Plain of Jars

The logic was that although I was the only one without a licence, I still had the most experience driving "manual", or anything close to a 1970s Jeep. Result: Jeeps on dirt roads are cool. I didn't even make it roll!

There was only one point I wasn't so sure of myself; when our guide, Khong, took a little too long to answer the question "This road has been cleared of mines, right?"

No one really knows why the jars were built, but the assumption is that they were used as giant funeral Urns. Walking around, I kept on thinking of how much the place reminded me of the fields full of Megalithic tombs in southern Sligo.

If they were in the middle of 100s of thousands of Unexploded Ordinance (UXOs) The Mines Advisory Group, partly funded by Irish Aid, is working to clear the area so it can get World Heritage status. But as Laos is the most heavily bombed country in History, this is going to take some time. I did learn from our guide, Mr. Khong, that American Cluster bomb casings do make excellent BBQ Grills, horse feeds, House stilts, and Aqueducts. Provided they don't first blow up in your face when you move them. And his final bit of insight: In Laos, the rich don't go to jail, and the poor don't go to hospital.

Until then, DO NOT WALK OUTSIDE OF THE WHITE MARKERS.

It started to pour rain half way through the day, so we didn't stay long, and the others hid in the relative shelter on the other side of this monster.

"This is not the dog's bollox, this is just bollox". Khong said, while also also claiming that it wasn't raining, but just mist. Definitely, if you vist the area, he is one character that will make your trip.

Even when we were stuck by the side of the road for a half hour after the lady at the petrol station poured Diesel into the Petrol jeeps tank, we were still having fun.

Draining an engine: A life skill.

Got back into Phonsavan for the last bus for Vang Vieng, and the town's speciality, bbq Swallow.
Tastes like Liver.

I hate Liver.