It only took less than a week to put this trip together in a Facebook post by Bill Tuffin. If there is an invitation in Facebook that Noah digs, it is a call for a day out cycling, and 3 days was such a juicy offer. Here's the rest of the story:
Day 1: Bangkok to Nakhon Chai Si
Noah's ride started from his house which is
8 kilometers from the actual starting point -
Grasshopper Adventures, a bicycle touring company
with shops in the major cities of Asia.
a Chao Phraya river crossing on this
ferry boat brings the cyclists to the
Thonburi side of Bangkok
In a while they were biking through
elevated concrete pathways over marshland.
Breakfast was in the shanty behind fatso.
deep in the swamp. The other means
of getting to these villages is by boat.
With pathways just a little over one
meter wide it would take time for a
newcomer to the place to adjust to the
thought of losing balance and falling
into the water.
meter wide it would take time for a
newcomer to the place to adjust to the
thought of losing balance and falling
into the water.
at about noontime they get to the
Putthamonthon park where time is taken
off to check for messages. Lunch was
at the Don Wai market.
atop a very high bridge across
the Tha Chin river
the Tha Chin river
Checked in for the night at this Thai
homestay in Nakhon Chai Si
homestay in Nakhon Chai Si
dinner was on a floating restaurant on
the Tha Chin river and Konstant was
just about to swallow the spoon
an irresistible plate of
spicy boar meat.
GPS and stats for the first day
Day 2: Nakhon Chai Si to Lat Chado (Ratchado)
the weather was cool with a nice cloud cover
they discovered a small chinese temple which Noah
wanted to imagine was a Shaolin temple with
kung fu masters and pandas.
wanted to imagine was a Shaolin temple with
kung fu masters and pandas.
this spire something like a totem pole
adorned the front yard
next down the road was the Woodland Museum and the
guard quoted 700 Baht as entrance fee. The three
opted to just have some photos outside and
coffee in their shop.
guard quoted 700 Baht as entrance fee. The three
opted to just have some photos outside and
coffee in their shop.
lanky Bill is dwarfed by a gigantic
carving of His Majesty King Bhumibol
this was the riding arrangement for the day
since there was very minimal vehicular traffic.
Enough space is needed for farting allowance
and to avoid colliding in case of an abrupt stop.
pushing up north they soon came to the War
Bang Phra, an 18th century Buddhist monastery
that was witness to a very colorful history.
it is here where the sacred tattoo art of Sak Yant
is practiced and where devotees can get their
tattoos for a small fee. The idea of getting
a tatt done in such an iconic place played in
the mind of Noah, but he was easily dissuaded
when the guys said that the needles are
only dipped in alcohol before being used on
another person.
further up stream and it was time to cross the
Tha Chin river on this suspension bridge...
...to get to the bustling floating market
of Lamphaya. Centuries back there were no
roads across the land and transportation
was mainly by boat through rivers and their
tributaries. Lamphaya was a trading center
back then. A trip here on a weekend is very
rewarding gastronomically.
after lunch they pedaled up north where
they came to this aqueduct - Prapa Maha Sawat,
which brings water to Bangkok. It is here were
Noah breaks from the team to head home because
of some important matters for the next day. Bill
and Konstant push on to Lat Chado and bedded
there for the night.
it took Noah a little more than three hours
ride from break-up point to home-base and a
downpour held him at one spot for some time
while he wished that he was still
pedaling up north.
Day 3: Lat Chado to Lopburi
The team reduced to two riders proceed to Lop Buri and found this statue of the biggest sitting Buddha in Thailand. From there they take the train back home to Bangkok.
ride from break-up point to home-base and a
downpour held him at one spot for some time
while he wished that he was still
pedaling up north.
here are the GPS tracing and stats for
the day 2 ride.
Day 3: Lat Chado to Lopburi
The team reduced to two riders proceed to Lop Buri and found this statue of the biggest sitting Buddha in Thailand. From there they take the train back home to Bangkok.
The GPS tracing of the entire trip
Noah would like to thank Bill and Konstant for opening this part of the Kingdom of Siam to him. The trip was all fun and the memories will last for a lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment