Koh Kret
A couple of months ago (see how far behind I am?), Fatt and I toddled off to Koh Kret, otherwise known as (Mon) Pottery Island. On the map, it's not too far from Bangkok, but it was quite exhausting getting there and we went all the way by taxi to the nearest pier! It's something about the heat of the day outside, the relentless stop start of traffic, the sheer boredom!
Anyhow, a tiny boat ride later, we were immediately disembarking at a temple with foodstall after foodstall. Speciality? Fried flowers. Look how beautiful they are:
Not bad tasting either, sort of fried bitter batter. We wandered along little lanes, contentedly munching our fried flowers and fried snacks, followed by the odd stray dog who were canny enough to spot a softie (Fatt) a mile away. There were stalls of ceramics - some very beautiful: delicate pots and candleholders with intricate carving. Other more factory commercial stuff. There was the usual tattle of hippy clothing and incense sticks. That's the worry apparently: Koh Kret is becoming less a centre for Mon pottery and more a centre for the crap tourist tat.
I'm not sure they need to worry that much - there was still plenty of pottery going on:
and a nice demo organised by OTOP - which was quite instructive. The mud is mushed first by water buffalo (here not really doing much mushing):
and then simply thrown direct (straw'n'all) on to the potter's wheel and moulded almost instantly into shape, with matching lids! When I think how tortourous my kneeding is - how inadequate and inept, when all I need to do is get some of this local mushy stuff and voila! Pottery mei, not bkkmei.
One of the highlights of the trip was stopping off at what can only be described as a saloon bar, where you can sit up at the window and down a few heartening cups of... coconut dessert. Yum yum. The owner would gently strum his guitar until a new punter came along for feeding. It was a blissful moment.
OK, one more pic - I really like the one below which was a happy coincidence of kids in bright t-shirts.
Anyhow, a tiny boat ride later, we were immediately disembarking at a temple with foodstall after foodstall. Speciality? Fried flowers. Look how beautiful they are:
Not bad tasting either, sort of fried bitter batter. We wandered along little lanes, contentedly munching our fried flowers and fried snacks, followed by the odd stray dog who were canny enough to spot a softie (Fatt) a mile away. There were stalls of ceramics - some very beautiful: delicate pots and candleholders with intricate carving. Other more factory commercial stuff. There was the usual tattle of hippy clothing and incense sticks. That's the worry apparently: Koh Kret is becoming less a centre for Mon pottery and more a centre for the crap tourist tat.
I'm not sure they need to worry that much - there was still plenty of pottery going on:
and a nice demo organised by OTOP - which was quite instructive. The mud is mushed first by water buffalo (here not really doing much mushing):
and then simply thrown direct (straw'n'all) on to the potter's wheel and moulded almost instantly into shape, with matching lids! When I think how tortourous my kneeding is - how inadequate and inept, when all I need to do is get some of this local mushy stuff and voila! Pottery mei, not bkkmei.
One of the highlights of the trip was stopping off at what can only be described as a saloon bar, where you can sit up at the window and down a few heartening cups of... coconut dessert. Yum yum. The owner would gently strum his guitar until a new punter came along for feeding. It was a blissful moment.
OK, one more pic - I really like the one below which was a happy coincidence of kids in bright t-shirts.
posted by sylv at 3:04 pm
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