Destination Lao: Part 10 Off to the front

Parted company with the great people i met in Vang Vieng today, after what has become our routine dinner at one of the roadside stalls in front of the temple. They were off to Luang Prabang while I would be off to the front to Phonsavanh, a key battlefield during the Indochinese Wars being on the road to Sai Gon.

What did i expect of Phonsavanh, known to locals as Xieng Khouang, being the new capital of the district where it takes its name from, the old one being devastated during the war. War relics and remnants of America's secret war in Laos, i guess, and the unexplained mystery of the Plain of Jars. Moving off at 0930 for an 8 hour (in theory) bus trip to Phonsavanh, and hoping the roads wont be too bad...

The bus failed to turn up. Which left a motley crew of backpackers constantly harassing the ticketing clerks, who supposedly "called" the bus and assured us that it was on its way. "5 minutes" soon stretched into 50.

In the end we managed to charter a minibus for the 7 of us for 75,000 kip each, around 8 US dollars. 5 and a half hours of travel later we arrived at Phonsavanh. The scenery on the road was stunning, winding across a huge mountain range - Just read on the bus that Phonsavanh is 2,000 metres above sea level or so, and one of the coldest places in Lao. Talk about being ill prepared. I wasnt quite expecting a beach, but thought it would at least be tropical.

I was wrong. Quote of the day: I know it was going to be cold, but not this cold. Heard from many a backpacker who had just turned up in town from Vang Vieng clad in the uniform of board shorts and flip flops. They must be doing a roaring trade in jackets and windbreakers here.

Left: A cold and dusty road in Phonsavanh. The photo above was spent shells being given new life as a brazier of sorts outside the place i was staying in Phonsavanh, the Phoukham Guesthouse. Party because i was lazy and it was right across the road from the old bus station where our mini-van stopped.


The place was all right - cheap at 4USD for a big room with a double bed, attached bathroom and hot water that lasts for a total of 10 seconds. Exciting lobby to check out with all the spent shells in a glass cabinet, TV, posters highlighting the dangers of UXO (unexploded ordnance, a major killer in rural areas as farmers attempt to extract scrap metal from them), and a cyber cafe. They also do organise tours to the 3 Plain of Jar sites, for 19 dollars.