10-22 (Sunday) On the way to the Plain of Jars

We had breakfast, paid for our room and put our suitcases in storage until we get back from Phonsovan (The Plain of Jars.)

Our driver picked us up at 8:00 for our 6 hour trip over the mountains. It was a beautiful drive but it was one hairpin turn after another. It reminded us of going over the mountains in Myanmar except the roads were better. Our driver was great and there were even seat belts in the van - a first.

We stopped at a decent size village for lunch. Joyce and I didn't like anything on the menu so we told the driver to eat while we walked around. I was looking in a shop while some very young girl with a baby strapped to her back stood watching me. I thought I was looking at sarongs or cloth - I lifted the hanger and it was a lovely sundress for a girl. I held it up to the little girl, it looked like it would fit her. I asked the woman how much? She told me $3.50 - I bought it for $2.50 and gave it to the little girl. She seemed happy - she smiled and smiled. The mother came over about then and took the bag with the dress. Hopefully the child got to keep it.

We were back on the road to Phonsovan arriving about 2:30.

We went by a guest house and I went in to look at it. It didn't have air, just a fan so I wanted to keep looking. We went to two more places that were worse. Someone told us that none of the places in Phonsovan have A/C because it is so cool at night. We went back to the first place and took a room for $8 a night.

As soon as we registered and threw our stuff in the room we took off for the1st Jar Field. There were 334 jars at this site which were carved from boulders using a chisel and hammer. There are believed to have been made between 500 BC and 500 AD as vessels for elaborate death rituals. The dead were placed in the urns until the body decomposed before being cremated. We walked down to the cave where the cremations were done. You might wonder if you've seen one jar field haven't you seen them all? In a way yes but I liked the 3rd field the best because it was so much fun getting to it. We had to walk across an old bamboo bridge, walk on a narrow path alo9ng rice patties, climb over bamboo fences, jump over small streams and climb a hill. It was dark by the time we got back from this one.

We went with the driver to eat when we got back to town. Joyce gets car sick so going over the mountains was two days of misery for her.