The obvious next stop on my trip was Macau, a one hour hydrofoil ferry ride from Hong Kong. As a significantly older colony than Hong Kong, Macau had a lot more historic architecture and general colonial ambiance. It also helps that Macau never became a shipping or financial hub, so much of the historical stuff has remained intact. We’ll see how much survives the incredible casino building boom that has been underway since Stanly Ho’s monopoly expired in the early 2000′s. Encouragingly, most of the construction currently underway is in the Cotai Strip, which is reclaimed land – hopefully that continues to be the case.
I spent most of my time wandering around town and exploring the old Portugese neighborhoods. I found the place to be rather grubby and run down. Its as if all the new developments have been parachuted into an otherwise crumbling island…I exaggerate a bit but thats the general feel.
As Im not a gambler and I wanted to maximize my time, I didnt check out many of the casinos. I did however, go to the Wynn to have lunch at a reputed dim sum place. The dim sum I had in HK was great, but pretty traditional. The cheff at the Wynn, however, added some nice touches and flourishes to his dishes that were very well recieved.
One thing I did notice at the Wynn was how easily navigable the floorplan was. I seem to remember casinos in Vegas being complete mazes, of course forcing you to walk past endless rows of gaming tables and slots. The respect for the customer exhibited in the design of the Wynn Macau was greatly appreciated, and if I were a potential customer, it would win my business. When usability is sacrificed for monitization, the producer looses in the long run, in any business.
The pics are of the dim sum from the Wynn. The veggie stuffed buns were particularly good. Salty on the inside with a light sugar glaze. The spring rolls were also good, somehow similar to Turkish cigara borek.
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