The Venetian is
THE casino and is probably the only other contender as Macau’s most recognized
landmark, aside from the Ruins of St. Paul. Macau, after all, is not called the
Las Vegas of Asia for nothing. Ask people what they came to see here and they
would mostly answer “the Venetian”. You can’t blame them. One look at its
exterior and you would understand its claim to fame. They constructed their own
mini version of Venice, complete with gondolas and elaborately decorated
buildings representative of the Renaissance era in Europe. If you have friends
who have been to Macau, take a peek at their online albums and you are sure to
see the Venetian in it. It’s that popular.
After my walkathon
I decided to just chill out and try my luck at gambling. I went straight to one
of the bathrooms next to the main hall where all the slot machines are. I put
on the extra shirt I had and went out to observe. I just don’t get slot
machines. I just saw a lot of them there, and people just pushing some buttons.
I didn’t see any prize money coming out. Another thing is that those slot
machines were asking for Hong Kong dollars. I only had Patacas. After half an
hour of going from one slot machine to the next, observing gamblers as they try
their luck, I still didn’t get any of it. There were other games in there like
triple dice, the mechanics of which I think I understood a little, but not that
clear enough for me to actually participate. The card games with bankers had
minimum bets of HK$500. Insane! In the end I just went out to find food, but
not until I had my share of camera clicks just outside the building.
I thought that
maybe the City of Dreams across the street would have games that would be easy
to understand for newbies. After taking blurry photos of the Venetian despite
its being well-lit, I crossed the street and explored the City of Dreams, which
is actually more like the City of Death by Credit Card Debt. Most of the shops
inside are for high-end brands. And then of course there is the casino, at the
entrance of which you are greeted by CGI mermaids dancing in CGI water. The
building is also linked to the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel and the Hyatt. It also
houses Macau’s waterworld version of Cirque de Soleil called “The House of
Dancing Water”. The only available tickets were for the coming week. That’s how
fully-booked that show is. Just key in the name at Google to get an idea, it’s
kind of hard to describe.
I settled for The
Dragon’s Treasure, which was just MOP30 and only lasted for almost half an
hour. That show had striking visuals and I was totally amazed. It was an
awesome way to end the evening after a full meal at the food court on the
second floor. The show is free if you purchase something at one of the stores.
I think the minimum amount of purchase had to be MOP150. I wasn’t able to
check, sorry. This, along with The House of Dancing Water is what the City of
Dreams has in exchange for cinemas. I honestly think that it’s a good
alternative.
These two are the
main attractions of the Cotai Strip. Galaxy next door actually belongs to
Taipa, although it is just a few steps away from the Venetian. There is a large
mall being constructed across the Venetian and the City of Dreams. I think it
would be another casino, although as stated, it looks more like a mall to me. I
don’t know when it would be completed. Marriott is also constructing a hotel
resort a few blocks down from the Venetian. And this is why the Cotai Strip is
popular in spite of its small size. It is because of these
casinos/hotels/resorts. If you don’t want to gamble, just drop by for a visit.
Your eyes would really enjoy it, and your pockets would stay safe.
COTAI: 01 - Too Dumb To Fathom Gambling And Lose Money from It
2 creature/s gave a damn:
The City of Dreams- just the sound of it gives me a chill down my spine. It gives out a Ceasar's palace-esque feel. Anyway, if you're interested to learn to play poker, you should definitely try a Hold 'em game in Facebook.
@Julio de Guzman - Maybe I'll try that, maybe not. I am really partial about it. It's hard to get addicted to such things given the repercussions, hahaha. Thanks for the suggestion. =)
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