Macau – The city of dreams and gambling
Beauty at day time and most beautiful at night time - the city of dreams, gambling and Casinos, that’s the dreamland Macau. It’s a paradise to those who want to enjoy every moment of life fully and splendidly. If you have a lot of dollars in pockets and searching for a destination for a honey moon trip abroad Macau is surely a nice option. Night clubs, restaurants, hotels – it’s a heaven for all pleasures of the world. Macau is a fine blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures and now a wonderful spot for tourists.
Let me quote a recent incident associated with a hotel to make you know about the luxurious life there. ‘The New Sheraton Macau’ – its inauguration happened most recently and 5000 people who visited the hotel on the inauguration day were given 4 gm gold coins each. That means at least 6 crore rupees were spend on that particular day merely for publicity.
It’s not the case of a 5 star hotel only. That’s the living style of people there. There is a flow of people from China and Hong Kong to Macau day and night throughout for gambling. According to rough calculation, transaction of 5000 crore Indian rupees takes place in gambling table everyday and it shows how people are attracted towards the games. Chinese as folk comes with millions of dollars in hand to enjoy the fun of gambling, 2 million or 3 million is not a big amount for such people who earn handful money through business.
At night hotels are decorated with neon bulbs
Beauty of Macau glorifies at night as whole hotels are decorated with neon bulbs. It’s common in all big cities to see clean and tidy pavements, foot paths and huge buildings. Gardens, parks, streams and of course nature’s beauty attract people to certain tourist places. But the beautiful city decorated as a bride with neon bulbs is the highlight of Macau. Those shining and sparking light arrangements resemble fireworks at sky a lot. We may stand still with our open mouths to see the colourful ‘golden’ decoration of streets and hotels at night. Friendship Bridge across the seas that binds Macau with Taipei and Colon islands is a spectacular sight to watch at night. Its pillows at distance resemble a golden line a lot.
How to reach Macau?
Most convenient provision about Macau tourism is that you need not wait for visa. When you reach Macau your visa will arrive online. If you have passport and ticket you can fly to Macau via Hong Kong. Ferry travel from Hong Kong is a wonderful experience.
Casinos and night life are the main nerves of Macau life style and tourism. There are many attractive packages for family tourists as well as friends. Museum, beaches, Macau Tower, temples, churches, Wine museum, most popular live shows and Grand pre-pavilion panda park are only a few among them. It’s the paradise of food lovers where you can taste any dish from all over the world. Nowadays, tourism is widely promoted adding new factors to attract tourists.
Those spectacular and wonder scenes at night
Everyone may think that night life of Macau is equally dangerous as its amusement. But it’s not true. No need to fear underworld or quotation teams similar to metro cities of our country. You can’t find copes everywhere, nor do their vehicles; one or two policemen here and there. Yet crimes are low in this island and tourists get respect. You can freely roam the streets or go to a massage parlour or dance bar without fear. Even after 1 am, city will be awake and busy with treating its guests. Streets are so busy even at midnight and youth, both ladies and men flow freely to night clubs and casinos. Even in hotel lobes you can find a lot of pick up girls who know Chinese only. It means money flows lavishly everywhere, for both good and bad things. Only slogan is ‘to enjoy the life fully!’
Cat walks of Lisboa Hotel
In Lisboa Hotel you can see ramp walk of beautiful ladies through its corridor. They carry expensive clutch purses, high heeled shoes and modern makeup to entertain the customers. It’s known as ‘Parade at Lisboa’ and you can find many versions of this cat walk in you tube. But photography is not allowed here.
The hotel with an artificial stream – Hotel Venetian
Hotels of Macau are nothing short of wonderlands or resorts. Hotel Venetian of Cotai Arena is one such. This huge resort consists of 3000 suit rooms, shopping malls, casinos, restaurants and even convention centres. Its gigantic size is 1, 06, 00000 square feet. Its highlight is an artificial stream that runs through its interiors and is 2km length. Boat services are also available.
Tree of prosperity
Bible show of City of dreams, Guard change of Presidency and Diamond show of Venetia are also the highlights of Macau tourism. But ‘Tree of prosperity’ of Vyan Hotel has something else to say. Let me tell you how this show is presented.
You can see a massive crowd around the central lobby before commence of the show. When show starts with music, different colours – green, red and yellow start dancing on the lobby. When tunes reaches vibrant mode the platform of beautiful sculptures disappears suddenly. It’s being pulled downwards.
