Security guys were not interested to let me into the Port to take photos.
Rolled around near the Port and Klong Toei, just trying to understand the lay of the land. Security guys were not interested to let me into the Port to take photos.
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Started as a trip to the river to pay my motor registration annual fee, but I continued on for an initial foray into Chinatown, got lost, then returned home via Rama4. Traffic was very heavy in the narrow one-way lanes that are common in Chinatown. Slow meandering roll through some of the Klong Toei slum area, then a familiar Rama3 route with a slight diversion on narrow lanes of Sathu Pradit. Pleasant and interesting outing. Met a cycle tour group and chatted with a few folks for a minute or two...the Thai leader of the tour was very friendly. Rode beside the Klong Toei canal for a bit...there is an over-grown railway track there, with lots of old freight rolling stock rotting and being inundated by jungle...I think this might be the first section of railway in all Bangkok. Over the river from our Condo is Thonburi, which was the capital of Siam before the King decided the swamp on the other side of the river looked...umh...swampier [a good thing as it made it more difficult for the war-like Burma folks to march their Elephant Cavalry over to sack the city]...this was about 200 years ago. So, I crossed an older, steel bridge at the end of Param3 Road, travelled along Rat Burana Road, visited the river under the fabulous Rama9 bridge, near the KBank Obelisk [where I worked for nearly 3 years when I first came to Bangkok], then on to the new Bhumibhol01 bridge [not sure if cyclists are permitted but no-one stopped me], and home. Here is a gallery of pics I shot during this ride...very river-related: Hot...no rain...a little head wind in places. The road traffic was less, and less chaotic, than morning peak traffic. I did a little speed triangle of about 3km, and stopped for 5 minutes to make enquiries about LED lighting at a specialist importer [the map shows a loop around the small showroom at the "i" in Chong Nonsi]. You know how it goes...you need just a couple of things that are not obtainable from the local Convenience Store...you jump on the bike and head down to the bulk supermarket...you make the purchase then, suddenly, engage brain and realise you are going to have a problem juggling the three odd-shaped items on the return trip...sure enough, you drop them in the road at least twice and risk your life recovering them from under the wheels of charging buses... A slow ride this morning, exploring the narrow lanes of an old part of Yannawa District. It is an interesting area, with Hindu temple, Chinese and Moslem cemeteries, narrow klongs...and people living a slow life. Here is a small gallery of shots I made along the way: Took a cut through the Tobacco Monopoly grounds and into notorious Soi 4...home of Nana Plaza, where more than a few expats and foreign tourists have lost their hearts and wallets... Light raining for much of the ride, which made the cars and motorcycles a little more erratic than usual. I need to put a bit of air in the tyres and lube on the chain! Tim and I meet every 2 or 3 weeks for morning coffee...couple of Cafe Americanos , plus pastry, plus about 4 hours of chat about Life, The World & Everything...I look forward to it, as I have limited interaction with expats, and Tim and I cover a broad range of interests and topics. This week we meet at The Bakery, Ground Floor, JWMarriot hotel on Ploenchit. Road traffic is heavy and slow! No matter...I am not in any sort of a hurry...
For some reason [perhaps senility?], I was unaware it is illegal to cycle in Bangkok's excellent Lumpini Park prior to 10:00 each day...I got into the park undetected and managed a complete lap of the bike route before the security guys threw me out of the park. Went a bit slower today as I had a camera and made a few stops to take shots. |
About RayI love cycling, whether rolling about in Bangkok or on country lanes. Recently I have also been attracted to bike racing as a means of challenging myself as I mature into that category known as The Elderly. Categories
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