MattyV - Matt Vicars

After finishing my six year long law degree and before I join the real world of working life as an Articled Clerk, I am going on a bit of an adventure. I will be travelling solo along the Northern Silk Road from Beijing to Central Asia, with a few extra stops along the way: Xiahe, Langmusi and Tibet.

I intend to follow this rough itinerary:
China - Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou, Xiahe, Langmusi, Tibet (Lhasa, Namtso, Yamdrok, Shigatse, Everest Base Camp), Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Urumqi, Kashgar.

Kyrgyzstan - Osh.

Uzbekistan - Tashkent.

My journey starts on 26 November, so stay tuned!

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Joined on: October 19th 2007
Last Login: December 16th 2009

Blog Entries: 35
Photos: 391
Recommends 1

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Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by MattyV, order by Date newest first.

By MattyV
January 20th 2008

Breaking news: I am home. Oceania » Australia » Victoria » Melbourne

Quick Announcement I am back home. It happened all of a sudden really, one minute I was planning on buying a train ticket to Samarkand and the next thing I was reserving a seat on an earlier flight home to Melbourne. There were a few reasons behind this, but mainly I was over it all; the constant travelling, the difficulty of it all (which my chest infection just added to), and I felt that I had done enough of the 'touristy' sights. I have enjoyed my trip immensely, it was amazing to see so much of China and to see how [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 14th 2008

Andijon to Tashkent Asia » Uzbekistan » Tashkent

Andijon is a 'modern city' but I didn't see it I caught a taxi from the border to Andijon and asked the driver to drop me off at the Hotel Andijon, which he took to mean 'a hotel in Andijon' and just dropped me at the first hotel he found which turend out to be ridiculously expenseive. I asked the hotel staff to point me in the direction of the actual Hotel Andijon and was told be a couple of guys that it was closed, I should have seen that coming. Anyway, these two guys ended up being really helpful, they [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 13th 2008

Getting into Uzbekistan Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Osh

My chest infection got worse, but it hasn't kept me down! Okay so the last time I left you I was in Osh, well now I am in Tashkent, in Uzbekistan, but first let me connect the dots. My last night in Osh was supposed to be "pretty cruisy" remember? Well, it started out that way, David and I headed out to find some dinner and not wanting to go the freezing cold restaurant from the night before we headed to one that looked warm, sat down and David asked for the menu. The waitress looked at him and asked why [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 10th 2008

One long bus trip Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Osh

I am in Osh! Just a quick blog this time. The bus trip from Kashgar to Osh was definitely an experience I won't forget for a long time. In the end it took 35 hours to get here; it took 4 hours to get from the start of the Chinese border crossing to the end of the Kyrgyzstan border checkpoint (although they were relatively hassle free); the bus got bogged in four foot deep snow and was stuck for almost an hour; the bus driver's solution to get the bus out was to hook up a tow cable and get all [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 7th 2008

Much to write about nothing Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar

Last day in Kashgar I finished my book last night. I couldn't help myself, I had to know what was going to happen. That meant two things, one I was up until very late and two I now don't have a book to keep me company and hold little hope of finding another one anytime soon. Because I was up so late, I was also late to rise but this was ok as I had planned on having a lazy day. I headed into the bathroom to turn the shower on and let the water run until it was hot (a [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 6th 2008

Massive Markets Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar

A day at the markets Again functioning on Xinjiang time today I made my way to the markets and arrived at 9am-ish (Xinjiang time) and was amazed to find that the market that supposedly starts filling before dawn, was largely still closed! I wandered around what was open and then went and found somewhere for some breakfast which consisted of baozi (steamed buns with no flavour) covered in a stew-like sauce that had meat, and veges in it; they were pretty good in the end. I headed back into the market and wandered into the hat section and I went a [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 5th 2008

Old town magic Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar

Old town building

A lazy day in Kashgar From my wanderings and my trip to the international bus station yesterday I found that 'Xinjiang Time' is alive and well here, albeit not entirely officially it still exists. The deal behind Xinjiang time is that China has only one time-zone, Beijing time, despite being so large. However being in the far west and so far away from Beijing things operate on a different clock over here, a clock that is two hours behind Beijing, the Xinjiang clock. So today, I slept in until 10 Beijing time but it was really 8am in Xinjiang time so [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 4th 2008

Bye bye Dunhuang - Now with photos Asia » China » Gansu » Dunhuang

Me on the scary little minibus to Liuyuan trian station

The last of Dunhuang Photos have been uploaded but no labels have been given to them as this stupid Russian keyboard won't let me, its complicated, but at least you can see them! I have been all over the place in the last few days! My last day in Dunhuang was pretty low-key while also intense. I woke quite early and packed my bag ready to cehck-out and catch my train later that night, but first I had to make sure I could extend my visa. I headed to the PSB and to the 'Aliens' section and explained that I wanted [View Full Entry]

The building fire opposite the train station in Urumqi

Ice sculptures outside the train station

By MattyV
January 4th 2008

Same same but very different Asia » China » Xinjiang » Kashgar

Old town market

An afternoon in the old town I caught a taxi from the station to a hostel heavily recommended from the LP and from a few other people I had met in Beijing, and I must say that it is pretty darn good: good price, good rooms, HOT showers and in a good location. I had the room to myself and enjoyed my first proper hot-shower in four days, yeah I was beginning to smell a bit. I put on clean clothes, first time in two days and headed out into all that is Kashgar. The taxi ride took me through the [View Full Entry]

By MattyV
January 1st 2008

No money no cry, No visa no time - now with photos of Han-Dynasty Great Wall Asia » China » Gansu » Dunhuang

The road to the Jade Gate Pass

Happy New Year to everyone! While my New Years' may not have been the best I have had, I had other things to worry about and they are the two things that travellers definitely don't want to be worrying about: money and visas. Yesterday, after my day trip with the taxi driver I hired him for another day to see a few more of Dunhuang's amazing sights, however after getting back to my hotel I realised that I was a little short of cash, I had enough for the day trip tomorrow and the entrance fees but not enough for food [View Full Entry]

The other entrance to the Jade Gate Pass

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