Chris Fritze
  • Home
  • Journeys & Challenges
  • Blog
  • Charity
  • Chris
    • About
    • Contact
    • In the media
    • Partners & Supporters
    • Cycling the world kit list
    • Support Me
    • Previous Charities
    • ?
  • Home
  • Journeys & Challenges
  • Blog
  • Charity
  • Chris
    • About
    • Contact
    • In the media
    • Partners & Supporters
    • Cycling the world kit list
    • Support Me
    • Previous Charities
    • ?

Turkey II – Spectacular Cappadocia and becoming a hawk hunter

8/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Location: Arhavi
Km on the clock: 5,421
 
As I pedaled out of Ankara, I had to think about my mum and how sad she looked at Hamburg airport the previous day. Going home for one week for my brother's wedding was planned from the beginning. However, saying good bye again was more difficult than at the beginning of this journey because this time I didn't know when I'd see my family again.
Approximate scribble of my route
A guy on a motorcycle passed in the late afternoon and stopped about 200 meters in front of me on the side-strip. He gave me a sign to stop, lifted his visor and asked where I'd stay tonight. I pointed to the bag on the back of my bicycle and answered: "I've a tent and will most likely end up camping somewhere in the wild." Bulent, an elderly man, spoke only little English but with the help of Google Translate he let me know that I could pitch my tent in his garden. I gladly accepted his offer and followed him a couple of kilometers to his house in a quiet neighborhood where his wife and a neighbor welcomed me.

"So, you can pitch your tent wherever you want in the garden or even stay at our guest house tonight. It's up to you", Bulent said after showing me around.
I thought: "Did I really just hear guest house?"
"Guest house would be amazing!" I replied excitingly.
It was a cozy two room house which provided all amenities you can think of. This place was basically ready for someone to move in. Bulent brought me a set of bed sheets and made even sure that there were a few tins of beer in the fridge. Absolutely amazing!
After having dinner together we shared stories until late in the evening - mainly with the help of Google Translate. I started to realize that I was probably about to enter regions of the world in which communication will become a challenge. Luckily it wasn't an issue that night.

Both, Bulent and his wife, made sure that I was full and happy after dinner but also after breakfast. We spent the morning together, chatted and enjoyed the mountain range view from his patio until it was time for me to continue. Spending some time with them helped me to get the image of my mum's sad face out of my mind and not to look back anymore. Instead I looked forward to visit Cappadocia soon now. Thanks again for your incredible hospitality!

I spotted a remarkable looking fort on top of a hill as I flew down a road after a long right curve. Now I knew I was in the heart of Cappadocia, just outside of Goreme. I followed a dirt track and pitched my tent on the edge of Love Valley.


I got up before sunrise and could observe the hot air balloon operators getting ready on the other side of the valley. As soon as the first sunbeams appeared over the mountains the first balloons set off. It didn't take long until was surrounded by countless colorful balloons. The ones maneuvering through the canyon were that close to me that I could almost touch them. The passengers waved at me and I waved back at them. At some point there were so many balloons in the air that I didn't even know where to look at. I kept rotating and tried to fill my mind with as many spectacular images as possible. Watching this symphony of hot-air balloons is probably one of the coolest things that I ever experienced for free!
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Okt 3, 2019 um 6:56 PDT

Originally I wanted to cycle straight into Iran after Turkey but it was a spontaneous decision during breakfast during my visit at home to make a detour via Georgia and Armenia.
Two weeks later I pedaled alongside the Black Sea coastline. Here I made my first Warmshowers experiences. One night I stayed in a room above Mustafa's cafe. He was a very kind guy, provided me breakfast the next morning and made sure that there was always some of his delicious Rize tea in my cup. I'm actually not a big fan of tea but this one I liked a lot. Thanks again for your hospitality!

Murat flagged me down the next day. He invited me stay with him in his small beach house just outside of Arhavi. He lives in this small one room house with his cat Nina and his bird Ratcho and created us a delicious dinner on the stove which was the center of the room. We talked about everything and nothing until late in the evening. Again, with the help of Google Translate.

Murat invited me to stay another day with him and to hunt atmacas (hawks). Now I had to find out that Ratcho wasn't just a pet he was the bait for the hawks.
Patience is needed to hunt an eagle. We sat in a tiny cabin aside of his beach house for a while, moved a stick diagonally through the air on which Ratcho was leashed and waited until a hawk would try to catch Ratcho but actually end up in a spanned fishing net.

