Indeed, I saw contortionists (always freaks me out to see them bend), African singing groups, parades of Roman soldiers, and so many other forms of entertainment.

Oh yes, and I was interviewed once again - probably my seventh or eighth time since coming to Asia - regarding what an American thought of the fair city of Singapore (I've been interviewed with similar questions by schoolchildren in Macau, Hong Kong, and Bangkok).

1. 2. 3. 4.

Legend:
(1) Performance at the Marina Bay Esplanade by the group "Micappella" (quite good actually!) (2) Christmas carols sung by a group at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay (sometimes called "the durian") (3) A couple singing in the Marina Bayfront shopping complex (4) Street performers on Orchard Road singing Feliz Navidad

I always like saving some of the best photographs for last. Below is a night scene of the Marina Bay Sands, left, with the Art Science Museum, right (just for reference, a footbridge is in the foreground, and a shopping complex is between Marina Bay and the museum). This area almost doesn't look real at night, haha. A light and laser show commences at dusk from all these structures.

Marina Bay at night

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You can find more photos here on my Flickr photostream!

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A day in the life of a traveler...

2011-11-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

Taipa Village. Area between Cotai and Taipa island.
Well, November rolls around once again, and I now find myself once again for a time in Macau! An unfortunate byproduct of traveling is that once you've got the travel bug, it's hard to get over it. At least, one fellow traveler - a young lady from Australia - once told me that. At the time, I didn't take it seriously. Now I begin to understand exactly what she meant! A certain restlessness - a desire to see new places - sets in, indicating its time once again to take to the road and see where that road leads. It can be a lonely path sometimes, but exciting at the same time. For now, it's great to go back to the old haunts and be greeted by familiar folk and find out what's been going on. Macau is a small place but there is quite a bit to see and experience. The world may be quite small and brought together by technology, but the lifestyle, socially and culturally, differences between West and East are still quite stark and fascinating to learn about.

Upon landing in Macau after the short flight from Thailand's international airport - which, incidentally, appears as if it will be perfectly safe from the floodwaters currently surrounding the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand - all the passengers jumped to their feet and filled the aisles before the plane had come to a complete stop. There is nowhere to go, but this appears to be the norm and the flight attendants did their best to keep everyone in their seats for as long as possible. Upon exiting the aircraft, the passengers literally ran towards immigration, racing to be the first in Macau. It is an exciting place, after all, but everyone will eventually end up in line for either the taxis or the buses to the resorts and casinos. I observed the regulars take it more slowly. There appeared to be a heavy police presence last night and I passed at least five or six patrols before reaching my apartment building. Weary from the trip, I dropped off almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

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While in Macau, always be ready for surprises! This morning in the elevator I met the director for the Cirque du Soleil troupe housed in the Venetian: Macau, a friendly and highly energetic gentleman from Texas. After that, I headed out for some genuine food from "street venders" (first picture, left, below). One tip regarding food that may be suspect is to always go to street venders that have a long line of people. This reduces the risks of potential food poisoning - which wouldn't necessarily be an issue in Macau so much as in other places (Beijing, etc). After snacking a bit, I headed on to Senado Square to take in the sights and the smells (picture right, below). While photographing a church, I was approached by several students, juniors and tourism majors in college, and given a quick interview that tested my knowledge of Macau and my assessment of the facilities offered at various historic sites. To my astonishment, I learned that the church that I had photographed had been established 400 years ago, and rebuilt twice after suffering damage from typhoons and erosion. Macau does have quite a bit of history.

I tried to get away from the tourist crowds by pushing onwards into the heart of the city itself. Soon, I found shops and streets that appeared to be only used by the locals. The shops and streets were entirely different from the shopping districts found in the more "upscale" parts of the city - clean and serviceable and maintaining its own charm, but not as fancy. I walked through a fish market that seemed to have every kind of aquatic life inside. Fishmongers selling massive fish, fresh, to customers. Other venders selling various crustaceans and clams. Everything was fresh - you buy a fish, it's harvested in front of you. I asked several times if I could take a picture, but the venders were not always pleased and indicated they did not want photos taken. The photos below show part of Macau, with the narrow streets and five or six story apartment buildings.

At the end of the day, when the light began to fade, it was time to head home again. Time to write this up and then grab something for dinner. A cheeseburger from McDonald's, perhaps? We'll see. The cravings for Western-style food is sometimes too strong to resist :-).

There is an orange car in the photo below...

Yes, indeed! That is a genuine, 100% authentic, lamborghini gallardo roaming the STREETS OF MACAU! The market value for a car like that, in the United States - before taxes - is easily a quarter million US dollars. I've seen them in Hong Kong and elsewhere, but never in Macau. The taxes alone on an automobile like that are incredibly high - to say nothing of insurance if you're daring enough to take on the crazy traffic of Macau.

I'm back!

2011-07-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yes I am indeed! Bouncing around Asia is as easy as grabbing a relatively affordable ticket and jumping on the next plane out. So for now, I'm back in Macau! I must say that sometimes it is nice to go back to a place and be able to settle in quickly.

OK, enough of that! Now for the updates. I've begun re-organizing the way that I deal with photos. I now have a flickr account! It's made especially for the time that I'm in Asia. My "photostream" (basically a conglomerate of many of the most recent photos I've taken) can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelinchris . I've started this out with twenty photographs from today's travels around Senado Square and Macao island.

Macau: Surviving the heat and the humidity
See a more complete version of the photolog here!

Senado Square is really the place to be if you plan on shopping in Macau. Sure, a plethora of designer options of excellent quality is available at the Venetian, MGM, or typically any mega-resort that has an integrated shopping area; even so, the more affordable brands and options can be found while shopping in a historic district that really has much to offer in its own right. For one, the Fortress Mount, Ruins of St. Paul's, and many historic areas are nearby. I however was shopping for two things: shorts and suitcases. Now, one disadvantage of Senado is that you must brave the very high heat (above 30C, 85F) and very high humidity (often peaks above 95%). The combination of heat and humidity can really sap ones strength. However, by staying sufficiently hydrated - I recommend a mix of freshly-squeezed tropical fruit juices available from local venders - and occasionally stopping by the air-conditioned shops, the trip can remain pleasant.

