Words from Macau

It was fun to ride the jetfoil from HK to Macau...a very uneventful trip where I nearly lost my briefcase with computer inside...another story, but mostly about being the absent-minded professor. No need to worry when you carry a wad of business cards inside...one of the junior scholars found me...(pictures are coming).

The hotel we stayed in left much to be desired, but thankfully we weren't there for very long periods of time. We were guests of the University of Macau, a university that has personally been chosen by the Chinese premier as a growth campus. He was there for the ground breaking. They are spending millions of dollars on a new campus, and will quadruple in size when the buildings are done. I thought I saw the President break out into a sweat when he talked about it...no pressure...

Following our group reports, we were bussed to the Guia Fortress, built between 1622 and 1638. The actual lighthouse dates from 1865, and used to stand at the perimeter of the peninsula. Reclaimed land and new buildings have moved it far from the shore, but the view was spectacular. I especially loved the signs they hung from the fort to indicate the approach of typhoons (read hurricanes). I'm not sure how effective they were, but I'm sure they put the fear into everyone.

We continued our sightseeing at the Macau Museum, where the head of the Restoration group spoke eloquently to us. They are trying to save the old Macau before it is torn asunder to put up more gambling spots. They plan to double the gambling locations in the next few years. We continued our walks in two groups. We saw the Protestant Cemetery, the facade of the St Paul's Cathedral, the first municipal chamber building, and Senado Square. My pictures will not do them justice.

Wednesday night was a "free" night, so Sue and I took a taxi to the city center where the high-end gambling casinsos reside. The Wynn was all I expected, and more. It was not as big as the Las Vegas Wynn's, but every bit as beautiful. The high rollers were not out during the week, but were expected from the mainland over the week-end. 58% of their gambling revenues come from PRC visitors. I was stopped from taking pictures as they want to protect their clients anonymity. I played dumb as you will see from my picture pages, and did not erase any of the pictures. No faces to identify, but I heard eastern European/Russian voices...a bit of the cadres, the gangs, the mafia, the mob...some things have not changed in the "new" Macau, and they do admit they worry about the crime rate.

One very interesting place we stopped was the restored Mandarin's House. There was just a story in the NYTimes about it this week-end if you care to read about it. It was really fascinating...especially the expense and care it took to restore it. They Maceans are justly proud of it. We ended up eating in a Macean restaurant famous for their baked pigeon and souffle dessert. We had both plus African Chicken and Lamb Chops. After stuffing ourselves, we stopped at a famous restaurant on the square that served Milk Pudding. I think it was made with rennet tablets, but it was hot and delicious and I had never tasted it before...something different than the usual custard pies after dim sum lunch.

Friday morning found as at the A Ma temple that existed even before the city of Macau came into being. It was a very unusual mix of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and multiple folk beliefs that was extraordinarily beautiful and spiritual. We finished our restoration tour a St. Augustine's Square that included the Church, the first western style theater building, the St. Joseph's Seminary (the Jesuits were everywhere, Father Jeff), and a famous library built in a summer home. Cobblestone streets were reminiscent of the original Portuguese streets.

Our farewell lunch was at a "Portuguese" seafood restaurant. Can I tell you how good the Curry Crab was? Hot food at last, but everyone else was complaining!

We had a special bus take all the HK airport leavers to the port. You can ride the jetfoil from the airport to Macau now...now convenient for all those who want to fly in and gamble for the week-end. It was doubly convenient for us as we could check our bags all the way through to our destination.

And so to the uploads....