Phonsavan Laos

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Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1 we see this sign standing in front of the path leading to the area of jars.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. Note the numerous bomb craters. During the Vietnam War pilots were allowed to drop unused bombs before landing at the military airfield located in the area.

Phonsavan Laos: Old Vietnam war toys in front of the Maly Guest House where I stayed the one night I spent in Phonsavan. Some of the munitions were live, but duds. No one seemed a bit concerned about the potential hazards. Inside were perhaps two dozen cluster bomblets, none of which had been disarmed by someone knowledgeable! Some were used as candle holders!

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. This seems to be a dam created reservoir.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. Here the rice paddies make an appealing work of art.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. Note the two obvious bomb craters.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. Here the terraced rice paddies are seen.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3. After a while they pretty much look similar. Some had circular openings, some oval, some rectangular. Clearly there were many sculptures.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3 - Panorama 1 (right-most).

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3 - Panorama 2. Moving right to left.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3 - Panorama 3. Moving left.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3 - Panorama 4.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3 - Panorama 5 (left-most). Now, stitch them all together.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #3

Phonsavan Laos: A shot of the ground as we take off for Vientiane. Not a single paved road in sight.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars I broke the stems off my sun glasses/goggles. As this part of the world is quite dusty, goggles are essential for anyone wearing contact lenses. To my surprise and delight I discovered the wrap-around feature allowed the surviving part of the glasses to be worn like "clip-ons." They grab the side of my head with enough tension to hold them in place! Might be a business opportunity here.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars I broke the stems off my sun glasses/goggles. To my surprise and delight I discovered the wrap-around feature allowed the surviving part of the glasses to be worn like "clip ons."

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2. This is another shot of the second cluster of jars at site #2.

28 January 2003

Hello from Phonsavan Laos

I came here to see the enigmatic Plain of Jars. The little hotel available to accommodate visitors featured a large display of unexploded bombs from the Vietnam war. The only purpose of the hotel clearly was to provide overnight rest for well organized package tours of the strange fields littered with huge "jars" carved from sandstone. No one seemed to have any reliable historical information about the phenomenon, but theories abound. Flying in and out of the small airfield one could clearly see hundreds of bomb craters made by American planes jettisoning unused ordinance before landing.

Fred Bellomy

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. One of the better examples is shown here.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. Note the numerous bomb craters.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. Able climbed up on the largest sculpture to check it's interior.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2 Peter and Able inspect one of the specimens.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2. This is another shot of the second cluster of jars at site #2.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. Here the rice paddies make an appealing work of art.

Phonsavan Laos: View from the plane as we approached the airport. This view shows some of the rural farm houses.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1

Phonsavan Laos: This is our Chinese built twin turbo-prop YI-7, flying to Vientiane.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2. This is another shot of the second cluster of jars at site #2.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2 a tree has grown up right through one of the jars.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars site #3 these two little boys became interested in my little camera and posed while I snapped their picture.

Phonsavan Laos: This is the Maly Guest House I chose as they had sent a driver/tout to meet our plane... and I had read in the Lonely Planet guide that it was among the best values: quite basic, but only $20 for their best rooms with all the cold water I cared to use for my showers and plenty of electricity between 18:00 and 23:00. We dined by candle light both in the evening and at breakfast. A cozy open wood fire kept us warm in the dining room.

Phonsavan Laos: This is road to the airport that runs by the Maly Guest House I stayed in for the one night I spent in Phonsavan. As the area is elevated it got quite cold at night.

Phonsavan Laos: This is road to the airport that runs by the Maly Guest House I stayed in for the one night I spent in Phonsavan. Same road, different direction.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1 our tour group walks up the path to where the jars are located.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1 Able holds up one finger to mark the first site, part of which can be seen in the background.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. This specimen may have been one of the rare casualties of war.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. Most of the jars remain intact, though all show the results of weathering.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. Every jar is unique. Some are taller than a foreign tourist.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. The experts do not agree on the probably purpose of the jars thought to be four or five thousand years old. Everyone in our small tour group had plenty of ideas, though.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. This is a second cluster of jars; there were three at site #1.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #1. In addition to the standard guesses of "coffins," grain storage, and wine vats; we came up with musical instruments, flower planters, and mosquito breeding containers (most had stagnant water standing in them).

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2 check-in shack where attendants collected about thirty-five cents admission fees from each of us.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2 path to the jars.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2. Peter inspects one of two examples of "writing" connected with the culture that created the jars.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2 Peter inspects one of two examples of "writing" connected with the culture that created the jars.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2. Except for these two carvings, no "writing" connected with the culture that created the jars has been found.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2 Peter and one of the two British girls look around.

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2

Phonsavan Laos: At the Plains of Jars, site #2. This is a shot of the second cluster of jars at site #2.