We left the depraved yet brilliant town of Vang Vieng for less stomped-upon grounds of Phonsavan. An ugly but interesting town in Northeast Laos, Phonsavan is the jumping off point for the egnimatic Plain of Jars. We decided we needed to rest for a day from Vang Vieng before venturing on, so we spent some time walking around the town, visiting a Buddhist graveyard up on a hill. The gravestones were little stupas and there was a 2001-esque oblisqe in honor of some soldiers.
Later that evening we discovered something wonderful: a carnival had sprung up in Phonsavan in honor of Women's Day! We smashed into some Lao people, including a few other couples and some young girls on the bumper cars, causing mayhem and destruction. Sarah continued the madness by playing with dozens of little children on a giant moonbounce. So much fun to be had for only a few dollars.
The next day we took a tour to the Plain of Jars. This is a place where there are hundreds of enormous stone jars laying in a field. No one knows how they got there or who made them. The jars weigh thousands of kilos and stranger still, the rock comes from a mountain 20 kilometers away.
There are several theories: the first one is the local people's theory that the jars are for storing Lao lao, or rice whisky, thier drink of choice. This seems unlikely as the jars are so huge and there are so many of them. Also they have no lids. Many scientists think that it is a gravesite, that the jars are used as as holders for the ash. Our favorite theory is this: a society of giants had a party and left thier cups behind. It really must be seen to understood, this place is hard to describe.
This area of Laos was one of the most heavily bombed places in history during the Vietnam War. The Patet Lao, the communist force in Laos, was helping the Viet Cong during the war, so the US dropped millions of bombs on Laos secretly. This is still a problem as many of these devices still lurk unexploded, waiting for a child or farmer to step on them. It's quite sad what our country has done.
After we left Phonsavan, we went to the last place on our 3.5 week Laos itinerery, Sam Neua. This was partially to break up the overland journey to Hanoi and partially to see the incredible caves that the Patet Lao lived in for 9 years during the Vietnam war (which they call the American War). We were guided through the caves with a very professional audio tour as well as a human guide. They are amazing, with many different rooms, a hospital, a school and an entertainment area. The caves could house up to 18,000 soldiers, and thier families. Everyone had to hide from the fighterplanes during the day and do all of thir farming and chores at night. It was a tough life.
On our tour we made friends with an Australian couple, Elissa and Alex, as well as a funny Frenchman named Edward, who reminds me just a little of Uncle Dave. We ended up on the bus to Hanoi on the locals bus the next day, a very hectic journey with lots of honking, loud Vietnamese people, and at least one baby pig somewhere in the bus. Hello Vietnam! Quite a change from the laid back pace of Laos, and we're so pumped!
Hope this finds you well. Take heart in the fact that we are probably just as cold here in Hanoi as you are in America (if that's where you are). Love and warmth to you!
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