 Matt Vicars - MattyV | All Comments |
Comments | |
| 13th June 2008 Mell | - From: One long bus trip Hello Matt :) I am off to Kyrgyzstan in September. Unfortunately for only 9 days but better than no days. :) I love what you say about Osh. People told me not to go to Kyrgyzstan in Winter but I am not so sure. I love snow. Sitting inside one of those tea houses looking out at it is my idea of travel heaven. Mel |
| 9th April 2008 MattyV | Tashkent - Andijon - From: One long bus trip Hi there Jade, obviously I flew the opposite way to you (Andijon - Tashkent) but regardless, the domestic airline of Uzbekistan is Uzbekistan Airways. I managed to buy my ticket in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, through an Aviakassa (airline booking service) and simply crossed the border at Dostlyk and caught a taxi to Andijon. From memory the cost of the flight was around $33USD. Can I ask why you will be travelling through this region and when will you be going? I hope you get to enjoy Andijon more than I did as I was too ill to go anywhere! If you have any more questions just ask! Good luck with it all! Matt. |
| 7th April 2008 Jade | flight - From: One long bus trip Hi, I am travelling to tashkent and am looking for a flight to Andijan. I'm having trouble being able to locate the domestic carrier that flies this trip. Can you let me know what airline you flew with domestically in Uzbekistan. Thanks |
| 22nd February 2008 davinci1490 | Namo Gorge - From: Trekking around Langmusi Namo Gorge looks so amazing in winter. Love the photos you took on those mountains! breathtaking shots! thank you for sharing :-) |
| 9th February 2008 davinci1490 | - From: A Magical Bus Trip "mostly Tibetan and amazingly friendly and respectful (a quality most Chinese know nothing about, it is either disdain for people lower than them or fear for those higher than them, not respect). " This is SO TRUE!!! I totally agree with you even I am a Chinese myself. That is why I fall in love with Tibetan people right away. You will never get bored being with Tibetan. I love them and respect them deeply from my heart. |
| 9th February 2008 lei | - From: No money no cry, No visa no time - now with photos of Han-Dynasty Great Wall I really enjoyed reading your blog. I ran into a similar situation like you with my Debit card in Lhasa. But later on, it turned into a very special memory and it was fun trying to figure out way to stay with very little money.. Well only once a while. but it was fun.. THank you for sharing.. |
| 7th February 2008 davinci1490 | wow - From: Prayers in the snow This is so amazing! I didn't even see this many monks in Tibet. This is a place I must visit next time! Thank you for sharing |
| 22nd January 2008 Chip | thanks for everything - From: Breaking news: I am home. I've been reading your posts throughout your trip and really enjoyed them -- and envied you. Good luck in whatever you do next! |
| 14th January 2008 trish v | Vodka Virgin!! - From: Getting into Uzbekistan Well no longer a vodka virgin - what a place to lose your virginity!! I hope the vodka helped with the cough & cold - probably seemed better for a short time! Another stamp in the passport & one that I doubt you will ever get again - that is unless you do a return trip to Ubekistan! Tashkent will be exciting & looking forward to next blog - once again photo's are awesome. Safe travel M xx |
| 12th January 2008 John Baulch | A journey you will never forget - From: One long bus trip Hi Matt, hiding behind a beard, masquerading as a local is problematic if you can't talk the talk! take care, regards John Baulch |
| 10th January 2008 trish v | Gosh you're in Osh!! - From: One long bus trip Wow what a bloody long bus trip & I don't suppose they had a movie channel either! Osh sounds amazing covered in snow, it must look really lovely - can't wait for photo's. David has been a God send to help you with flights & medicine etc., how lucky for you! Take care - safe travelling! Mxx |
| 9th January 2008 jen | Camels - From: Massive Markets What are you going to do with Camels!! |
| 8th January 2008 trish v | Lazy Days & Sundays!! - From: Much to write about nothing Lazy days are good to have in between all the 'travel days' & as you now have another big one coming up (23 hours + on a bus!) the rest would have been good. Kashgar did sound a really great place & one I'm sure that you enjoyed - shame about the knives, but maybe you will find more in Uzb - safe travel. M xx |
