From Vancouver to Montreal and travel pictures

I have now assembled some of the many pictures we took on this trip and have grouped them in albums which correspond to the places we visited.
These can be seen at:

Vancouver:  

https://goo.gl/photos/RTDz5LUe7VskR9QA9

Hong Kong:  

https://goo.gl/photos/LJL9UYpbJdEgMhAX9

Hong Kong/Macu:  

https://goo.gl/photos/MfBH1wFLK61QcZeX8

Macau:    

https://goo.gl/photos/tG6CL5nn4RzRJ8jN9

Shenzhen:  

https://goo.gl/photos/QY9DaKUzCNRXMxS56

Guilin mountains:  

https://goo.gl/photos/aHYZGukk5W7vUmyYA

Montagnards and terraces: 

https://goo.gl/photos/HCLwuTjoy1NoDMQM7

Xian hotel:  

https://goo.gl/photos/6ChdYj6qe5H6FRdF9

Xian terracotta museum;   

https://goo.gl/photos/grVwvRhgzCN2DkjW7

more Xian: 

https://goo.gl/photos/hf9xy1y92US8w5Rx6

Xian 6000 year old village dig:  

https://goo.gl/photos/UoeG24wdNS4gQwhZA

Tibet: 
https://goo.gl/photos/Sh7g2g5vmP6r61NH6

Beijing, Great Wall:  

https://goo.gl/photos/WNxw6J5NS6SnKmu98

Our flight back to Montreal went smoothly in about 5 hours.  It was great to sleep in our own bed after almost a month on the road.  The impressions and experiences of this trip have given both of us a good insight into China today. It is a country which continues to grow but there are pieces which have not kept up with modern standards.  Toilets are a huge problem as are the constant lung clearing noises one hears all around.  The people are a friendly bunch for the most part except in Hong Kong where I found to my consternation that the taxi drivers for the most part speak no English and no Mandarin.  This situation is very frustrating but I am told that the younger generation are far more proficient in English and Mandarin.
One sees highly developed infrastructure such as trains that go 350 kms/hour and road with impressive overpasses leading to stunning bridges all through the country,  yet the arrival steps in Langshou where millions arrive each year are primitive and dangerous if one is carrying suitcases.  The Chinese have serious difficulties in properly pronouncing English so that we had a few guides who spoke English fluently but in a way no one could understand.

For Monique, this was a real introduction to things Chinese as we stayed in simple quarters in Beijing in a Hutong, then in international hotels such as the Sheratons and again very Chinese in Xian where we stayed in a replica of a royal residence, complete with art and music. It was a strenuous trip with lots of walking and climbing but that is evitable as many of the historical sites are high up or just huge in size.
I would strongly recommend to all readers that they plan a trip to China to see how the country continues to invest in its own future with infrastructure projets in roads, ports, airports and trains give the country a huge advantage over most other countries in this world.

The political situation is of little concern to visitors and the Chinese do not discuss the subject much with outsiders. They seem content as long as the government tries to make their lives easier and leaves them to get on with their endeveours. Life in China is tough but they have made huge progress. The amount of housing built and under construction is astounding but it is needed to house the increasingly urban populations.

A note on how travelling has become so much easier is that the only peice of paper I took with me on this trip was my passport. All my travel arrangements, planes, trains, hotels, guides etc were all held on my cell phone on an app called Tripit. I recommend it to anyone who goes on a trip. It is free and works like a charm.

Hope you enjoyed the story and the pictures.
I would love to hear back from you.

Alexander Keyserlingk
Montreal Canada
November 9, 2016