Recent Travels
Posted: July 31st, 2018, 8:03 pm
My girlfriend and I went to the Philippines again (this time for a wedding), but we also took side trips to Singapore, Japan, and China. Singapore and Japan both matched my expectations exactly. Both fantastic cities, very well-maintained and plenty of stuff to do. China is the country that really surprised me.
My hot take from visiting Shanghai and Hangzhou is that China is miles ahead of us (meaning the US) in just about every way. The infrastructure and technology enjoyed by the general public will probably take 20 or more years to proliferate here, if it ever does. One of the most awe-inspiring experiences was taking the bullet train to Hangzhou, 175 kilometer trip cut down to only 42 minutes on high-speed rail. The rail stations present in every major city are the size of small airports, complete with myriad dining and shopping outlets for people to enjoy while waiting for their train. Credit cards have been all but replaced by NFC payments - simply wave your phone in front of a vending machine to pay for your green tea. Paper menus in restaurants have been replaced by interactive menus that pop up on your phone when you scan a QR code printed on the table. This is also how you pay your bill. Public transportation includes the local metro system, buses, rentable bikes, and scooters - all interconnected with smartphones. Solar and wind power are blossoming in cities that increasingly value environmental sustainability. Recycling bins are equal to rubbish bins in presence on the street. All in all, I was very impressed with how China is developing its cities and how thorough it has been in installing high speed rails all across the country. Has anyone else been to China recently? If so what were your thoughts?
My hot take from visiting Shanghai and Hangzhou is that China is miles ahead of us (meaning the US) in just about every way. The infrastructure and technology enjoyed by the general public will probably take 20 or more years to proliferate here, if it ever does. One of the most awe-inspiring experiences was taking the bullet train to Hangzhou, 175 kilometer trip cut down to only 42 minutes on high-speed rail. The rail stations present in every major city are the size of small airports, complete with myriad dining and shopping outlets for people to enjoy while waiting for their train. Credit cards have been all but replaced by NFC payments - simply wave your phone in front of a vending machine to pay for your green tea. Paper menus in restaurants have been replaced by interactive menus that pop up on your phone when you scan a QR code printed on the table. This is also how you pay your bill. Public transportation includes the local metro system, buses, rentable bikes, and scooters - all interconnected with smartphones. Solar and wind power are blossoming in cities that increasingly value environmental sustainability. Recycling bins are equal to rubbish bins in presence on the street. All in all, I was very impressed with how China is developing its cities and how thorough it has been in installing high speed rails all across the country. Has anyone else been to China recently? If so what were your thoughts?