Left is always right...

This mantra was running through my head all day.  It's something Jay used to say while dungeon crawling back in our D&D playing days.  However, today I had it in mind because I was trying to remember to drive on the left side of the road.  And for the most part I succeeded!  I turned the wrong way down a one-way street at one point, but it was a tiny one in laid-back Coloane Village, so it was easy to whip around once I realized my error.  For the most part the signage was good and everyone in Macau drives in a chaotic, try-not-to-hit-anyone fashion, so it was not too hard to manage.  A few taxis got annoyed at being stuck behind me at my max speed of 65km/hour, but most of the time it was fine. 

A scooter is a step down compared to my Rebel, but fun all the same.

Initially, I picked the bike up at the Venetian - one of the enormous casino/hotels in Taipa, which is just like the one in Vegas, right down to the fake Ponte Rialto and the bell tower.  I did this so I could avoid having to cross any bridges, because I wanted to ride in Coloane where it's chill and beautiful and somewhat difficult to get around.

I live on the Peninsula, and I took the bus to the area between Taipa and Coloane (Cotai).  The Venetian is in the gray area to the right of where it says "Lotus Bridge".  I met the delivery guy in the lobby and then he led me through the casino and down into the parking garage.  He gave me a quick explanation of the features and I gave it a test run and then he took off.  After getting situated, I drove around trying to find the exit.  All of them had electronic arms with keycards!  Crap!  Luckily, I finally saw another biker exiting and just followed him up a little ramp off to the side.  heehee!

 It was funny to see these extra gondolas down in the parking garage.  I guess people would rather shop and gamble than get paddled around in a fake canal.

Once I made it out of the garage and down to Coloane Village, I gave rides to Beth and Angie, who took the bus there to meet me.  It was fun, but a little challenging since I'm not used to maneuvering with the extra weight, and it's difficult when you're a weakling.  (No offense ladies, this was also a problem when I took my 95 pound Filipina friend around in NY.)  It was Beth's first scooter ride, which was exciting, but I felt a little extra pressure to not scare her.  Also exciting was my ride with Angie, because we got doused with water (or some liquid) from a balcony we passed under.  Gross!  I bet they were lying in wait for us. 

We also walked around the village and checked out some of the tourist attractions.  Here's a vid of the dirty but somehow still pleasant waterfront.

And here's the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier and surrounding area.

This painting was inside the chapel.  It's the first Chinese-looking Madonna and Christchild image I've seen here.  Pretty cool - I'd be interested to learn more about it.  Too bad my phone couldn't seem to get a decent focus.

The rest of the chapel was unusual too.  I like the cloudy sky in the apse.

Another great thing about our adventure was that I finally figured out where all of the Coloane trailheads are.  Our tourbook was not very helpful, and the first time Beth and I tried to find them we had a lot of problems.  I think I've got it down now, thanks to this map - just in time for Becky's visit!

At last it was time to head back, and I managed to find my way back into the Venetian parking lot with 9 minutes to spare.  On my way out I stopped at a baccarat table to watch for a bit to try to learn how it works.  As a government employee, I am only allowed to gamble at the casinos on the first three days of Chinese New Year, so I've set aside a little cash to play with.  I'd like to try baccarat, but it seems really confusing.  Guess I better search for a YouTube tutorial.  Or find a gambler to escort me.

After my ride I came home, heated up my leftover Indian food and checked up on my FB and emails.  I just discovered a FB app called Words With Friends, which is essentially Scrabble, but you can play it in any country.  Beth started a game against me and it's neck-and-neck.  It gets pretty serious when English teachers face off in Scrabble.  I thought I was doing well with my 55 point word, QUEER, until she countered with a well-placed SNAKE for 62.  Ouch!  We're very near the end, so place your bets now!

Finally, I headed out for a late night and much needed pedicure and I brought along my new collection of short stories.  I've never read any F. Scott Fitzgerald, but the first story fit my general impression of short stories - interesting, but outlandish and kind of disturbing.  :)  I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of them though - thanks again Anne!