Luang Prabang, Laos

It took awhile to get going today but by mid morning I was climbing the 328 steps up to Mount Phousi which was opened in 1937.  The views from the top are great-

Part way up is Buddha sitting under a bodhi tree-

Chomsi Stupa is 21 meters high and sits on the top of the hill-

Birds in small cages are for sale and when you let the bird go, you will have good luck.  The bird certainly will to be out of the cage-

I found a street cafe and people watched for awhile then headed to UXO which is a museum talking about unexploded bombs scattered in rural Laos-

I did not know this-

UXO are UneXploded Ordnances (bombs) that did not detonate when released by the Americans during the Vietnam War as they tried to wipe out communism in Laos.  They include large bombs, rockets, grenades, artillery, mortars and cluster munitions.  The most heavily bombed areas in Laos was rural areas that are today the country’s poorest.  UXOs obstruct people living there to break free from poverty because the land is polluted with UXO.  

A cluster bomb is a container that opens in the air-

and scatters bombies.  30% failed to explode and now are hidden in the dirt and grass, waiting to explode when touched.  Cluster bombs come in many shapes and sizes but the bombies are wheel bearings packed with mud-

Clearance operators clear about 50km2 of land annually.  They survey, rove and clear by detonating the bombs once found.  They use metal detectors to find the bombies-

Almost half of the accident victims are children so education in schools is a huge part of prevention.  

+1.4 million UXO items have been destroyed from 1996-2016.  Some examples-

Statistics for 2024-

From www.holeinthedonut.com-

“ Since the bombings were a violation of the Geneva Accord, which prohibited military involvement in Laos and to which the U.S. had become a signator in 1962, the CIA conducted the criminal operations in utmost secrecy. Neither the American people nor Congress were told about the campaign, which began in earnest in 1968, following President Lyndon B. Johnson’s announcement that all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of Vietnam would cease. Missions were focused on two areas of Laos: in the north they were directed against the Pathet Lao communist insurgents who were fighting the Royal Lao Army, while bombings in the south targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail in a futile attempt to cut off supplies being delivered to North Vietnam.“

I walked back towards the hostel.  Along the way-

Beautiful trees in bloom-

Typical Lao style buildings-

School was just out-

so parents were picking up their kids-

Yesterday I saw this painting and have thought about it ever since.  I checked with the post office about how much it would cost to send home and today I returned to the shop to maybe buy it.  The woman yesterday said I could have it for 400 + 100 for the tube = $32.50.  She was not there today and the man said it would be 600 + 100 = $45.50.  Either he didn’t understand English or he wouldn’t sell for less which helped me make my decision.  I wasn’t crazy about strapping a tube to my backpack and I don’t really have any wall space at home anyway.  A picture will have to do-

I stopped for lupper and broke down!  I can’t take the noodles and rice anymore-

I came back to the hostel at 5 pm, just in time for the AC to get turned on!  I had a shower and did a bunch of booking and planning for the next part of my journey. Tomorrow I’m going to the Kuang Si Waterfall.