All That Shimmers

Looking from behind the ruins at St. Paul's through one of the arches, we spot what may now be Macau's most recognizable landmark.

Taking aim on the Grand Lisboa Casino.

Sprouting up from the old city is a mix of glass, glitter and gold.
58 stories dedicated to the worship of wealth and greed.

Things weren't always like the shot above. This was the first Casino Lisboa which is located across the street from it's towering sister.

Trying to stuff the whole thing into the picture was difficult. It looks like a bulb of a flower that has shot up and bloomed.

Thunder Dome, Biosphere, Ball O' Bling?

Another one of the new kids on the block in the Macau's world of gambling is the Venetian (sorry, I forgot to take exteriors). As the name would imply, the Venetian is based on a Venice motif. There is a large, mostly high-end mall connected to it with...

...three indoor canals, complete with gondolas and singing gondoliers. Yes, this is all inside the Venetian.

So after buying your gal a swank Coach bag and taking a romantic ride through the faux cityscape, you can try to earn back some of that cash at the tables.

Sorry there aren't better pictures, but the Venetian has a rule against photographs on the casino floor.


In between the churches and casinos, we made a stop at Fernando's at Hac Sa Beach. It is one of the more well-known local restaurants in Macau. There is a review of Fernando's over at The Hungry Traveler, a blog my friend started, which another friend and I now maintain.