[Left] An area near Senado Square under the mid-afternoon sun. [Right] A more "artistic" shot, perhaps, of Senado Square itself. I placed the camera on the ground to get this shot, immediately adjacent to the fountain. Check out more of these shots on my flickr page (see instructions at the bottom of this post)!

[Left] Lunch this afternoon consisted of a baked pork dumpling and a fresh coconut from one of my favorite fresh fruit juice places near Senado Square. Fabulous, if I do say so myself. All the younglings traipsing about with their parents would stare wide-eyed and my beverage (sometimes the parents, young people, and tourists, too)! Coconuts are fairly big, and actually somewhat heavy compared to a regular paper or plastic cup. [Right] After a long day in the hot sun with a very high humidity, my body is always craving liquids (I also typically skip dinner). Pictured is a papaya milk tea served at the E.S.Kimo cafe in Taipa. Good way to end a good day.

What? Not enough photos? Well now, that can be fixed!
See more photos from this short trip! A more complete set of photos from my trek for this day can be found on my flickr account. Simply click on this text to access the photos. Please note that the original size of the photos is always larger than those found on my blog and flickr accounts in order to reduce bandwidth and potential size restrictions for the respective sites.

The Macau Poster!

2011-07-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks, so I made a small poster using some of the pictures that I took while in Macau to summarize Macau. The physical size of the PDF document is 34 inches high and 45 inches wide. Feel free to download either one!

20inches x 15inches. JPEG format. Small size.

Macau Poster
45inches x 34inches. PDF Format*. Large size. Download link towards bottom, center.

*Note that since Blogger doesn't allow for the uploading of content
other than images or video the PDF is stored on Scribd.

The time has come my little friends....

2011-06-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

Where was I? Oh yes, hrrmph.. hold up a minute! Let my grab my spectacles. Let's get started again.

"Uh the time has come my little friends
To talk of other things.
Of shoes and ships and sealing-wax,
And cabbages and kings.
And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings..."
[credit to the literary master Lewis Carrol]

In case you were wondering, yes! I did consume my very first oyster last weekend! I really should be commended for my bravery in trying... after all, I did the deed even after Mr Bean's encounter was burned into my memory several years ago - and that only from the previews!

But, we're walkin' down rabbit trails right now (in other words, I diverge). The time for Macau is over, and the time for a new beginning has, well, begun! This time, we exchange the luxurious summer haunt of the islands of Macau - replete with its resorts and multi-billion dollar construction projects - for the exotic South-Asian capital of Thailand: Bangkok.

Yes, indeed, Bangkok! An ancient capital of an ancient country... a country with a rich history, with a well-developed culture. Throw that in with the jungles and wild (!) elephants and other attractions, and you've got a good place for a visit! Therefore, I've created a new blog... it's found at "christhaitrek.blogspot.com", so please pop on by if you're interested! There are also links on the right-hand side (under "My Other Blogs") to several other travel blogs.

In the meantime, a tribute to Macau... a series of photos taken by mois. Enjoy!

The Last Week

A statue? Wait no, it's aliiiiiiiive!

1. The Grand Imperial Court in the MGM! [left] 2. The Rossio [right]

1. At the MGM Resort on Macao Island 2. Rossio Sunday brunch! Hands down, it's easily the best Western and Asian style buffet in Macau. For MOP 480 per person, you receive complementary drinks (champaign, coffee, freshly squeezed fruit juice) and an all-you-can eat buffet featuring seafood, sushi, Chinese dishes, Macanese dishes, Western-style barbecue (roast lamb, grilled salmon, prime rib), and a nice assortment of desserts. The buffet is open from 11am to 3pm on Sundays, so stop on by and help yourselves to four hours of chowing down on some of the niceties!

1. Outside the Square 8 restaurant (MGM) 2. Bus between MGM and the City of Dreams

Straight between Macao and Taipa Islands

1. The Venetian at night 2. Taipa, welcoming the dawn

Bird Sanctuary near Taipa Village, Macau

2011-06-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

Yes siree! As time rolls on and my days of living in Macau begin to come to an end, I've suddenly found myself somewhat wistful, leaving the tropical and scenic haunts of a now-familiar landscape. On my last-minute hit-list was another visit to the bird "reserve" west of Taipa village, situated near the base a new apartment building complex (prominently featured in the upper-left corner of the photo below) between Taipa and Cotai. This place is fascinating. Hundreds of birds - primarily, it appears, of three different species - roost in a jungle-like area preserved by the government. The weather today was spectacular, with respect to visibility!

Taipa Village and the Cotai Strip (Taipa and Cotai Islands)

Jungle overgrowth around the bird sanctuary

Birds perched, nesting, and fishing around the bird santuary

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Legend:
(1) "Storks" perched in the trees (2) These birds are really hard to spot in the trees! I don't know what they are, but they're really interesting! (3) A stork preparing for landing (4) Various birds in flight over the bird sanctuary (this is three pictures, one above, two below; the images are only cropped, not photoshopped!)

An interesting shroom growing in a humid, hot environment

Cafe Luca @ Venetian Macau

2011-06-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well folks, the world is indeed very small! This does have its advantages; one can now easily fly around the world in less than eighty hours, let alone traverse the globe in eighty days (step aside, Jules Verne!). Of course, such change also has its disadvantages. For example, several days ago, I was walking at the top of a construction project in Macau when I heard a familiar voice. I thought to myself "That voice??? Here? Impossible! I can barely hear the traffic from the ground far below!" But, alas! It was true. Justin Bieber, aka "The Biebs", was crooning "Baby" via a local radio station (which I was in turn hearing from a worker's portable radio). To be honest, I don't hate the guy... its just not my style of music and I get tired of the hype - both good and bad - that surrounds him wherever he goes. While walking by the City of Dreams later that evening, a white Mercedes convertible roared by with Lady Gaga's song "Bad Romance" booming. Ah yes, the familiar Western culture.

The Cafe Luca is located along the canal inside of the Venetian Macau. A cute place to stop for a bit to eat! Items can be pricey, however, so expect prices similar to those found in the USA.

