Category: Bicycle Touring

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.

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

13/6/2021

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[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.

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

7/5/2021

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[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.

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Video: Lockdown in Laos

2/4/2021

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[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"

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Lockdown in Laos

19/2/2021

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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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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Vietnam - "Corona, Corona"

22/1/2021

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Location: Nam Phao International Checkpoint
Km on the clock: 10,519

"No, no, no", yelled a shop owner into my face as I stood at the doorstep. He made dismissive gestures with his arms so that I wouldn't even attempt to enter his shop. All I wanted was to buy some food supplies for the day. Today I'd leave Vietnam and enter Laos.

I went across the street to another shop. The three elderly ladies inside covered their mouths and noses with their hands, yelled at me in Vietnamese with aggressive face expressions and also made obvious gestures to make sure that I also wouldn't enter this shop.

Approximate scrible of my route

I tried again and again at other shops, restaurants and street vendors. Every time I got opposed with similar reactions. Nobody let me enter his shop let alone wanted to sell me any food. Being confronted with such reactions only because I looked different than the locals triggered a mixture of feelings inside of me. First I got irritated and nervous but also mad the more I got refused and was yelled at. I felt like an alien which the people seemed to rather let starve instead of selling some food so that I could simply leave their country.

I tried to keep a cool head but was anxious on the inside since I didn't know when and where to get food again. I hoped it would be in Laos at the latest and tried to think about out my options right now. My only reasonable idea was to ration the little food I had until I'd reach Laos. I checked my panniers and found half a package of crackers and two oranges.

With an empty stomach I pushed my bicycle slowly up the steep mountain road to Nam Phao International Checkpoint.

What happened?

One month earlier I flew into Hanoi from Muscat, Oman. As I arrived at the international airport, I loaded my bicycle and my luggage on a cart, got on a taxi to the city center where I checked into Hanoi Centre Hostel which by the way serves free beer for one hour every evening. ;)

The news reported about an outbreak of a new kind of a virus in Wuhan, China the last few days which was spreading to other countries now. Most conversations started now like: "Did you hear about this virus in China?" but nobody really knew anything about it besides that it was called Covid-19. Many people assumed that it was some sort of a flu and thus it would be over soon.

I reassembled my bicycle the next morning and started to explore the city. Since I just came from Oman, where was barely any traffic, Hanoi was another story. The streets were crowded with scooters. At first it seemed chaotic but I quickly realized that it was actually quite well organized and the traffic was always flowing. Cycling between the scooter masses and with the traffic stream turned out to be a lot of fun.

A friend of a friend told me that the Ha Giang Loop is the one thing in the north of Vietnam that I really had to experience. "I went around the loop on a motorbike two years ago and it's the most beautiful area that I've ever seen in my life", he said. "It'll be a challenge on a bicycle but I think it's doable". Other guests at the hostel also told me about their loop experiences and how much they loved it.

I thought: "Alright! Why not!? It really seems like the one thing to experience in northern Vietnam." One week later I left Hanoi in direction Ha Giang.

A few days later I pedaled out of Ha Giang and followed a river. The road was flat and I wondered why everyone said that it would be a hard ride. It didn't take long to realize why! The road turned into a steep and windy mountain road. I slowly pushed my bike uphill. The Exertion made me do ugly grimaces. :D

The road signs stated slopes of 12 percent. My bicycle device however gave me numbers above it. Throughout the next days I realized that every sign stated 12 percent which gave me the impression the road authorities got the 12 percent sign in bulk and put them out there no matter what the slope actually was. :D

It took me six days to make it around the loop via Dong Van, Meo Vac and then alongside the Gam River back to Ha Giang. Without the help of some motorbike drivers it would have taken me longer. It occurred three times that I got towed to the top of the next mountain or town. I found myself often sitting knackered on the side of the road and wondered why I was doing this to myself. But whenever I reached the next peak or view point I got rewarded with spectacular views and immediately forgot about the pain until I faced the next slope. Some views were that spectacular that I got goosebumps.

So yeah, traveling around the Ha Giang Loop is definitely worth it but I personally wouldn't do it again on a bicycle - at least not on a fully loaded touring bike. Out here I got once again remembered that I'm definitely not a mountaineer. :D

Meanwhile no Chinese citizens were allowed to enter Vietnam anymore. I took a night bus from Ha Giang to Ha Long to save some time on my visa. I entered Ha Long which appeared to be a ghost town. Many shops and restaurants were closed. Barely any people were walking outside and the streets were that empty that I was able to cycle in zig-zag lines on them.