Music and dance of colourful lights resume and a spiritual tune is heard. Now the centre of lobe splits into several parts and a tree with golden leaves comes up accompanied with sweet perfume smoke and special lights. Its leaves are made of pure gold. Now the ceiling just above the golden tree opens and a chandelier comes down. It now reaches the tree just a few nodes away and the tree begins to spin.
People throw coins to that platform and pray for their family and to fulfill their wishes as they believe that this tree will bring them prosperity.
Streets of Macau are filled with dance bars and cool breeze from seas gives you a special feeling at night. It’s a city of luxurious and rich tourists who are willing to spend millions for pleasure. “Each minute we close our eyes, we loss those beautiful 60 moments in 60 seconds” – Nobel Prize winner Marcos told once. It seems he has told so about this beautiful wonderland.
Special dishes of Macau
Their buffet breakfast consists of more than 100 tastes and they are willing to serve us more if we desire so. Chinese, Continental, Portuguese, Macanese, Italian etc we can’t count those plates! Their salads and fruits are of different types and menu cards fill many pages. Bac Havu fish is one such highlight that can be prepared in 365 ways, one dish every day for a year throughout.
Indian restaurants are also found in Macau. Aruna Maharaja Indian Curry is one such where one can taste north Indian aloo parathas and palak paneer. Not only from India but from different parts of the world people have started restaurants here and tourists get amazing dishes here to taste.
Temple of A-Ma Goddess
You never feel that it’s a part of that busy Macau that’s always filled with gambling, casinos and dance. It’s nothing short of a temple of peace. Temple is situated on rock in a vast ground beside sea. It’s built in Chinese model temple architecture and two lion statues are placed on either side of the main entry. To enter the temple you need to put your hands inside lion’s mouth to turn the key open. It’s in the shape of a sphere and it’s believed that if sphere turns round completely when you try to open your wish will be fulfilled.
Now let me tell you the story of this temple. Centuries back when a ship was passing south China seas storm and heavy rains occurred unexpectedly and navigators feared a lot. They reached ship’s deck and prayed their sea goddess A-Ma. Suddenly a beautiful lady appeared there and she asked seas to keep calm. Storm disappeared and sea became calm. She assisted them till the ship reached Hoi Kayang Harbour. She disappeared in the nearby Bara hills and very soon they built a temple for her. She was none other than sea goddess A-Ma. In 16th century when Portuguese landed the sea shore and asked locals the name of the place, people replied that it’s A-Ma-Gavu (Land of A-Ma). A-Ma-Gavu slowly changed to Macau.
People’s offerings include crackers too. But Chinese made crackers are used for this purpose. People need to buy agarbathi and go inside the temple to pray. They need to light the agarbathi and knee down before praying. Their agarbathis have 10-fold size of normal ones used in Indian temples. The rock top will give a positive and spiritual energy to move on.
Senado Square – the heart of Macau
It’s just 10 minute walk from A-Ma temple and it’s the central nerve of Macau. There is no life around Macau if it’s not associated with Senado Square. Heritage buildings everywhere and beautiful fountains are its attraction. A Chinese decorative tower is also present. Each storey is painted using a colour shade. Decorations are hanged on its pillars too.
Even at noon time, it’s crowded with tourists and it’s a favourite lovers’ spot. You can dream alone or walk with your partner through the streets of Macau. A lot of scenery around to watch and appears as if it has appeared with the help of a magic stick. On either sides of the street different art materials and clothes are displayed and you can purchase them if you are interested.
You need to walk through these streets to buy traditional Macau sweets. Non-vegetarian mango fillets prepared using sweet, chillies and bitter tastes. It’s available in beef, pork or even snake varieties. Candies similar to our groundnut candies are available in these streets in 100 varieties. Each one differs in its ingredients used. Most surprising is that you can get samples to taste before purchase.
Ruins of Saint Paul
Then you will reach the final destination – Ruins of Saint Paul. Though it’s an ancient church only its front portion is left now. That beautiful church was left to ruins by a fire in the 19th century. Yet people are coming to see the remains of rooms and other portions. The remains of the church are placed in an archeological museum.
