Macau revisited, happy birthday husband!

Ken and I decided to take an overnight trip to Macau to celebrate Ken's 60th birthday (which is Monday), instead of staying in Hong Kong. I had been in Macau in 1998 with my friend Nery, my how things have changed and yet stayed the same. We took the TurboJet which only takes 45 minutes from Hong Kong,  ride premier class if you go, they have a lounge and free wifi! We decided to stay at  the Mandarin Oriental hotel, and I know we made the right choice, even though our room was not ready, a girl by the name of PeeWee took excellent care of us and even ordered a small cake tone sent to our room when she found out that we were there for Ken's birthday. After we looked at a map and booked our tickets for an evening show, we decided to take to the streets and walk. I cannot believe how hot and humid it was, in less than two minutes I was deep in sweat. We saw much of the old Macau and so much of the new. The incredible thing is that Wynn has two hotels and is building a third one! Macau reminds me of Las Vegas back in the seventies with a few more modern buildings.  Last night we went to an amazing show called  The Dancing Water Show. I will say it was incredible, the show O has nothing on this show. An hour and a half of amazing acrobatics! Sometimes I felt as though it was too much for the senses. I even felt my stomach churn, as if I was coming down a dip in the road. Do you know that funny feeling you get in the car or on a roller coaster? That one! Today after breakfast, we walked some more, and found the old ferry port and the part of Macau that I remembered. We were walking and a store was holding their grand opening ceremony and invited us to take a look at their store. Ken of course can never say no and was their first VIP customer. I did not want anything to do with them since one of their product was pills made out of sharks that are produced in Taiwan. I told the girl that it was Ken's birthday and a second later she coordinated fifty plus employees to sing happy birthday!  The great part of Macau is that they have kept much of the old Macau and its charm, plus you can never get lost in Macau you just have to look up and find the Grand Lisboa and you will be able to find your way! I hope they will continue to develop, but not destroy the old buildings like China and so many other places have done. I want to wish my husband a happy birthday, may you be blessed with a long healthy and happy life. Always your wife!

Here are some fun facts about Macau:

• The official name of Macau is Macau Special Administrative Region.
• The official languages of Macau are Portuguese and Chinese.
• Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north.
• Macau was known by the name ‘Haojing’ (meaning Oyster Mirror) or Jinghai (which literally means Mirror Sea), before Portuguese immigrated to the place way back in 16^th century.
• It is believed that the name ‘Macau’ was derived from the A-Ma Temple, a place of worship that was build in 1448, with Matsu (the goddess of seafarers and fishermen) as its deity.
• Chinese form as much as 95% of the total population of Macau, whereas the rest of the 5% comprise of people belonging to Portugal, Europe and other countries.
• Majority of the people living in Macau are Buddhists, while one can also find Roman Catholics and Protestants here.
• The economy of Macau largely depends upon the revenue generated by tourism. Gambling is also a money-generating affair in the region.
• The currency of Macau is Macanese Pataca.
• After Las Vegas, Macau is one of the biggest gambling areas in the world. In fact, gambling is even legalized in Macau.
• Macau is the Special Administrative Region of China.
• It is one of the richest cities in the world.
• Macau was the first and last European colony in China.
• Macau is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.
• Macau ranks amongst the top 10 regions in the world, with a quite high life expectancy at birth.
• The infant mortality rate of Macau ranks amongst the lowest in the world.
• Macau is a highly humid region, with the humidity ranging anywhere between 75% and 90%. It receives fairly heavy rainfall as well.
• The Historic Centre of Macau, including twenty-five historic monuments and public squares, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• The tourists of Macau should know that tipping is a very popular as well as important tradition followed in the region. Nearly 10% of the bill is given as tip in most of the restaurants and hotels of Macau.