Everything went so fast when a hawk was finally caught in the net. I didn't even know what to do. Murat sprung from the bench to the net, grabbed the hawk by its legs and handed it over to me like a trophy. It didn't even try to resist as I held it. Instead it was totally calm and stared at me. A few minutes later we set it free again and it winged back into the woods on the other side of the road.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Mai 7, 2020 um 9:03 PDT

I couldn't believe that we really caught one! So cool! I never even imagined to try to hunt a hawk. I think I can officially call myself a real hawk hunter now. Thank a lot again for this awesome experience!

After about six weeks of cycling across Turkey from West to East, I found myself on the coastal road again the next day, heading straight to Georgia!

If you enjoy reading this blog then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms 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.
0 Comments

Interview mit dem shz - Weltreise mit dem Fahrrad – Christopher Fritze hängt wegen Corona in Laos fest

18/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Interview mit dem shz über meine Erfahrungen während des Corona Virus-Ausbruchs in Vietnam und wie ich den Lockdown in Laos aussitze.

Vielen Dank für deine Zeit Helga und danke shz fürs teilen meiner Geschichte!

Bleibt gesund!

>>> Zum Artikel <<<
>>> Zur Spendenaktion <<<
Picture
0 Comments

Turkey I - Istanbul traffic madness and entering Asia

17/4/2020

4 Comments

 
Location: Ankara
Km on the clock: 4,425
 
I discovered another cyclist resting next to a water fountain on the other side of the road as I was riding towards the Turkish border. It was Becky from England. We already cycled together for a day a few days earlier but split up again due to my detour to Thasos Island. She looked up and waved at me. I didn't expect to see her again since she usually covered longer distances each day than me.

"I thought you'd be already in Turkey by now", I said as I crossed the road.
She laughingly answered: "Oh well, I just took it easy the last days."
Approximate scribble of my route
We teamed up again and pedaled to the Turkish border at Ipsala. After four passport checks we finally entered Turkey. One of the border guards held one bicycle after the other as we were taking pictures. In his other hand he held his gun.
We turned into the village Sarpdere just a few kilometers behind the border to find a place for the night. There was an empty plot in the middle of the village with hay bales piled up next to a house. The owner affirmed our request to pitch our tents there. He looked confused for a second when I asked if it was even okay to sleep on top of the hay. He laughed and affirmed. A few minutes later his two young daughters and his son came out to bring us a cup of tea. The next morning they brought us more tea plus bread for breakfast. What an incredible kind gesture!

Since both of us had already some nasty experiences with street dogs on our trips it turned out to be a good idea to sleep on top of the hay bales. Street dogs loitered and sniffed all around us during the night. We were very glad that the hay stack was too high for them to climb up.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Sep 4, 2019 um 3:15 PDT

Becky and I split up again the next day. She wanted to go south to Antalya and I east to Istanbul. This time I was sure that I wouldn't see her again since her plan was to cycle across central Asia to South Korea and I planned to go into Iran and to the Arabian Peninsula next.

It was a rather monotonous ride to Istanbul and it still wasn't flat land as people in Greece assured me. The straight roads were hilly but not steep. There were no cycling lanes so I cycled on the motorway's side strip. It was a strange feeling to do so and I was nervous that the police would pull me over. However, after numerous police cars passed and some of the policemen even waved at me I was sure that I'd be fine. It was very comfortable to cycle on the side strips since they're three meters wide and as a cyclist you've the whole space for yourself. Every now and then I had to share it with tractors, moped drivers or pedestrians. However, the heavy traffic noise was stressful with time and strong head winds coming from the Black Sea blew into my face until I arrived Istanbul.

I camped on the beaches of the Marmara Sea. It was very comfortable since there were parks on which it was okay to pitch my tent. There were even free shower cabins. The few Turkish campers around me made barbeque and smoked shisha.

I met Nikolas, another German cyclist, outside of Istanbul. We teamed up and maneuvered through Istanbul's crazy traffic. When there were three lanes, car drivers made it five. And when there were five lanes, they made it seven. The road markings seemed to be just a suggestion. I never experienced such heavy traffic before. Any gap to make it through was ours. Riding through this madness was stressful but also exciting. I felt the adrenaline kicking in as we rolled into the city.
I passed the Galata Bridge and saw Asia on the other side of the Bosporus strait. "Soon I'd leave Europe", went through my mind. I pushed my bike up one last hill and checked into Neverland Hostel. My buddy Matt, who I already met in Prague, welcomed me with a big ole hug.

