South African cyclist Elred Lawrence, 66, is back in Cape Town today after cycling through eight countries covering more than 12 000km.
Lawrence reached his goal of travelling from Singapore to Hong Kong on his bike last Thursday – exactly eight months to the date he set off on his journey. During the expedition, he lost 24kg, but said he enjoyed every part of his journey.
Lawrence travelled from Singapore to Malaysia to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and China, landing up in Hong Kong.
“I have loved every country and been pleased to have been there and met delightful people. I have had such fun and one of my countries of choice is Vietnam,” Lawrence said.
He made more than 100 friends in the countries he passed through.
“He said the journey is something he will cherish for a long time. I have been privileged to meet fine people, both local and travellers, that have made my journey so amazing.
“Add to that, the incredible scenery, wonderful beaches, delicious food, crazy cities and such friendly people.
“An absolute dream come true. One that was planned for several years.”
He said many of the strangers he met assisted in many different ways.
“Random acts of kindness have been numerous throughout the trip - events like cycling through a town in Cambodia on a very hot day, a man on a scooter comes up to him, hands a bottle of water and says ‘enjoy your trip’ then buzzes off before he could even be thanked.”
An online retirement lifestyle platform, You’ve Earned It, saw Lawrence off at the start of his trip. Its director, Marilyn Hallett, said they would welcome him back with great fanfare.
“The stories are endless. This has been the most rich experience of his life. Let us give a resounding welcome home to this incredible man, adventurer of note who has not only realised and conquered a long-time dream, but experienced some of the absolute wealth that this world has to offer and will forever be able to relive stories that most of us mere mortals cannot even comprehend.”