Today was a day of contrasts. A mix of rain and sun, tranquility and hedonism, nuns ands croupiers!!

We set off with our sights aimed at a visit to the Nan lian gardens, and Chi Lin nunnery. Supposedly a serene spot amidst the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, we emerged at the nearest subway station. Unfortunately the weather wasn't quite so serene, and not even our £1 umbrella could protect us from the rain that was falling around us. Luckily on top of this subway station, was a rather large shopping mall. We wandered around hoping to see the weather brighten every time we looked out of the window. It didn't....but then it did. We made our escape, but not before Laura swiped my bank card at least once through the H&M tills.

Indeed these gardens were a serene spot. Surrounded by towers of flats, it was a park full of beautifully manicured trees, Koi carp and a golden Gazebo with a bright red bridge. The paths through the trees guided us round to the nunnery, which was tree-ey, but more Buddha-ey. It is always nice to spend time in these places, it seems everyone slows down a bit, and stops spitting everywhere (more on that later). We had earlier decided to spend the afternoon and evening in Macau. We had left our passports in the hotel so nipped back to get ready...

The small state of Macau has the largest gambling industry in the world. More than five times the turnover of Las Vegas, it also has all of the biggest casinos in the world including the biggest of them all, The Venetian. After almost cancelling the trip due to some slimy ticket sales agents, we boarded the 16.45 crossing from Hong Kong ferry terminal. As we jumped on the boat, the rocking motion was considerable, and left Laura ruing having left her travel sickness tablets in the hotel. The crossing was only an hour and the waters soon calmed as we left the harbour.

Upon arrival, it was like stepping into a new world. We were accosted by a local man who promised us a guide of history, geography, and local culture for a very fair price. Sorry Mr local, but it was a different type of culture that we were after.... The Venetian. All of the casinos have free shuttle buses to their establishments ready and waiting. We jumped on ours, and within 15 minutes were cruising through the Far eastern version of the Las Vegas strip. These gambling behemoths dwarfed the bus, and were spectacular to see. We have seen nothing like this on our trip so far, and a twinkling lightbulb to Laura is like a moth to a flame.

We entered the Venetian, and after weighing up the options decided to head for the canal. This was of course an indoor replica of Venice, with it's winding canals and gondola boats. A look from Laura, and I knew what she was after. Within moments we were floating along the canal on a flipping gondola. Our Gondolier serenaded us with Moon river and Amore, followed by that song from the Cornetto advert!! We agreed that the Gondolier had a great set of pipes on him, and with onlookers craning their necks to get a glimpse of "the couple being sung to on a boat" it was all rather special.

We sallied forth towards the casino floor. Being the biggest casino in the world, it was quite big. We plumped for an empty roulette table and began to ply our trade. Laura commanded the betting, and within a few spins she had already more than doubled my initial 100 Hong Kong dollar stake. I opted to simply watch a pro at work. She seemed to have developed a faultless system. That is, until the system developed some faults and we lost our money. Oh well the house always wins!!

Noodles for dinner, followed by another flutter on a machine that we never really mastered. In fact we lost all the money within record time, I'm sure. Whilst on our earlier gondola ride however, our pilot had informed us of a light show outside ( 4 mirrion volts no less) that would be happening outside the main lobby at nine. We managed to get there just in time to witness a cacophony of sound and an explosive vision of wonder. Flames, strobes, electricity bolts, and gondolas (again) brightened up the night sky and brightened up our weather beaten spirits. It was brilliant. Immediately following that was non stop entertainment in the form of a group of drummers, and the "always drinkin" band from Barcelona. A 6 piece of trumpets, saxophones, guitars and the like. Amazing to think all of this was going on in one of many casinos in Macau. We have already decided a return trip is a must.

We jumped on a bus back to the ferry terminal and were swiftly on our way to Hong Kong island. A great day, full of surprises and highlights