Gambling And Then Some: 5 Things To Do In Macau Besides Rolling The Dice

 

Gambling in Macau has become such big business that it is now considered the world's Mecca for gambling and the preferred destination for top gambling getaways after consistently beating Las Vegas in earnings.

And while there's plenty of fun to be had with Lady Luck in Macau's top casinos, there's more to Macau than high stakes and neon lights. Read on for five unique activities to do in Macau in case you ever feel the need to spend your winnings, mourn your losses, or simply take a break from rolling the dice.

Of Free Falling & Literal Leaps of Faith: Macau 2010 (A Remix)

After the jump I realized that it was really the wait that killed you - the jump itself was not at all scary. You only had to get over the fear of actually doing it, of actually deciding to jump off that ledge, and the most amazing adrenaline rush awaited.

The fear before the jump though, is really part of the fun.

Note: as the title indicates, this is a remix of sorts, based on this post about my bungee jumping experience. So some paragraphs may seem familiar.


Furthermore, this is my entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival for March 2012 with the theme "Leap of Faith: When Traveling Changed My Life," Reiza Dejito of Wander If You Must hosts this edition of the blog carnival.

Flanked by two friends (Mabz and Edz! You let me go up alone and sh**-scared to the top of Macau Tower so I could jump right off it, but you guys watched and waited patiently from the ground floor and I guess that was enough and all I could ask for! Thanks for keeping up with all my crazy! Because you guys are crazy too! Haha.) we visited Macau Tower bright and early on the official first day of our trip, having arrived in Macau the night prior. To be honest, I was hoping for bad weather - because I heard that you couldn't do the bungee jump in bad weather. Yes, some part of me really didn't want to do it. But the universe would have different plans as the sky was clear and pretty that day, which meant I was really going to do it. I was really going to freaking jump to my potential death.

After I had paid for the jump on the ground floor and rode the Elevator of Doom (seriously, longest elevator ride IN MY ENTIRE LIFE) to the top floor, I took my time at the viewing deck, delaying the inevitable, taking pictures to try to calm my nerves:

The staff overseeing the viewing deck must have noticed that I was about ready to burst into tears, so he talked to me a bit, showed me the side of the building where I was going to jump, and assured me that I was going to be okay, and that I was going to want to jump again after I did it. I didn't believe him then, but I can tell you now that it's true - it's been a year since the jump and I would really want to do it again (and I hope to do it again, maybe in New Zealand next!).


Thank you, Kuya, for being so nice to me! :D

After a while I kind of just thought, "F*** it, let's just get this over with" and proceeded to the top floor where the AJ Hackett headquarters was. They made me change my shirt and suited me up, and pretty soon it was time to jump.

I vividly recall standing on the edge of the tower, all geared up and ready, hands outstretched with my neck tilted up because NO THANK YOU I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO LOOK DOWN RIGHT NOW. I remember gasping for air because HOLY S**T I WAS SO HIGH UP AND PRETTY SOON I WAS GOING TO JUMP and I remember my fight or flight reflex kicking in for a millisecond, and for a millisecond I thought about stepping back to ask for more time, but I didn't want to be a wuss and I knew that if I backed out then that it would be that much harder to actually jump, so for the nth time that morning, I thought "F*** IT, LET'S REALLY JUST GET THIS OVER WITH!".

I remember leaning my body forward slowly, leaning forward just a little bit, and before I knew it, gravity was doing all the work, and I was falling and falling fast, with the most amazing, exhilarating feeling EVER. It wasn't like riding a roller coaster that made your stomach turn and churn with G forces, it was just... free falling, and this will probably sound cheesy and silly but I recall thinking "FREEDOM!" as I fell fast. Because I had jumped from so high up, there was actually time to revel in the moment, and it didn't go by as fast as I had expected. If you're going to bungee jump, it's best to jump from as high up as possible to make it totally worth your while.

After a while I had to deal with the recoil of the bungee cord, so I had to stretch up to reach my feet and pull on a chain that released the hold of the cord on my legs, so that I was only connected to the cord from the waist and was falling right side up instead of head-first (it's more comfortable since all the blood doesn't rush to your head). I wasn't even scared to release my legs - after you jump from a height of 233 meters you start to not get scared of a lot of things.

After the jump I realized that it was really the wait that killed you - the jump itself was not at all scary. You only had to get over the fear of actually doing it, of actually deciding to jump off that ledge, and the most amazing adrenaline rush awaited.

