Blog - Chris Fritze

Interview mit dem shz - Hängengeblieben in Laos: Wie Corona das Leben von Christopher Fritze aus Schafflund veränderte

31/8/2022

Ich hatte vor kurzem mal wieder das große Vergnügen mich mit Helga vom shz zu unterhalten. Dabei haben wir meine Corona-Lockdown-Zeit in Laos mal Revue passieren lassen. Einen Ausblick, auf das, was als nächstes bei mir ansteht, haben wir auch gewagt (German only!).

Wieder einmal vielen Dank Helga für deine Zeit. Es hat großen Spaß gemacht sich mal wieder persönlich auszutauschen. Und vielen Dank shz fürs teilen meiner Geschichte.

>>> Zum Artikel <<<
>>> Mein Leben in Laos <<<

taz Nord - das portrait: Christopher Fritze war auf Fahrradtour um die Welt - dann kam der Lockdown

7/1/2022

Ein kurzes Portrait in der taz Nord über meinen bisherigen Fahrrad-Weltreise Verlauf und meinen Pandemie-bedingten Langzeitaufenthalt in Laos (German only).

Danke Lenard für dein Interesse und deine Zeit! Danke taz fürs teilen meiner Geschichte!

Sonnige Grüße aus Laos!

>>> Zum Artikel <<<
>>> Mein Leben in Laos <<<

Video: Laos - Oudomxay

7/8/2021

[DE] Nachdem ich per Boot weiter in den Norden von Laos gereist war und zwei Tage in Muang Khua verbracht hatte, bin ich Ende November 2020 mit dem Fahrrad weiter in die Oudomxay Provinz mit seiner Provinzhauptstadt Muang Xay geradelt.

Insbesondere der zweite Tag dieser Tour hatte es in sich. Einerseits musste ich durch bergiges Terrain radeln und andererseits hatte ich mit extremer Hitze zu kämpfen.

In Muang Xay angekommen, habe ich dann die Sehenwürdigkeiten der Stadt besucht - die Phu That Pagode und das Oudomxay Province Museum.

[EN] After I traveled further up north of Laos by boat and spent two days in Muang Khua, I cycled into Oudomxay province with its provincial capital Muang Xay at the end of November 2020.

Especially the second day of this tour had it in itself. On the one hand I had to cycle through mountainous terrain and on the other hand I had to fight with extreme heat.

In Muang Xay, I visited the sights of the city - the Phu That Pagoda and the Oudomxay Province Museum.

PS: The audio of this video is in German but there are English subtitles available.

If you enjoy watching this video then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!

And if you enjoy watching it a lot, then I'd appreciate if you'd support me with a virtual cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Cheers! :)

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.

Video: Laos - Nam Ou River

2/7/2021

[DE] Nach einem mehrtägigen Aufenthalt in Muang Ngoy im November 2020, organisierte ich mir ein Boot, das mich und mein Fahrrad den Nam Ou Fluss stromaufwärts bis zum nächsten Damm brachte. Mein nächstes Ziel war Muang Khua in der Phongsali Provinz.

Wie, und ob überhaupt, es von dort aus weiter gehen würde war Ungewiss, da Mangels Tourismus kein touristischer Bootsverkehr stattfand und auch sonst sehr wenig lokale Boote für lange Strecken zu finden waren. Dennoch nahm ich die Ungewissheit in Kauf und hoffe das Beste.

Mit röhrendem Außenbordmotor ging es flussaufwärts, durch den laotischen Dschungel und vorbei an kleinen traditionellen Flussdörfern, die nur per Boot erreichbar sind. Dieser Abschnitt meiner Radtour in den Norden von Laos war definitiv mein persönliches Highlight.

[EN] After a stay of several days in Muang Ngoy in November 2020, I organized a boat that took me and my bicycle up the Nam Ou River to the next dam. My next destination was Muang Khua in the Phongsali Province.

