“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination...”- Tommy Lasorda
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| (Phonsavan Plane of Jars - Some jars are still in great shape) |
Route: Phonsavan – Luang Prabang
Distance: 265 km
Hotel: Sabaidee Guesthouse, Luang Prabang
07:00 - Breakfast in the hotel room. Cooked rice for lunch later.
07:30 - Checked out and drove to Site One Plain of Jars. It was misty early in the morning. The weather was extremely chilly, well below 10°C.
07:30 - Checked out and drove to Site One Plain of Jars. It was misty early in the morning. The weather was extremely chilly, well below 10°C.
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| (Foggy morning and wet slippery road) |
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| (Limited visibility, beware of school children by the road side) |
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| (Zipping up our jackets in the car) |
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| (Arriving at Plain of Jar site 1) |
08:00 - Bought entrance tickets at the Plane of Jar Visitors Centre. We were the first to arrive at the site. The information Centre is very good in describing theories about the purpose of the giant jars and their existence. It was interesting to learn how the jars have been destroyed by the huge amount of US bombing in the area.
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| (Plain of Jars Visitor Centre) |
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| (The museum is interesting and simple) |
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| (We were the first to visit the site) |
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| (A lot of information of the sites) |
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| (Early photographs of visitors at the site) |
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| (The rediscovery of the jars at various sites) |
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| (Detail descriptions of various sites) |
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| (The remnants of American bombs on display) |
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| (Some artifacts found at the sites) |
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| (Illustrations of the burial rituals) |
08:30 - Boarded the tram for a short ride to Site One, the most popular site among the Plain of Jars. Spent almost an hour at the site. The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of the Xiangkhoang Plateau. The jars are arranged in clusters ranging in number from one to several hundred. Although their purpose is not known with certainty, archaeologists believe they were used as urns in burial rituals.
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| (The tram is available at certain intervals) |
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| (A short climb to the hill top) |
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| (Great views of surrounding area from higher ground) |
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| (The site is in the middle of nowhere) |
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| (Some jars were vandalised and broken) |
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| (The whole area was extensively bombed by the Americans) |
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| (Nobody knows the actual reason for the existence of the jars) |
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| (Site 1 has a cave as well) |
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| (A myth of the cups of giants or UFO) |
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| (Some jars are whole, some are broken) |
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| (Beware of unexploded bombs when walking around the site) |
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| (Curious to know what's inside) |
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| (The jars are made from rocks in varying shapes and sizes) |
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| (Site 1 is the most impressive compared to the other two) |
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| (A guide is not necessary for the visit) |
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| (A unique and mystical experience) |
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| (Going back to civilisation by tram) |
09:15 - Started driving out of Phonsavan towards Luang Prabang through the mountainous winding road. The first part is actually pleasant as the road is pretty good. As the curves and corners start, the mountain steeply incline and there were landslides covering the road with rocks and mud. Construction works are ongoing presumably to repair damaged part of the road. Regardless, the journey itself is fascinating with great views of the countryside.
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| (Pleasant drive across the country) |
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| (The road is good at the beginning) |
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| (Sit back and enjoy the view) |
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| (The start of the steep climb) |
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| (The road passes in between houses) |
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| (Narrow road and can be quite busy) |
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| (A neat row of small unoccupied huts) |
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| (30km/hr when approaching schools) |
13:10 - Stopped by the roadside in Phoukhoune to have rice and sambal bilis lunch and performed our prayers. At a latitude of 1,108 above sea level, the weather was cool and fresh.
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| (Prayer break by the road side on top of the mountain) |
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| (Rice and sambal tumis for lunch) |
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| (Continue driving through villages) |
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| (Children and adults taking their bath by the road side) |
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| (The road through the mountainous forest) |
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| (Dirt and mud covering certain stretches of the road) |
16:00 - Stopped at a viewpoint in Xieng Ngeun for coffee break and a short rest.
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| (Having hot coffee from our flask) |
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| (A small hut at the viewpoint) |
17:00 - Arrived Luang Prabang at dusk. Luang Prabang overlooks the mighty Mekong. It is formerly a royal town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The French colonial buildings in Luang Prabang have been beautifully restored to their original glory.
18:45 - Checked in Sabaidee Guesthouse for Kip150,000/night.. Walked to Nisha Restaurant to pack spicy fish curry for dinner.
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| (A cool refreshing weather) |
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| (Waiting for our spicy fish curry) |
19:30 - Had dinner in the room. It was a little chilly in the middle of the night to stroll the night market.
GPS Coordinates:
ReplyDeletePlain of Jars (19.425575, 103.158906)
Sabaidee Guesthouse (19.88395, 102.13307)
Nisha halal Indian Restaurant (19.886048, 102.136207)