Phonsavan Paragraphs

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Our stay in Phonsavan was going to be brief, and we had to carefully decide which sites to visit so as to make the most of our trip. After arriving at about 9 in the evening after an unfortunate minivan breakdown, we put up at Nice Guesthouse. Yes, it's true that our place of lodging was called Nice Guesthouse and I'm pleased to say that the place, for it's low price of 80,000kip a night, does live up to its name.

The aforementioned breakdown presented us with the opportunity to be acquainted with Kati, a most cordial Swiss lady, who was also on her way to Phonsavan in our minivan with her husband Erwin. While waiting for the vehicle to be repaired, Erwin decided to give Phonsavan a miss and head straight to Vientiane with a passing Lao family's vehicle. We waited for another couple of hours before our minivan was finally repaired (we were told that another van was on its way to pick us up when the breakdown appeared to be an intractable problem which in retrospect was quite a cruel lie). There was a tinge of irony when barely twenty minutes into our journey's resumption, we came across Erwin and the Lao family out of their vehicle, stranded on the downhill road. It turned out that their vehicle too had broken down. Erwin got into our minivan again but unfortunately for Kati, stuck to his guns and alighted at the crossroads where he would independently find a way to Vientiane while we continued our journey on the dark roads to Phonsavan. Kati would be a delightful travel mate to us for the next couple of days.

We arrived in Phonsavan at about nine in the evening. After dropping our bags at the guesthouse and before grabbing a late dinner (hot noodle soup on a cold Phonsavan night), we agreed on a tour schedule, "option six", which would allow us to see several main attractions in the Xieng Khuang province the next day. The five of us, including Kati, paid US$30 each which included a guide and driver for the day's activities, entrance fees, and lunch.

Breakfast at a local coffee shop allowed us to observe sights in a morning on the streets of Phonsavan: children playing simple games on the streets (it was a Tuesday and they should have been in school), hawkers peddling their wares and foodstuffs, locals hopping on motorbikes presumably on their way to work, and labourers diligently carrying out their tasks at a nearby construction site.

We were soon comfortably seated in our minivan, eager to kickstart our day's activities, in particular, to see the ancient jars which remain one of Laos's greatest attractions.

Our first destination though, was the Xieng Khuang Tourist Information Office where we caught glimpses of explosives and weapons used during the Indochinese War in '60s and '70s. Unexploded ordnances (UXOs) have become a perennial danger in Laos and even today, there still are reports of new victims of these ordnances, many designed to maim, causing numerous people to be without all four limbs. War is never a pleasant affair and as we have so often observed, has the capability of leaving undesirable but tragically indelible marks on the innocent. It was also alarming to note on a map the numerous sorties flown over the province during the Indochinese War which was bound to have resulted in incalculable damage the gentle land.

We then headed to the Plain of Jars Site 2. Our guide, a former teacher with a wonderful grasp of English, told us that Site 1 will be crowded with tourists going about their visits numerically, hence our decision to first visit the second site. The favourably cool morning weather, coupled with the lack of hordes of tourists, made the place very pleasant to visit. The jars here though were not, as you may be misled by its description, on a plain, but rather, on a hill. The preponderance of jars, about 85%!,(MISSING) are made from sandstone. The jars were excavated in the 1930s by a French archaeologist named Madeleine Colani who believed from evidence such as bracelets, shells, etc, that they were made some 1500-2500 years ago. Unfortunately, as no inscriptions were found, the origins and actual purpose of these jars cannot be known for certain, though similar structures have allegedly been discovered in Indonesia. Over the years, there have been varying claims about the functions of these jars. According to myths, these plains were once inhabited by giants who used the jars to contain whiskey, while other sources have speculated possible funerary functions. However, these remain as pure conjecture.

Next up, we visited the Phoun Stupa which was built in 1586, but was tragically burgled of much of its treasures during the Haw invasion in the late 19th century. Like in many other religious buildings in Laos which were sacked by bandits, one can only imagine the splendour of these structures at their prime.