How, and whether at all, it would continue from there was uncertain, as there was no tourist boat traffic due to the lack of tourism. Still, I accepted the uncertainty and hoped for the best.

With a roaring outboard motor we went up the river, through the Laotian jungle and past small traditional river villages that can only be reached by boat. This section of my bike tour to the north of Laos was definitely my personal highlight.

PS: The audio is in German but there are also English subtitles available.

If you enjoy watching this video then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!

And if you enjoy watching it a lot, then I'd appreciate if you'd support me with a virtual cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Cheers! :)

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.

Video: Laos - Der Norden | The North | Nong Khiaw - Muang Ngoy

13/6/2021

[DE] Nachdem ich im November 2020 eine Woche in Nong Khiaw im Norden von Laos verbracht hatte, bin ich wieder auf mein Fahrrad gestiegen, um weiter flussaufwärts ins Dorf Muang Ngoy zu radeln.

Die Sandstraße zwischen Nong Khiaw und Muang Ngoy stellte durchaus eine kleine Herausforderung dar und somit dauerte die Tour etwas länger als erwartet. In Muang Ngoy endete die Straße dann auch und wurde mit einem sehr ruhigen und entspannten Aufenthalt belohnt.

Von hier aus erhoffte ich mir mit einem Boot weiter den Nam Ou Fluss entlang zu kommen bis zur Stadt Muang Khua.

[EN] After spending a week in Nong Khiaw in northern Laos in November 2020, I got back on my bike to cycle further upstream to the village Muang Ngoy.

The sand road between Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoy was a bit of a challenge and so the tour took a little longer than expected. The road ended in Muang Ngoy and was rewarded with a very quiet and relaxed stay.

From here I hoped to take a boat up the Nam Ou River to the city Muang Khua.

PS: The audio is in German but there are also English subtitles available.

If you enjoy watching this video then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!

And if you enjoy watching it a lot, then I'd appreciate if you'd support me with a virtual cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Cheers! :)

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.

Zu Gast im Reisegedanken Podcast

24/5/2021

An alle Podcastfreunde! Ich habe mich vor einer Weile mit Nadine und Roman von Reisegedanken über meine Fahrrad-Weltreise und meine Leben in Laos unterhalten.
Viel Spaß und danke Nadine und Roman für das tolle und unterhaltsame Gespräch (German only)!

Sonnige Grüße aus Laos!

>>> Zum Podcast <<<
>>> Zur Reisegedanken Website <<<

Video: Laos - Der Norden | The North | Luang Prabang - Nong Khiaw

7/5/2021

[DE] Nachdem ich mich fast vier Monate in Laos' historischen Hauptstadt Luang Prabang aufgehalten habe, mir da dann doch allmählich die Decke auf den Kopf gefallen ist, habe ich Anfang November 2020 wieder meine Sachen in meine Fahrradtaschen gepackt und mich aufs Fahrrad geschwungen.

Fast acht Monate habe ich mich Corona-bedingt zu diesem Zeitpunkt schon in Laos aufgehalten und die Landgrenzen waren weiterhin geschlossen. Da ich in der Vergangenheit bereits den Süden des Landes bereist hatte, bin ich deshalb weiter in den Norden geradelt. Von Luang Prabang ging es entlang der Straße N13 bis Pak Mong und von dort aus nach Nong Khiaw.

[EN] After spending almost four months in Laos' historic capital Luang Prabang I got cabin fever. So I packed my stuff into my panniers and got back on my bicycle again at the beginning of November 2020.

At this point, I had already been in Laos for almost eight months due to the corona pandemic and the land borders were still closed. Since I had already toured the south of the country in the past, I cycled further north. From Luang Prabang we pedaled along the N13 road to Pak Mong and from there to Nong Khiaw.

PS: The audio is in German but there are English subtitles available.

If you enjoy watching this video then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!

And if you enjoy watching it a lot, then I'd appreciate if you'd support me with a virtual cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Cheers! :)

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.

