Gun Laws and Carpet Bombing

Snappy headline eh. So I am a little confused by the gun laws in this country. The police and military seem to be totally un-armed. But as you travel throught the countryside you see a few (4-5 a day) pesant looking farmers with dirty worn clothing and an AK-47 thrown over their solder and a vest full of ammo. Not sure what that is all about, but it would make most Texans jealous. Communism seems to have its benefits, semi-legalized marajuana, mushrooms, and opium, cheap massages, and the right to carry fully automatic weapons throughout the countyside with no restrictions.

So we took a 2 day side trip to the town of Ponsavan. It is located in the middle of the plane of jars region. The plane of jars is the Stonehenge of Asia. There are these huge jars, some of which are taller then me that are carved out of solid stone. They had to be transported here from far away since no stone of that size or type is available in the region. They date the jars to over 3000 years ago and the reason for them is still unknown. Everyone seems to have their theory, but they will probably never know.

The region is also know as having been the battleground for the Loation Civil war from 1960-1972. The area changed hands practically every year. The Russians backed one side and the USA backed the other. The scars of war are still evident everywhere. The US and Russians flew bombing missions and would carpet bomb the region back and forth. Everywhere you look for miles there are huge craters everywhere. So many bombs were droped that there still is quite a danger from unexploded ordenance. They are working full time at cleaning up the debris and predict it will be safe in 5 more years. While touring the plane of jars you have to stay on the marked path for fear of left over munitions.

The locals have become quite resoucefull in their usage of the left over debris of war. Here are some examples.

Helicoper door: Wall of a house

Tailgate from a shot down cargo plane: Bridge

Unexploded and defused 500LB bomb: cut in half and use as a planter, a bench, fenceposts, stilts for a house, decoration, etc.

Aluminum fusalage from shot down aircraft: melt down and make spoons

Helicoper prop: make into a bench

Tank turret: Chicken Coop

Army Helmet: use as a bucket

Tank wheels: wheels for a cart

Everywhere you look the signs of war are evident, except in the eyes, minds, and hearts of the people. This is a young country due to the mass casualties of the war and they seem eager to put it all behind them and enter the 21st century with no hard feelings. Laos is a county I would encourage everyone to visit. Its not necessarlly a vacation spot, more of an adventure. But the local people more then make up for any hardships the traveler may have to endure.