Of course, there's nothing like ending a long hot and humid day with a relaxing dinner, so I stopped by my favorite air-conditioned haunt, the Venetian Macau, to try out this restaurant I'd spotted a few days ago: The Cafe Luca. The restaurant seemed nicely placed along the canal, low key atmosphere, and appeared to have an excellent dessert menu. I must say that the food didn't disappoint. On the way to the restaurant, I passed by three costumed entertainers strolling along the canal. At the restaurant, I chose a comfortable booth beside the canal and saw several gondolas pass by. Later on, two Russian jugglers entertained a group of tourists (including myself) near a stone bridge across the canal a short distance away. During the meal, I could hear music from St. Mark's Square. Once I was finished with my after-dinner coffee, I stopped by to take in some opera from an opera singer near the westernmost portion of the canal. The place can be so relaxing, I don't know if I can ever survive making my own meals again! Eating out can become very addicting in Macau :-).

Chicken steak lathered in a tomato-wine sauce, adorned with tomatoes and onions and accompanied with white rice, fresh salad, and a strawberry milkshake! Oh, make sure you don't forget the after-dinner coffee to
complete the experience!

Adventures of Macao, Taipa, and Coloane

2011-05-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a bit of an adventure! Starting out at International Christian Assembly in Macau, I took a trek through the center of city life near the Grand Lisboa on Macao Island, then grabbed a bus to the restive zoo in Cotai. After watching the pandas and munching on some snacks at the zoo snack shop, I moved on to the nearly-deserted Hac Sa Beach and went hiking along the ocean to the Westin resort before catching the bus back to the Venetian Macau for the Carnival Parade and the conclusion to the 2011 Venetian Macau Carnival. Ahhh, so tired, but also quite fun!

Art display on the first floor of the Tribunal Judicial de Base.

Pandas at the Seac Pai Van Park in Macao! When a Canadian girl at church told me about the giant pandas the mainland had given to Macau, I made sure to add that to my itinerary! It was soo worth it. When I arrived, the pandas were doing what pandas always seem to do... sleep. A few minutes later, and they both woke up and began romping and playing around. Soon, they exited the enclosure via a door in back, and then a grounds crew came out to lay fodder for the hungry bears. A short while later, the bears were full, and I had dozens of pictures and HD video of the pandas! They seem very soft and furry. What surprised me the most was that the bears seemed to grasp the bamboo shoots with their paws, using them almost like hands, they then collected the greenery and avoided the tougher yellow bamboo shoots. The official website can be seen here, but you'd better be able to read Chinese!

Hac Sa Beach, the black sand beach on Coloane Island (that's a Westin in the distance, I've heard up and down reports about the resort itself, but it's supposed to have a good golf course!)

Local toy and food store by the beach

Final day of the 2001 Venetian Macau Carnival (left). The Venetian after the fact (right)

Carnival time!

2011-05-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Samba!

The Venetian Macau

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Legend
Around 6:30pm, it's still fairly light outside. 1. Main entrance before the opening ceremony 2. People playing in the water 3. Gondolier with fair on the large man-made "lake" outside the Venetian 4. Struggling to keep the ball rolling

View from the front of the Venetian!

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Legend
1. Entrance to the Venetian Macau 2. After an opera/comedy performance, the actors pose with audience members. It's free, if you just have the courage to be photographed by dozens of people! 3. This little girl seems surprised at the giant red nose. Is this Rudolf??? 4. Guitarist performing in St. Mark's Square

The gondoliers entertaining the audience!

Party time in the Grand Hall!

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5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10.

Legend
1. The parade entering St. Mark's Square 2. Parade making its way through the square, past the street performers 3. Parade and observers/participants as the parade moves along the canal 4. Winding our way through the various passages 5. The parade stops for a couple minutes in Great hall! All of the people gambling below stop to gape and watch, the railing on the upper stories are crowded with visitors 6. The parade exits the Venetian Macau to the main entrance. At this point, the Brazilian dancers and singers give a performance on the grand stand 7. At night, Samba dancers on stage to the left, evening is just beginning! 8. Beija-Flor 9. Magician with a volunteer from the audience (Lucas, the magician, is on the right) 10. Moscow juggling twins!

Fun Sculptures in the Ice World

2011-05-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Yup! The title says it all - a ice sculpture garden kept at a chilling 5F (-15C) in the middle of a hot Macau. The temperature differential can be up to 80F! Thankfully, at the entrance they lend you an eskimo-style winter coat to keep you warm. Make sure you're wearing shoes though... sandals would be torture, for sure!

The Venetian Macau really has alot of fun shows and exhibitions to explore throughout the year. Performances by Cirque du Soleil, special tennis exhibitions, shows by famous Cantopop stars, even ice sculpture gardens! For this exhibition - located in the West Wing of the complex - forty Harbin artisans descended on the Venetian Macau and spent one month carving 9,000 blocks of ice weighting a total of 1,350 tons with chainsaws, knives, and shovels. The entire exhibit is placed inside of a special "freezer" like enclosure to ensure the ice doesn't melt. You can see the construction process and final exhibit below or read about it here. The cost is 100 MOP per person. It's definitely worth a look!

Time lapse of the making of "Fun Ice World"

Yup! The fun ice world is in the Venetian Macau.

Up the stairs, down a lonnng, dark hallway, to the freezer we go!

Entrance to the ice sculpture garden. Imagine, outside it's about 85F (35C)!

The Monkey King (left), Horse and King (right)

A dark scene and some bones (left), A giant pig person (right)

Ice forest, replete with swans, bears, deer, rabbits, caves, and other wonders! In the blurb (bottom-right) is a horse pulling a carriage with the wintry wonderland in the background.

Ice castle! This is definitely one of my favorites... ice chutes are on both sides of the entrance, so that kids of all shapes and sizes and ages can use it! Now, now, don't be shy! Let that inner kid out :p.

This dinosaur is part the prehistoric exhibit. After this is the ice bar, and then the exit. You can order your alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages there. Just move quickly if you want to do that... my hands were about frozen by the time I left the exhibition hall!

It's a sunny, bright day!

2011-05-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks, been a few weeks! During those two weeks, the weather has changed from extremely damp and sometimes cold to a nice, consistent 70 to 80F! Ah yes, about that dampness... in Macau in April, dampness condenses and gathers on the walls, on the floors, on the doorknobs - very unpleasant. I kept my heater and/or air conditioner running constantly to keep that out of my room! Now that has passed, but the weather is now quite inconsistent. Most days there is a chance of rain (the live weather forecast for Macau can be found here), and even when the day starts bright and sunny, it can end in fog and a light drizzle. The other day was picture perfect - and I have the picture below to prove it - very low humidity, everything was very clear. I tried to make sure it didn't go to waste! Pictures below can be enlarged if you want a closer view.

