Little Portugal...Chinese Style, Macau

As Melissa really wanted to see Cirque du Soleil, we decided to make a day trip over to Macau this weekend.

The pattern on the street reminded us of Brazil

Our early morning ferry trip was quick - only around an hour from Hong Kong. Upon arriving in Macau we had a cab drop us off in the "old town center", at least that is what I am calling it.  The neighborhood was lined with flower baskets hanging from lamp posts, which gave it a very European feel.  The architecture in this area was mostly low rise colonial buildings. 

As it was a Saturday, there were tourists all over the place, and since we didn't have a map (we were just winging it) we decided to follow the crowds.

There were numerous stalls with these maroon sheets of ?? passing out samples. As all the stalls were crowded, we decided to see what the fuss was about.  I asked the owner, what is this?  I guess he spoke limited English as he cut of a piece with some scissors.  After taking a bite and giving the rest for Melissa to have a taste I asked again what it was.... pig ear.  We could not find a drink fast enough to wash the taste out of our mouths!

Pig Ear + What was left of Melissa's Starbucks Mocha Frappucino = East meets West! 

What is this? Never mind, we're sorry we asked!!

The narrow cobble stone streets opened up to two of Macau's trademark tourist destinations - Senado Square & the Ruins of St. Paul's.

St. Paul's is a church that was built around 1580 and has been burned down and rebuilt countless times over the years.  Now the facade is all that remains. 

Ruins of St. Paul's with the decorated lamposts

By this time it was lunch time and we were ready to try some Macauese food.  We found a traditional restaurant in the old town center and had a few codfish dishes - the codfish layered with scalloped potatoes and mashed potatoes was awesome! 

Portuguese recipe with chopsticks?

The heat and humidity were starting to take their toll on us, so we headed over to the Venetian Casino.  For anyone who has been to the Venetian in Las Vegas or Venice (at sunset)... it is the exact same. When you finally make it to the grand canal, you know you have arrived.  As I have seen the Las Vegas property, I knew what to expect, but Melissa had a smile from ear to ear.  The amount of detail is absolutely amazing.

There is a canal with gondola rides (for a price) and restaurants and luxury retail shops line the canal. Probably most impressive, the celling has clouds painted on it in a slight red tint giving the feeling of sunset.

We walked around the shops, got lost a few times, and finally made our way over to the Cirque du Soleil Zaia theatre.

The show was absolutely amazing and I found myself in complete disbelief numerous times.  I highly reccomend it to anyone who has the opportunity to see a show.

Las Vegas, Venice or Macau?

Melissa feeling lucky... not so much

After the show Melissa felt lucky and decided to try her luck in the slots. She won $10 but then lost it faster than she won it. The debate continues if you win money and then lose it, if you can actually say you won anything. I say she lost money. She says she won money...and then lost it...Same result!