
Let’s Prepare & Be Ready – OPTIMA FAMILY TRIP #3 (Ep.2)
Cycle for 9 kilometers, turn left, and then turn right onto the main street at Kilometer 12. Turn left again and ride down the street. Along the way you’ll spot a number of temples both here and there as most Thai people are Buddhist and temples were previously central to their communities. Talking about the past reminds us of how limited methods of transportation we had in the past when there were no cars or airplanes. Nowadays we have a number of methods of transportation, and bicycling is among the best ones.
Turn right at Kilometer 17.4 and cross Naa Kua – Klong Soan Bridge over the Sun Pha Sa Mit Canal. Cycle for another 600 meters and then cross a bridge again to get into the side-street in the next 8 kilometers. The weather there might be a bit muggy as you are approaching the Gulf of Thailand by cycling along the Chao Phraya River where the sun and sea breeze are unavoidable. Along the street you’ll find mangrove forests and a variety of local flora and fauna – from cork trees, black mangroves, portia trees, blackboard trees, to fiddler crabs and mudskippers, as well as a fleet of birds in the sky.
There are a large number of restaurants in this neighborhood, many of which are offering scrumptious seafood dishes as most of the people here do fishing for a living. You’ve arrived at the Chulachomklao Fort where you can catch some good Pokemon (you know I’m joking).
This entire route from the sport center to the fort is 32 kilometers long. You might be a bit exhausted by the time you get there, but don’t miss to take some time to learn something from this historical site. In brief, this fort was used in the defense of the country against the British and French invasions. Holding a locational advantage, the fort was equipped with Armstrong cannons, which were technologically advanced weapons during that time, and was used to defense the country again in the Franco-Siamese Crisis 1893. The crisis results in the Siamese agreeing to cede Laos to France, but the bravery of the people who fought in that war will be remembered.
Join a trip with Optima Family and you’ll see it yourself how kind and helpful our family are. You’ll also earn some experience and learn some lesson from such a tough route like this – whether it be about life, goal and/or commitment. I’d say that without kindness you might not be a real cyclist yet, and you know, our Optima Family always welcome a new family member who knows kindness. Come and join us. Let’s go for a ride. You can ask for more information at www.facebook.com/OptimaBike