Spring is in the air! Overlooking Taipa Village and the lake. Many different kinds of birds make their home by the sandy area of the shore (seen above the white buildings on the left).

Cotai, between the City of Dreams and the Venetian Macau.

The vegetation is soo much different than home!

Even on a clear day the sea is shrouded in mists. Several

ships can be seen heading for Macau or Hong Kong

Eating healthy is Macau is hard. You walk by innumerable stores in Taipa Village. There are a myriad of choices available in the Venetian and the City of Dreams (not even beginning to mention all the bakeries and eateries on Macau island!). It's tough. I'll leave it at that. I'm a dedicated foodie, as you'll see if you pop on over to my Restaurants page. However, for sake my own health, I've decided to scale it back a bit and commit to both an exercise routine and a "diet". Basically, eat less fatty foods, eat more of that nasty green stuff (i.e. vegetables), and reduce overall consumption by a fair margin. One of the healthy places to eat in the Venetian is at "Boost". They have modest portions in terms of cold meat turkey and/or vegetable wraps as well as an assortment of fresh fruit and salads. Oh, I forgot to mention they also have a hankering for Western-style music (Lady Gaga, no less) and the attendants/cooks are friendly and accommodating with cooking requests.

Sunsets in Macao

2011-04-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Spectacular weather and spectacular lighting leads to spectacular photographs! The weather in Macao can be quite fickle, and some days the humidity is high and the visibility is low. Most days there are clouds in the sky. Tourists who only stop by for a day or two can really miss the wonderful scenery of Macao. I highly recommend checking the weather forecasts, and planning to spend at least a couple days exploring the nooks and crannies of these islands! The photos below can be enlarged... enjoy!

Sunset by the Venetian and the Galaxy

Sunset over the small lake

Sunset reflected in the waters of the lake

Fiery sunset by the Galaxy; view from the road adjacent to the City of Dreams

Night view of the Venetian (actual) Night view of the Venetian

(more light sensitivity)

Festival and Birds

2011-04-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks! It's been a while since I last updated the blog, but here it goes! The Qingming Festival took place this last Tuesday in China and the surrounding countries; the festival appears to be held to honor deceased ancestors (thanks to locals and Wikipedia for assistance in that research!). For the ceremony, families return to the tombstones of departed family members and burn incense as well as paper replicas of items - sometimes even the genuine items themselves - that the deceased might want to use in the afterlife (cars, Ipads, etc). In the evening, feasts are held in honor of the relatives - but these are consumed by the family members that physically show up to the dinner. The holiday was interesting to learn about, in any case, since I had been unaware of any such celebrations or remembrances.

----------------------

Tonight I went for a walk around Taipa village, along the former waterfront of Taipa island. Really, the camera couldn't capture the atmosphere of the evening with any adequate detail. Perhaps the imagination would fare better? I'll attempt to paint that picture with words below.

The sound of the laughter of small children and the calls of many birds fills the air as one walks through the gardens and trees on the way to the old Portuguese quay. The gardens give way to a cut-stone and masonry boardwalk, an area that stretches down from a small hill before stopping abruptly at the waters edge. Between the hill and the waterfront lie several two-story houses. The brightly colored Portuguese style dwellings that line the former waterfront - which have since been converted into museums - still hold the same charm that must have emanated from them 50 years ago. The landscape has changed. Instead of the small straight of ocean between Taipa and Coloane lies a small lake followed by a flat land with monstrous man-made colossuses rising above the mists: the Venetian, City of Dreams, Venetian Parcel 5 & 6, and an apartment complex. Facing North, one can observe the myriads of heron taking shelter in the heavy tropical foliage on the north-eastern shore. Directly across the water are the busy streets that convey traffic between Cotai and Taipa.

The automobiles are moving more slowly now that the workers have just gotten off of work. The sun that had been hovering over the south-western shore has just disappeared behind the Galaxy. It's quite peaceful here. A dozen couples sit or stroll along the waterfront. Several tourists are photographing the birds on the northern shore and elderly folk sit on some of the benches, reading books or looking around. The fountains at the small outdoor amphitheatre, also made of dressed stone and lined with pillars, add a nice touch to complete the scene. Relaxing here? You bet!

Qing Ming Festival in Taipa Village

Local temple? Decorated with many flower displays.

Along the way between Taipa and Cotai is what resembles a swamp. In previous posts, I've specified that this is all that remains of the sea in this area of Macao! The land on three sides has been reclaimed. The north-eastern shore is covered in heavy vegetation, and flocks of large, white birds (I believe herons) appear to make their home here year-round. Birds of all types and sizes make Macau their home, but these herons are definitely the easiest to spot!

Herons resting/fishing on the shore.

Sunset over the nearly-completed Galaxy project.

Taipa Village

2011-04-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Taipa Village is home to the "old" part of Taipa, a fun "touristy" area with many eateries, schools, and shops. The area is quite safe as well... school children wander the streets stopping by the shops and restaurants until late in the night. This area is a short walk from the Venetian, and I've frequently guided visitors between the two places.

There are several streets in this neighborhood that are lined exclusively with restaurants. Everything you can imagine is here - Indian, Thai, Mexican, Italian and American cuisine along with the typical Portuguese, Macanese and Chinese-style restaurants. The area is considered to be more pricey than the places the locals congregate, but you would find that the prices at the most expensive places are no more than a nice eatery in the USA. This area is quite nice and relaxing to visit, and I highly recommend it if you're ever fortunate enough to be in the area. See the pictures below!

Down the road to Taipa Village

Mainly American grill, quite delicious when I stopped by some time

ago! Check out the "Restaurants" page for more details.

Mexican eatery!

School for kids perhaps?

Taipa Village is also home to a UPS outlet. Stop on by to send packages!

UPS Macau: Taipa

Hot line: (853) 2875-1616

Phone: (853) 2875-1652

E-mail: nvaiip@ups.com

The Junkyard

2011-03-29T02:28:00.000-07:00

Howdy, so today I decided to list a short trek through the junkyards of Macao as this last weekend's highlight. Yep, damp weather's been on the horizon for a while, although locals have told me that this is better than how it usually is/has been/ will be. For Macao, as I've mentioned before, mists and moisture are a staple, but for several days last week it was bad... moisture on and over everything in the apartment!

