bwari pottery village

What’s worse than turning on the shower faucet and having brown water rush out?  Being in the shower, looking down at the bath water (I hate bathtubs) and seeing it’s brown.  And knowing that you aren’t that dirty.  In fact, you have just been in the swimming pool.  Yes.  Much worse to know that brown water is all over you.  So I’m going to my happy place.  And since there is no Coldstone in Abuja, I thought I’d conjure up a memory of a happier time here.

About a month and a half ago (I had to dig deep), Joey and I visited Bwari Pottery Village.  It’s a short drive outside Abuja, about 40 minutes or so.  We got directions from motorpool before we left:

“Drive on this road about xxx minutes.  Then, when you see a bird on the mountain, turn left.  You drive approx- imately xx kilometers before you turn right.  Then at this building turn right.  The road will curve this way and that way (as he waves his hand back and forth) and then you will turn right again.”

Very helpful.  So after calling the proprietor several times to clarify directions, and assuring my husband even more times that I not only understood what the proprietor said but that we were going the right way down the dirt road, we actually found the place.  And what a treat!  The proprietor took us all over the operation, detailing how they got started, how they make the clay, how they make the glaze, how everything used in the production of the pottery is sourced locally – it really was fascinating.  We even got to see a guy making some pottery. 

Our tour cul- minated in the shop, where we were amazed by the variety of items available, from pitchers and vases to casserole dishes, teapots and decorative lanterns.  We bought a pitcher for ourselves and a few other items to send home for gifts.  Hopefully they arrive in tact!

After buying our pottery we walked across the field to a little hut where we had our lunch  - leftover homemade pizza.  Yum!  We wandered a little farther to check out the giant termite hill and then back to our car.  All in all it was well worth the hassle to find it.  Almost makes me forget about brown showers.  Almost.

You can see the rest of my Bwari photos here.