Sunday, April 6, 2014
We had a lovely long drive through the mountains from Phonsavan to Xam Neua. Only 240 kms in distance, but average speed was around 40 kph, so it took 6 hours to do the drive and an hour or so of stops. The road had many twists and turns, and quite a number of potholes. But the road was remarkably free of slow moving trucks. We really have travelled to the end of Laos.
Along the way we visited the Hitang Archaeological Park where an ancient people arranged baby menhirs or standing slabs in formations. Not quite Stonehenge, but the same idea. The site we visited was not big, but apparently the rocks are spread over a wide area, and we only visited one group. For us it was nice to see and it provided some relief from the long drive.
We also stopped at Phonxay Saleuy waterfall which is one of the local attractions of the province. And very nice it was. Again nice for a brief stop.
Xam Neua itself is a pretty little town nestled in the mountains. The townsfolk have gone to a bit of effort with the street lights, a nice bridge, monument etc. We went for a evening stroll to the clothes markets and found a local little eatery. Had a very excellent dinner.
Monday, April 7, 2014
A tourist day today. We drove 30 kms to the east to Vieng Xai. This is considered the birthplace of the current Laos People’s Democratic Republic. From 1964 until 1973 the US bombed this place as part of their campaign to stop the spread of communism or containment policy. During this time the Pathet Lao leadership hide out in the local caves coordinating their side of the effort in the Laotian civil war, along with the North Vietnam military.
We visited the caves accompanied by a guide and an audio tour. The cave tour was very good and although the audio tour was a little biased, it was also very good. We got a pretty good overview of the Pathet Lao and the conditions they endured. Our guide spoke very good English.
The scenery and countryside around this area is spectular, and some of the best we have seen in Laos. There was a big effort to clear farmland of UXO in 1991, but our guide told us that there are still many many bombs in the surrounding mountains.
Once back in Xam Neua we took a late lunch and made a walking tour of the city. We now know why this town is a bit different from other villages in the area. Once the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party had formed the government, they invested heavily in this city.