Accompanied by three others, I walked through the badlands of the junkyard. I'd actually consider it to be quite safe; the local University of Macao: Taipa students seem to use the path frequently, sometimes even singly. Can't say I'd expect to see the same anywhere in the USA, especially not Chicago! On another note, the beverages available in the supermarkets here are great and fresh (see last photo).

There are actually named roads for these paths!

Even this area seems tropical

Guard dog? His head rotated, his eyes fixedly staring at me as I passed.

His friend (top, left of photograph) seemed more interested in something else.

Yep! I've tried many different types of these; for the most part, they are fresh with no additives. I do love juice, however I try to balance this consumption with water to dilute the concentration

of the carbohydrates.

Foggy, cold, and quite clammy

2011-03-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

The weather has turned quite cold once again! Nevertheless the islands of Macau remain shrouded in fog and mists. This is the wet "spring" season encountered in spring! Others have whispered of the mold and mildew that creeps into apartments during this humid period. I've been running my heater nonstop to help combat the effects, but some people from the local church have mentioned that only a dehumidifier can help. In any case, I've succumbed to the ever-dreaded sinus infection and I've been confined to my bed to sleep for most of the last two days. Yesterday was terrible but at least today I've been able to get some work done! I took the photographs below are couple days ago.

Random apartment building in Taipa. The upper

floors couldn't be seen a couple days ago because of the fog!

Ah yes, a nice taste of home through Pizza Hut! They deliver, and just recently began accepting online orders! I got an excellent deal yesterday: garlic bread, seafood Seafood Fettuccine, pork chop with American spaghetti, two cans of Nestea lemon tea, and a large Mediterranean pizza for a very decent price! For ordering online, one of the dishes was free. Behind the food shown above is a picture of an apartment living room with the clouds obscuring a view of the ocean. In the inner picture is part of the Pizza Hut meal, the Nestea, and a Neti pot. What's a Neti pot? Well, you can read about it here...

A couple days back in Macau

2011-03-20T03:04:00.000-07:00

Macau definitely hasn't changed much during the week I was away! I must admit that I'm getting used to the routine of living here... it's fun to stroll around and sample various delicacies from a myriad of small restaurants. Then, if desired, high-end cuisines from anywhere in the world are always available at the various "resorts" around Macau... public transportation is cheap and effective, and everything in the cities themselves are so much more affordable than anything equivalent in the USA. Crave a new suit or the latest in technological devices? Take the hour-long trip to Hong Kong for about $20 US. Buy the legally unlocked versions of the I-Phone, I-Pad, or other device that would be otherwise captive to some wireless company if purchased in the USA. Yes, Macau is after all somewhat small.. but if you're flexible and a true traveler, you'll find many things to do.

Regarding myself, I've spent a significant amount of time over the last several days re-adjusting the life here (jet-lag is finally gone, yay!), and I've decided to embark on a new adventure: change my living habits to focus on developing my potential as an early morning riser! Things always seem to go much better and faster when I get up early and don't laze around in bed. Below are some of my photos taken over the last several days.

Senado Square is always busy!

A new store opened! I am getting used to these shows by now. The people here seem to place a significant amount of trust in "luck" and "good fortune"... after all, isn't that the culture that made Macau the gambling hub of Asia? In any case, whenever a shop opens, flowers and other items are brought in to celebrate.

The bus stop at the City of Dreams. Commonly pronounced "COD". No, not like the fish! Phonetically its slightly better than that: "See"-"Oh"-"Dee".

Taipa Village

People here love football - err, soccer. No wait, football. Be reasonable, folks, American's call a game with a pigskin ball "football", but really the player's feet aren't really used for it that often. So there we have it! There are people playing football in that photograph above. This is a group of internationals playing together although I've seen many groups of Macanese playing nightly as well.

Macau always has a light mist hovering over its islands. At first I thought it was smog, but then later I realized its just fog. My apartment this morning was enveloped in a cloud, all you could see outside of the windows was an incredibly bright whiteness!

March is here!

2011-03-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks, been a short while since I updated! I just returned from a very relaxing week-long trip back to the States. Wait, did I say relaxing??? Oh yeah, the stay in the USA was nice, but those 14 hour flights in economy seating definitely are not! Well, if you have the extra leg-room, maybe they are. True, all the entertainment options are available during the flight - movies, basic games, and popular tv shows - and there are many meals and snacks served, but even this becomes difficult during the fourteen hour flight. Movement is difficult; especially so if there is a laptop bag under the seat in front of you (no room for your feet), and the person in front is reclining, AND your seat is broken so that it cannot recline, and still further if you are about six feet tall (which is about average, I would think...).

Alright, it's out! No more complaining now. The flight isn't that difficult, especially if there are people to talk to along the way. To make the trip easier, I always enjoy walking around and walking to the aft of the aircraft to stair out the window at the North Pole. Invariably there are others at the same location who have trotted back for similar reasons; it can be fun to break the monotony and start up a conversation with some of them. Some tips for making a long flight easier (at least from my experience) are to:

(0) Travel economy class. $6,000 USD for transoceanic first class doesn't cut it (unless the company is
paying), even if you can lay out
(1) Sit in an aisle seat if traveling alone [extra leg room may be worth the extra dollars]
(2) Eat very lightly during the 12 hours before the flight
(3) Take walks frequently for at least ten minutes duration - if permitted during the flight
(4) Remove your shoes while seated to allow the feet to "breathe"
(5) Attempt to go without sleep the night before and then allow yourself to sleep during the destination's "night" time (helps to significantly eliminate jet lag, especially for 12-13 hours time differences)

Oh, one other tip. Carry-on baggage only is always a plus; less hassle, less worry, and more free time allows for shorter time required between travel connections. This results in a happier traveler :-).

Photolog
... for the short journey

It's cold in the USA right now... but some critters always know where to get some food!

Before departure... this was to be a long, arduous day!

I traveled on Delta airlines for this round-trip flight... very affordable if you fly out of Hong Kong on an off-season! [for the record, this was a connecting flight to a major delta hub; the long flights are always the larger planes, Boeing 747, 777, or similar]

The cloudy skies above a still-frozen, yet thawing landscape

Hong Kong! Finally, a chance to relax with a pulled-pork sandwich and a cold

mocha cappuccino. Ahhh, a nice break after nearly 21 hours of transportation time!

