Tim & Gerri's Wild Ride
Email Gerri:
  • Home
  • Worldwide Travel
    • Ireland & UK 2019 >
      • Ireland & UK Itineray
      • Ireland & UK Blog
      • Ireland & UK Blog Summary
      • Ireland & UK Packing List
    • France 2018 >
      • France Itinerary
      • France 2018 Blog
      • Blog Summary
    • European Tour 2017 >
      • European Vacation Blog
      • Blog Summary
    • Southeast Asia 2014-15 >
      • Southeast Asia Blog
      • Packing List
      • Blog Summary
    • Afghanistan 2011-12
  • United States Travel
    • Great Lakes Sail 2020
    • Trans-America Bicycle Ride >
      • Trans-America Bicycle Ride Blog
      • Blog Summary
      • Our Team
      • Equipment
      • Breweries Along Route
    • Pacific Crest Trail >
      • Pacific Crest Trail 2016 >
        • What is the PCT? - 2016
        • Why Hike the PCT? - 2016
        • Gear - 2016
        • Itinerary - 2016
        • Blog - 2016
        • PCT Blog Summary - 2016
        • Where are we now? - 2016
      • Pacific Crest Trail 2014 >
        • What is the PCT?
        • Why Hike the PCT?
        • Gear
        • Food
        • Itinerary
        • PCT Blog
        • Blog Summary
        • Where are we now?
    • Motorcycle Ride 2014 >
      • Motorcycle Blog
  • Brewery Visits
    • 2021 Breweries
    • 2020 Breweries
    • 2019 Breweries
    • 2018 Breweries
    • 2017 Breweries
    • 2016 Breweries
    • 2015 Breweries
    • 2014 Breweries
    • 2013 Breweries
    • 2012 Breweries
    • 2011 Breweries
    • 2010 Breweries
    • 2009 Breweries
    • 2008 Breweries
    • 2007 Breweries
    • 2006 Breweries
    • 2005 Breweries
    • 2004 Breweries
    • 2003 Breweries
    • 2002 Breweries

Phonsavan - Home to Jars and UXOs

2/2/2015

2 Comments

 
31 January - 1 February 2015
We are about to go off the beaten path in the country of Laos that is already off the beaten path.  The only thing that sits in the way is the 8 hour van ride on a twisty mountain road...thus the "off the beaten path".  Most people traveling around Laos skip the northeast of the country because the travel is slow and tiring, but not us.  The trip started out great when only 6 people boarded the van...at least we will have plenty of room for the trip.

The good parts of the drive are the incredible scenery and when we drive through villages.  This picture was taken out our window while we were passing through a village:
Picture
And here is our lunch stop:
Picture
Picture
After enduring 8 hours of being in a constant turn we made it to Phonsavan.  We checked into our hotel and then decided to check out the UXO Information Centre run by the British organization MAG (Mines Advisory Group).  For those of you that don't know, a UXO is an unexploded ordinance and there are supposedly millions of these lying all over Laos and in particular in this northeast area of Laos.  According to MAG, Laos is the most heavily bombed country, per capita, in history.  Here are some scary statistics:
  • The US performed more than 580,000 bombing missions on Laos from 1964 to 1973 during the Vietnam War.
  • That's equivalent to one bombing mission every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years.
  • Over two million tons of ordnance was dropped on the country, with up to 30 percent failing to explode as designed.
  • More than 270 million cluster munitions (or ‘bombies’, as they are known locally) were used; up to 80 million failed to detonate, remaining live and in the ground after the end of the war.
  • Approximately 25 per cent of the country's villages are contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO).
  • From the end of the war in 1974 to 2008, more than 20,000 people were killed or injured as a result of UXO accidents.
  • There have been approximately 300 new casualties annually over the last decade.
  • Over the last decade 40 per cent of total casualties were children.
After walking around the exhibit and watching a film about the subject we were compelled to purchase a t-shirt to help the cause.  We then went next door and purchased a scarf with the proceeds going directly to families that have been affected by UXOs.

After that eye-opening experience we went for dinner where I experienced river weed for the first time.  It is like seaweed, but from a river so it isn't very salty, but it was delicious.
Picture
The next morning we set out on a tour to see a Hmong village, Tham Piu Cave, and Plain of Jars Site 1.

First the Hmong village.  Some of the more interesting things in this village is how they use bombs for everyday objects.  Also, notice the last picture of this group.  These villagers, according to our tour guide, is preparing some kind of root that someone in the U.S. ordered to help with lowering blood pressure.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Bombs to grow gardens in.
Picture
Bombs as a fence.
Picture
Playing catch with a village child.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Preparing root to send to U.S.
Next we stopped at Tham Piu Cave where during the so-called Secret War on 24 November 1969, a single rocket fired from a US aircraft killed an estimated 374 people, rumoured to be an entire village, who had taken refuge in the cave. 
Picture
Picture
Finally, the star of the day, a visit to Plain of Jars Site 1, a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos.  No one knows what civilization made these jars, but it is believe they date back to 500 BCE.  There are more than 90 jar sites, but site 1 has the largest concentration: 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Oh...this place is one of the areas the US bombed intensely, so it is important to stay within the "lines".  We are supposed to walk on the paths on the side of the white stripe:
Picture
After Plain of Jars we returned to Phonsavan, had dinner, and called it a night.  Tomorrow we must endure a 10 hour, 155 mile van ride to Sam Neua for yet another "off the beaten path" adventure.
2 Comments
Mary Mack
2/13/2015 07:45:55 am

Thought provoking and humbling. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Rod Cox
2/21/2015 03:21:08 am

Very sobering. This tragedy will not end for generations. May God have mercy on us.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    background info
    Packing list

    Archives

    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.