A Speedy trip from Suzhou to Shanghai

After a week in Suzhou we all travelled to Shanghai for a three-day visit.  Although 85km from Shanghai our train made very short work of the trip in just over 20 minutes, travelling at just under 300km per hour.  Consequently, I think the photos Richard took through the train windows are very good under the circumstances.

You may think that  my comments on the photos are rather negative, and perhaps that was the feeling generated by seeing many of these scenes, particularly some of the very depressed housing conditions, surrounded by incredible squalor.  I felt sad that families, especially the children, had to live in such conditions, but for many of them it may have been a better lifestyle than they'd had in the past.

I can assure you we had a wonderful trip to Shanghai - more photos to follow in future posts.

Suzhou Railway Station, all very clean and grey!

Some lessons on using the phones and cameras for the young one before we board the train.

Joining the queue. I even elbowed someone out of the way when they pushed in between Tanya and I.  Where are my manners?

Suzhou is largely built on land reclaimed from swamp so there are plenty of lakes and canals.  Just as well there's something to see close by as distance viewing is very limited.

Any land without building is usually growing something, even if we didn't recognise what it was.

Proof that the train was travelling at 284km/hour.

Cars and motorway bridges dwarfed by high-rise apartments.

A nuclear facility.

Just about the closest thing to a farm between the cities although not where I would care to live.

More trees, more water, more speed, and more greyness....

.... and even more buildings.

What's this?  Sunshine outside Shanghai Railway Station.

A very small police vehicle - perhaps for very small offenders?

The gracious reception hall of the Astor Hotel.

Our room was spacious and very comfortable.....

.... with a view from our room that pretty well sums up Shanghai - a city of contrasts and extremes.