Skypier ferry terminal connected to the Hong Kong Airport. If you use the Skypier, you can bypass going through Hong Kong customs/border security and technically never enter Hong Kong!

Singapore

2011-02-06T04:29:00.000-08:00

Singapore is an island nation to the south of Malaysia and to the north of Indonesia. The economy of Singapore is quite vibrant and as free as that of the United States. As one of the busiest ports in the world, Singapore's economy is heavily dependent on shipping, although it has also successfully worked on building up its reputation as a center for tourism, entertainment, and shopping.

While ya'll out in the good ole' USA were chillin' out with the high amount of snowfall during the Lunar New Year, I was sweating through my shirts in 90F under a burning sun in Singapore! Ah yes, Singapore - home of Captain Sao Feng of the Brethren court of pirates. But much has changed since those days. In the cities, you will be hard pressed to find any of the indigenous pests that called Singapore home. The monitor lizards, monkeys, and scorpions have retreated out to the nature preserves or to the nearby islands such as Pulau Ubin.

What can I say about Singapore? It's my new favorite city in Asia, possibly in the world! The infrastructure is tremendous, more advanced than almost any city I've seen. The buildings are magnificent, the shopping tremendous and rivals anything I've seen in Hong Kong and beats anything I've seen in the United States. The subway systems are efficient and will soon network almost the entire island. Entertainment options are great on Sentosa Island, around Clark Quay and Marina Bay, and the shopping almost unrivaled along Orchard Road. The weather, while I was there, was a nice 90F with lightly cloudy skies and plentiful sun.

Singaporean general info.
1. Official Languages: English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil
2. Land area of 274 square miles (710 square km)
3. Population of about 5,000,000
4. Currency: Singapore Dollar (SGD). 1.3 SGD ~ 1.0 USD
5. Tap water is drinkable. Electricity is 220-240 AC at 50Hz (use converter, Americans!)

View Larger Map

Quick Add'l Facts*
1. Non-medical bubble gum is an illegal good in Singapore!
2. Jaywalkers are fined $500SGD - $1000SGD
3. The penalty for using illegal drugs in Singapore is either a heavy caning or death by hanging
* Courtesy "Your Essential Singapore Guide", perhaps singly the most useful resource I found while staying in Singapore. Available online or in any major tourist location in Singapore.

Macau Airport

The Macau International Airport (code "MFM) is actually entirely constructed on reclaimed land and "pillars". The airport is labeled international, and can have flights to Asian cities for lower prices, sometimes, than the Hong Kong International Airport (code "HKG"). The airport is quick and convenient due to the relatively small size. Typically, one can arrive at the airport with carry-on luggage and be at the airport gate within thirty minutes.

A view of the main runway, built entirely on reclaimed land

Inside the terminal in the early morning hours (8:30am)

My first experience on "Tiger Airways"

Singapore

The role of Singapore as a major shipping port, one of the five busiest in the world. Observing the ships in the ocean from various vantage points - from the airplane, from the skypark of Marina Bay Sands, and from the Jewel Box cable cars - revealed a constant commercial armada that appeared to be active day and night, staggering to see. Everything from small cruise ships to massive oil rigs, tug boats to heavily-laden barges appear across the horizon nearby the harbor. The immediate thought of my mind came from the "Return of the Jedi", when we observe the size and extent of the rebel fleet before the assault on the Death Star... that is the closest I can come to the size and extent of the shipping I was observing.

My first view of Singapore - from the sky!

View of Singapore Changi Airport from the runway.

This is the main and only international airport on the island of Singapore.

Ramp leading down to the subway from the main terminal.

Inside the subway station. Note that the tracks and pedestrians are

separated by acrylic or glass sheeting!

A stage in Chinatown. They start young, don't they?

There still must be some Tiger Mom's out there then!

On the deserted streets between Chinatown and the financial sector. One item that I had failed to foresee was the mass exodus of Chinese and other Asian citizenry from their usual job posts to celebrate the Lunar New Year in their hometown.

Chinese expo exhibiting the traditional artisan work from Mainland China.

Paintings completed on Ostrich and chicken eggs

Hand carvings from the roots of trees. All the roots are found naturally.

Hmmm... somehow I just don't think Obama endorsed that!

My lodgings for the night. Finally found after wandering the streets for quite some time.

Inside the lobby. Air conditioning is always nice.

Nearly all the houses - now stores - seem well kept in terms of both grooming and painting!

The weather is quite temperate, and perfect for the

more tropical vegetation typically found in the jungle.

Line of older row-houses

Interesting corner building

Marina Bay
Marina Bay consists of a bay that is surrounded by the city on one side, the expanding business district on another (see below), and the Marina Bay Sands complex and Flyer on the other. At night, this place is quite spectacular to behold. Surrounded by five star hotels and many upper-scale restaurants, not to mention the nearby Clark Quay, this is one of the "places to be" on a fine evening, especially after a long day shopping on Orchard Road. Marina Bay Sands and the surrounding complex is still under construction, with the Sands hotel towers just recently completed in 2010. Already, however, the business is becoming the bulwark of the Las Vegas Sands against dropping Las Vegas revenues. In a way, Singapore competes directly with Macau and Hong Kong as an entertainment hub and with Hong Kong as a port city.

Business district of downtown Singapore

The Marina Bay Sands - newly completed in 2010!

Along the walkway outside of the Sands. Beautiful and tropical!

Inside the shopping area! This place teems with tourists!

Like my friend, the Venetian in Macau, Marina Bay has waterways and boats too!

Of course, some of the water is just for display.

The highlight of the Marina Bay is perhaps the SkyPark! Complete with one snackbar, several restaurants and bars, a huge observation deck, tropical gardens, and oh yes, the highest and largest outdoor swimming pool on the roof of a building - the infinity pool!

Thinking about going for a swim? You'll have to be a guest of the hotel for that.

Perhaps that minimum of US $300 per night isn't so bad after all!

Singapore Flyer
This massive Ferris wheel, standing at a massive height of 541ft (165m) height, currently holds the title as the world's tallest Ferris wheel. At the base of the Flyer is a dining complex hosting many Chinese entrees, including my favorite types of dumplings and the famous big chicken bun. Also nearby is a Long John Silvers. One trip around the wheel will take about thirty minutes. Better hurry up! If the 682ft (208m) tall Beijing Great Wheel is finished outside of Beijing, it will claim the title of world's tallest Ferris wheel.

