The day has come when I separate from the group and continue my Indochina tour on my own. It's filled with apprehension as I met the guys the last time for breakfast before they start their journey back to the border. Can I do this? After a tough Vietnam ride, it did got me thinking, maybe I should head back with the guys and come back up end of the year with Husref. Then again, that would mean not stepping out of my comfort zone and experience it for myself. So stay on it is then....
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| The bike cuts a lonely figure after the rest left |
Decided to stay another day at Phonsavan as I check out the plain of jars and as it's nearby I took my time and went for coffee first. I sit here in a cafe and an American Lao joins me with his nephew and nieces. He asks me the usual questions, where I'm from and bla bla bla then asks me whether I have a girlfriend, for a moment I had my hopes up that when I tell him no he'll introduce me to his nieces........he doesn't.....damn. Cut my steam la.
It's 9.30am and they ordered a really big spread and when I enquired he explains they combine breakfast and lunch and the next meal will be at 4. I hate to break it to him that in other parts of the world it's called brunch, a not entirely new concept.
What i find amazing is that their small chili is really really hot, if you think our cili padi is hot theirs is hotter. I'm not sure where they are on the scoville scale but their chili kicks our chili's ass. Yet these Laotians are eating them like tic tacs. Heck they even dip the chili in chili paste....nuts.
Since I'm on my own, I thought it'd be best to check out the Tourist Information office and get some free maps. This is the first tourist office that I've been to that looks more like an ammunitions dump.
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| Don't worry, me no touch |
This is a serious problem in Laos. UXO or Unexploded Ordinance. There's just so much that was dropped that many lay unexploded, killing or maiming people every year until now. It does hamper development when a simple act of digging a hole can prove to be fatal.
There are organizations dedicated to clearing the country of these UXO and you can do your bit by contributing to them. Though in my opinion since America happily dropped all those shit here, they should come back and pick it up now that the war is over.
There's a few plain of jars site in Phonsavan with site 1 being the easiest to access and honestly after you've seen one jar, you've seen it all. So plain of jars, check.
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| Bomb crater |
Even here, at a tourist attraction you get constant reminders to walk along paths that's been cleared by MAG (Mines Advisory Group), so you can have an idea of how serious this problem that the people of Laos have to live with.
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| White=good, Red=bad |
It's true that when you travel alone it forces you out of your comfort zone and you start talking to people. Met Rudi an American who's travelling from Phnom Penh on his motorbike. He's doing a cool thing in Cambodia by bringing medicine to villages and treating the sick for free. He currently has 5 villages that he rotates on his rounds. I'm interested to follow him on his rounds in my next trip to Cambodia and see for myself.
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| Rudi |
Ok that's Phonsavan done, oh ya did I tell you it's freaking cold here. Just like Sam Neau it drops to single digit at night. It's a bit of a sleepy cowboy town too, so I'm looking forward to heading up to Luang Prabang as everyone who's been there seem to like it a lot.
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| Phonsavan at night |
2 comments:
Ride on, C'Qun!
semestinya!
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