Xien Khuan
We were a group of 18 people from the farm who set out with our noses pointing north, north east, for Xien Khuan district and the Plain of Jars. It was a good bunch; Cameron, Kirstie and myslef being the only westerners. We were loaded in Mr T's truck, 15 of us in the back of the truck and three in the comfy front. It was a splendid jerney! We followed the narrow, serpentine roads of the Lao mountains. Holding on as best as we could. I enjoyed the scenery with my whole being; it was breathtaking! The green hills and mountains could have been taken straight from a fairy tale; the smoke from the slash and burn posing as the fire from the dragon's deep and there were plenty of hill tops for beautiful princesses to be held hostages on.
Others did not enjoy the jerney as much; 8 of the people in the back of the truck threw up repetedly and most were sick. I did as my mommy always told me, looked out the "window" (there was no window) and sang to myself. It always works, my mommy is a very wise woman.
We reached Ponsavan (the city closest to the Plain of Jars) in the evening and after a meal we all went to bed. Knackered from the wind.
We were up early and went to the morning market for breakfast before taking off for the Plain of Jars. It was fabulous! The jars are a complete mystery, no one knows their age or purpose but they are just massive stone jugs scattered around a rather big area. In the future scientists hope to be able to gain some more knowledge about the hstory of the jars but the area sa heavily minated so right now further research is impossible. Sad but true. Also, scatterd around the area like beautymarks are huge bomb craters from the Vietnamese War. It is a bit scary, knowing the bombs fell 40 years ago and still the craters are easily visable. As Cameron pointed out, it is also forty years of new bomb techniques, it gave you a sense of what the bombs of today can do.
After the Jars Mr.T took us to a kind of Laotian spa out in the country side. they had hot springs, the water was actually boiling, very nice and comforting once it cooled down a bit. It was funny but I think we might have been the first westerners there. Me and Kirstie went for a walk by the fields and people stared at us in amazement, one guy actually dropped the log he was carrying just cause he was so eager to fix his hair. A lot of smiles and kind faces, we felt really welcome.
About halfway back to the farm Mr.T dropped me off and I caught a bus to Luang Prabang. It was heartfelt goodbyes but I am happy to be off on my own adventures again!
Others did not enjoy the jerney as much; 8 of the people in the back of the truck threw up repetedly and most were sick. I did as my mommy always told me, looked out the "window" (there was no window) and sang to myself. It always works, my mommy is a very wise woman.
We reached Ponsavan (the city closest to the Plain of Jars) in the evening and after a meal we all went to bed. Knackered from the wind.
We were up early and went to the morning market for breakfast before taking off for the Plain of Jars. It was fabulous! The jars are a complete mystery, no one knows their age or purpose but they are just massive stone jugs scattered around a rather big area. In the future scientists hope to be able to gain some more knowledge about the hstory of the jars but the area sa heavily minated so right now further research is impossible. Sad but true. Also, scatterd around the area like beautymarks are huge bomb craters from the Vietnamese War. It is a bit scary, knowing the bombs fell 40 years ago and still the craters are easily visable. As Cameron pointed out, it is also forty years of new bomb techniques, it gave you a sense of what the bombs of today can do.
After the Jars Mr.T took us to a kind of Laotian spa out in the country side. they had hot springs, the water was actually boiling, very nice and comforting once it cooled down a bit. It was funny but I think we might have been the first westerners there. Me and Kirstie went for a walk by the fields and people stared at us in amazement, one guy actually dropped the log he was carrying just cause he was so eager to fix his hair. A lot of smiles and kind faces, we felt really welcome.
About halfway back to the farm Mr.T dropped me off and I caught a bus to Luang Prabang. It was heartfelt goodbyes but I am happy to be off on my own adventures again!
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