Gambling in Macau!

The day I landed in Hong Kong, I took a day trip to Macau.  Since it was such a short trip and I didn't have a lot of time to plan, I wasn't sure which ferry would be the best to take, so my dad and I just hopped on one and paid the fee, haha.  I'm not sure which one it was, or how much it cost, but we were just happy to have found one.  Since ferries to Macau are so frequent, we only had to wait about 15 minutes to board the boat.

The ferry leaving the harbor in Central.

Sitting on the ferry was quite similar to being on a plane.  Everyone had assigned seats which were quite comfy, and there were about five rows of three seats each so a lot of people were able to fit on it.

A boat zipping by the ferry.

The ride was just over an hour, and I found myself staring out of the window until I nodded off to sleep.  The flight from Taipei was really early in the morning, so I was extremely tired.  But there wasn't any time to rest when we got off the ferry.  We only had one day (well, an afternoon and evening) in Macau so we had to make the most of it.

First glimpse of Macau,
free bus shuttles to casinos everywhere!

More tour buses parked.

Since we didn't have plans to stay in Macau for long, I decided that my agenda would be based off of one of Macau's biggest industries - gambling!  Macau is a gambler's haven with all of the top casinos present: MGM, The Venetian, The Galaxy, ect.

How crazy is that building?!

I visited a number of the casinos, but I spent most of my time at The Galaxy, the biggest casino in Macau I believe.  Shockingly, The Galaxy is undergoing an expansion!

The front signage.

The front of the main building of the Galaxy.

A closer look.

Like many other casinos in the area, The Galaxy's focus is opulence, though it's planners took this common theme to a whole new level.  The interior looks like a palace built by a crazy king with access to way too many jewels!  Even if you're not into gambling, it's worth a visit to walk through and enjoy the opulence.  It was a little much for me, but I'm glad I got to see it.

Shiny, shiny, shiny!

Nice plant arrangement.

In the center of The Galaxy, there's a huge jewel hanging from the ceiling.  It looks like mere decoration, but it's actually the centerpiece of a five minute water show that occurs every 30 min.  If you happen to be around the area, it's best to wait and see the show. 

The giant jewel.

Under a different light.

It seems that some of the decorations in the Galaxy change depending on the time of year.  I went not long after Christmas, so the casino had a holiday theme.

Pretty decorations.

Huge gems.

I find gambling fun, so I'd definitely come here again!  Next time though, I'd be sure to get a return ticket on the ferry back to Hong Kong.  My dad and I did not so we were forced to wait over an hour to get a ride back and did not get to sit together due to overcrowding.  We were dog-tired by the time we returned to our hotel in Hong Kong.  If a go to Macau again, I'll just stay at the Galaxy and avoid running around!