Author Topic: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly) (Read 59249 times)

D93 · « **Reply #140 on:** July 21, 2015, 02:39:11 AM »

Quote from: moish on July 05, 2015, 08:01:53 PM

I arrived in Doha at a quarter to 6 on a Tuesday morning flying via AMM and KWI with RJ and QF

Quote from: moish on July 05, 2015, 08:02:10 PM

I paid for a visa then made my way to the QF arrivals lounge where I got a private room consisting of a recliner. This was the perfect place to daven shachris

QF? Do you mean QR?

moish · « **Reply #141 on:** July 24, 2015, 07:17:26 AM »

Quote from: D93 on July 21, 2015, 02:39:11 AM

QF? Do you mean QR?

yes, thanks

moish · « **Reply #142 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:04 AM »

At the airport, I checked in for my 10am EVA Air flight to…

Macau

I think it's illegal to write about EVA without including some Hello Kitty pics...

I wish every airport would have zero gravity chairs

Although the official currency in Macau is the MOP, the HKD is accepted everywhere, so if you come by ferry from HK, there’s no need to exchange money.

I’m not sure why, but I initially miscalculated the exchange rate and for some reason thought taxis were expensive. I therefore took the complimentary Sands Cotai Central Bus to my hotel, the Sheraton, which was kind of a big pain. I soon realized my error, and from then on took taxis everywhere which are actually quite cheap.

moish · « **Reply #143 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:15 AM »

The Sheraton itself is a huge property; it’s actually the largest Sheraton in the world, at 3,863 rooms. I got “upgraded” to the club floor with views of the Cotai Strip and the Venetian.

moish · « **Reply #144 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:23 AM »

After settling in, I went to check out the Venetian which is connected by bridge. I haven’t been to the one in Vegas, but this one is supposed to be bigger and better. Walking along the canals, it was so real I almost thought I was actually in Venice….until I saw the faces of the gondoliers which brought me back to reality.

Venetian check in

moish · « **Reply #145 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:30 AM »

Walking through the gigantic casino floor, one thing which is quite noticeable is the lack of ‘fun’. Unlike in casinos around the world, where there’s whooping and hollering, laughing etc., in Macau, the attitude is tense. The Asians take their gambling extremely seriously.

As I don’t gamble, and the Venetian removed its poker room some years ago, I made my way across the street to the City of Dreams complex and the PokerStars Live poker room there to get a few hands in. Afterwards, I went to watch the show, “The House of Dancing Water,” also located at City of Dreams. Built at a cost of a quarter billion dollars, the show is extremely professional and enjoyable, although I didn’t quite follow the storyline. It’s especially cool how they transform the huge pool into a dry space in less than a minute.

moish · « **Reply #146 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:36 AM »

After the around an hour and a half show I went back to the Venetian. When I was in Macau, the Venetian was holding a “Carnevale” festival and had a free, 15 minute, outdoor performance the ‘Venetian Light Storm’ at 7 & 9. I was able to catch the 9pm show which was nice.

moish · « **Reply #147 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:44 AM »

The next morning I took a taxi to the Macau Tower. After my bungee debacle in New Zealand, I was determined to finally try it out, or at least the Sky Jump. Where better to start, but the world’s tallest commercial bungee operation at a mere 233 meters?

moish · « **Reply #148 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:52 AM »

I of course chose to do the Sky Jump, which is a controlled descent. I geared up, walked to the edge and almost freaked out when I heard the guy say, “Safety off.” This was about to get real. I leaned over the edge, and it felt……….like nothing. No rush, no anything. When I got to the bottom, when the guy asked me how it was, I told him it actually was quite meh. He told me I really gotta do the real deal bungee, and I knew he was right.

I went back up and negotiated a package with them to do the bungee and get all the photos and videos. I geared up and nervously approached the edge. I leaned over, and it was freaking awesome. I recommend everyone who hasn’t tried it yet to do so ASAP. According to all the spectators at the bottom, I fell faster than anyone else that day due to my large girth, Galileo notwithstanding. I guess there are some benefits to being obese.

Screengrab from the video

moish · « **Reply #149 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:31:59 AM »

I then took a taxi to the Macau Museum to see some history of the place. It was fine, but certainly not a must do.

From there I walked through the historic center of Macau, ending at the Senado Square (Largo do Senado), enjoying the Old Portuguese architecture. You can really see the Portuguese influence especially with the tiles on the outside of houses, a phenomenon I saw all over when I was in Lisbon.

moish · « **Reply #150 on:** August 28, 2015, 10:32:31 AM »

Next up was the Wynn hotel and the Performing Lake in front which has dancing fountain shows every 15 minutes from 11am to midnight. It was nice, but nothing like the scale of the show at the Dubai Mall for example. I walked around the hotel for a bit and then headed back to the Sheraton.

I ate some dinner (the hotel provided me a microwave in the room) and watched the Venetian Light Storm again, this time from the vantage point of my hotel room, before taking a taxi for the short ride to airport…

Yaalili · « **Reply #151 on:** August 28, 2015, 12:00:22 PM »

Awesome!!!

Hershelsdeals · « **Reply #152 on:** August 29, 2015, 11:49:15 PM »

Amazing TR.

moish · « **Reply #153 on:** August 30, 2015, 03:17:47 AM »

Quote from: Yaalili on August 28, 2015, 12:00:22 PM

Awesome!!!

Quote from: Hershelsdeals on August 29, 2015, 11:49:15 PM

Amazing TR.

thanks

Hershelsdeals · « **Reply #154 on:** August 30, 2015, 03:18:56 AM »

Quote from: moish on August 30, 2015, 03:17:47 AM

thanks

Looking forward for more!

sammy n · « **Reply #155 on:** August 30, 2015, 05:08:05 AM »

Quote from: Hershelsdeals on August 30, 2015, 03:18:56 AM

Looking forward for more!

+1 truly amazing!

Yammer · « **Reply #156 on:** August 30, 2015, 05:52:39 AM »

Wow...

moish · « **Reply #157 on:** August 31, 2015, 10:16:15 AM »

Quote from: sammy n on August 30, 2015, 05:08:05 AM

+1 truly amazing!

Quote from: Yammer on August 30, 2015, 05:52:39 AM

Wow...

thanks

Chapshnell · « **Reply #158 on:** August 31, 2015, 01:07:21 PM »

"After settling in, I went to check out the Venetian which is connected by bridge. I haven’t been to the one in Vegas, but this one is supposed to be bigger and better. Walking along the canals, it was so real I almost thought I was actually in Venice….until I saw the faces of the gondoliers which brought me back to reality."

haha, except the bricks are nice & clean, the water is blue & it smells ok? lol
great TR btw

moish · « **Reply #159 on:** August 31, 2015, 01:13:04 PM »

Quote from: Chapshnell on August 31, 2015, 01:07:21 PM

"After settling in, I went to check out the Venetian which is connected by bridge. I haven’t been to the one in Vegas, but this one is supposed to be bigger and better. Walking along the canals, it was so real I almost thought I was actually in Venice….until I saw the faces of the gondoliers which brought me back to reality."

haha, except the bricks are nice & clean, the water is blue & it smells ok? lol
great TR btw

i guess i got lost in the moment...

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Author Topic: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly) (Read 59249 times)