We were at The Venetian Casino & Resort, Macau last weekend for a very short stay. The place is surreal. It is a city by itself and we never even step outside of its compound. It has three main portions, the hotel, the casino and the shopping mall. It was opened three years ago in a big fanfare. The business has not been too good recently. Officially, the casinos blame on the global economic down turn. The real reason is that Chinese goverment although still allows group visits from China to Macau, it stops individual Chinese visiting Macau, due to too much gambling and money laundering.
Chinese is famous for addiction to gambling, it is said that it is in our gene. Maybe that is why in the grand casino hall, hardly anyone is on the slot machine. The gamblers, mostly Chinese all sit around the tables for card, dice and roulette. The slot machines are just too small and not exciting enough!!??
The other part is the shopping mall. It is built aroung a Venetian canal. All the luxury brands are represented.
The ambiance is fanastic, the temperature is always perfect, the sky is always blue and there is only daytime 24 hours. We did neither gambling nor shopping. However, we did watch the Cirque du Soleil, ZAIA, which was very good, the third we have seen.
I hope behind the mask of reality, the casino is as innocent and as pretty as this young girl.
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20 comments:
What an amazing place and very informative post. Enjoyed the photos you took also. Thanks so much for the tour.
Loved reading about Macau, Grace; very interesting information. And your photos are wonderful! I love the one with the mask.
Hi Grace and Bradley, These are beautiful colorful photos. The first two enlarged are gorgeous. It looks like a fun place to visit.
I love the colors in these photos! Beautiful!
nice photos of Macau! I expected sth different that is so Asian, in fact, it's so European! =)I love the pic with the Mask!
Most people say if you go to Hong Kong.Must go to Macau too..try your luck.
Even though it's a casino, it's BEAUTIFUL! I'm curious as to why you are spending time in Taiwan.
Terrific photos! Very colourful. And the last photos look more Italian than Chinese! You asked about the grass roofs if they needed a lot of maintenance. I think the only thing you have to do is keep the grass short and water it when the weather is dry and sunny. I really wouldn't know.
Thanks for your visit!
I've just read in Wikipedia:
Birch bark is eminently suitable as a roof covering because it is strong, water-resistant and soil-resistant enough to last for generations, although 30 years was considered the normal lifespan of a sod roof in most places. So 30 years is the time given to a sod roof.
This is an absolutely beautiful place you have captured so well.
The colours are so beautiful, and I love the delicacy of that mask.
Great pictures. Some time ago I watched a documentary on the Venetian being built. I think it was on a station like Discovery Channel.
I like your quote at the end. However, I suspect it may be an idle hope :-)
Wonderful colorful photos! And what a strange place! I love the last photo of the mask and the young girl.
It's so pretty! Looks like a mini Las Vegas, only if anything more decorative.
Did you have fun?
This seems to be a carbon-copy of the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. Quite an amazing world all its own. I had no idea there was one in Macau. Great pictures.
never been to Macau, you'd captured some beauty of the place.
Never knew what that hotel is like in the inside, thanks for sharing.
Macau looks like it must have been a very interesting place to visit. Seems like there was plenty for you to see even without gambling or shopping :)
Loved the amazing photos! I met a famous Feng Shui master in NJ. She used to do design work for casinos. According to her many are designed so people would lose sense of time and orientation so they can keep you there longer. This one does so in such a seductive manner. I don't think anyone would mind spending more time there.
Great post!
Macau is such a wonderful place. Like they say in Portuguese, “não há outra mais leal” (there is no other more loyal).
Helder Fraguas
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