The Worlds Largest Souvenirs...

---

So on one of our first days in Laos we booked our trip to the 'Plain of Jars' Near a town called Phonsovan. It is one of the main reasons we wanted to go to Laos so we were both really excited. After a long drive (around 6 hours) we arrived at our guesthouse and checked in. We then were invited to dinner by the other two people who went on the trip, a dutch guy and his mum. We went for a walk first to see what was in the town and went up to the local temple where the monks were chanting when we arrived. The temple was not as spectacular as some of the ones Luang Prabang has to offer though. We then headed back towards town and stopped at a random restaurant. The guy who owned it was very nice and was showing us the ash trays/incents holders he makes out of UXO's (unexploded ordinance). There is so much stuff like that in the area, our guesthouse had loads of bombs and mines and missiles lying around as decorations. It is all due to the area being blanket bombed by the Americans during the Vietnam war for some reason which I can't fathom.

The next morning we woke and headed for the jars, there are three visitable sites and thirty overall. The rest are out of bounds thanks to the Americans, there are still hundreds and hundreds of UXO's everywhere so it is too dangerous. They even have lines on the floor which it is reccomended that you don't cross as those areas are yet to have been searched by bomb removal teams at the sites you can visit. The first site we saw was a short drive away and then we walked the last part up a smal hill (sticking between the lines!) The jars are amazing when you first see them, kind of Stone Henge esque in the way that you wonder how, over tow thousand yeard ago they made such huge monuments. The first site was like a small woodland with about 150 of the jars on and they looked huge (though we realised how small they were later). There was also one jar which a tree had grown up through the centre of it which made a great picture. At the back of the site,you could walk down into one of the bomb craters aswell. There are many suggestions for the reasons for the jars,non of which can be proved. The main ones being for funeral purposes, the put bodies in them, another is for alcohol or water storage (also tales that they were giants shot glasses!) or for offerings to god(s). The locals also like to think that they were cast out of local materials, u they were actually large boulders carved into shape. History lesson over...

The second site we went to was again up a hill and we walked through rice paddies to get there which was interesting. This site was in a fenced area agian with its share of bomb craters and contained more jars that the first site but the jars were smaller. Next to the site, kids had set up goal posts and were playing football in their bear feet. After this site we went to lunch in the old province capital (it is now Phonsovan) Muang Khoun which has only been recently re-habbited after guess who destroyed all but two buildings. We saw the old bombed out temple there which was quite amazing because all tht was left standing was a 20ft high buddah statue from the altar. Definately divine intervention!!! We also went up the hill next to the town to see the old jheddi or spire built in the 1500's, That Foun. Not eve this has escaped damaged, being pillaged by Chinese raiders, they carved a hole right through the centre of it to reach the Buddah images buried inside meaning that you can now walk right through it.

Finally we headed to our last site, site 1 (strangely!) This is the main site with over 330 jars on it and also one of the largest, weighing 6.5 tonnes. There were also some other huge ones which must have been over 7ft high. This site also has the only jar with its lid still on (though there is nothing inside) and also one with a carving of a man on the side of it. It was baffling to see how many jars there actually were here and needless to say, we spent a while at this site. We also visited a cave there where the locals claim the pots were kilned after being made as there is a hole in the roof for a chimney. People aren't so sure though beacuse someone also dropped a bomb here which could have caused the hole. Overall, it was amazing to see the jars and to see what ancient civilizations can achieve (and modern ones can destroy, many jars have been lost or broken around bomb craters).

That evening we went out for dinner again and on the way we stopped by at the MAG office. This is the agency set up to try and clear all of the bombs at the jar sites and also the thousands which lie in the area in general. There is a small display there and also loads of the bombs and missiles that they have recovered. For dinner, we origionally sat down at a chinese restaurant but no one could find anything to eat, the menu consisted of placentas of cows, dog meat, pig trotters... The list went on and so did we, to the restaurant next door...

---

Photos

The MAG Line...
These blocks told you where you can walk. Red = dont go there!

The largest one...
...though you have no perspective so it probably looks rubbish!

Bomb crater
I don't know how this one survived so close to the bomb crater?

Comments

[Victoria Ireland]

Good pictures! I did well getting into that jar, will have to show everyone your attempt! Xx

[Mum]

Wot no honey in the jars!!
Hey now it looks like you are travelling, well off the tourist track etc. Jars look amazing - Winnie the Pooh would be in his element there if they were full of honey!! Glad you are keeping away from the unexploded mines - thats sensible - so if you lose your ball you don't cross the line to go and get it back. Looks like Vicky is auditioning for a new series of Bill and Ben, tell her she's too pretty and she will have to be Little Weed instead!