Jaunt to Venice

We had a quick trip to Macau this weekend (photos to post after work). We actually went there in August to validate our working visas (we had to exit then reenter Hong Kong), but the heat was so unbearable that the place was seared (literally) in my mind as not a fun place. It was Tripp’s third visit; his first was in 2006 when he came with PC for Maymester but it was pouring rain. Third time’s the charm—the expected rain held off but the clouds made for cool and breezy weather.

After teaching our extracurricular playgroup Saturday morning, Tripp and I boarded the ferry with Liza. We made it just in time for Cirque du Soleil’s Zaia show in the Venetian and it was AWESOME! By far the coolest show I have ever seen. So many special effects, and acrobatics, and lighting and people flying through the theater on bicycles with fire coming out behind them. My mouth was hanging open most of the hour and a half performance. Highly recommend.

The Venetian is funny because it’s elegant and ritzy and all those things (and three times the size of its sister hotel in Vegas), but they have bizarrely recreated Venice, complete with gondola rides and the Grand Canal inside the hotel. So we ate cheeseburgers in St. Mark’s Square and walked the canal bridges listening to the live music. Doesn’t beat the real thing, but it was fun. We walked the massive casino, which is an absolute people watching Mecca.

Afterwards we took the shuttle to City of Dreams and the Hard Rock Hotel Casino. Great fun. Liza said it was like a bug zapper—so shiny and neon and glittering but then people were losing loads of money at every table. Macau has burst open with gambling tourism the past few years, and all the main international hotel chains have opened up stunning resorts and casinos all over the place.

The next day we went in search of the famed Portuguese egg tarts and found them by the line forming outside the vendor’s window. Flaky hot crust and sweet egg center. Perfection. Tripp found French fries with honey mustard (rarity over here!), so we rounded out our breakfast American style. We visited the ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was the largest cathedral in Asia at the time it burned. Now only the front wall remains intact, and it’s the only church of its kind in the world. The facade was really impressive, even the second time around. This time we ventured to the crypts below ground and saw the preserved bones of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs, as well as the Museum of Sacred Art.

Macau is a former Portuguese colony, so it was interesting to compare the cobblestone streets and the blue and white tiles in the older parts of the city to Portugal itself. Some bits of Macau feel European and of course along the Cotai Strip, it’s like Vegas.

For lunch we were fortunate to get a table without a reservation at A Lorcha, the Portuguese restaurant my guidebooks and Trip Advisor recommended (I love a good travel review). I got the balcalhau gratinado—it was so yummy. Absolute comfort food in a ceramic pot—salted cod, potatoes and cream sauce baked in the oven. Huge portions and a genuine menu and authentic atmosphere-- low beam ceiling, wooden arches… we could have been in Lisbon.

A Ma Temple (later A Ma Gau—hence the name of “Macau”) was right next door, so we did the obligatory temple tramping and filled our lungs with the burning incense. We hopped on a city bus to the giant Kun Lam statue by the sea and passed the time waiting for the ferry hanging out in the new MGM resort casino.

On the home front, I have great news that my grandmother is home after several intense weeks of physical therapy rehab after her second knee replacement surgery! So proud of her, she is a brave one! This is a great blessing, finally pain free walking! My brother is cast in High School Musical, opening Thursday this week at Flora's new theater. Also, big birthday weekend just passed-- BFFs Katie Keenan (my first friend in life) and Will Faulkner (married to my friend Jordan) both turned the big 2-3 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Happy birthday!

Now the countdown to Japan is officially burning up the calendar! Spoke with Dr. Rush and Julia—good thing they noted my mistake in a previous post—we fly out 8am the SECOND of April straight to Tokyo! Everything is ready to go—I am getting some last minute alterations done here and my little black dress dry cleaned!I can’t wait!