| 7th January 2008 faye | oh no! no camels!!! - From: Massive Markets thanks Matty for you e-mail.it was lovely. the markets sound fab (would never go hungry) and you may never find shalicks like that agin. loved the bartering! not sure the value but obviously the guy was asking too much.pity about the camels, could just see them at kyneton! what fun you are having. cheers faye and neil |
| 7th January 2008 trish v | To Market To Market! - From: Massive Markets Wow the markets sound fantastic & I hope that you got some great photo's - can't wait to see them! Sorry about the camel - could have been an interesting item on Borderline when you came thru customs! The lamb kebabs had my mouth drooling - they sounded great - glad to know that you are not starving! Enjoy the next adventure in Osh - take care Mxx |
| 6th January 2008 chip | enjoying your blogs - From: Massive Markets I really enjoy your blogs, thanks for sharing! |
| 6th January 2008 Michael | - From: Massive Markets Cool :) those markets sound like the way to go! Pfft 50 for a glass of juice! what a rip-off :) I am glad you told him to get bent! Thats ok man, i understand! I figured that they would be quite a price even with the exchange rates...and i think it might be a little more important that you come home sometime :P Still good reading anyway! |
| 6th January 2008 Michael | Spankerific! - From: Old town magic Awesome a camel! I am sure the little dogs and the cat will love a big hairy camel to play with :P Will make travel round good old geelong an interesting experience :P Awesome man, can wait to see all those photos, sounds like an interesting and vibrant place! Keep up the good work! |
| 5th January 2008 trishv | soft glow of morning sun! - From: Old town magic Matt your descriptions of the old town coming alive were awesome - I could even see it myself! Sounds like Kashgar is an amazing place & the Sunday markets will be great - enjoy! Not too sure about the camels though - good luck! Travel safe Mxx |
| 4th January 2008 danni | - From: Same same but very different hey mister. this place sounds amazing!i hope you have a good night out on the town. i would be sceptical about eating a sheeps head... is it really worth the experience? knowing you, you probably will ;) i am so glad that you are having a good time again! love you x |
| 2nd January 2008 danni | Phew - From: No money no cry, No visa no time - now with photos of Han-Dynasty Great Wall Hey good lookin. so glad that everything has worked out in the end!i knew you would figure it out ;) hav just caught up on the last few blogs and what amazing photos! you have been a busy boy! keep it up mister, i am so proud of you. xxx |
| 2nd January 2008 trish v | Don Juan is good!! - From: No money no cry, No visa no time - now with photos of Han-Dynasty Great Wall Jade gate pass is amazing - once again fantastic photo's! But I have to say you look like you are in the middle of nowhere!! The history of the gate & the wall was very interesting & I feel that I am actually there with you! Night time down town 'Don Juan' looks great & much bigger & alive than I imagined! Safe travelling onto the next adventure!! Mxx |
| 2nd January 2008 MikeV | Surreal - From: Caves, dunes and camels Hi Matt - snow on sand dunes - Hmmm! Whta fantastic looking area to be in WOW it looks absolutely fascinating. Love the sand dunes and the 'oasis' I have to say that camel is the spunkiest looking camel I have ever seen! D x |
| 2nd January 2008 MikeV | living on the edge.. - From: No money no cry, No visa no time - now with photos of Han-Dynasty Great Wall Hi Matt - I like Michael's comment 'had me on the edge of my seat' - very apt. The best laid plans eh well that is how it goes and has in fcat turned out pretty good. 'Don Juan' looked a very interesting place with alot to see. Stay away from Xintan one and Xintan two in Sichuan province (Matthew Reilly) as they are in Western China! happy travels D x |
