I love a city that is built for it’s people. Where the people who run the city understand that the quality of life of the people who do the work is important for the big picture, for the final calculation of win and loss that is not based on profit alone.

Oh, and macau has huge profits. They are just used wisely. Like Singapore. They are not against business, not against money, but they still know that it is people who make everything work. And not rich people. People who take the bus to work. And I do have to tip my hat to their public transportation. Cheap, effective, fast. The way it should be.

There is a plethora of architectonic gems in macau, and walking down the street sometimes feels like a visit in a sketchbook of a dememnted architect and town planner, with different styles sharing supporting walls, the most amazingly absurd modern architecture is the background of quaint little portugese style villas, gold and mirrors on one side, cobbled streets and  flowery piazzas on the other, Chinese neons and old portugese blue porcelain street signs. A lovely semi permanent cognitive dissonance. It is interesting.

Macau caters for all kind of tourists, businessmen and the scores of temporary and semi permanent workers who keep flocking in for the resorts ever growing demand for man power. I am not a rich traveler, and I am happy for it as the rich usually are the same around the world and never really see the places they visit, and macau gives someone like me the opportunity to enjoy all parts of the city, the simple and the crazily luxurious for the same low budget. And that is something I respect. It is true for a lot of cities in asia, but as I said before, macau does feel like half Europe .

I have to admit that I even enjoyed visiting the huge casino resorts. I had to see. And you know what? When the luxury is in it’s ghetto, and is done in such an extravaganza of ridiculous splendor, I am not totally against it. Like going to a museum. Shinning and loud and high class yet trashy and decadent, An interesting experience. A couple of hours in the casinos watching the faces of the people gambling is better than any reality tv show.

Macau is one of the few places where I said to myself I should visit more often even before I boarded the plane back home.  It is the combination of Europe and asia, it is the comfort of getting around, the quality of the food, the air of the sea on the long beautiful promenade… yes, definitely a place to put on the ‘must visit’ list.