I took a ferry across the geographical border between Europe and Asia after a few days of exploration and bike fixings. I expected more traffic madness in the eastern part of Istanbul but got surprised. Although the majority of the city's population live on this side, the traffic got less after a few kilometers and there was even a wide cycling lane alongside the sea.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Apr 15, 2020 um 10:16 PDT



I took the direct roads to Ankara because I had to catch a flight to my brothers wedding in a few days. Near Gerede I turned south and pushed my bike through a forested, mountainy and quiet area. Every now and then there were tea stand aside of the road. The fresh brewed black tea was a great source to keep me warm from the inside in this shadowy, chilly region.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Sep 16, 2019 um 4:02 PDT

A few days later I rolled into Ankara. I passed president Erdogan's palace and was lucky to end up in a boy's student accommodation. The majority of students were gone due to semester holidays. The few guys who stayed welcomed me with open arms. They couldn't believe that someone would cycle all the way from Germany to Turkey. Fahrt, a Turkish-German guy, laughingly said: "The others usually make fun of me because I often travel by car between Turkey and Germany instead of taking flights. I'm sure this will stop now since they know you now."
The guys showed me around Ankara, introduced to some delicious Turkish food to me and I even got the opportunity to participate an evening service in the National Mosque. The hosts kindly allowed me to leave my bicycle basement while I was gone for my brother's wedding.

Thanks again for everything! You guys are awesome!

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Apr 16, 2020 um 10:41 PDT

If you enjoy reading this blog then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms 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.
4 Comments

VIDEO: EUROPE I - Germany - Turkey

10/4/2020

0 Comments

 
I put together an eleven countries fast forward video of cycling across Europe on my cycling the world journey.

I started in my home town Flensburg, Germany and pedaled all the way across eastern Europe to Istanbul, Turkey. It was about 4,000 kilometers and took me a bit more than two months.
I cycled across Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey.

Don't forget to turn up the volume and get ready to dance before start the video. It contains some catchy music.

Have fun!
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 and you want be part of the creative process of future blogs and other content, then you can buy me a coffee on here. ;) Cheers!

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

Robbed in Greece

27/3/2020

0 Comments

 
Location: Thessaloniki
Km on the clock: 3,236

There was no shade along the road from the North Macedonian/Greek border to Thessaloniki. My bicycle computer stated temperatures of 40 degrees and above. The sun was burning down on me and the asphalt was also heated up by the sun and there was little but just warm wind. So the heat seemed to come from all direction. I felt like a turkey getting roasted in an oven.
Approximate scribble of the route
I cycled the straightest way towards Thessaloniki. I got off the main road at some point to avoid the traffic. From then on I went through the northern Greek country side and its villages. Therefore I had to take some smaller roads which were in mediocre condition as well as a few short dirt tracks connecting a few villages. It was a good and peaceful ride and there was also barely any traffic. The only saddening part was to see all the abandoned factories and other business facilities. It sort of created a ghost town atmosphere in the villages. I assume the majority of them were shut down during the financial crisis. However, those villages were everything else but ghost towns. There was so much life happening. People were sitting outside of cafes, restaurants and especially sports bars. There was a live football match on the screens.
I never got stopped by the police until Greece. Every time police men saw me they either just let me pass or greeted me nicely. Just like this guy on the bicycle is not a threat or is doing any harm to anyone! Which is of course true!

There was a group of police men when I went through another village and they were doing some kind of gesture towards me. I wasn't sure if it was another kind of greeting or if they wanted me to stop. So I simply waved at them and kept cycling. Two seconds later I heard one of them shouting: 'Stop! Come here!' So it wasn't another greeting! Ooops!
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Aug 26, 2019 um 1:45 PDT

'Can we see your passport please?' they asked.
'Of course', I replied a bit nervous expecting a strict monologue now about trying to 'escape' from the police isn't a smart idea and handed it to them.
'Where are you going and where are you coming from right now?' they asked in a serious tone.
'North Macedonia and Thessaloniki.'
'Do you've anything illegal with you such as smokes or weapons?'

I think I never heard the term 'smokes' until then but assumed they meant cigarettes but since I didn't have any with me and of course no weapons - besides my pocket knife - I denied. Their tone changed immediately from serious to super nice after they checked my passport and we started to have a nice little chat. Phewww! One of them told me proudly that one of his relatives lives in Germany and how much he liked it there when he went to visit.

'Doe's your bicycle have lights?' they asked when I was about to continue.
'Of course', I answered positively surprised because nobody ever asked me about that thus far and nobody ever also seemed to care. I showed them that it was working.
'Please turn it on. It's getting dark.'

I did and continued my way to Thessaloniki.

I checked into a dorm room at RentRooms Thessaloniki which is well located for exploring the city and the place itself is clean, it provides really good breakfast and the staff is very kind.

