Indonesia: Cycling Around the Countryside… Brick Making

Another place we visited on our bike ride around the countryside was a cultural centre and museum where some old artefacts were on display.

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Gongs, drums and old, finely carved furniture were on display.

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Detail of drums, gongs and wooden xylophones in the collection.

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This screen was once the pride and joy of a wealthy merchant.

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More gongs.

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A few of us had a red ginger tea which was absolutely wonderful. It was made from slices of fresh root ginger, cloves, cinnamon and some bark from a Caesalpinia tree which gave the drink a lovely red colour.

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There was still more to come as next we stopped at a place where a guy was making mud bricks. He dug the soil from the field and mixed it with water to a smooth mud which he then put into a gang of moulds.

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Six bricks were made at a time… 

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…and smoothed off.

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 The mould is then carefully lifted off.  Brian just had to ‘sign’ a brick…

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…so we all had a go. These are our signed bricks. I wonder where they will end up?

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The maker also signs his bricks.  Once formed bricks are left to dry…

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… before being stacked on their sides to dry further. 

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After a certain water level is reached, the bricks are moved and stacked into a large pile where they wait to be fired. It takes a few weeks for the guy to make enough bricks to make firing worthwhile.  A fire will be lit under the bricks to fire them.

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Another fellow was trimming partially dried bricks of their rough edges before they became too dry and hard to clean. They were laid out on the ground to dry further.

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When enough moisture had evaporated from the bricks for them to be handled without them deforming, these bricks were stacked off the ground for even quicker drying.

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And, of course, what would a ride through the countryside be for me unless I found some plants and interest in nature to photograph!  How good is this unfurling leaf?

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Senna was growing by the roadside.

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Those who looked closely saw this grasshopper inspecting a pea flower.

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…and this colourful individual was having a quiet time trying to hide in some old leaves.

And so ended a delightful day out in the countryside of Central Java. I did have a rather sore ‘seat’ but it was all very worthwhile. I hope you have enjoyed the ride.

David

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