Macao etc.

This is not quite the first view of Macao you get from the ferry coming over from Shenzhen, but the camera was packed away at the time. This is from the dock next to the actual ferry terminal itself. For those, like me, who were beginning to fear the death of sea transport, the whole Shenzhen/Macao/Hong Kong ferry scene is a big relief. It's buzzing. Ferries arrive and depart for eithe Hong Kong or Shenzhen - admittedly mainly Hong Kong - about every 15 minutes. The ferry terminal building is clean & well laid out & signposted. The information booth knows the answers to your questions. 

Liz and I set off from the heart of Shenzhen with about 5 bags of luggage - so we wimped out of the metro and caught a taxi - to Shekou, which is the ferry terminal for Shenzhen. Research had shown that  there is a 30 minute lead time required to clear customs and immigration - it may be one China, but included in the two systems are border crossing formalities of the usual kind - but we arrrived at 8:36, bought tickets at 8:37 and were on the 8:45 ferry with a minute to spare. Probably the fastest border crossing (outside Europe) I have ever experienced. Lots, well several anyway, old fashioned one-family working boats spotted in the seas around Shenzhen. I have a new retirement fantasy n0w, I've always wanted to live on a boat.

What you actually see approaching Macao is first the bridge in the picture below (from the other side)  followed by extremely cheerful terraces in a multitude of pastel hues. With the sun shining it's a mokment of heart melting niceness. Shame the camera wasn't out. 

I'm having some problems with organising these pictures, which is going to affect the narrative flow, so, sorry, but, pay attention!

The view of the bridge is taken from the bar (closed at the time) - well, one of the bars - in the "mediterranean" section of the regional architecture theme park that may possibly be sponsored by the Babylon Casino (you can imagine the decor, I didn't photograph it)  and fills up the waterfront from said casino around to the ferry terminal. The bridal party below are in "Ancient Rome" - the groom is trying to decide whether to hit us (Liz is laughing at the bride's sneakers) or share in the joint ridiculousness of it all. 

I'm pleased to report that the universal sense of absurdity prevailed. I do hope their pictures turn out nicely though - it was a bloody hot day to be poncing around in full wedding clobber.

A nice additional roman feature is the halloween pumpkins on top of the arch in the background. Very, what?

The picture below was taken for contrastive purposes, a spot of ancient China meets Casino-land (hovering in the background). 

Ho ho ho... this is not ancient China. 

This is "Tang land". Both the foreground and background are the same age - in fact the background is one of the slighly older casinos (I think), so the foreground might be newer.

None of this is without charm, disturbing though that is to report (like admitting McDonalds has redeeming features, say, food value). Tacky yes. But the discreet charm of the ersatz can't be denied.

So, Macao, home to more fakery than Las Vegas? Not quite yet. Get away from the casino district(s) and the older colony emerges. The 3rd photograph back - charming yellow buildings - is in fact a photograph of (admittedly newly painted) genuine 19th century Portuguese-architected (coolie-built) buildings. In the centre of the old town there are lots of these - a very solid afternoon's walk worth.

A day is enough to see Macao really, unless you have a historian's interest. It's remarkably small. To run a marathon you would need to do 3.5 laps of the peninsula; it's about 3 x 3 km. Taxis and food are absurdly expensive, by Chinese standards at least, and the only service the taxis provide is keeping you out of the heat. You can walk anywhere.