There Are Really Only Two Reasons to Visit Macau...

...gambling and tourism, and I don't gamble.

Macau, if you are not familiar with it, is a small peninsula and island off the southern coast of China,  just a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong.  Like Hong Kong, Macau is a former colony which was turned back over to China in the late 1990's and today maintains some independence from the mainland.  It has its own currency, its own immigration policies (no visa required), and allows certain commerce that is illegal on the mainland - namely gambling.  In recent years, thanks to heavy investment Macau has become the "Las Vegas of the East", and according to many reports does a bigger business than Vegas, and its growing rapidly.  But again, I don't gamble, so what am I doing in Macau?  I had to ask myself the same question.  Mainly, I just had a day to kill before heading back to the US and I didn't feel like hanging out in Shenzhen or Hong Kong. Something new.

Gambling aside, Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and as such has some uniqueness to it.  There are some old neighborhoods with a distinctly European feel,  and many signs still in Portuguese.  But honestly, once i saw a few old streets and ruins, I was done.  This place is hot, its extremely crowded with mostly Chinese tourists, and its expensive.  Hot, crowded and expensive are OK if you are someplace like Hong Kong with lots to see and do.  I felt like I did Macau in an afternoon and that was that.  I don't suspect I will return any time soon.  Here are a few pictures anyway.

Flat sheets of cooked mystery meat seem to be the local delicacy.  Kind of like sweetened SPAM

Vegas has the "fake Eiffel Tower.  Macau has a "fake Coliseum"

I Didn't See Anyone Actually Wearing One of These, But...

I ran across this during a recent weekend stay in Macau.  Possibly the strangest t-shirt idea of all time.  I mean, I get not liking McDonald's for nutritional reasons or whatever, but I think the "Adolph McDonald" concept is just a bit over the top...

After seeing this, my WTF meter was peaked.   I had to do some investigating, and the results were a bit surprising.  According to multiple news sites, something known as "Hitler Chic" has found a home in parts of Southeast Asia, Thailand in particular.  Hitlers image is being used as a marketing device to sell various merchandise, even food.

Tee-shirt for sale from a sidewalk vendor in Macau

  I don't know if this intended to be social commentary, satire, or is just in extremely poor taste.  And the hamburger clown is not the only victim.  Teletubbies? (always knew there was something wrong with them)

An even "The Colonel"!!!

This last one spawned a lawsuit against the company that produced it, and I am not making this up - Hitler Fried Chicken!

I don't know Thailand well enough to  understand if Hitler's deeds are widely understood. Perhaps to many, this is just a face they recognize but couldn't tell you a thing about - kind of like the iconic Che Guevara image popular with young people.  Either way, this whole thing is rather disturbing.