An Isolated Bangkok Community

My day trip to Koh Kret proved to be a nice break from city life even though I was, technically, still in the city! I had no idea this little island located on the Chao Praya River is actually one of the northern suburbs of Bangkok. In fact, it only took my friends and me about an hour to get there this morning, driving through city the entire way.

The map of the island itself shows various highlights, such as temple with reclining Buddha and its version of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa. Only in this case, their tower is the Leaning Chedi of Koh Kret which you can observe from the river as you approach the island.

When on Koh Kret, you get the idea you're walking in yesteryear with narrow vendor-lined streets and bicycles as the main mode of transportation -- imagine no cars in any part of Bangkok, the city with over 100,000 taxis together with cars, motorbikes and every other form of mechanized vehicle!?

The Mon villagers (an ethnic group from Burma) who live there are very isolated and their unique lifestyle has remained intact for the most part. It doesn't take long to find out they are famous for their pottery and Thai desserts.

In fact, we were able to watch craftsmen making pottery -- from forming clay on potter's wheels to drying and firing in the stone kiln. This rustic environment sure gives visitors the sense that things haven't changed much in the last century, except for the odd piece of technology and aluminum can spotted among the pieces of pottery.

I also found their prevalent everyday use of pottery interesting -- from dishware to building roof tiles. Apparently Thai ceramics date back to the third millennium BC so it should come as no surprise.

I thought I had seen all varieties of food in Bangkok but this community provided some interesting options I never imagined. How about a serving of fried flowers, or bamboo stuffed with coconut rice, palm juice, barbequed coconut patties, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves or rice-based candy with real gold as decoration?

Of course there were vendors with familiar items such as fruit drinks and options one can find in other parts of the country, such as Popsicles -- true to its name because they actually use brand name pop or soda and freeze it on a stick. I must admit, however, their green curry with chicken was a LOT spicier than I'm used to and it sure didn't help cool me down from the outdoor feels-like temperature of 44 C (110 F).

One of the main staples in this area is what is called Kwey Tiao Reua or Boat Noodles. I learned that sometimes noodle ingredients are mixed together in a small boat and sometimes they are prepared in front of an open air restaurant. Either way, the taste for Boat Noodles harkens back to a time when there were few roads in Thailand and everyone traveled by boat -- including noodle vendors.

Whatever your experience on the island, you can't deny this community is isolated from the rest of the city and quite laid back. Life is simple and there's no thinking twice about relaxing when you feel like it.