We had lunch at a coffee shop which was mainly patronised by locals. Noodle soup was (again) served but eaten with fresh beansprouts and mint leaves served separately, proved a palatable enough dish. As we found out from the Tourist Information Office, the spoons we ate with were actually made

The Plain of Jars Site 16 was only recently opened to tourists and we had the privilege to visit it after our meal. Yes, the site has also been cleared of mines by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). Unlike the jars in most other sites, the ones here are made of granite.

Another religious site on our schedule was Wat Phia, or "queen temple", which was built in 1576. It was the first in the region and had Indian origins but the effects of bombing during the Indochinese war (Xieng Khuang province is notorious for the countless bombs dropped on its area) was apparent. Almost the entire building had been destroyed, leaving the massive Buddha statue exposed to the sometimes cruel weather.

We were given the chance to take a closer look at life in the rural part of Laos when we stopped by a local Hmong village. The Hmong people make up about six to ten percent of the country's population, after emigrating from China centuries ago. Many were involved in the "Secret War", supported by the United States during the Indochinese War, and were recruited as soldiers to fight against Communist opposition. Despite the Pathet Lao's victory in 1975, the insurgency was to continue for the next couple of decades. It was a short but meaningful walk along the village path, watching the villagers go about their daily chores and the usual village animals roam the area. Brendan, in an attempt to take a picture of a dog, drew an unfriendly bark from the animal as it flashed its threatening fangs at us. We spent the next few uneasy minutes struggling to juggle both listening to our guide and praying that the canine's anger would subside. Another sight which is etched indelibly in my mind was at the common water point where a girl of about five was washing a load of clothes. Coming from Singapore, where most of us lead relatively sheltered and comfortable lives, such experiences do help me better appreciate the comfort at home which I am so often guilty of taking for granted. With our nation's rapid economic growth and development, a reason for its extant prosperity, I doubt that many of my Singaporean peers had to do any housework at such a tender age.

The minivan, on its wat to the Plain of Jars Site 1, stopped at a hut where we got to witness local women adroitly looming silk thread. Silk products are rather commonplace in Laos, and her neighbour, Vietnam, is one of the world's largest silk producers. However, one has to observe the intricate processes leading to the final product to truly be able to appreciate the works of art.

Finally, we were at the famed Site 1 where we caught a glimpse of the largest jar, weighing a massive fifteen tonnes. There were also several bomb craters and what remained of trench lines was still noticeable. None of this comes as a surprise after reading the history of the plains which had seen so much fighting take place during the years of conflict between the Pathet Lao and anti-Communist troops. We then visited the Cremation Cave, which had been a place of refuge for soldiers during the war. Caves were often, during the war, the safest places for dwelling during the war which saw unending bombing of terrain. I read from an article by a Lao who lived during that calamitous period that he had to endure the harrowing experience of hiding in a cave during the day and only being able to safely leave after dusk. This was to occur on a daily basis for an interminable five years. One cannot possibly fathom the horror war had brought to the genteel kingdom of Laos. After all, this unfortunate theater of war had seen an average of half a tonne of bombs dropped per head. Politicians are often responsible for starting wars, but it is the rank-and-file citizen who usually bears the greatest effects of these conflicts. We can only pray that the great powers will learn from history and realise that no one really wins during a war.

The day at Phonsavan proved to be a somewhat tiring but ultimately rewarding experience. Having arrived from the UNESCO Heritage Town of Luang Prabhang, I personally feel that my time in Phonsavan allowed me to know the PDR a few notches better than I did in the former town.

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Photos

Uphill
On the way home from a day at school

Games by the street
Local kids playing simple games by the street

Explosives from the Indochinese War
On display at the Xieng Khuang Tourist Information Office

Posing with another jar
At Site 2 with our newfound Swiss friend, Kati

Hmong kids
On the way back home

Scrap metal spoons
From the Indochina War

Buffaloes
A common sight on the road

Wat Phia
Or wat remains of it

Mother pig and her piglets
At the Hmong Village

La bambina
Isn't she lovely?

The Largest Jar
Standing at Site 1