Shanghai to Macau

My last day in Shanghai – it has been raining/drizzling all of last weekend and the temperature has dropped a fair amount.
On Saturday night, Jason, James, Yeun Yeun, and I went to a bowling alley and pool hall. It was fairly western, especially after eating (them – not I) McDonalds down the street earlier. We played one game of bowling and 3 games of pool…couple vs. couple – Jason and I won all games.
Sunday, we went to shoot a location for Bill. We were waiting for some business to be taken care of so Jason and I walked down the street to a small village. We walked through it, and I took some last photographs of the Shanghai area.
Monday was my last full day in the city before going on to Hong Kong / Macau Tuesday morning. It was a day of mostly last minute errands and me saying my goodbyes to all the wonderful things.
“Goodbye - Bill’s apt – Julu Lu – Fruit stand – Dvd man – MRT/TPA office – Fuming Lu –bicycle people – bicycle carts with bell ringers – public service announcement man – Muslim noodle place – Chinese wearing pj’s in the middle of the day (like fleece ones ranging from flannel to cartoons– rmb money – skyline – shipping yard –the city of construction “
The city constantly under construction – day through night. I saw at least 2 businesses completed in my 6 weeks there, close to 10 basically completed – complex size, and one skyscraper. If you watched, or are familiar with The Fraggles, it’s like the Dozers. I realize that the city I view today will not be the same tomorrow, and if I return in a couple months even more so.
Shanghai is taking over the outskirts of the city, taking away the farmlands. The city has placed an ordinance to decongest the center of the metropolitan area. If you look at any picture of the skyline of Shanghai – taken within the past couple of years – it use to be farmland. This is Pudong, we were staying in Puxi, kind of like the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
The stay has been long, wonderful, sometimes hard, others mind-blowing. Every day is something new – something to make me smile and remind myself – I f&$king LOVE Asia!!!!
Leave at noon for Macau. If you are not familiar with this country/town – it made more money than Vegas last year. It’s an island off of Hong Kong, a separate, very small country…of a Portuguese descent. We arrive in Hong Kong and take the ferry across the water to Macau – where we will stay for 3 nights, one of those days devoted to photographing Orient Golf course…..until then – goodbye Shanghai. I am preparing for 2 very different places – considering Hong Kong is megatropolis and under British rule until 1997 – and up to the present, from my understand, is treated like China’s red headed step child.

Tuesday evening, November 20th
The flight from the Shanghai airport to Hong Kong was about 2 hours. Right before landing, I look out to see mountains, green trees, and can’t imagine what kind of climate this is going to be. I was forewarned that the Hong Kong airport is “humongous”. Well, it is, it’s massive and the structure is absolutely amazing…the ceiling is reminiscent of fish gills with undulating lines from one end to the other. Stores ranging from selling magazines to LV handbags to souvenirs for Disneyland Hong Kong to a Burger King.
Jason and I picked up a cart (for free, unlike the US) to cart our luggage. If we had planned more accordingly, we could have taken a ferry straight to Macau, but since we didn’t know, we have 3 LARGE suitcases, my camera bag, purse, duffel bag, tripod, and Jason’s very large bike courier backpack to take to Hong Kong proper to catch the ferry to Macau. On our way to mass transit, we spotted lockers, we took a second look – exchanged a glance and a verbally agreed that it would be a great thing to do with all this stuff. We rented a large locker for 3 days, rearranged our luggage – with everything from my underwear, toiletries, and film spread out among the floor. Now, there are only 2 backpacks, a tripod, a purse, and a small duffel bag. Kudos.
Out to the buses, double decker, and the traffic runs opposite to US – it’s like those Euro people. Shanghai was beginning to get very chilly, stepping outside I have to take off my sweatshirt, to only a t-shirt…it’s absolutely amazing! It must be close to the mid 80’s, there are palm trees, sunshine, green everywhere, mountains…am I even in China??? No bikes, no babies pooping anywhere, no spitting. Hong Kong was under British rule until 1997 – it’s not even really China.
