I boarded the TurboJet ferry to Macau early Thursday afternoon. Unimpressed with 'Super Class' on the previous journey, this time I went with 'Economy.'
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| Take a good hard look at the mothaf*ckin boat! |
The ride was a bit rockier this time, not sure if that had to do with the water current or because the 'Economy' section was on the top floor of the boat. Nonetheless, I arrived without puking on myself, a small victory that I championed.
Hotel
Originally I wanted to stay at the StarWorld Hotel because I'd heard good things about their poker room, but when I went to book a room online it said all of the rooms were sold out. Oh well. I did a bit more searching and found an amazing deal on the Royal Hotel. Unballer admission -- Before this trip, I had never stayed at a five star hotel. But hey, I figured Macau was one of the best places to break that streak. The room was small, but really nice. Marble entrance-way, a flat screen television embedded in the wall, and I haven't slept on a nicer mattress in southeast Asia.
Sights
A friend of mine described Macau as a more extravagant, more opulent Las Vegas on steroids. And it certainly lived up to the hype. It's a gorgeous place to walk around after dusk, as the bright lights of casinos light up the night sky. The casinos are just as beautiful on the inside; I admired StarWorld's rows and rows of Baccarat tables and briefly enjoyed a few moments in the Wynn before the flash of my camera phone upset one of the whales. But if gambling isn't your thing, there are countless high-end shops selling jewelry, finely tailored clothes, etc.
Speaking of finely tailored clothes, I'm not someone who normally likes to dress up. Quite the opposite in fact, as I consider button up shirts to be more of closet decor than actual clothing. For example, in Macau, I donned my finest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle t-shirt. But if I ever do go back, I'll likely wear something nicer because I felt the level of dress had a significant impact on the service I received from casino employees (i.e. the Wynn) and I'd recommend others do the same.
Food
Although I had been told I had to eat at to the Grand Lisboa buffet, I almost didn't go. The last few weeks I've been putting extra emphasis on eating well and I knew a buffet wasn't the best environment. Ultimately I compromised -- I could go to the buffet but only after running three miles in the hotel's gym. Fantastic decision.
In poker terms, this buffet was 'the nuts.' Absolutely perfect. Several tables filled with exquisite food. Some of my favorites were the cut to order sashimi, seared ahi salad, freshly baked naan, spiral honey ham, mouth-watering rib-eye steak, and an assortment of dim sum. I dug deep and found a tiny bit of self control when it came to the dessert station, but that didn't stop me from taking pictures.
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| Chocolate fountain! |
Oh and the best part? A cotton candy station!
The following day I grabbed lunch at a Portuguese restaurant and spent the better part of an afternoon tracking down a well-hidden ice cream shop. It was quite the trek but once I found it, the coconut ice cream hit the spot. Thanks again, Sharon!
Poker
Ah yes, poker. There were only a few games running at StarWorld, but I didn't have to wait more than fifteen minutes before a seat opened up. I bought in for HK5000 (Blinds HK25/HK50) and licked my chops. I had envisioned soft games, crazy action, and clueless opponents but instead found weak-tight play and relative competence. Boo. I still managed to drop 100 BBs in standard fashion (Most in a spot where I was flipping but normally have my opponent crushed) although I did hero call a solid player capable of making moves on a board of Q65T8 with three spades because I felt he had a nuts or nothing type hand, and unfortunately it was closer to the former.
Despite the losing session, I still had a fantastic time on this visa run and got to check a few things off my bucket list.
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