Clarkfield: Near yet so far, easy yet so hard...
Clarkfield in Pampanga is only
a seven peso ride in the jeepney. It is
so near where we currently reside that we could constantly see airplanes which
my daughter delights in admiring them in the open skies. So when I planned to have my leisure ride, I thought
it would be just another walk in the park, or in this case, a ride in the
field. I was dead wrong.
I started early this time. It was already bright outside but majestic Arayat
and her lone deity, Mariang Sinukuan, are the ones probably blocking the sun
from directly harming my partially sunburned skin from last week. Another great day outdoors, I whispered.
After entering Clark’s Mabalacat
gate, the road imaginably stretched directly into the Zambales mountain ranges
which includes Mt. Pinatubo, although it’s hard to guess which is the volcano
from all those peaks towering from afar.
I thought it was chicken feed (major major slang for sisiw lang), but just
barely a kilometer’s pedal, my legs were already feeling tired. Clarkfield, as I now discovered, was a slow
ascending road with the highest elevation of approximately 500 meters. After being overtaken by kids as young as 10 (I
think) in their Haros, Cannondales, and other high end bikes, I decided to slow
it down, for I am saving up a lot of energy for next week’s ride for a cause.
I just decided to explore Clark
and try to see any hidden paths, trails, and even unchartered roads. Even though most are paved, Clarkfield is a
perfect training ground for newbie bikers, with lots of twists and turns
depending on the level of difficulty you want to tackle. Although mostly are paved roads, the ones
that are heavy in vehicle traffic are those near the duty free shops and the
airport. Most of the other roads are
perfect for bike training and even just simple strolling with less vehicle interference
most of the time.
enjoy and take care!