The fear before the jump though, is really part of the fun.

It's amazing how a few seconds of free fall can change your perspective on life. After the jump I felt fearless, up for any challenge, game for anything. I guess it helped that I'm a Type 7 Enthusiast by nature, and that in your 20s, you feel like the whole world is at your feet, with opportunities laid out before you, waiting to be conquered. The effect post-bungee wasn't a sort of reckless abandon or an incessant need for an adrenaline rush - rather, it was a vivid desire to explore, to discover, to experience, to live. Traveling does that to a person, I guess. It opens up one's eyes, widens one's perspective, lets you realize your place in the world not so that you can feel small and insignificant, but instead so you can realize the depth and breadth of humankind and the moments you can experience as a part of it in every corner of the world, if you just take a leap of faith, escape the familiar, step out of your front door and get out of your comfort zone.


Macau Tower, I conquered you!

last picture taken from here.

Snapshots: Marilyn Monroe Street Art, Macau

This was the Marilyn Monroe mosaic I mentioned in yesterday's post, which we chanced upon on a random street in a less tourist-y area of Macau - and by less tourist-y, I mean cheap and affordable. We were on a backpacker's budget when we went on our Macau-Hong Kong trip, so we consciously avoided its glitzy and pricey areas and their equally glitzy and pricey hotels.

Someday soon I will also tell you about the tin can of a hostel we stayed at in Mongkok, owned by a guy named Jackie Chan.

No, not the actor Jackie Chan. Somehow, unless you're talking about the bloody Quentin Tarantino movie and its cast, the word "celebrity" and "hostel" just don't fit right in one sentence.

Speaking of "celebrity" and "hostel", I'm reminded of an "autographed" photo of Elton John that was proudly situated, for all to see, right on the signage of the hostel we stayed at in Phnom Penh. According to the hostel owner, Elton John had actually stayed there too, just like us humble backpackers, so we should, like, be totally stoked about it and tell everyone when we get home!

Fact or fiction, it makes for a rather quirky anecdote. And a few more sentences on this post.

I really ought to write a longer, more decent post soon.

Snapshots: Ruins of St. Paul's, Macau

A very tourist-y shot to start off the week! Just be thankful I'm not actually in the photo, posing my very tourist-y pose in front of the Ruins of St. Paul's.

Snapshots: Poinsettia, Macau

Red poinsettia leaves remind me of two things: Nanay, my grandmother, and Christmas.

Snapshots: Chinese Food Place, Macau

I've been to Macau twice, and the second time I was there (which was also the trip of that epic bungee jump I will forever rave about, it seems), I thought I'd take pictures of the different sites of Macau in black and white. So there's plenty more where this picture came from - which is from inside the obscure little Chinese place near our hotel where we had a simple breakfast on our first morning in Macau.

Twenty-Freaking-Five and Alive! Bungee Jumping from Macau Tower

I don't know how it happened. The year has gone by so quickly, and now it's September, the month I turn twenty-freaking-five! I'm more than a little freaked out about the idea, and the dreaded Quarter Life Crisis isn't exactly helping. I could really use a vacation right about now, but life is crazy,and some much needed R&R will have to wait.

In any case, for this month I thought I'd post about my five favorite, most epic, most memorable travel moments so far, starting with jumping off a height of 233 meters in Macau!

Flanked by two friends (Mabz and Edz! You let me go up alone and sh**-scared to the top of Macau Tower so I could jump right off it, but you guys watched and waited patiently from the ground floor and I guess that was enough and all I could ask for! Thanks for keeping up with all my crazy! Because you guys are crazy too! Haha.) we visited Macau Tower bright and early on the official first day of our trip, having arrived in Macau the night prior. To be honest, I was hoping for bad weather - because I heard that you couldn't do the bungee jump in bad weather. Yes, some part of me really didn't want to do it. But the universe would have different plans as the sky was clear and pretty that day, which meant I was really going to do it. I was really going to freaking jump to my potential death.

After I had paid for the jump on the ground floor and rode the Elevator of Doom (seriously, longest elevator ride IN MY ENTIRE LIFE) to the top floor, I took my time at the viewing deck, delaying the inevitable, taking pictures to try to calm my nerves:

The staff overseeing the viewing deck must have noticed that I was about ready to burst into tears, so he talked to me a bit, showed me the side of the building where I was going to jump, and assured me that I was going to be okay, and that I was going to want to jump again after I did it. I didn't believe him then, but I can tell you now that it's true - it's been a year since the jump and I would really want to do it again (and I hope to do it again, maybe in New Zealand next!).

