Laos is everything I dreamed it would be. I’m so incredibly excited to be here and wish that we had more time. A fantastic plane ride from Vietnam brought us over the rolling mountains. We arrived in Luang Prabang at twilight and spent some time wandering through the entrancing night bazaar. All four of us have been practically salivating over the array of textiles, arts and crafts. I’m in heaven.
We’re leaving for Phonsavon tomorrow to view the mysterious Plain of Jars. I’ve been waiting to go to this site for what seems like forever. Since I’m short on time and the computers are slower than anything, I’m going to include a short excerpt from my travel diary from last year.
I really want to go to Laos because I’ve heard that it is an amazing place to visit. I’m particularly excited for the Plain of Jars.
The Plain of Jars is a large area extending around Phonsavan. Several hundred huge stone jars are scattered about and no one knows where they came from. The jars are over 2000 years old and the stone that they are made of can’t be found anywhere within the area! They can weigh as much as six tonnes and may have been used for burial purposes.
There are several theories about the mysterious plain of jars. One legend tells of a race of giants who inhabited the area 1500 – 2000 years ago, ruled by a king by the name of Khun Cheung. Supposedly, the king had the jars created to brew wine. Archaelogists also speculate that the jars could have been used for food storage or burial purposes. It has also been suggested that the jars were used to collect water during monsoon season for caravan travelers passing through the area. There is still no firm explanation as to what purpose these jars served.
The archaelogical site has remained one of the most dangerous in the world because of unexploded bombs strewn throughout the area. This doesn’t seem to have deterred the amount of tourists that visit the Plain of Jars each year. Whatever their purpose, I still think it would be cool to see. For those of you who are interested, Wikipedia has some great information on the Plain of Jars or you could also check out www.asiatour.com for additional information.
So folks, I’m on my way to see the mystery for itself. I’m sure it’s going to be every bit as cool as everything else in this wonderful country.
I worked with a gent who travelled here once and he brought back similar pictures to share. It’s so mysterious, it certainly lends feast to legend and myth. In Burma there are fields of ‘mounds’, again, lost in time. How intriguing!
The photo makes me want to go!!!! I hope you have fun!!