| 1st January 2008 Michael | - From: No money no cry, No visa no time - now with photos of Han-Dynasty Great Wall Oh i sympathise with you totally chief! no money = sucky! I had a similar experience paying for hostels in London, however it was nice of my loving cousin to pay for me :D Lucky you managed to find a pretty atm that accepted you car! :)) *wipes brow* you had me on the edge of my seat :) |
| 1st January 2008 Michael | - From: Caves, dunes and camels Happy new year chief! :) Congrats on entering the new year riding a camel, and becoming laurence of arabia! Hope you bought the camel to bring back for me because he/she looked pretty spiffy! |
| 1st January 2008 trish v | Sand & Snow!! - From: Caves, dunes and camels Wow, once again fantastic photo's - but sand dunes & snow really don't mix for me - quite weird!! It looks an amazing place & yes Laurence of Arabia would fit right in! Sounds like more adventures on the way - sorry about your lack of New Years' - but you are still having a great time anyway! Take care - travel safe Mxx |
| 30th December 2007 Mike Vicars | were they salty and chewy??? - From: Why does it keep getting colder? Hi Matt - tell me the little round meat balss were they a little salty and perhaps a bit chewy - Hmmm... 'Don Juan' as mum calls it looks Ok a bit bigger than I imagined. The caves I am sure will be awesome - lets hope something is open so that you can actually enter them! Have a good break in 'Don Juan' D x |
| 30th December 2007 Joe Baulch | The Awesome Wall - From: Jiayuguan by bicycle - now with 3 more exciting photos The photos are as stunning as the sights, fortunately for us they do not give us the cold!!! Seeing the west end of the wall would have to be high on the list of places to see and experience, but I think I would choose a more age friendly time of the year! At the moment I will do a deal with you 15 degrees of your cool for 15 degrees of our heat. Travel with care and safety. regards Joe |
| 29th December 2007 Michael | - From: Jiayuguan by bicycle - now with 3 more exciting photos Thats awesome man, very impressive and remote. The best kind of travel i think, where there is no one else but you! :) |
| 28th December 2007 trishv | Layer upon Layer!! - From: Jiayuguan by bicycle - now with 3 more exciting photos My God how cold is it!!?? No wonder you are now wearing ALL your layers you would need them!! The overhanging Great Wall is amazing & the photo's once again are fantastic - well done Matt! It would seem after all the train trips the end result was worth it - stay safe & enjoy the next adventure!! Mxx |
| 28th December 2007 MikeV | isolation... - From: Jiayuguan by bicycle - now with 3 more exciting photos OMG - how would you feel being thrown through that gate and having nothing and no one to help you and facing a desert and marauding tribes from Mongolia. The wall (i have to say) looks absolutely amazing and more so than back at Beijing, purely because of it's remoteness and immensness (is that a word?) in the landscape. Fabulous pics Matt - safe travels. D x |
| 27th December 2007 mike vicars | Hi - From: A few relaxing Lhasa days sory you missed my last geetings however enjoying your blogs. continue to enjoy the trip. looking forward to hearing it all on your return. Grandies. |
| 26th December 2007 Mike Vicars | Merry Xmas - From: EBC and back Hi Matt - Merry Xmas, what a place to spend it in - very memorable! Matt on a Yak does have a ring to it, but I dont think you will find or be able to keep a Yak in Melbourne! Slush at EBC is timely with Big camp about to start. Have fun D x |
| 18th December 2007 MikeV | Beautiful mountains.. - From: Namtso Lake Hi Matt, what a fantastic area you are in - the mountains are fantastic and yes, it does look so much like Nepal (funny that really when you think about it!) EBC for Xmas day (or very close to) will make a magnificent memory. Enjoy Tibet, loving your photos Dx |
| 18th December 2007 trish v | Namtso-Scenic Spot! - From: Namtso Lake Once again great blog - the Lake surrounded by the snow capped mountains was awesome - keep taking the photo's! The EBC trip sounds fantastic & one I know you have always wanted to do - so well done! I have decided I never want to be a pilgrim - my knees wouldn't stand it!! Take care Mxx |
