After the crazy time in VV...it was time to get back to seeing the REAL sites of Laos....next stop, Phonsavan. Also known as being the home to the Plain of Jars.
The Plains are very interesting, and I learned some good history today. At one point there was a "secret war" and America bombed Laos more than it has bombed ANY other country. Already - I thought, "Well, I did NOT learn that in History Class!!"
Once at the Plains - I got to see these Giant Stone "Jars". They date back to a time where it's been thought of that they were used for Tombs, and would bury people in them.
Well, that has nothing to do with the war.
The town was so bombed during the war, that even years later the unexploded bombs would go off, and the locals would die or be injured. So, the MAG group (which was really just women recruited for this job) were brought in to search out the bombs and remove them. The Village would hear the bombs go over and get excited, because once MAG would be done - they could live a safe life and not worry about bombs exploding on their walk to the market. There was even one bomb large enough that an elephant had been brought in to remove it! Pretty interesting, huh???
Well, there are still some that haven't been uncovered, so you HAVE to stay on the paths (no worries for me, I wasn't risking it!. The safe area was marked with small MAG cement blocks....it represented a bomb that the group had found and removed, and it was safe to walk there. THERE WERE SOO MANY!!! Every few feet there would be one or two.
So, the Plains not only have unexploded bombs - they also have ruins from CENTURIES ago....what a mix of interesting stuff.
Sabadii,
Apes :)
The Plains are very interesting, and I learned some good history today. At one point there was a "secret war" and America bombed Laos more than it has bombed ANY other country. Already - I thought, "Well, I did NOT learn that in History Class!!"
Once at the Plains - I got to see these Giant Stone "Jars". They date back to a time where it's been thought of that they were used for Tombs, and would bury people in them.
Well, that has nothing to do with the war.
The town was so bombed during the war, that even years later the unexploded bombs would go off, and the locals would die or be injured. So, the MAG group (which was really just women recruited for this job) were brought in to search out the bombs and remove them. The Village would hear the bombs go over and get excited, because once MAG would be done - they could live a safe life and not worry about bombs exploding on their walk to the market. There was even one bomb large enough that an elephant had been brought in to remove it! Pretty interesting, huh???
Well, there are still some that haven't been uncovered, so you HAVE to stay on the paths (no worries for me, I wasn't risking it!. The safe area was marked with small MAG cement blocks....it represented a bomb that the group had found and removed, and it was safe to walk there. THERE WERE SOO MANY!!! Every few feet there would be one or two.
So, the Plains not only have unexploded bombs - they also have ruins from CENTURIES ago....what a mix of interesting stuff.
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| One of the MANY Jars |
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| Trench Line from the Secret War |
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| See the white stone? There's where a bomb was recovered...there's 3 of them just in this tiny strip of land itself |
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| TONS of Jars!!! |
Apes :)
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