Visit my Instagram account for more pictures from the Ha Giang Loop

The hostel owner, as well as some other small business owners, told me that about 90 percent of tourists in Ha Long come from China but since they were not allowed to enter the country anymore the city and their businesses were besically dead.

A boat cruise through the world famous and spectacular Ha Long Bay and a couple of days later I pedaled in direction Ninh Binh. As I cycled alongside the bay I reached the 10,000 kilometers mark. I couldn't have asked for a better location for this milestone.

Thus far I didn't have any issues regarding Covid-19. Wherever I came and whoever I talked to considered it as a "Chinese thing". So I was always welcomed in a very friendly manner.

A guest house manager and I already agreed on the price for one night but then he changed his mind and said that he can't accept me as a guest due to Covid. I was a bit puzzled since just a few seconds earlier everything was fine. I crossed the street and checked into another guest house for the night. The owner, an elderly lady, seemed happy to have me as her customer.

I stayed at NEXT 68 Hostel in Ninh Binh the following days. Despite the low number of tourists, everything was calm in and around the city. Thus I thought that I got once declined at a guest house was a onetime incident.

Well, it wasn't! From now on things changed tremendously. I followed the coastline for half a day and arrived in a sleepy coast town. My idea was to quickly find an accommodation and spend the rest of the day on the beach and do some snorkeling. This plan didn't work out at all! Every possible accommodation rejected me. All for the same reason - Covid! For the first time in my life I didn't feel welcomed at all in a place.

It got already dark as I finally found a small home stay that was willing to host me. The young lady asked me for how long I was already in Vietnam. As she realized that I was already for a while in the country she said: "I think you can stay here but I also need to convince my mum. She's afraid of the virus." A few minutes later they showed me my room.

"Can you please not leave the room tonight anymore?" asked the young lady. "Officially we're not allowed to accept any guests right now due to the virus and we don't want to get in trouble with the authorities if a neighbor sees you and reports it."
I assured to stay inside. "But I also need something for dinner."
"We'll cook and give you something", she said. "Oh, and one more thing. You also have to leave before eight tomorrow morning."

A little bit later she brought me a tray with a home cooked meal. Hiding in a room didn't feel good at all and now I got nervous how traveling on a bicycle would go in future.

I thanked the home stay family for taking me in and left early the next morning. From now on more and more people covered their mouth and nose with their hands and turned their backs at me when they saw me coming down the street. Kids pointed at me and shouted: "Corona, Corona". The more often I was confronted with such reactions the more I didn't feel welcomed anymore in Vietnam. Thus I cycled from sunrise to sunset the following days to cover as many kilometers as possible to make it out of the country in hope the situation would be calmer in Laos.

Now, a couple of days later I slowly pushed my bicycle up the mountain road to the border post. Half way up I took a break, ate one of my oranges and only a couple of crackers. I thought to better safe the other half for later. Who knows if I'd get food on the other side of the border? It was probably the most delicious and juiciest orange of my life.

A Vietnamese border official asked me to put on a face mask. I did and left Vietnam. A few minutes later I got my Laos visa and entered country number 18 on this journey.

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Interview mit dem shz - Weltreise mit dem Fahrrad: Christopher Fritze aus Schafflund sitzt seit neun Monaten in Laos fest

3/1/2021

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Seit mehr als neun Monaten befinde ich mich nun Corona-bedingt in Laos. Kurz vor Weihnachten hatte ich deshalb mal wieder das Vergnügen mich mit Helga vom shz zu unterhalten und paar Einblicke in mein alltägliches Leben in Laos zu geben.

Danke Helga für deine Zeit und shz fürs teilen meiner Story!

>>> Zum Artikel <<<
>>> Zur Spendenaktion <<<

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Video: Laos - Nam Ou River

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

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

Video: Lockdown in Laos

Lockdown in Laos

Vietnam - "Corona, Corona"

Interview mit dem shz - Weltreise mit dem Fahrrad: Christopher Fritze aus Schafflund sitzt seit neun Monaten in Laos fest

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