The Largest Casino in the World

The door that remains of St. Paul's Church has become a symbol of Macau. Like the city itself, this church door is an amalgamation of Chinese and Portuguese characteristics. If you look closely, you will see that there are historical scenes depicted on the facade that sit right next to vertical Chinese script.

The walking areas of Macau were decked out in New Years flair. Bright flowers and colorful characters lined the pedestrian square where our cab driver dropped us off to find St. Paul's door.

Tourist areas are always filled with local sweets and treats, which we were allowed to sample in a few of the stores.

Given that gambling is illegal in mainland China, Hong Kong, and many other places in Asia, Macau has become a gambling epicenter for Asia. Mega-hotels and casinos dot the tourist map, and even if you are only interested in seeing the city's gambling highlights you will be at it for most of the day, and that is without sitting down at a table to play.

The King casino is the Venetian, the largest casino in the world, which mimics the style and architecture of Venice. If you're not interested in gambling, the indoor river and "riverside" shops still make this hotel-casino a destination worth visiting. Though we did spend some time walking around the various hotels, casinos, and shops that Macau has to offer just for the enjoyment of the sites, my father and I did want seize the opportunity to gamble in Macau. The Venetian is not the most inexpensive place to gamble in Macau, but based on the other casinos we saw, it was the one where we felt most comfortable. Some of the more inexpensive casinos were not just cheaper in price but also cheaper in decor and ambiance. The hotel and casino at the Lisboa, for example, were both so overdone in attempting to look classy that the decor looked gaudy, undignified, and sleazy. So, as the Venetian was our last stop for the day, we settled in to the Blackjack tables and played a few hands. It was a winning day all around.