TRAVELOGUE  »  Portuguese Streets, Beautiful Buildings and Lady Gaga in Macau

From Hong Kong to Macau to Lady Gaga

Located an hour boat ride from Hong Kong, Macau is a completely separate country that feels like a mix between Portugal and Asia.

We were originally unsure if we would even go, but after seeing a sign for a Lady Gaga concert at the Venetian hotel and casino we decided to take the trip. Normally, Lady Gaga is the type of concert I would never go to…but the chance to see an American pop artist surrounded by thousands of dressed up Asians was too much to resist.

After getting a late start, being told to get off at the wrong bus stop and finally taking the first overpriced hotel we could find, we finally arrived at the Venetian. Just like it’s sister hotel and casino in Vegas, the place was a life size replica of Venice complete with canals and gondolas. Everywhere we looked we saw locals dressed up with wigs, makeup, American style clothes and Lady Gaga tee shirts. I have never been more sad to not have a camera than that night (again, damn you naked Thai thief).

The concert was pretty good, as was the free after party next to a pool under the stars. Along with a guy from New Jersey and his Indonesian girlfriend half his age that we met at the show, we danced by the pool for a few hours before losing a few bucks on the slots and heading home.

A Walking Tour of Macau

The next day Carrie and I self-guided our way through a walking tour of the historical district of Macau. As the country was occupied by the Portuguese for years, their influence is very heavily felt in the architecture, people and food. I especially loved the narrow allies filled with shops and food that we spent time wandering through. We also found our way to a fort atop a hill that had nice vistas and, later, to the highest point in Macau to check out a lighthouse and take in a breathtaking 360 degree view of the city.

Though we only had 24 hours in the country, Carrie and I agree that it is a place we would love to go back to. With an old-world charm mixed with a big city feel and a splash of Vegas thrown in for good measure, it is a playground for the rich…or at least for the employed. I for sure recommend it to everyone: even for a weekend getaway.

Observations From Macau

With no small camera to use at the Lady Gaga concert (because it was stolen in Thailand), I tried very hard to buy a disposable camera. First I went into a few camera shops and was either looked at like I was crazy or corrected by an employee who thought the word I meant to use was “digital.” Later, when asking a staff member at the Venetian, I was told “um, I don’t know where you could get a specialty item like that. Maybe at the Duty Free store?”

I lost a quick $3 in slots when I hit what I thought was the button to bet only 25 cents but soon realized that I couldn’t read Mandarin and had no idea what I was doing.

The free shuttle from the Venetian casino was supposed to stop at midnight but we were happy to find it still running at 2am when we left. Though, we did have to complain when they said we just missed the last one until they sent one more last one for us and the rest of the line of late-night complainers.

The 2am shuttle ride was spent being serenaded by a singer from Japan and her two gay friends singing Tina Turner and other classics to Carrie.

It’s tough to control the AC when the remote is written in Mandarin.

After growing out my beard and hair for nearly two months, Carrie shaved it into a mohawk and Elvis chops on our last day.

The ride down from the highest point in Macau was in a ski gondola.

A bride and groom were taking photos at the Macau lighthouse in the blazing heat with their suits and wedding dress on. No thanks!

After a relaxing and cool time in Hong Kong, the weather gods decided to give us one last scorcher for our day of walking around Macau. Just to remind us what it was like for most of our trip…in case we forgot.

Carrie and I wrote out a postcard to ourselves from every country we visited. The last one from Macau was finished in the ferry terminal, but unfortunately there was no mailbox and we had already gone through customs. After asking a ferry employee what I could do he said, “I can mail it for you. If you trust me. Do you trust me?” Of course I did, so I handed it to him. Needless to say, the postcard arrived the same day as our Hong Kong one.