Thank you, Kuya, for being so nice to me! :D

After a while I kind of just thought, "F*** it, let's just get this over with" and proceeded to the top floor where the AJ Hackett headquarters was. They made me change my shirt and suited me up, and pretty soon it was time to jump.

I vividly recall standing on the edge of the tower, all geared up and ready, hands outstretched with my neck tilted up because NO THANK YOU I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO LOOK DOWN RIGHT NOW. I remember gasping for air because HOLY S**T I WAS SO HIGH UP AND PRETTY SOON I WAS GOING TO JUMP and I remember my fight or flight reflex kicking in for a millisecond, and for a millisecond I thought about stepping back to ask for more time, but I didn't want to be a wuss and I knew that if I backed out then that it would be that much harder to actually jump, so for the nth time that morning, I thought "F*** IT, LET'S REALLY JUST GET THIS OVER WITH!".

I remember leaning my body forward slowly, leaning forward just a little bit, and before I knew it, gravity was doing all the work, and I was falling and falling fast, with the most amazing, exhilarating feeling EVER. It wasn't like riding a roller coaster that made your stomach turn and churn with G forces, it was just... free falling, and this will probably sound cheesy and silly but I recall thinking "FREEDOM!" as I fell fast. Because I had jumped from so high up, there was actually time to revel in the moment, and it didn't go by as fast as I had expected. If you're going to bungee jump, it's best to jump from as high up as possible to make it totally worth your while.

After a while I had to deal with the recoil of the bungee cord, so I had to stretch up to reach my feet and pull on a chain that released the hold of the cord on my legs, so that I was only connected to the cord from the waist and was falling right side up instead of head-first (it's more comfortable since all the blood doesn't rush to your head). I wasn't even scared to release my legs - after you jump from a height of 233 meters you start to not get scared of a lot of things.

After the jump I realized that it was really the wait that killed you - the jump itself was not at all scary. You only had to get over the fear of actually doing it, of actually deciding to jump off that ledge, and the most amazing adrenaline rush awaited.

The fear before the jump though, is really part of the fun.

After you jump from Macau Tower they give you a Baller ID, a badge of honor of sorts, along with a t-shirt and a certificate, and - get this - a discount card for your next jump. With the discount card, you get your fourth jump from any AJ Hackett headquarters free! (A reminder that yes, bungee jumping is life changing, but it's also completely commercial as well, and a pretty lucrative business).

I wouldn't mind making AJ Hackett rich though. Because bungee jumping and free falling? Totally worth it.

Macau Tower, I conquered you!

last picture taken from here.

Snapshots: AJ Hackett Bungy Jump, Macau Tower

It’s been exactly a year since I grabbed life by the balls and freaking jumped off Macau Tower! Thank you AJ Hackett, your business is life-changing. I may work for a multinational medical and consumer company that helps improve and even saves lives, but your adrenaline-inducing services are just as necessary to life. I can’t wait to do business with you again (I really want to bungee jump in New Zealand! Somebody, anybody, please sponsor me! Haha).

I’ll write about my Macau Tower bungee experience this week, do watch out for it!

Snapshots: Gelato at Lemon Cello, Senado Square, Macau

It was one of those serendipitous travel moments. On our second day in Macau, exploring Senado Square, my friends and I found ourselves wandering along a tiny alley that was slightly less crowded compared to everywhere else in the square. It was just after lunchtime, and it was intensely hot out (this coming from me, a resident of a tropical country, who spent many a summer day of her teen years playing tennis under the blazing heat of the tropical sun. I kid you not when I say the heat was near unbearable that day), but luckily, we found salvation in a tiny, hole-in-the-wall shop that sold gelato called Lemon Cello.

I'm a sucker for well-lit, dainty little shops, and Lemon Cello was definitely that kind of store. All the pretty colors of the gelato flavors on display totally distracted me from the unbearable heat (yes, I'm a kid like that, easily distracted by pretty things, and it doesn't take much to make me happy, really). One would think that it would've been terribly difficult to decide which flavor to choose, but surprisingly, I knew what I wanted that day - the lemon-flavored gelato, aptly called Lemon Cello. The store didn't have tables or chairs so my friends and I sat on a nearby bench after we made our purchase and enjoyed our gelato in the Macau heat, which didn't seem so bad after all.

