The open road

Trip Start Dec 01, 2004
1
24
30
Trip End Apr 08, 2005


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Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Thursday, February 17, 2005

This was one of the most fun things we had done so far. Racing through the mountains was exciting and sometimes frightening; hugging the curves or swerving around oncoming buses, the adrenaline was always rushing.

It is so much better to be on a bike than on a bus! We could stop and go whenever we wanted to take a rest, eat a bit, take a pee, or enjoy the views. We thought we could make it to see the Plain of Jars and back before dark, but it didn't happen. The ride was 5 hours and we had gotten a late start. By the time we got to Phonsavan, I was exhausted and stiff and hungry and needed a rest. It took us an hour to find our guest house but once we were there we saw it was worth the effort because our friends Amie and Pearse were there too! We relaxed and chatted the evening away.

We were up early to get to the jars, but the bike's battery was dead because Gino left the lights on 01 - He said he felt like James Bond
01 - He said he felt like James Bond
 . So, he spent about 20 minutes running up and down the road trying to roll start it. Finally, he talked a tuk-tuk driver into letting him be pulled behind the tuk-tuk until he got up enough speed to start the bike. We let it run while we had breakfast and then we were off to see the jars.

The Plain of Jars is a soon-to-be UNESCO heritage site. There are 3 sites, 2/3 of which have been cleared of UXO's (unexploded ordinance). The sites contain hundreds of giant stone jars which are theorized to be ancient burial urns. Nobody is entirely sure exactly what they were for, but it is certain that they're huge and impressive. They were quarried from a river bed miles away. We visited sites 1 and 3, the latter not completely cleared of UXO's. Talk about watch your step.
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