In our last trip to Macau, we stayed at Casa Real, a rather cozy hotel located adjacent to the Macau Ferry Terminal and Fisherman’s Wharf.  It only costed us approximately RM180 per night inclusive of breakfast for two, and a room that was more spacious than the rooms of some of the 4-star hotels in Hong Kong.

We did all the touristy stuffs, i.e. visiting all the major tourist spots in Macau but not spending enough time to totally appreciate the architecture, history and culture.

At first glance, A-Ma Temple looked just like every other Chinese temples that we have, but it is distinguished by courtyards built into the hill and connected by winding paths and gardens. It’s also one of the most significant sites in the history of Macau because Macau derived its name from A-Ma-Gau or Place of A-Ma. According to legend, A-Ma, a poor girl looking for passage to Canton, was refused by the wealthy junk owners but a fisherman took her on board. Storm came and wrecked everything but she was known to have drifted to Macau where she reappeared as a goddess on the spot where the temple stands. The fishermen built this temple in the 16th century to dedicate it to her, the seafarers goddess.

Being my second time to Macau, I told myself that I must not miss the Serradura! Although this dessert is actually really easy to make, well, let’s just say nothing beats the original, or closest to the original!

We also went to the older parts of Macau. Came across some shops with presumably the old-fashioned way of baking almond cookies but we still ended up buying cookies from the famous Koi Kei Bakery which was flogging with busloads of tourists.

Despite the rapid developments in Macau, the city is still pretty much laid back in demeanor although the locals are rather uptight and serious. All of the action, energy and buzz happen inside the casinos while the streets remain quiet at night except for tourists returning to their hotel, loan sharks lurking around the entrances of hotels or gamblers on their way to board the next ferry back. It really lacks the fun and vibe that Vegas is famous for. Even though Macau may be generating way more gambling revenue, it certainly isn’t a sin city of entertainment where one would wanna go back for a second helping.