LAOS - Cont'd

Tou giving us a run down of the Plain of Jars in Phonsavanh Province. Altogether there are some 92 sites where the jars can be found, of which only 3 are open to the public. We are at Site 2. Site 3 is reachable by walking for about 30 minutes over fair terrain. Many theories exist as to the origin of the jars - for water storage, burial, etc. The explanation passed down through the generations by word of mouth is that a king placed them there for water storage, as this area does not see lots of rain.

The area is inundated with bomb craters like this, probably from a bomb dropped by an American B-52 bomber. The ground appears scorched too because of Agent Orange dropped to destroy trees so that Vietcong soldiers and civilians and trucks along the Ho Chin Minh Trail may be flushed out and bombed. And Laos was not even involved in the Vietnam War. Agent Orange causes defects to foetal development resulting in many children born with deformities, many of whom are alive today.    

Me and my traveling companions at Site 2. The Plain of Jars is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A sample of jars in Site 2. Bombing by American Air Force bombers has destroyed many jars or broken them. Most jar covers were also destroyed.

The effects of Agent Orange are more visible in this pic for even after the war ended in 1973, trees cannot be seen.

On the way to Site One, I captured this image. Planting vegetables is a back-breaking job?

Site One is a relatively small site found on a hilltop.

Wat Piawak in Mouang Khoun with a burnt Buddha statue dating back to 1564. The town was a thriving one in its heydays. Due to wars, the only significant thing left is the Buddha statue for even the wat itself was almost burnt to the ground.

The renowned That Foun Stupa which is about 450 years old. It was once "buried" in jungle until it was re-discovered.

We went to the MAG (Mine Advisory Group) Information Centre in Phonsavanh to see some exhibits and watch a one-hour movie on the effects of American bombing of Laos. Some 2.2m tons of munitions were dropped on the Ho Chin Minh Trail straddling both Vietnam and Laos over 9 years (1964 - '73), every 8 minutes, 24/7. This makes Laos the most densely bombed country per capital in the World! MAG is an NGO from Australia who taught the Laotians how to spot and remove or destroy bombs and mines which have been not been detonated. It is estimated though that to date, only a small percentage (0.3%) of such has been destroyed. People continue to get maimed and killed by bombs and mines left in the ground.

Silkworms at a mulberry farm run as a social enterprise of sorts by a famous Laotian lady who was recognised for her efforts with a Magsaysay Award given by the Philippines. Mulberry leaves are fed to the silkworms and can be made into mulberry tea too.

Silkworm cocoons being boiled to extract the threads to be woven into silk.

This section deals with the process of dying silk. The dyes are organic as they are made from mulberry leaves.

I don't really know what these star wars-looking creatures at the Phonsavanh Market are but they may be some kind of local delicacy. (Afternote: a viewer recently informed me that they are bees in the formative stage)

Pig''s ears and trotters. Will appeal to those who love Saukraut or braced pig's trotters.

A fresh chicken seller in the market. Funnily, most of the stall owners are female. I like the neat arrangements, maybe because the boss is female?