The Singapore Flyer - the world's largest Ferris wheel

View looking upwards through the middle of the shopping and dining area

The Wanderer

2011-01-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

Trip Around Taipa, Cotai, and Macau Islands

Last Sunday, I decided to take a short trip. Starting early, I walked over to the park area near Taipa Village. The setting is quite scenic, with several flower beds, tropical trees and plants adorning some hills, and many people gathered around taking pictures. Soon I wandered over to the Venetian, and after a quick snack at Starbucks, grabbed the free bus over to the Sands casino on Macao Island. After a short but pleasant trip, we arrived at the destination (did I mention the buses have neon lights that light up at night on the inside, as well as show on a central TV screen all the pluses of visiting the Venetian?). I strolled into the Sands, and was surprised that the architectural design setting was similar to that employed by some of the other Chinese-run casinos in the area; basically, the casino is spread throughout the entire building, interspersed with the shops and restaurants. I took the escalators up all the way, admiring the view of the chandelier in the center. Taking the escalators back down, I walked over to the robotic head I'd seen the second day after my arrival in Macao. Inside, I found a science center for kids. Next door, a planetarium lecture was about to take place - free admission to the public - but I stepped out after deciding to get while the gettin' was good.

After a mile-long walk down the shoreline, past the MGM and over several bridges bustling with motorcycles, cars, buses, and trucks, I arrived at the skytower. I had decided previously to finish the evening up with a buffet dinner at the MGM and at that time I was blissfully unaware of Square 8's popularity in the evening. The skytower was an interesting visit, home of Toys"R"Us Macau, but it didn't take me too long to head back. Upon learning that the MGM Square 8 was booked, I made the executive decision to head over to the Wynn and to have an enjoyable meal at the "Cafe Esplanade". The buffet meal and dishes are documented in the "restaurants" section of the website. Weary, full and just plain tired, I headed back to the MGM to catch a bus to City of Dreams in Cotai.

Park near Taipa Village

Gateway into the park area near Taipa Village

Close-up of a pink flower

Close-up of a red flower

One of four dancing bears! He's made of sod, plants, and a big bamboo stick!

After walking over to the Venetian, I decided it was time

to start looking beyond the Venetian (and Taipa) to Macao!

Sands Macau

After taking the free bus from the Venetian, I found myself at the Sands casino in Macao.

The centerpiece for the building is a massive glass chandelier that sparkles and glistens. Built in similar style to the Chinese casinos. The gambling areas make up the entire buildings, interspersed with shops and restaurants. The entertainment at this location is perhaps more risque then the Venetian or City of Dreams, however. I didn't stay for the mini-show in front of the casino area!

View of the casino from the Macao cultural center

Looks like one of 007's adversaries is arriving on schedule!

Cultural and Science Centers

Fountains outside of what appears to be several college buildings.

Two? A perfect mirror! Picture taken next to the glass railing of the pedestrian overpass

View of downtown Macao adjacent to the waterfront

The sentinel. Can't you just see this as a robotic turret or head? It houses a convention center (on the left) and a science center (inside the head).

The overpass extends out over the water and is very popular for tourists or natives alike!

Freight ship passing between Taipa and Macau.

MGM Grand Macau

MGM Macau, five-star resort hotel, shopping complex, and casino.

The MGM Macau's architecture is quite fascinating!

The great MGM lion is at least four stories tall!

Main entrance to the hotel.

Square 8. At the far, left hand side is the famous buffet! Dinnertime seating is typically requires a reservation. Stop by between 11am and 2pm to enjoy the brunch buffet, which is also quite excellent.

Second floor of the shopping area.

MGM lion near one of the northern entrances to the casino.

Macau Sky Tower

The skytower!

The first four stories or so are shopping, small restaurants, and offices. A casino is located in lowest level, as well as the elevators direct to the outdoor activities (skywalk, bungee jumping) and the 360 degree rotating restaurant. Dinner buffet costs MOP 268 per person.

Cafe on the third floor. Nice views of the ocean, too!

Lowest level of the skytower complex

People lifting the skeleton of a dragon boat!

Scenic Views

View of a church on a hill. Don't attempt to replicate this shot!

The traffic passes very close to pedestrians on the bridge...

Close-up of the church on the hill

View of the Grand Lisboa (gold building, left) and the Wynn (right).

View of the Wynn at night before heading home.

Taipei: Trip Summary

2010-12-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks! Well, the trip to Taipei is now over and I'm sitting back in Macau trying to hurriedly type this up! I'll add commentary later as possible, but for now I believe I'll just post the pictures with the major titles and slowly add commentary/titles to the individual pictures as time allows later this week!

General Impressions of Taipei

1) People are everywhere. You cannot go to any restaurant, store, landmark, or museum without expecting to wait a minimum of thirty minutes. Trips on the street involve jostleing and pushing people. Face it. If the people in front of you are stopping to stare at store displays, the people traffic must keep going. Push them aside - no one seems to mind - and then proceed to move along.

2) Taipei seems to a degree like a large Chinatown. The architecture and road design seem more Western and if the armadas of motorcycles were removed, one would notice that yes, they drive on the right - not the wrong - side of the road.

3) This isn't really so much an impression as the reiteration of an impressive fact. The National Palace of Taiwan has a whole mountain-full of treasures, ranging from porcelain to jade, all of them magnificent. The jade piece of meat looked perfectly-cooked and succulent. The bok choy didn't look quite as delicious, although one did not doubt its value. The "lunch-box" (a friend's nickname for the ivory open-work container) made out of ivory for the emperor has semi-transparent sides and is exquisitely carved. The artist has cut tiny holes into the ivory in a general design. Overall, the lunch-box took seventy-eight years to complete - perhaps up to three generations of artists devoted their time to this piece (at least, that is what the recorded lady on my walking tour tape player told me!). I only hope the emperor did not wait to put his lunch inside. For the National Palace, no pictures are allowed inside the museum.

Beginning of the Day:
At the bright and early hours of the morning, which I enjoy but typically never get the opportunity to experience, I was picked up by a friend and we departed for Taipei, passing the Lehua night market on the way. Night market? Are you sure???