I spent a few days in Thessaloniki to explore the city. One day I joined a free walking tour to find some hidden gems because the beauty of the city is more about the things that are not obvious to see and to find. That day I also ended up in an absinth bar with an Austrian and an Australian guy. I never drank absinth before and had no idea that there are so many different kinds. And since it was my first time drinking it, I tried a few of the bars' selection. It really is some fine stuff.


I got a bit pissed off another day. I spent the whole day walking around the city and didn't eat since breakfast. Thus I was really hungry when I got back to the hostel. Luckily I had my plastic container with pizza leftovers from the previous day plus a plastic bag filled with grapes from North Macedonia in the dorm rooms' fridge. I was really excited to shuffle that into my mouth.

I opened the fridge and it was all gone! No way! Really? I went down to the reception to ask if the cleaning staff might have removed it although I labeled it as it's common at hostels. They assured me that they didn't which meant that one of the guys in the dorm must have taken it. So whoever it was...you suck! Seriously! Just ask! I'd would have shared it with you since it was more than enough for two persons. Although the value of those things was low, the fact that someone simply took my stuff made me a bit mad. Even the plastic container was gone. At least that one could that person have left behind. So I walked a bit hangry to the nearest supermarket with a deli and got a big portion of moussaka. Luckily it even came in a solid plastic container.
'Where are you going next?' asked the hostels receptionist when I checked out.
I answered 'I'll cycle to Istanbul now'.
'Oh nice! And don't worry, the whole way to there is all flat.'

Knowing that it would be all flat put me in a good mood but as soon as I left Thessaloniki the road was going up and down. All flat! Yeah right!

However, it was a good and scenic ride alongside the Aegean coastline. I loved the turquoise surface of the sea and how the sun was reflecting on it. A friend recommended me to go to Thasos Island. So I took the ferry from Kavala and spent a day on the island. I stayed at a lovely little holiday apartment right at the beach and got incredible delicious food at a small a bit hidden family owned restaurant. For the first time I felt like I was on vacation.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Chris Fritze (@fritzechris) am Mär 25, 2020 um 7:50 PDT

Wild camping in Greece is very easy and I camped in some amazing spots on the way to the Turkish border such as on the beach or on top of hills. Wherever I camped the sunsets were beautiful. The red glowing sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon on the edge of the sea or behind another hill. Sometimes I could even hear the prayers coming from a mosque in some distance. Soon I'd enter the Islamic world.

If you enjoy reading this blog then please support my fundraising campaign to equip two school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. Thank you!
 
And if you enjoy reading it a lot and you want be part of the creative process of future blogs and other content, then you can buy me a coffee on here. ;) Cheers!
 
Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.
0 Comments

Cycling the world kit list

20/3/2020

0 Comments

 
Because so many people asked, I finally created a detailed kit list of my current cycling the world journey. But since I started with equipment that I already had due to other shorter bicycle and also backpacking trips, don't expect some fancy stuff here. It's basically a collection of things that I gathered over the years.

In my opinion it's more important to get a journey started instead of trying to be prepared for every possible situation. I think that's almost impossible anyways unless you want to carry tons off stuff around or you're some sort of a survival champion. Finding the right gear for such a trip is a learning process and everyone has different preferences anyways.

I simply figured out along the way what works for me and what not. I just got rid of those things that didn't work for me. If I identified that there was something missing in my equipment then I simply bought it along the way - usually a no name product. For those no name products I tried to find comparable ones online to give you a better picture.

Also, please note that the links on this list are affiliate links. That means that I'll receive a small - rather tiny - commission if you make a purchase through them. There are no additional costs for you but it'll help me to maintain this website and provide you content about my journeys and challenges.

Furthermore, I transfer 10% of all my websites' affiliate income into my current fundraising campaign to equip school class rooms in Darfur, Sudan. So thank you for your support in advance!

>>> go to kit list <<<
0 Comments

Fahrrad-Weltreise | Cycling the world| Intro

14/3/2020

0 Comments

 
I get often asked: 'Why are you traveling the world on a bicycle?'

There are two main reasons for that. In this short video introduction I briefly describe them.Thanks for your support and happy cycling!

By the way, the audio is in German but there are English subtitles.
Click here for more information about my fundraising campaign. Any support is highly appreciated!  Thank you for your support!

Click here if you want to take a look at my equipment.
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Author

    Click here to find out more about Chris.

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017

    Categories

    All
    Albania
    Announcements
    Armenia
    Austria
    Backpacking
    Bicycle Touring
    Croatia
    Cycling The World
    Czech Republic
    Georgia
    Germany
    Greece
    Hungary
    Iran
    Kosovo
    Laos
    Montenegro
    North Macedonia
    Oman
    On The Road
    Preparations
    Running
    Serbia
    Slovakia
    Turkey
    UAE
    Vietnam

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.