Casino Hopping @ Macau

On the ferry from Fuyong Terminal to Macau

My room at the Casa Real Hotel

City of Dreams Casino

Grand Lisbao in the background

At Wynn Casino

Venetian Macau

Tried Portuguese food @ Food Paradise, City of Dreams

That was exactly what we did in Macau, casino hopping! We rushed to Fuyong Terminal in Shenzhen to catch the 11.30am ferry to Macau which unfortunately has been cancelled! However, we managed to catch the 1.30pm ferry (a one hour and ten minutes ferry ride) to Macau and while waiting, had lunch at a small Chinese restaurant just outside the terminal. This is a side trip, merely for pleasure as we have no business in Macau. The ride itself was uneventful but once we reached Macau, it's a different story! We stayed at the Casa Real Hotel as it is cheaper @ HK$700.00 per night (B$125.00) and it's also within walking distance from the Macau ferry terminal. The rooms have been renovated and there's even a small casino in the lobby. Internet access in the room is also free (very convenient for people like us). In one single night (29 November 2010), we played (noticed I used the word "played" not "gambled" as we were placing small bets just for the fun of it) in four casinos and visited the "City of Dreams", the "Venetian Macau", the "MGM Grand", the "Caesar's Casino" and the "Wynn Casino". Macau is spectacular at night with all the neon lights splashing across the Macau landscape. I'll be back as there's still a lot of casinos I haven't visited due to the lack of time. Next time I will stay for two nights so that I can go for sightseeing as well! 

Ceramic Road @ Foshan

 This is a public toilet!

Koh, possessed by Tony Jaa's spirit!

 An old kiln

 Entrance to the kiln

After visiting HongYu Ceramics, our host drove us to an older part of town where a model of an old kiln was displayed to the public. This is probably a reminder of the ceramic trade that has flourished through the years from its origin (from a humble kiln using wood and logs) to its present day glory. Though I've not visited a modern ceramics' factory, I'm sure it must be very high-tech and gigantic, knowing China's capabilities! Porcelain shops abound on this stretch of road selling figurines, mostly of ancient dieties and popular characters from Chinese folklore. I was actually hoping I could find Bruce Lee's figurine here but sadly none exists!

HongYu Ceramics @ Foshan

China Ceramics Centre

 Chia sitting on a fully automated W.C!

Foshan is famous for its ceramic (tiles) industry and on every street, all we saw were ceramic (tiles) showrooms. Our host took us to one such showroom which is a three storey building showcasing mock-up kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and of course tiles of various sizes and designs. Attached are the photos from HongYu Ceramics, one of the biggest showrooms in Foshan. Very impressive as we've never seen anything like this before! Of course, Foshan is also the home of the legendary kung fu master, Wong Fei Hung! 

Cui Yuan Restaurant @ Foshan

A tile supplier (Ms. Zhang) drove all the way from Foshan to Dongguan, a good two and a half hours' drive, to meet us and at first we were hesitant to follow her to Foshan as we thought it would be a waste of time but due to her sincerity, we decided to follow her and we were glad we did! Upon reaching Foshan, we had lunch at "Cui Yuan" Restaurant which serves Cantonese cuisine and other exotic dishes such as rabbit meat, crocodile soup, pigeons, etc. We spent RMB271.00 (B$54.00) at "Cui Yuan" Restaurant which is quite cheap as we had a few bottles of  "Tsingtao" beer as well. After lunch, we visited one of the biggest ceramics (tiles) showroom (HongYu Ceramics) in Foshan and also visited an older part of Foshan (Ceramic Road). As we did not want to inconvenience our host further, we took the subway train to Guangzhou and the high speed train from Guangzhou to Dongguan that same evening. What a trip; we will definitely stay overnight on our next visit!