My trip to Hong Kong is, disappointing might be a strong word, but certainly not as exciting as I expected. I should see this coming. It is the third time I had been to this city and the novelty was about time to wear off. Besides, the big charm about Hongkong is free shopping. Unfortunately, free shopping doesn’t fit comfortably into my present budget. Anyway, there is not much to say about this trip to Hong Kong. Still, the window display of Swarovski left me with a lasting impression. It looked like the designer has identified the little princess who secretly living in every girl’s heart and created a special crystal castle to meet her every whim. That’s explained a lot about Swarovski’s success: they do know how to impress.

On the contrary to Hong Kong, My trip to Macao is dreamlike and created a memory that I would cherish for a very long time. Before this trip, I googled travel tips to Macao and found the result surprisingly limited. I guess that’s because most of travelers bear clear, sole purpose in their minds: try their luck in plentiful casinos that this city boasts of, and the rest can be easily ignored. I am not big for gambling. The attractions of Macao lie in its exotic buildings and the merry-go-lucky atmosphere there.

One thing about those travel tips is absolutely true: in Macao, you can take free shutter buses offered by casinos to almost everyone. Our first stop is Venetian, one of the biggest hotels in Macao. Before Venetian, I never dreamed that a hotel could be so enchantingly beautiful.

Don’t be fooled by this picture. I am not strolling around one of European streets with hundreds years old history and breathing fresh damp air after the rain washed the street crystal clear. It’s inside the Venetian hotel--Grand Canal. The clouds scattered blue sky hovering over is nothing but velarium. Nothing is real, even the lazy relaxing atmosphere here held a detachable quality. It’s like breaking into the movie Inception. Reality and Dream has blended nicely together.

Ruins of St.Paul, a place loaded with history in Macao, has turned into a commerce center now. I like the church here, although I am not a follower but this place has an aura of sanctity, and something inside me was deeply touchedd.

I couldn’t be really in Macao without entering one of its casinos. Here I was. In Sands Macau, and I could not feel more stupid. For a moment I’d really like to give a try. However, with only 100 mops in my hand, I never worked up enough nerves to go to the cashier. 100 mops sounded really like a big joke here, what if they become so irritated that they decided to shove me out of the door? But that’s all I wanted to pay for my curiosity. When I said that I am not big on gambling, I mean every word of it. Hanging around those strange machines, I gave a thorough check but nothing came out of my research. I knew every word of its introduction, but when they put together, I was totally lost. A credit for two lines…. What’s credit and where is the line? I peeked at Sissi, and she looked even more confused. Forget, and farewell to my millionaire-overnight dream.

Macau Fisherman's Wharf certainly holds more attraction to me than the casinos. It’s pity that we never had a chance to enjoy it in daylight. Enveloped in darkness, this place was charged with mysterious atmosphere. I enjoyed every minute at Fisherman. Listening to the band’s singing, chattering causally with Sissi, and walking into the quiet, European-style street, I almost thought that life was easy and simple.