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Published: March 27th 2009
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The Plain of Jars, near Phonsavan, Laos, is a big plain of, well . . . jars. This vast expanse of stone jars is one of the great unsolved mysteries (aliens, anyone?) of the world and is pretty much the only reason to make a trip to Phonsavan. It has the feel of a town that is just starting to be developed into more of an attraction-- still on the traveling path, but a bit less trampled than the usual backpacker circuit. The people I met there were perhaps a bit more 'serious' in their travels, especially in comparison with the spring break-esque party scene I had left behind in Vang Vieng.
According to an NGO in Phonsavan called MAG (Mines Advisory Group), Laos is the most bombed-out country per capita in the world due to the U.S's "Secret War" (they became communists anyway), and many of the bombs and mines that were dropped/placed in Laos, up to 30% according to MAG, remain on and/or in the earth as unexploded ordance (UXO). This UXO causes a big obstacle for the further development of the country in terms of road-building and clearing land for farming. Every year there are many injuries
Guesthouse in Phonsavan
The front area, like many other guesthouses and restaurants in the area, was decorated with bombs and other war remnants and deaths to humans and animals who inadvertently happen across UXO. MAG trains teams to work with communities to find out what their most pressing needs are and then the team works to clear areas of land that will best support those needs. A strange thing about Phonsavan in particular, but other places in Laos, too, I think, is that many of the guesthouses and restaurants, etc. use old bombs an missiles as decorations. I guess it's kind of like 'shabby chic,' but sadder.
Though it is possible to bike to the jar sites, most people opt for a group tour by tuk tuk to the three main jar sights and that is what I chose to do. My companions for the day were two French guys, a British couple, a Swiss guy, and another American from NY. Though it's called the "Plain" of Jars, the sites are actually quite hilly and afforded really pretty views of the countryside. The jars themselves are numerous (250 at the biggest site, Site 1) and range in size, though some of them are quite huge (up to 3 meters!). The most plausible explanation for the jars is that they were used for
Markers to show cleared vs. uncleared areas
Within the white area, UXO has been cleared below the surface and above. The red indicates that the area has been surface scanned but that there still might be danger below the surface funerary purposes (either burial or cremation remains), but there is hardly any evidence to back up this theory yet. The area continues to be cleared of UXO which is a slow process, so there is still hope that more artifacts will be found to provide some conclusive evidence. The only other theory (besides aliens, of course) is that the jars were big storage containers for 'lao lao,' which is rice whiskey. There is a sign at the entrance to each of the sites explaining that paths are marked with markers that are white on one side and red on the other. The white side means that the area has been visually cleared as well as subsurface cleared, but the red side means that the area is not guaranteed to be subsurface cleared. Makes a person a little nervous . . .
Our tour also stopped briefly at an old Russian tank that was attacked and left to rust sometime in the 1960s and then to 'whiskey village,' which was really more of a whiskey shack, where a little old woman showed us her 'lao lao' manufacturing site. The rice is mixed with yeast and ferments in rusty vats outside
the hut until it is time to bring it inside to strain out the alcohol. Truth be told I wasn't listening too much to the description of the process- I was too nervous about being force-fed shots of the nasty stuff. The woman filled up a glass Pepsi bottle with 'lao lao' and we all had to take turns taking shots. I thought one would be sufficient, but the old lady and our guide peer-pressured me into a second. It is harsh stuff and instantly warms the throat and belly and sends a flush into the cheeks. When it came around to me a third time, I declined more forecfully. Our guide told me we had to finish the bottle and suddenly I felt like I was in some sort of fraternity initiation. I somehow escaped a third shot though, I think because the English girl stepped up in my place. What a relief!
After seeing the jars (and drinking that damn lao lao), I was ready to have an early night. I grabbed some Indian food with my fellow American (there aren't many of us here and we have to stick together, I guess) and called it a
night.
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