Jason and I head up to the top deck of the bus – front row. I get a wonderful, hour tour of Hong Kong…not through the city, but of the very large shipping port. There is smog; this seems to come along with any metro area of China. I am told that it’s even more expensive to live in Hong Kong than NYC…I believe this later in my visit. Also, Hong Kongnese import Philipeno’s for EVERYTHING! More on this later as well.
At the ferry port, when I thought of ferry, I imagined that it would be like the ferries in Texas that I remembered as a child…where you are in a car and pull up on an open air boat. It’s not. We could take a helicopter to Macau as well, but the Turbo Jet is under $70 USD and the Helicopter is around $400 USD. The ferry seats just like a plane, assigned seating, food and beverage and duty free items are also sold. The ride is almost 2 hours. Jason and I are making mental notes of the casino’s being advertised and our tentative schedule.
I can’t believe my eyes when we get to Macau – surprise after surprise. We had just missed the Macau Grand Prix, which was our greeting upon exiting the ferry port. The sun has set and I can see the casino lights all around. Catch a taxi, head to our hotel, and then head out to check out the scene.
The area reminds me of vacations as a child to the beach – just the feeling in the air, shops selling electronics, jewelry, and food. Not much more than that. We check out a couple of casinos and then stay at the Sands for awhile – at the bar. Jason likes watching the white dancing girls, and the cover band, we buy some very affordable beers and also head upstairs to get a salad. I play 20 HK dollars of slot machines – I am scared, I have never gambled in my life. I lose it all. Most of the casinos have Baccquerat – all the Chinese love that shit – Jason is on the search for Craps. Our final destination is the Venetian – recently built, USA owned. We stay there for a little bit, notice the time, and head home as I have to work the next day.
Upon waking up, we head to the golf course, I do what needs to be done and we head back to the hotel. Rest, shower, eat, and head back out to try our luck. We again, just end up roaming from casino to casino to casino – spending a lot of time at the Sands watching the shows. We finally go to the Wynn and decide to try our luck at Black Jack, Jason refreshes my memory of the game and we pick a table with no one else and the dealer is kind enough to help us start out. Jason got 1600 HK $ and we split it. Well, I won enough to give Jason his 800 back and walk away from the table with 1600 HK dollars…a little of 200 US dollars. I was close to 300 USD but started losing so I walked away. We head back to the Sands for me to buy a round of beers then head home.
Next day, I want to see Hong Kong – we get to the ferry, Jason forgot his passport, I board the ferry without him, and then upon realizing my phone battery is dead and I get no service anyhow. I get to HK and just roam…it’s so hilly, so not China, it reminds me San Fran, even more wonderful. In the middle of the city there is a botanical garden where there are all kinds of monkeys. The smell of the flowers stop me in my tracks, and I look past the luscious green surroundings – onto the skyline and think that what wonderful weather this is – taking note that its Thanksgiving in the US. Thankful for this life experience. I just roam the streets, going into shops, just taking in sunshine. Passing another single, foreigner, a dude about my age, both of us have a camera strapped around our neck…we exchange a look. Solo travelers are not spotted that often. I spend some of my time shopping as well, and spending some of my loot.
I head back at sunset to try and figure out my phone and get completely upset and frustrated after purchasing a new sim card that doesn’t work. Jason finally arrives back at the hotel about 2 hours later – we found a craps table the night before and he blew $100 USD there while I was out. We eat Portuguese restaurant to take advantage of the location in China. We go back out – he plays craps, I watch. We go play Black Jack – not a good night for either of us. I cashed in 1000 HK $ and lost 300. Jason goes home, I play some slots. I actually win money at it – and then I gamble it away. I have close to 400 HK $ left, I go to Black Jack table, buy 3 100 chips, lose, and walk away. I go home and give my left over’s to Jason.
I wish we could have had longer in Macau…I have to come back with my uncle, as he is the relative that loves taking people to Vegas. And there are plenty of nearly naked white girls for all the foreigner’s to stare at as well.