| 18th December 2007 trish v | China's Tibet - From: A few days of travel Wow, once again your photo's are amazing - some of the snow capped mountains are fantastic - well done Matt! A long hard slog of travel to get to Tibet, but I am sure it will be worth every minute of the travelling when you get to look around & do some trips! Enjoy - take care Mxx |
| 13th December 2007 trish v | Mountain Climbing! - From: An argument among monks Wow, first of all the Yak Burger looked pretty good, not at all how I imagined! Secondly your only experience of climbing mountains was the indoor centre at Nunawading - now you are doing the real thing - well done - the views were awesome! Photo's once again are fantastic - keep up the good work! Safe travel to Tibet! Mxx |
| 13th December 2007 trish v | Yak Burger! - From: Trekking around Langmusi After scorpions & centipedes I am sure Yak Burgers will be great!! Sorry that you missed dinner & it was a cold night, but the next day's trek would have all been worth it! Fantastic photo's - you must be really excited by it all - keep up the good work on your blog's - they are fantastic! Take care Mxx |
| 12th December 2007 MikeV | Burgers... - From: Trekking around Langmusi Sounds fantastic and your walk up the river looked great. I hope your Yak burger was to your expectations but more importantly if they were locked up at 8pm I hope you got in to your room when you got back from dinner and the 'disco'! Look forward to hearing that you did get a bed albeit cold. Dx |
| 12th December 2007 MattyV | Thanks! - From: Peace in the mountains Thanks Ian. Glad that you have been lurking and enjoying the reading. I can see why you enjoyed China so much, it is an amazing place. |
| 12th December 2007 MattyV | Thanks! - From: Buses, buses, buses Thanks Debbie, I'm glad that you are enjoying reading it! It has been amazing so far and if it keeps up like this I wll find it very hard to come back for work! |
| 12th December 2007 Debbie Lambert | great reading - From: Buses, buses, buses Matt, great reading and photo's are brilliant.I feel like I'm on the trip with you ! |
| 12th December 2007 trish v | Trains & Boats & Planes! - From: Buses, buses, buses Your mode of transport is becoming quite varied - buses & motorcycle taxi's - well travelled! Another 'small' village with beautiful countryside - it still blows me away that they have better internet facilities than Oz!! Enjoy whatever comes next - stay safe! Love M xxx |
| 11th December 2007 Ian McL | Very jealous - From: Peace in the mountains Matt, I have been 'lurking' here since day 1. I must say, it is brilliant. You are really conveying the feeling of the place. I hope you continue enjoying it as much as you have so far. |
| 10th December 2007 MikeV | stampede! - From: Prayers in the snow Hey a monk stampede! straight out of, or maybe shud go straight into, a Monty Python movie! The urinal would have to be a long one or spare a thought for the poor monk who got there last! Fantastic experience - great pics! Dx |
| 10th December 2007 MikeV | Life's experiences - From: Peace in the mountains What a fantastic place, it sounds like you have really enjoyed Xiahe and its people. I remember the first time we saw a sky burial site, I think it was in Northern India, it was marked by a circle of vultures (picture a tornado) at various levels up to maybe 300mtrs above it, all circling the platform. Unfortunately through chemical mis-use I understand they are all dying (the vultures!). These sites used to be everywhere and easily spotted by the vultures and crows. The 'disco' sounds brilliant and will be one to remember for a long time - safe travels. Dx |
| 10th December 2007 trish v | Monk Boots! - From: Peace in the mountains Your photo's once again are awesome - even the monk boots!! The Principal Monk really is the Head Concho (sorry!) isn't he with the wide shoulders & the BIG yellow hat!! The village looks really great & the views with the prayer flags flying are very pretty - well done Matt! Take care xxM |
| 10th December 2007 Danni | tibetan sky burial - From: Peace in the mountains wow, i just looked it up. it seems pretty gruesome! i can't see how it would be a good mourning process. but each to their own i guess. |
| 9th December 2007 trish v | white Christmas! - From: Prayers in the snow Wow - it looks like YOU will be the one getting a white Xmas & not Danni!! It looks cold, but also really incredible countryside - keep warm! |
