Macau: don't have one (a cow)

Next i hit Macau.

Macau, like HK operates under the One Country Two Systems policy, so yes they're part of China, but really they get to do their own thing. Tie-Wan must be pissed.

Macau was under Portuguese rule only in 1999. It's got a population of 430 000 peeps, mostly chinese people. But the portuguese influence is still really obvious. Architecture, cathedrals, tiled streets, spoken and written portuguese all around.

i can't say i think much of colonialism, but my initial impression (and the way Macau sells itself) is that the people are pretty casual and happy to have a blended culture. Well, the abundance of food w/ dual cultural influence is all the proof we need!

Macau is also selling itself as China's Las Vegas. And they have a growing excess of luxury hotels and casinos to prove it.

i wandered some casinos and lobbies to take in the opulence, and considered gambling but largely found the mere idea to be bo-ring. This sort of development struck me as pretty awful. Um, before i get started lemme start a new post.