Zu Gast im Biketour Global Podcast

9/4/2021

An alle Radreise- und Podcastfreunde. Es gibt etwas auf die Ohren. Ich hatte nämlich das große Vergnügen mich mit Martin von BikeTourGlobal über meine Radreiseerfahrungen, meine Fahrrad-Weltreise sowie mein Leben in Laos zu unterhalten. Also, hol dir nen Kaffee, setz dich und genieß den Podcast (German only)!

Danke Martin für zwei interessante und unterhaltsame Stunden!

Sonnige Grüße aus Laos!

>>> Zum Podcast <<<
>>> Zur Biketour Global Website <<<

Video: Lockdown in Laos

2/4/2021

[DE] Am letzten Tag, bevor Vietnam auf Grund der Corona-Pandemie die Grenzen schloss, bin ich im März 2020 auf meiner Fahrradweltreise nach Laos eingereist. Nach den unschönen Erlebnissen der letzten Tage in Vietnam, fühlte ich mich in Laos wieder willkommen.

In Laos angekommen war die Informationslage hinsichtlich einer Weiterreise nach Kambodscha unklar. Außerdem war ungewiss, wie sich das Reisen mit dem Fahrrad grundsätzlich von nun an gestalten würde.

Ich war hin und hergerissen, ob und wie ich meinen Traum einer Fahrradweltreise weiterleben kann. Ich musste also eine Entscheidung treffen, die im Lockdown in Laos (Thakhek) endete.

Dieser kurze Film gibt einen kleinen Einblick in meine Gedankenwelt zum damaligen Zeitpunkt und gibt zudem ein paar Eindrücke meiner ersten Tage in Laos.

Blog Artikel: Lockdown in Laos
Blog Artikel: Vietnam - "Corona, Corona"

[EN] On the last day before Vietnam closed the borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I entered Laos on my cycling the world journey in March 2020. After experiencing some unpleasant situations during the last days in Vietnam, I felt welcomed again.

Arriving in Laos, the information situation was unclear for a further journey to Cambodia. In addition, it was uncertain how traveling by bicycle would look like from now on.

I was torn, whether and how I can live on my dream of cycling the world. So I had to make a decision that ended in Lockdown in Laos (Thakhek).

This short movie gives a little insight into my thoughts at that time and also gives a few impressions of my first days in Laos.

PS: The audio is in German but there are English subtitles

Blog Artikel: Lockdown in Laos
Blog Artikel: Vietnam - "Corona, Corona"

If you enjoy watching this video then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!

And if you enjoy watching it a lot, then I'd appreciate if you'd support me with a virtual cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Cheers! :)

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.

Lockdown in Laos

19/2/2021

Location: Thakhek
Km on the clock: 10,552

It took a load of my mind when I left Vietnam and finally entered Laos. The thought to finally leave the hostile environment in Vietnam behind and to start a new positive chapter in Laos gave me a sense of relief.

The glowing red sun set behind the mountain peaks and the last sunrays of the day reflected on the river alongside the mountain road. As I rolled down the road I sent some prayers that the Covid situation would be calmer here and that I wouldn't feel like an alien anymore.

My route

A guy on a motorbike appeared to my left. Since it was my first encounter with a Lao local and I didn't yet how the Laotian people would react to my appearance. I got a bit nervous. My first thought was Please! If you don't have anything nice to say, then please keep moving.
In broken English he asked: "Need help?"
"I'm good. Thanks!"
"Push Lak Sao", he said and pointed down the road.

I didn't understand, but in the same moment he put one of his feet on the back of my bicycle frame and started to push me. With about 30 km/h I rolled the last few kilometers into the sleepy town Lak Sao. As we arrived at the town's main junction he turned left and waved at me with a big smile on his face. I went straight and checked into a local guest house. The owner seemed happy to have me since he barely had any customers. He didn't show any trace of dislike towards me. Thank God! The first encounter was more than positive.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris)

I took a quick shower, grabbed some Kip out of an ATM and walked across the street to a restaurant. I was super hungry since I only had an orange and a handful of crackers throughout the whole day. I stopped for a second at the doorstep and took a deep breath. Please let me in and if not, at least don't yell at me.

