by Miranda
Anyone else have travel on the brain? I’ve been waiting for the day I can relish a flight again in the big blue skies. It brought to mind one of my first semi-solo trips. This had been taken during the last days of summer on a last-minute excursion with a colleague of mine at the time when I was living in Shanghai.
She found a fantastic deal with Sheraton in Macau that was for two people and we had the same work schedule; so, I was like why not?! When was I going to go to Macau anytime soon—and from the looks of it now, it may really be a while.
I was super excited, but things did not quiet go according to plan…typhoons do that.
At the time we went, the trip was much needed and well earned. I had not been on a true getaway since arriving in Shanghai—minus returning home, three or four times. The escape was long overdue. It was so chill and relaxing, I could almost forget about the impending typhoon and the disarray it caused. Almost.
Flying in from Shanghai, it completely slipped my mind that the flight would be considered international. An in-flight course came pleasantly by surprise, the landing was smooth, and we did have to go through the international side of the airport; of course, I did get stopped, though, going through airport security. My colleague didn’t believe me when I told her I get stopped all the time going through the airport. They took my carry-on bag to the side and went through every pocket. There was nothing to be stopped for this time, but the lady behind the monitor was adamant I had something questionable in my bag—I did not. I just really don’t have any luck when it comes to airport security.
So after the security delay and coffee at Wagas, we were off. The ride to the hotel easy and our stay at the Sheraton Grand Macao was wonderful. In fact, it was better than I could have imagined. Every staff member we encountered was friendly and helpful, and it was nice to be on a thick mattress again. Being a Marriot Bonvoy member also came with its perks.
Now to the typhoon. I had a set list of things I wanted to see and places to visit that drastically shrunk as places closed down in threat of a typhoon that only turned over a leaf. As a Florida native, I’m used to storms with an annual hurricane season just being a part of life. To stay I was irritated and underwhelmed, would have been an understatement; but I did understand the urgency and need for caution.
While everything closed, we still had the opportunity to walk around and explore a bit. We ventured to the Village of Taipa and briefly found the Rua de Cunha— in time to see the gates of closing shops; the front of the Wynn Palace—to look at the cable car and still lake waters; the City of Dreams Theater to walk into the reception for The House of Dancing Water Show—to get a refund on the show; the Casino— to get carded (everywhere I go they swear I’m 14, but they need to double that).
The time, considering, was still well spent though and we had a great time. The trip just had to be reorganized… with an indoor focus. This meant indoor indulgences and exploration of everything that was bridged together on the strip. So where did we go?
Day one, for me, included an Herbal Bath and Yin/Yan Facial at Shine Spa—this was everything. The facilities were superb. I had my own private sauna before my treatments. The attendant, the sweetest Thai auntie, served me ginger tea with a baked organic treat while bathing. I felt like a princess.
With a failed viewing of The House of Dancing Water, we wondered into the Wynn Palace Hotel. The place exuded opulence. Walking down a lavish hallway with white columns, mirrors, and crystal chandeliers, a combination of coquettish interior and European influence, it was captivating. We discovered a posh bar that I had actually wanted to check out, the Wing Lei Bar. Modeled after a jewelry box, the interior design gave the feeling of being in a lantern. We had the place by ourselves for a while and chalked it up with the bartender and hostesses.
What would a visit to Macau be without visiting the shoppes? Seeing the Grand Canal Shoppes was honestly my biggest reason in going. In fact, I would have been content just seeing that—and it was everything I expected. Everything was so bright and colorful. We rode the gondolas and walked through just about everything, window shopping in most places.
It was totally worth it though for the discovery of many cute shops. There was even a Lush store—which I didn’t even know we had back in Florida and found at my local mall. It really was a place I could do some serious damage in if I was by myself—thankfully I wasn’t.
Obviously, there was food too. The first night, we took advantage of the seafood hotpot buffet at Xin, and the breakfast buffet at Feast the morning after next that had a free flow of champagne and dog-on-good barbecue chicken. Plans for dinner at a Portuguese restaurant the next night changed to an Italian one with places closing early that appeased my pasta and bread cravings.
All in all, this was a great trip, from evening walks on the closing Cotai Strip to the window shopping. The weather did not damper our enthusiasm. This will certainly not be my last trip to Macau. I’ll see it again, and hopefully, next time I will be able to check off every item on my itinerary.
Modestly Miranda 