Among the Jars

Although I was slightly terrified about getting behind the wheel of another motorbike this morning, I knew that I have to master driving in order to get anywhere around here.  After waking up and washing my clothes Laos style (Dr. Bronner's in the sink), I got ready to meet Viengmany for our days adventure.

Waiting for Youla to get ready, we prepped the motorbikes, got our helmets, unlocked the many gates into the compound and got the engine running.  Our first stop was a French Hotel, perched up on the mountainside, overlooking Phonsavahn.  The weather was absolutely spectacular: crisp air, warm sun and slight breeze.  Reminded me of fall except for the lack of foliage!

Years ago, Viengmany worked as a waitress at the french restaurant in the complex. I think that at the time, it was in it's prime.  Now, with the lack of tourists and overgrown shrubbery, it looks more abandoned than functioning.  Regardless, we had a great view of the rice fields and surrounding hills. 

Viengmany and I at the French "Hotel" overlooking Phonsavahn

Getting back on the bikes, we rode over to another guesthouse resort which was also quiet.  At both places, the rental cottages on the property were quaint and more modern looking, with electricity and a log-cabin exterior.  Hopefully they will get more business as tourist season picks up in the next month.

The peaceful cottage on the hillside! The marigolds remind me of fall in New England!

As we were walking around the property, Youla nearly walked into a human size spider web, guarded by one of the gnarliest black and yellow spotted spiders I have ever seen.  I screamed, he jumped aside and all of us ended up laughing.  Needless to say, my interest in trekking around immediately diminished and we got back on the bikes to head for lunch.

While there are tons of "restaurants" around here, I feel like they only eat at four of them and we ended up again at the fairgrounds.  This time I told Viengmany to order for me and specifically stressed that it had no pork, no meat.  When the food arrived, I had some sort of pork omelette on a bed of rice, which I picked at, pulling out the scarce veggies.  It was fine, but I got really excited when we walked out and saw a kettle corn salesman on the corner.  All three of us bought bags of the fresh kettle corn and it was amazing.  Here they sweeten it with something resembling coconut milk which it amazing.  With our bags of popcorn in tow, we got back on our bikes and headed to Plain of Jars.

Although I had been riding on the back of the bike all morning, Viengmany got off and let me drive the rest of the way on the empty road.  Being on paved road was much easier than driving in the gravel parking lot of the office and I was able to safely maintain my speed and shift gears.  It also helps that I now know there is a foot brake!

We pulled into the Plain of Jars and I paid my 10,000 Kip entrance fee.  Site 1, located in Thong Hai Hin, is one of the largest and thus most famous sites.  Most of the tourists who come to visit the Jars come to this site en route to Vietnam or as a day trip from Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. When we first arrived, there were only a few people, but soon after a bus pulled in and the place got a bit more crowded.

Site 1 has about 250 jars spread out over a wide field and hill side.  Its hard to estimate the size of the jars, so I'll just provide some photo evidence.  There is a lot of debate over where the jars came from, what they were used for and who built them.  I joked that very big people used to use them to drink BeerLao... but then where did they get ice?

Plain of Jars, Site 1.

The entire field is pocked with bomb craters and trench lines from the war and the broken jars reside as a living memorial to the destruction that once occurred here. Off to the side of the field is a cave that once housed (maybe?) Vietnamese militants and thus was heavily bombed during the war.  The inside is jagged and the little opening at the top allows for a shadow of light to be cast on the walls.  The entire cave is eerie, the same way walking around the Battle of Gettysburg is haunting.  To top it off, the area has been cleared by MAG and it's scary to think that years later, the place was still a ticking time bomb.  

Don't worry Mom, I stayed on the well trodden path.  

Curiosity got the best of me.  

I drove myself most the way back, before handing the wheel back to Viengmany who decided to tour me around the central marketplace.  The place was busy for a Saturday afternoon and I actually ran into a tourist group of Hmong people from Georgia.  Hearing english was a nice surprise.  While the market sells your average fruits and vegetables of the Lao variety, there are also stalls selling grilled rats, eels (still swimming in the bucket...or scarily slithering around in) and smily crawling things that are sold in a sort of honeycomb.  I didn't want to know what they do with those.  I bought some apples (12,000 Kip for 6) and Viengmany introduced me to her cousin who sells raw chicken.  Now if I want to cook, with my lack of stove, microwave or grill, I know where to buy my meat.

Vegetable stalls in the Phonsavahn Market

From the market we went over to another market which sells clothes as Viengmany insisted she look for a coat.  I am half dreading and half excited about the winter months up here and spending the days bundled in my puffy jacket.  I realize they are totally impractical and outrageous, but I wish i had my Uggs.  The bunny slippers just don't cut it and I'm dying to make a new sinh fashion statement.  

I was able to get another sinh made and am heading to pick it up today. Unfortunately all my other sinh were left at the tailor, who then disappeared to Thailand, before I had to leave for XK.  I guess I'll get them all back when I'm back in the big city.  Since I'll be spending the week with the government, and hosting James from World Education, a sinh was culturally necessary.

Exhausted from wandering around the market, I came back to the office to enjoy a nice cuppa (tea) and watch an episode of Sherlock.  Yes, that's my newest show addiction.

Around 6:30, Youla knocked on my door and we went out for our third "dinner date."  I say this jokingly because he's 33, married and bored as all get up in Xieng Khouang.  We ended up at Nisha, Mark's favorite Indian restaurant.  It was busy (yay Saturday night!) with farangs and I recognized one of the guys from our iNGO meeting.  The other table was filled with four strangers, all tourists, who were debating who had had the best Lao experience thus far.  None of them had shared a bed with three men on a night bus, but I wasn't going to try and one up them. 

Dinner at Nisha's was fabulous as per usual and the garlic naan was spot on.  I will definitely be getting back there!

We drove back to the office and Youla turned on the tv (i didn't know there was one!) and began watching "The Chronicles of Riddick,"which was terrible but I joined in.  At one point he turned to me and said, "In America, there are many bad people, yes?"  I was horrified that he thought this sci-fy movie was an actual portrayal of Americans and American culture.  Is Vin Diesel the representation of our society?!?! Anyways, I proceeded to tell him that the movie was fake and that the aliens didn't even exist on earth.  I hope he understood.

Surviving the rest of one of Hollywood's worst, I called it a night before getting swept in to another Thai dubbed disaster.  I guess I'll stick to Senglao DVD and my Sherlock series!

Peace, Love, Laos!