BESIDE BEING THE BASE TO EXPLORE THE ARCHEOLOGICAL WONDER OF THE PLAIN OF JARS,PHONSAVAN WAS THE CENTRE OF THE CIA TRAINED HMONG ARMY WHO WAGED A WAR AGAINST THE COMMUNIST PATHET LAO WHO EVOLVED INTO THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT.MOST PEOPLE FLED THE AREA TO RETURN AT THE END OF THE WAR.THE "SECRET WAR" IN LAOS SAW THE US DROP MORE BOMBS ON THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL AND PHONSAVAN AREA THAN ALL ORDINANCE TOTALLED IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. WITH 30% UNEXPLODED-300 PEOPLE ARE KILLED A YEAR ACCIDENTALLY OR IN THE ILLEGAL GLEANING OF SCRAP METAL .EVERY BUSINESS WORTH ITS SALT IS ADORNED WITH BOMBS,PLANTS GROW IN THEM AND FIELDS ARE BORDERED WITH BOMB FENCEPOSTS!!
BOMBIES OR CLUSTER BOMBS. EACH TENNIS BALL SIZED BOMB FULL OF BALL-BEARINGS AROUND EXPLOSIVE- CAN KILL IN A 20M RADIUS.
CLEARANCE OF UXO (UNEXPLODED ORDINANCE) ON THE TRACKS AROUND SITES 1,2 AND 3 WAS FINANCED BY NZ.OF THE 90 PLAIN OF JARS SITES ONLY 7 ARE LIMITEDLY SAFE TO VISIT.
2500 LARGE JARS REMAIN OVER A SCATTERED ROLLING HILL COUNTRY -NOT A PLAIN AT ALL. RECENT DISCOVERY OF PARTLY CONSTRUCTED ONES FROM A HILL SOME 10 KM DISTANT SUGGEST THEY WERE CARVED FROM THE SOLID VOLCANIC ROCK AND TRANSPORTED BY ELEPHANT.THIS IS THE BIGGEST HAI JEUM 2.5M HIGH AND 6 TONNES. THE WORKMANSHIP IS VERY VARIABLE SO MANY INVOLVED IN PRODUCTION.SCRATCH MARKS OF THE IRON TOOLS ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE. IRON AGE 200BC-500AD.USE UNKNOWN -DEFINITELY LIQUID-I LIKE TO THINK FOR FERMENTING AND OR STORING RICE WINE.SOME HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED UP IN ASSAM INDIA WITH SALT STORED IN.
MAG MARKERS ALONG THE TRAILS.RED SIDE DANGER ZONE.
DOZENS WERE DESTROYED IN THE WAR.
VERY FEW LIDS REMAIN -EASY TO DESTROY OR RECYCLE!!
SITE 1 POTMARKED WITH BOMB CRATERS AND TRENCHES FROM THE WAR SET UPON A STAGE OF ARCHEOLOGIGAL UNIQUENESS.
SITE 2 BARELY ASSESSIBLE IN THE RAINY SEASON.SET ON PICTURESQUE HILLOCKS,SLOWLY BECOMING ENGULFED BY ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION.
HUGE VARIATION IN THE CRAFTSMANSHIP.SOME EVEN HAD LIDS THAT TURNED AND LOCKED IN PLACE.
LAO LOUM (VALLEY LAO PEOPLE) MAINLY WET RICE AND LIVESTOCK FARMING.
LAO LOUM COLLECTIVE FARMING VILLAGE.
REMAINS OF RUSSIAN TANK.LIKE ALL THE WAR DEBRIS A LOT HAS BEEN TAKEN AT HUGE LOSS OF LIFE FOR SCRAP METAL.NEAR SITE 2 THERE IS A VILLAGE THAT MAKES KNIVES AND FORKS FROM MELTED DOWN AIRCRAFT BODIES. GREAT SOUVENIRS!!
FURTHER EXAMPLE OF PRAGMATISM.I FIRST SAW THIS IN NORTH VIETNAM.THE HOLE IN MIDDLE AND BACKGROUND ARE BOMB CRATERS.MANY WERE FILLED IN BUT SOME PUT A WALL AROUND AND THROW IN SOME FISH.RICE FARMERS BECAME TWO-TIER FARMERS AND INCOME DOUBLED!!
WE VISITED A VILLAGER WHO DOES VERY WELL MAKING SIMPLE RICE WHISKEY.THE OLD LADY WILL HAVE PAID FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HOUSE WITH THE PROCEEDS OF A TUB OR WORT A DAYIN THREE YEARS.HERE IS THE CONTAINERS WITH 20KG OF FERMENTING RICE AND WATER.FERMENTATION ABOUT 6 DAYS.
THE SIMPLE INGENEOUS STILL.WORT INTO A 44 GALLON DRUM OVER A SLOW WOOD FIRE.COLD WATER IN A WOK IS THE LID. ALCOHOL CONDENSES ON BOTTOM OF COLD WOK AND DRIPS OT SHOVEL LIKE COLLECTOR FASHIONED INTO A TUBE WHICH LEADS TO OUTSIDE.GOT ME THINKING!!
SAMPLING THE FINISHED PRODUCT.VERY SMOOTH.THE LADY DRINKS IT EVERY DAY.GOOD FOR HEALTH -SHE IS ONLY 21!!
