Yesterday I visited the Plain of Jars, which is north east Laos' Stonehenge.

I thought they looked more like toilet bowls for giants more than anything else. They are big massive jars sticking out of the ground, with big holes, hence being jars and not monoliths.

The ride to Phonsavanh was uneventful and took about 7 hours. It wasn't nearly as "chicken bus" as I was expecting. The driver wasn't a maniac and wasn't in any particular rush as there isn't much going on in Phonsavanh. When we got to the town, the usual tourist mafia guys came up to the bus and I slipped away unnoticed. Unfortunately all the places I tried were full so I had to go with one of the tourist mafia to this small little place a bit out of the way. It was alright but only cost $1.50. The downside was that I had to listen to the mafia guy's yapping about tour programs.

Fortunately, a few Germans appeared and they decided to look for a taxi, which are supposedly "not possible." As with anything in Asia, everything is possible. They chatted with several drivers and agreed to come back at 7am. When we came back the next day, for $4 a person, we had a taxi.

We visited all three sites of jars as well as a waterfall. I was totally beat by 1pm because I had been up the night getting sick on my food from dinner. NEVER mix lassis and 2 beers. It is explosive. Maybe it was a bum lassi, I don't know but all night I got up once an hour to get ill. As I sat nearly falling asleep in my lunch, the tourist mafia guy approached our table to find out why we blew him off. Andy, one of the crafty Germans told him he was too expensive and so we got a taxi.

"NO!! Not possible!!!" said the mafioso.

"Yes, possible," we replied.

He stomped off for a while until he tried to find out who took us so he could go shake him down.

The rest of my time in Phonsavanh was uneventful. I had a pleasant dinner with a Texan, Dave, who also would be on the road for a while. We relaxed and ate at Sanga, a local place with decent food and sassy service.

When I tried to get out to Nan Noen this morning I was told I missed the 8am bus, at 7:40. It was full so it left. After 30 seconds of wandering around looking for a truck going in my direction, I gave up and decided to catch the 8:30 to Luang Prabang. After 7 hours, I was back in town, with a ticket to my next town arranged.

I also got a kickass room which I am sharing with Sylvia, a Swiss/Spaniard who has been just about everywhere. It has towels, a uber clean hot shower bathroom, and a DESKLAMP. This may not sound very exciting, but really, it is. I can finish this terrible book I am reading (Shanghai Baby) and ditch it. I almost want to keep the book so I remember how bad it was.

Tomorrow I am off for Nong Khiaw, which is 4 hours north and a bit east of Luang Prabang. It supposed to be close to an idyllic village where there is no vehicular traffic because there is no road to the village- you have to take a boat to get there. I'll be sure to update this in a few days to tell about it....