Phonsavan - Plain of jars

Day 78 - 04/02/2016
Dien Bien Phu and Tuan Gyao

Phonsavan is a provincial town relevant for both its war scars ( as one of the most contaminated  province by unexploded bombs dropped by USA ) and unique archaeological sites, which date from ca. 2000 years ago.

Need some scrap metal ?

Everywhere one can find rests of UXO ( Unexploded Ordnance ) as decorative or constructive objects ( for example as base of houses... )

Cluster bombs shells as house pillars

After having sorted bed in Nice GH for 55.000 kips and motorbike for the next day, we visited QLACenter ( Quality of Life Association ) where we watched a touching movie about Laotian people who suffered from accidents caused by UXO. Most of these people are very poor and this association helps them to get medical, psychological and financial support.

Did you know ?

Next day, we rode through the Plain of Jars and visited 2 of its 3 (sites 1,2) most famous archaeological sites, which consist of hundreds of limestone, sandstone and granite jars scattered in the fields (they are thought to be old funerary urns).

Giant's beer cups

Fully grown man can fit inside

Tati documenting hundreds of jars for future generations

No beer left ?

1m wide path is marked by MAG markers and only there one can be sure that it’s been cleared of UXO, while most of the terrain around Phonsavan still bears this undesirable war legacy.

Make sure you stay on the "white" side of this mark

Stay far away of land marked red

At the end of the day we had still some time to visit MAG office ( Mines Advisory Group ), one of the few organisations helping with the clearance of the terrain where we watched MAG documentary on the topic - Surviving the Peace

Surrounding area of Jar site 2

Farming is not that safe, weaving is