Plain of Jars

One of the most spectacular places I visited was the Plain of Jars in Phonsavan, north-central Laos. These megaliths have been dated back to the Iron Age and are thought to have been used for burial practices, although other researchers have suggested that they were used to collect rainwater, and local legends say they were used to produce and store lao-lao rice whisky. I visited the 3 sites that are open to the public (there are 90 sites in total) by bike, which took me all day on dusty unpaved road. Luckily I was riding past picturesque Lao-style ranches under an azure and pillow-y white sky.

Some more of the scenery along the way:

Here are the jars.

Laos is currently applying for the Plain of Jars to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the area is riddled with UXOs (Unexploded Ordnance) leftover from America's covert bombing of Laos during the Vietnam war. The sites are still being cleared (which is why I could only visit 3 sites). UXOs, or "bombies" as locals call them, have devastated the country and prevent economic development in the worst-hit areas. As a tourist, it's hard to see the horrifying effects of my government's actions and still be able to be proud to be American.