A simple note on gambling
It’s true tourists come in folk with the aim to search fortunes in casinos. When they play game of cards with aces, spades and diamonds most of those games end makes them ‘asses’. Yet people come here with money to take risk only because they believe that casinos never cheat or play false plays. They play in machine with different colours and numbers. Who knows when fortune will strike their door steps! Photography is not allowed inside.
Macau tower
Do you want to fly like a bird in deep blue skies? Do you want to see people jumping from 60 storey building? Then come to Macau. Though it occupies only the 10th highest tower of the world those tourists who love adventures choose Macau Tower first. Its lift works in the speed of bullet train that takes only a few moments to reach the top.
Bunkie jump that flies downwards in the speed 200 km/hr, sky jump to fly from 750 metre height, master climb to climb the tower and sky walk where one can walk through the rim of width 2.5 feet, but appears as if walking through the sky are the most popular adventures in Macau tower. Though one gets frightened with these adventures the pleasure it gives is also immense.
Giant Panda Pavilion of Colon Islands
Two pandas are found in Giant Panda Pavilion of Colon Islands and they are given extra care. Special guards are placed to throw people away if people disturb pandas while they are sleeping. Only a few pandas are now left in Chinese forests. In addition to it, a few pandas are kept in zoos giving them an artificial forest. 293 pandas are kept so, of which two are found in Colon Islands. Giant Panda Pavilion is inside Sek Pai Van Park and in the garden in front of it is filled with statues of pandas that resemble real pandas a lot.
Two pandas – Kai Kai and Sin Sin are placed inside a glass case and its roof is given a special glass film to provide natural sunlight to its inhabitants. Rocks, trees, streams, water falls, dens, bushes, bamboo forests and even forest’s natural sound is perfectly arranged. Suvaniar Park, just near the pavilion is filled with panda toys and accessories. Key chains, toys, pictures and toys of different sized pandas are available here.
A small note on Colon
Though Macau is a city, Colon is just opposite. It’s a village filled with greenery and hills. Plateaus and beautiful beaches are also present here. Hang sa beach is most famous. Beaches are similar to Indian beaches, only difference is the colour of sand. It’s black in colour and Hang sa in Chinese means ‘black.’
Another highlight is fishermen raft. Volcano explosion, jet-sky stunt show, amusement area, open air stadium resembling Colosseum – this period theme park consists of all these specialties. 150 restaurants are there resembling the style of all major parts all over the world. Variety sea food is the highlight. Prawns, squids, fishes and sea shells are prepared in many varieties and many dishes appear as if they are boiled as such.
The house of dancing water
Even if we explain a celebration in 1000 pages, it can’t equalize the direct visuals. Same is the case of ‘The house of dancing water‘. It’s a unique blend of dance, music, drama, adventure, gymnastics, circus, magic and many pieces of modern technology. Its ticket starts from 880 dollars, almost equivalent to half lakh Indian rupees and if you want to enjoy the show in VIP class, ticket costs 1380 dollars. This show is conducted two times a day, 6pm and 8pm.
The show is conducted in a gigantic water pool of depth 26 feet and water of 5 swimming pools is needed to fill it almost completely. It takes just 1 minute to convert that water pool to a live stage. Water will be fully absorbed within seconds making it a good visual for eyes. 80 artists perform at the same time and double technicians are needed to operate it. This dancing water show ends in 30 minutes and 13,000 crore rupees was needed to build this wonder pool.
Seats of audience resemble circus gallery and in centre is the gigantic pool. Lights of different types are lighted once the show is started accompanied by light music. Each show has a particular theme and story to tell the audience. Sound of storm and thunder, high waves resembling deep seas, wrecked ships and boats, silent seas later – all form a part of the play. The story normally presented is of a magician Black Queen, a princess and her rescue by a fisherman and prince. Trapezium, dance at the top of water waves at a height of 60 feet, motor bike rides through air and magic – it appears as if you are far away from earth sitting in Alice’s wonderland. When water flushes out like fountains audience of first few rows get soaked and they get an effect of a wonder ride through heavenly illusion.
Macau Ferry Terminal
If you cross the seas Macau Ferry Terminal, you will reach Hong Kong Airport. From there you can say good bye to this amusement world of dreams and fun. If you want to enjoy heavenly life on earth just go to Macau once. You can surely witness a paradise on earth that follows the principle of Umar Khayyam who emphasised to live the life fully with all sort of fun and enjoyment.
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