I sat down. The waitress handed me the menu and I ordered a portion fried rice with vegetable. Nothing extraordinary but it felt like a feast to me and shuffled it into my mouth.

On my way back to my room I saw a group of teenage boys playing barefoot football in a park. I joined and played until I got blisters under my feet. :D

I know, reading about buying food in a restaurant and playing football sounds incredible unspectacular, but due to my latest experiences in Vietnam it felt just amazing to me and made me feel like a human being again.

I planned to follow the 1E road to Thakhek and then basically follow the Mekong River south to Cambodia. I expected to arrive in Cambodia latest in three weeks including rest days.

I wasn't aware that the 1E road is part of the Thakhek Loop which tourists usually drive on motorbikes. I found out about it later that day. The scenery was spectacular. The road meandered through the Nam Theun river basin and was almost empty. Countless dead tree trunks stick out of the water on the first third of the road which created sort of a spooky but also fascinating atmosphere. Only every now and then someone on a motorbike passed me, goats grazed by the roadside and behind one curve even a cow lay in the middle of the road and didn't seem to have any intention to move. Rice fields, limestone cliffs with caves and villages in which the locals live a rural lifestyle characterize the landscape of the other two thirds.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris)

I arrived in Thakhek a couple of days later. Meanwhile I almost forgot about my unpleasant experiences in Vietnam because wherever I was in Laos, everyone greeted and welcomed me with a friendly "Sabaidee!" (Lao: Hello!).

The Vietnamese border was already closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the media reported that Thailand would do the same and the Lao government announced a Lockdown. How Cambodia would handle the situation wasn't clear yet.

A decision had to be made. Easier said than done. After all, this journey is one of my life dreams and I wasn't ready to give it up (and I'm still not). Thus, quitting and flying home wasn't an option to me. I also wasn't ready leave Laos yet and take my last chance to cross the border to Thailand. I just arrived in Laos and was also nervous that my Vietnam experiences could repeat themselves. I'd be in a Lockdown on the other side of the Mekong as well. The Cambodian border was too far away to make it there within a day. Even if I could make it, I also wouldn't know how the locals would react to my appearance.

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris)

In Laos I felt welcomed and appreciated and I was also convinced that the lockdown and its related travel restrictions would last for maximum three months. No economy can afford to shut down for a longer time. I know, looking back it sounds naive. But whoever knew better, I hope you made a bet with your bookie back then and you're a rich now. ;)

I was in sort of a decision rigid. I discussed the options with Irina, another hostel guest. We talked for a couple of hours and spitting out my thoughts helped to clear my mind and to make a decision. I'd stay in Laos and sit out the pandemic. It'll last three months! Maximum!

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris)

The days of the following two months looked pretty much the same. Get up, drink coffee, eat breakfast, read, watch YouTube, eat again, work on something (e.g. my blog), work out (more or less regularly), chill in the garden in a hammock, hang out with my hostel lockdown buddies and go to the local market to buy food for the next day/s. Dinner was the highlight of the day. Six Friends, the small open air restaurant in the neighborhood, stayed open throughout the whole lockdown and fed me well. Every meal cost only 10,000 Kip (approximately 1 Euro). If I really wanted to go crazy, then I got three scoops of ice cream for another 5,000 Kip at the stand around the corner. :D

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris)

The lockdown got lifted after two months and thus traveling across province borders was allowed again. According to the news it was still possible to enter Cambodia. What a relief. Happy that I could continue my journey I set off and pedaled in direction south.

If you enjoy reading this blog then please support my fundraising campaign to equip school classrooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!

And if you enjoy reading it a lot, then I'd appreciate if you'd support me with a virtual cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Cheers! :)

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.