Phonsavan

No Worries with Ian at the Helm


After the brutally long 12 hour bus ride to Phonsavan, settled in at a nice little hotel, the White Orchid.  Managed to bargain the 200,000 kip room ($25) down to 150,000 ($18.75).  While I'd only expected to spend a night or two there, I wound up spending four nights.  Phonsavan doesn't get very good press in the guide books, but I found it a real Lao industrial//farming town with more than adequate tourist facilities.  A big bonus was the Hmong New Year celebration which lasts two weeks.  They had the cheesiest of carnivals with rigged gambling games and tons of inferior Chinese junk for sale.  There are plenty of quality guest houses that seem not to get any mention in the various guides or online sites, most at typical Lao prices of around $10/night for a twin or double room.  A local bar, Bamboozled, provides evening entertainment including an open mic and there are dozens of inexpensive restaurants, the best of which was Nisha, a fine Indian joint which was praised by my British friends and Jules (an Indian chick I met in Nong Kiaw).  Ian, Dan and I decided to rent motorcycles to visit the Plain of Jars (the sole reason most tourists come to Phonsavan) and some local villages.  After seeing 334 jars at site 1, it seemed pointless to head to the other two main sites, so we just hit the road and visited villages that see few tourists, based on the gaping stares and excited children.

 

Bunch of Jars All Over

Hittin' the Back Streets E of Town

With Scenery Like This, Who Needs National Parks?

Dan Goes Up Against Master Asian Gamblers, Fares Well

 I let Ian do the driving and held on tight and all was well.  Just a terrific day in all and one of my favorite in Lao, since they're both great guys; despite a large age gap, we really got on well.  After the ride, we watched one of the afore-mentioned films on the secret war in Lao, then headed for the carny where Dan won a few kip.  Then it was on to Bamboozled for some drinks and music featuring the Asian National Anthem, Hotel California (I defy anyone to see a cover artist in this part of the world and not hear Hotel California within minutes of arriving....if royalties were paid, the Eagles would make $3 a year in the US and $3,000,000 over here).  Dan and Ian headed out the following day, but I was pumped up enough to rent my first motorcycle since 1986 (I've tended to fall off of them over the years) in order to visit the other two Plain of Jars sites.  What I didn't calculate was that of the 100 kms I rode, 70 were on dirt roads.  Of course I dumped the bike by running it into a ditch, but with no damage to the bike and only a scraped arm, bruised thigh and bruised ego.  Hey, at least 99.99% of the ride went perfectly!  The other sites were worth a visit, with one being on top of a ridge with spectacular 360 degree views and the other involving a trek through rice paddies. Spent the next day recuperating from a cold I caught on the bus from Sam Neau and then off to Luang Prabang.  One real treat on this trip has been running into many folks I've met in other parts of the N of Laos, away from the typical tourist trail which involves Vientiane, maybe Vang Vieng, and always Luang Prabang.  There's a very real Lao out there, but you won't find it without a little work.

Oy!  Why I Continue to Ride Motorcycles is One of Life's Mysteries