Would you travel to Laos alone just to visit the Plain of Jars site that was riddled with bombs and explosive?
Well, I did.
The legacy of Laos was a troubled one, especially between 1960s and 1970s during the secret war and Vietnam Wars. Some 2 million explosives and 80 million bombs have been scattered across the whole country. You can read up more about these unexploded ordnance with the Lao Foundation Organisation. Although, some sites have the explosives dugged up, there were still substantial areas not exhumed.
If you have read my previous post, I caught a glimpse of Luang Prabang before heading to the small town of Phonsavan. Laotion time lies. What was believed to be a 7 hours bus journey became 10 hours; I reached my hotel in Phonsavan at 3am instead. Some nice warm showers and washing up, I had some nice local Laotion breakfast in the hotel. After a good long sleep, I rented a trusty motorcycle from a local vendor. It was my first motorcycle experience. No license, SGD$16 and a quick 2 minutes motorbike lesson from the bike shop vendor, I was on track to begin the adventure of the year. Post petrol and local Laotion beef noodles for lunch, I began to study the maps: I decided to visit all the Plain of Jars sites 1, 2 and 3.
Apart from the knowledge of multiple landmines and bomb sites, the countryside was also riddled with long winding roads, nature, mountains, grasslands, vegetation, cattle and farm animals. There was no shortage of chickens and cow dung though. Perhaps, Phonsavan was the only cool city in Northern Laos during March, it was a mere 17 Degrees Celsius. Despite my research, I was still scared out of my wits and feared for my life. Apparently, gun laws seem to be relaxed here. You can totally see random men carrying rifles and casually walking about the countryside. I was genuinely afraid of being casually shot while I was on the bike.
Some 2 hours later at 60 km per hour on the bike, I have arrived at Plain of Jars site 3. there were 135 unexplained mysterious jars in this area. It was believed that these Jars were purposed for ancient funerals rituals by previous civilizations that resided in the country. There was another group of private tourists there as well while I was at the site.
Off the beaten path, I am a slow rider, especially on a bike in rural and mountainous areas. Oh, and I discovered that I suck at parallel parking. Some 30 minutes away from the Plain of Jars site 3 is where you can discover the Plain of Jars site 2. This site has significantly less Jars. However, the Jars are located above elevation, so a quick 15 minutes hike up the hill was unavoidable.
And finally, about another 1 hour away from the Plain of Jar site 2, lies the famous Plain of Jars site 1. This site have both plains above and below elevation filled with rows of Jars. With the vast plain populated with these mysterious jars, it is no wander this is the most widely visited area in Phonsavan by many tourists alike in private vans.
A 45 minutes ride puts me back in the little town of Phonsavan. Purchased a night bus ticket towards Vientiane and returned my bike to the vendor. I love Asia. It’s where you could find USD$1 beer in every corner over a sumptuous dinner – Laotion Laab. (pronounced as Larb)
Travel Tip: my awesome dinner was found in Bamboozle Restaurant & Bar
A short tuk tuk ride to the bus station after dinner, my 8 hours journey began.
To the capital of Laos – Vientiane!
Raw. Risky. Unprecedented Beauty. Indeed.
Hilary Travels 