Incidentally, this happened on the same day that I did my very first bungee jump in Macau Tower. And while the memory of throwing myself from a height of 233 meters I definitely won't soon forget, I think I will also always fondly remember the time I enjoyed a tiny cup of gelato on a random bench in a random alley in Senado Square a few hours after. That's the thing about traveling - it's not just the big travel moments you remember, but even the tiny, serendipitous moments in between are fun to look back on as well.

Lemon Cello - http://www.yp.mo/lemoncello/

Snapshots: AJ Hackett Macau Tower

Indeed, why live on the edge when you can jump right off it?

Last year on our trip to Macau and Hong Kong, I sucked it up, prayed all the prayers I knew while I cussed all the cuss words I knew (yes, fear can make you contradict yourself), entrusted my life to the hands of the very dependable AJ Hackett Macau Tower crew, and did my very first bungee jump. It was an exhilarating, and I know I say this often (thanks to Barney Stinson), but it was seriously a legendary experience.

It was my first bungee jump, and I would go to great lengths to make sure it wouldn't be my last. New Zealand, anyone? You'll have to give me some time though - I have to save up first.

Filipina on Flip Flops 2009: A Year In Pictures

Happy New Year everyone! Here's a collage of photos I took (and some I borrowed from travel buddies) from all my travels in 2009. Here's to many more trips in 2010!

(click on collage to enlarge)

I'll post most of these pictures in bigger sizes and write about them in the near future, so I hope you keep visiting Filipina on Flip Flops in 2010! (And my first 2010 travel resolution is to update my travel blog sooner, and more religiously! I promise!)

Oh, and a big THANK YOU to everyone who comes to visit this site every so often, and an even bigger THANK YOU to those who take the time to comment on my posts. I really, really appreciate it! This travel blog is like my baby (although sometimes it's an uncared for, slightly overlooked baby), a labor of love and passion and self-expression, and I take your kind comments and warm greetings as much needed encouragement. Again, many many thanks!

A summary of my trips in 2009:
Vietnam & Cambodia | Coron, Palawan | Anawangin Cove, Zambales | Macau & Hong Kong | Boracay | Misibis Bay, Bicol

Happy Holidays from Filipina on Flip Flops!

Happy holidays everyone! As a family tradition of sorts, the holidays are a time to spend at home with my parents, brother and relatives, so I rarely go places come December. The picture above is a little bit of an exception though - I took it in Macau in 2007, about a week before Christmas, if I remember correctly.

I would've wanted to post a picture of what Christmas is like in the Philippines (because Christmas here is awesome - we take it very seriously! So seriously it lasts almost the entire last quarter of the year), but this year the holidays have been insanely busy with work and parties and all the things that keep a single, twenty-something girl's life colorful and crazy, so maybe I'll be better prepared next year and will have pictures for you then. For now, cheers, and a very merry Christmas to you all!

Snapshots: Macau Tower, Pre-Bungy

Here's a picture of me standing on the glass floor at the Macau Tower viewing deck, right before I headed up to the AJ Hackett Macau Headquarters, where I threw myself off the edge and into my very first bungy jump - and at 233 meters, it's the highest bungy jump in the world! It was an amazing, exhilarating experience - the most insane seconds of my life, without a doubt! I need to save up and do that again soon!

Full account - and pictures, plus video of the jump - real soon!

Snapshots: Macau (2007)

I'm off to Macau tomorrow! My friends and I are spending the weekend in Macau to watch Zaia and to bungee jump (hopefully!), after which we'll head to Hong Kong - two places that are definitely very tourist-y, but hopefully the bungee jump and the street food will keep the long weekend from becoming just an out-of-the-country shopping trip.

So I took this picture on my first trip to Macau around two years ago. It was one of those small alleys within Senado Square that led to nowhere. I thought it made for a nice picture though.

That's it for me this week, back on Tuesday then! Won't be able to write about my HK-Macau trip just yet but I'll definitely be posting some pictures or something, we'll see. :)

Snapshots: Macau (2007)

This was our tour guide's hand, raised above the many bobbing heads as she and our tour group weaved through the tiny streets of Macau in 2007. At the end of this month I will be returning to Macau to watch Cirque du Soleil and - wait for it - bungee jump off Macau Tower! If I find the guts, that is.