Lehua night market in the day... what happened to all the carts and people???

The Second Floor Cafe. A newer restaurant in the campus town of National Taiwan University, it caters to the upper-level gathering of professors or important meetings. The food is quite excellent, with Western style breakfast/brunch the specialty. The waitresses were wearing Santa hats, the interior bright and cheerful, and the atmosphere relaxing with French music playing the background.

The Zoo
The first place to stop in Taipei was the zoo. Well, near the zoo anyway. Actually, we were taking the public transportation system. No, not the subway... we actually drove the car... but the cable-car system called the "Maokong Gondala". The city of Taipei actually sits in a valley surrounded by small mountains. The zoo is near the edge of the valley, and the Maokong Gondala traverses from the valley floor to near the top of some of the hills. The ride is somewhat near an hour, and if you choose the Crystal Cabin option, you can actually ride in a Gondala with a clear, acrylic floor (which we did). The day was quite cloudy, actually, so the raindrops were a challenge with the pictures - until an operable window was noticed near the top of the car. The trip was quite pleasant, with views of the city available at the distance. Below, tea farms and poultry farms could be watched. The car didn't actually traverse that far above the ground bus people with of agoraphobia (what the sign said) or acrophobia (fear of heights) are still advised to avoid these cars. The ride is quite affordable at around 50 Taiwan Dollars (for reference, 30 TWD = 1 USD) and is highly recommended.

The Taipei Zoo

View of the carts traveling up the hill

Part of the trip travels above the forests. The plants here are quite tropical, with rubber and banana trees along with a mix of palm, coconut trees and the like. Oh, the vines are huge too, with massive leaves larger than my hand.

View of the city from the gondola.

Panda sleeping in a tree. Occasionally he'd look around and yawn, but he was pretty sedimentary (as only a panda can be). The panda inside the building was quite active, however. If you wander over the videos section of the website, you can watch him (or her, I don't know which)!

Two humped camels with their relative, the one humped camel in the background. Seems to me I recall that the one-humped camel came first, then along came a University of Illinois professor with a hankering for a ride, and then the two-humped camel appeared...

Dinner

Hotpot in the town! Very busy, with many interesting options! The dishes included: fried octopus mouth - a suction cup like appendage of the octopus - with peanuts; edible shrimp that are consumed eyes, head, legs, antennae, and shell in their entirety; numerous fish related dumplings cooked in the hotpot, other dishes that were partly vegetarian in nature (bean sprouts, etc)

National Palace Museum
As mentioned previously, this museum is stuffed from the deepest basements to the highest rafters with treasures. The museum is built into the side of one of the large hills in the area. The entire "mountain" is hollow and filled with similar treasures. Images of some of the most famous jade, bronze, and other articles can be viewed online here. The displays are changed every once in a while and the artifacts replaced with items from within the mountain.

Outside the National Palace Museum. You can see a video
partial-panoramic on the "Movie" page of the blog!

Photos are not allowed inside the exhibition rooms

This is a man in a traditional Chinese outfit (signifying the men's room)

This is a women in a typical traditional Chinese outfit. She signifies the lady's room.

The room to change the happy babies! But wait... is that a baby or baby Shrek???

Xiao Long Bao Lunch!

This restaurant is ranked perhaps second in terms of its xialongbao... and its reputation is quite apparent! Many people were waiting in line for more than thirty minutes, and one family opted to order the food out, and eat it outside their double-parked car immediately in front of the restaurant.

Is there anything more tantalizingly delicious looking than this? On the table are four bamboo containers holding steamed xiaolongbao. With regard to the fried foods towards the lower end of the table, on the left is beef and vegetable xaio-bing roll. On the right are small turnip and pork "cakes". Chicken feet, well-cooked, is the brown dish above the fried food. To the left, is a cold bean dish that is slightly spicy. At the top of the table in a round, bamboo dish are some more dumplings called "xiao mai" (pronounced "show" as in "shower" coupled with the second word that is pronounced like "my"). Later on, bigger steamed dumplings were brought over!! To my embarrassment, I can't recall the names of the other dishes!

Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Side view of the CKS Memorial Hall

Front view of the same. Inside is a giant statue of CKS, and further inside is a small museum chronicling the history of the movement of the KMT government from China to Taiwan in the late 1940s. Also inside are two bullet-proof cars that were used by government officials. The volunteers inside are quite friendly and willing to share about the history of Taiwan.

National Theatre of Taiwan (also located inside the park).
Opposite to this (not shown) is a library and cultural center

The statue of Chang Kai-shek

Military Police Officer. Their positions are relieved once every hour.

Ceiling in the main area. Very impressive with much genuine woodwork

Taipei 101: The Structure
Taipei 101 is an impressive structure rising 509.2 meters (1,670ft) from base to tip of spire. The building became famous for both its height as well as for the nice addition the structure makes to the Taipei skyline. From 2004 to early 2010, Taipei 101 held the record for being the tallest building in the world (upon completion last year, the Burj Khalifa officially became the world's tallest building).

View of Taipei 101 from National Taiwan University

The building is big. It's hard to get a nice shot up close!

Lit up - with purple lights? - at night

View of Taipei from the observation floor. The outdoor observation deck was unavailable
since the annual fireworks display hardware had recently been installed for New Year's day

Several bridges crossing a "small" river

Core Pacific City (also known as "Living Mall") is a famous shopping mall complex in the heart of Taipei. When it opened in 2001 - before Taipei 101 - the mall was touted as the first true mall open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I don't know if that is a good influence on the part of Western culture or not!

Passive tuned mass damper (TMD) near the top of the Taipei 101 tower. The entire solid steel "sphere" and its supporting cables have been spray painted gold! Since the photograph hides the scale, the diameter of the TMD is 5.5m (18ft). Structural design for tall structures are often controlled by wind - not earthquakes - and Taipei 101 is no exception! Therefore, the TMD is calibrated to the natural frequency of the structure and designed primarily to mitigate deflections due to winds and wind effects.

Dragon ( 龍 ). At and below the observation deck, many hundreds of items are for sale. Everything from those absolutely scrumptious pineapple cakes to multi-million dollar jade pieces.

Taipei 101: Bottom five floor shopping mall!

Shilin Night Market

National Taiwan University

Taoyuan International Airport