This is my pleasure to have the opportunity to be as a guest writer in this blog. Herewith something about me, I married with my German husband since August 2005. We agree to land our new family in the land of thousand smiles because my husband loves Thailand.
On last Saturday, we went to the river island namely “Koh Kret” where locates in Nontaburi province. Koh Kret is very famous in handmade pottery and you can see how they make it in real. We arrived at the pier about 6.00 pm and we had to hire the long-tailed boat for sightseeing and it costs 400 bath per trip. Actually, I noticed on the blackboard, which places in the front of the pier, it lists the price of sightseeing boat and the cost is only 350 baht per trip. Maybe the cost is higher when it comes dark because the driver has to be more careful in controlling the long-tailed boat because there is no electric light on the river. The boat is very rapid and makes us feel very exciting when the boat hits the wave. We cannot see the scenery of shores because of the darkness. I told my husband that along the shores represent the way of living of traditional Thai people that living along the river sides and traveling via boat. I like this kind of living, it is simplicity and there is not much pollution unlike in the big city. If we traveled in the morning, we would have seen those beautiful sceneries and people along the river sides. Four hundred baht is reasonable price for travelers like us, it would be cheaper if you accompany with more friends in order to share the cost of the tourist boat.
Around Koh Kret, you can find many coffee shops provide coffee and tea that fill in the clay pot, just pay 25 baht and you will have the coffee clay jar back home with you. Our first visit is the only one coffee shop that was opened at that time. Many shops were closed even it was only 6.00 pm but the darkness covered the village. We ordered ice coffee and we had to select the clay jar. There are many figures and shapes of the clay jars and it is hard to choose because they are all look beautiful in our eyes. Finally, we can select one and got our ice coffee. Our chubby guide leaded us to the earthenware factory where provides various types of pottery and demonstration how to make the pottery to travelers. The opening time is 8.00 am – 5.00 pm. it means we had no opportunity to see the demonstration but we can buy the pottery. Actually, the earthenware factory here is only a wooden house with larger area, in other words we call it as family factory. We explored around the factory and bought 2 dark bowls with chopsticks. The bowl provides 2 holes for inserting and placing the chopsticks, it costs 40 baht per set – one bowl with one set of wooden chopsticks. We intend to use this bowl when we eat instant noodles. We also bought 1 little carving earthen jar in order to place the fragrant cone incense and the fragrant fume will pass through the sculpture’s hole. Only 35 baht and you can have the magnificent carving earthen jar at home.
Moreover, we bought 1 set of earthenware for grilling pork on the clay pan and 1 set of earthenware for making Thai dessert called “Khanom Krok”. It seems not difficult to make “Khanom Krok”, the combination of coconut milk and rice flour cooking on the hot clay pan. But it is not that easy as you think, I tried to make it at home on last Sunday and I failed. It is not only putting the set of clay pan on the water for one night in order to preventing the pan from cracking but you also have to stir the smashed coconut for getting the coconut oil on it. Making “Khanom Krok” is the famous playing for Thai girls (in the past) including me who ever played like that when I was a little girl. The point is I have never prepared ingredients and the clay pan by myself but my aunt did it for me, I had only use a stainless spoon for take the “Khanom Krok” out of the pan. Do you know the source of making “Khanom Krok” at home with your family? I have just realized that it supports the family in terms of sharing, helping each others and make us closer. I think it seems like making cookie with parents in western culture.
I recommend that we should buy “Khanom Krok” because it is not easy to make it as I mentioned above, so just buy it only 10 baht per one vessel. Normally, you can find “Khanom Krok” in the morning near fresh market. In the past time, “Khanom Krok” placed on a vessel made of banana leaves stitched into square or pentagon shape by bamboo sticks. It smells very good when the hot “Khanom Krok” places on the banana leaves. Accordingly, traditional Thai people used to eat food on the leaves such as banana and lotus, which are very easy to find those leaves and wrap the food.
Let’s get back to our trip, we went to Thai Dessert House and bought some souvenirs – Thai Dessert. During the day, they will demonstrate how to make Thai dessert and you could enjoy it. Perhaps you can ask for a chance to do it by your own. Thai dessert is neat and beautiful particularly the name of dessert is somewhat good name.
The end of our trip was feeding fish in front of the temple, which we do not know the name of the temple. Buy one bucket of dried sliced bread (I assume that the bread is expired) and start to feed the fish. Throwing one piece of sliced bread and waiting for a minute and then large school of fish appears. We enjoy this trip so much and we will come back here again but in the morning time so that we can see the magnificent scenery along the riverside.
travelling and you’ll come across a plentitude of questions, stories and reports concerning ‘getting off the beaten track’. But, at the end of the day however, most tourists/travellers do nothing of the sort. They are instead, found eating a banana pancake and watching a guesthouse DVD/Movie or walking around some backpacker ghetto studying their Lonely Planet like a missionary. While nearly every single backpacker ‘claims’ to be ‘getting off the beaten track’ the closest they get to such a thing are the same old haunts of Khao Sarn Road, Koh Samui and Krabi. A few of the so-called adventurous even make it up to the country’s north-east (Isarn), the least visited region of Thailand, but contrary to rumour you will still come across whole platoons of foreigners – mostly living there.