BESIDE BEING THE BASE TO EXPLORE THE ARCHEOLOGICAL WONDER OF THE PLAIN OF JARS,PHONSAVAN WAS THE CENTRE OF THE CIA TRAINED HMONG ARMY WHO WAGED A WAR AGAINST THE COMMUNIST PATHET LAO WHO EVOLVED INTO THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT.MOST PEOPLE FLED THE AREA TO RETURN AT THE END OF THE WAR.THE "SECRET WAR" IN LAOS SAW THE US DROP MORE BOMBS ON THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL AND PHONSAVAN AREA THAN ALL ORDINANCE TOTALLED IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. WITH 30% UNEXPLODED-300 PEOPLE ARE KILLED A YEAR ACCIDENTALLY OR IN THE ILLEGAL GLEANING OF SCRAP METAL .EVERY BUSINESS WORTH ITS SALT IS ADORNED WITH BOMBS,PLANTS GROW IN THEM AND FIELDS ARE BORDERED WITH BOMB FENCEPOSTS!!
BOMBIES OR CLUSTER BOMBS. EACH TENNIS BALL SIZED BOMB FULL OF BALL-BEARINGS AROUND EXPLOSIVE- CAN KILL IN A 20M RADIUS.
CLEARANCE OF UXO (UNEXPLODED ORDINANCE) ON THE TRACKS AROUND SITES 1,2 AND 3 WAS FINANCED BY NZ.OF THE 90 PLAIN OF JARS SITES ONLY 7 ARE LIMITEDLY SAFE TO VISIT.
2500 LARGE JARS REMAIN OVER A SCATTERED ROLLING HILL COUNTRY -NOT A PLAIN AT ALL. RECENT DISCOVERY OF PARTLY CONSTRUCTED ONES FROM A HILL SOME 10 KM DISTANT SUGGEST THEY WERE CARVED FROM THE SOLID VOLCANIC ROCK AND TRANSPORTED BY ELEPHANT.THIS IS THE BIGGEST HAI JEUM 2.5M HIGH AND 6 TONNES. THE WORKMANSHIP IS VERY VARIABLE SO MANY INVOLVED IN PRODUCTION.SCRATCH MARKS OF THE IRON TOOLS ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE. IRON AGE 200BC-500AD.USE UNKNOWN -DEFINITELY LIQUID-I LIKE TO THINK FOR FERMENTING AND OR STORING RICE WINE.SOME HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED UP IN ASSAM INDIA WITH SALT STORED IN.
MAG MARKERS ALONG THE TRAILS.RED SIDE DANGER ZONE.
DOZENS WERE DESTROYED IN THE WAR.
VERY FEW LIDS REMAIN -EASY TO DESTROY OR RECYCLE!!
SITE 1 POTMARKED WITH BOMB CRATERS AND TRENCHES FROM THE WAR SET UPON A STAGE OF ARCHEOLOGIGAL UNIQUENESS.
SITE 2 BARELY ASSESSIBLE IN THE RAINY SEASON.SET ON PICTURESQUE HILLOCKS,SLOWLY BECOMING ENGULFED BY ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION.
HUGE VARIATION IN THE CRAFTSMANSHIP.SOME EVEN HAD LIDS THAT TURNED AND LOCKED IN PLACE.
LAO LOUM (VALLEY LAO PEOPLE) MAINLY WET RICE AND LIVESTOCK FARMING.
LAO LOUM COLLECTIVE FARMING VILLAGE.
REMAINS OF RUSSIAN TANK.LIKE ALL THE WAR DEBRIS A LOT HAS BEEN TAKEN AT HUGE LOSS OF LIFE FOR SCRAP METAL.NEAR SITE 2 THERE IS A VILLAGE THAT MAKES KNIVES AND FORKS FROM MELTED DOWN AIRCRAFT BODIES. GREAT SOUVENIRS!!
FURTHER EXAMPLE OF PRAGMATISM.I FIRST SAW THIS IN NORTH VIETNAM.THE HOLE IN MIDDLE AND BACKGROUND ARE BOMB CRATERS.MANY WERE FILLED IN BUT SOME PUT A WALL AROUND AND THROW IN SOME FISH.RICE FARMERS BECAME TWO-TIER FARMERS AND INCOME DOUBLED!!
WE VISITED A VILLAGER WHO DOES VERY WELL MAKING SIMPLE RICE WHISKEY.THE OLD LADY WILL HAVE PAID FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HOUSE WITH THE PROCEEDS OF A TUB OR WORT A DAYIN THREE YEARS.HERE IS THE CONTAINERS WITH 20KG OF FERMENTING RICE AND WATER.FERMENTATION ABOUT 6 DAYS.
THE SIMPLE INGENEOUS STILL.WORT INTO A 44 GALLON DRUM OVER A SLOW WOOD FIRE.COLD WATER IN A WOK IS THE LID. ALCOHOL CONDENSES ON BOTTOM OF COLD WOK AND DRIPS OT SHOVEL LIKE COLLECTOR FASHIONED INTO A TUBE WHICH LEADS TO OUTSIDE.GOT ME THINKING!!
SAMPLING THE FINISHED PRODUCT.VERY SMOOTH.THE LADY DRINKS IT EVERY DAY.GOOD FOR HEALTH -SHE IS ONLY 21!!
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